The Top 15 Restaurants to Eat at On a Budget
That budget word has been scaring people for years. I am going to let you in on a little secret. Budgets do not have to be scary. They are actually the best way for you to take control of your money. I know many of you make think, I hardly have any money of which to take control. While you may not make much money, you can get control of it and have it work for you.
I bet that you are spending more money than you realize and you probably have no idea where it goes. If you do not have a budget, I promise that is the case. There are many ways to put yourself on a budget, even when you do not make a lot of money. It is all about your priorities and if saving money and getting out of debt are a priority, you can make it happen. You can still do some of the things you enjoy, you just have to be smarter about it. There are restaurants to eat at on a budget, just like you can take vacations and do other things while on a budget.
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Top 15 Affordable Restaurants
When considering restaurants to eat at on a budget, here are 15 that you should not overlook:
Olive Garden
This Italian restaurant offers deals such as buy one, take one. They will take the second dinner and wrap it up in a to-go container. You have four different options from which to choose.
You also get soup, bread sticks, and salad while you are eating in. The second dinner is cold and does not have to be the same meal as the first one. This allows you to have two meals when you have only paid for one.
Wegmans
This is a grocery store to beat all grocery stores. They offer complete meals at their deli. These are meals that are ready to eat.
They run about $6 per meal and have selections such as various types of chicken, meatloaf with sides such as broccoli, apples, macaroni, and cheese. It comes in a microwavable container and you can eat it the day you purchase it or the next day.
Subway
When you go to Subway, focus on the sandwich. After all, there are literally millions of sandwich options available to you. Even when you are shopping on a budget, you do not have to skimp on options at Subway.
You should avoid getting the chips and a drink and you will save money. If you get the footlong sub, you can save the other half for dinner or lunch the next day.
Chipotle
At Chipotle, you can get a burrito bowl and add extra vegetables and cheese to make it a larger sized bowl. It is one of the most famous restaurants to eat at on a budget. You can eat half of the bowl for dinner and save the rest for lunch the next day.
A couple of tips are: have the lettuce and sour cream on the side so that it heats up well the next day. You can order online and avoid the line by walking in and picking it up.
Ikea
You can get breakfast or lunch at Ikea. For only $0.99, you can get eggs, hash browns, and sausage.
A tip about breakfast at Ikea is the restaurant opens an hour earlier than the store for breakfast. You can get their early, have breakfast and be ready to shop when the store opens. You can get a lunch of 2 hot dogs, chips, and soda for only $2.50. These are not the only items on the menu, but they are the cheapest. However, most of the items on their menu, from pancakes to salmon meatballs, are incredibly affordable.
McDonald's
While McDonald's will always be a fast-food restaurant, that does not mean you should rule it out when you are looking for a place to eat. It isconsiderd one of the best restaurants to eat at on a budget.
They have healthy options available to you today, in addition to the burgers and fries. They have a dollar menu that offers all of your favorites. You can download the app where you can find extra deals on your favorite menu items.
Chick-Fil-A
Chick-Fil-A always remains a favorite for many people. They also provide all the calorie information on all of their food. If you download the Chick-Fil-A app, it gets you free options.
Just by registering, you get a free option. You can also join their rewards program which gives you points for everything you order. You can redeem these points for free food.
Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen
They consider themselves to be a casual restaurant, with more than 20 choices that are under $10. These choices come with a main dish, as well as two sides. These are regularly priced meals but often offer limited-time promotions.
Chili's
Chili's offers sandwiches and entrees ranging from $10 to $15, and fajitas from $14 to $17. They also offer a menu specially created for dinner for two. You get an appetizer and two entrees. In addition, Chili's offers a rewards program.
Other than the typical free dessert on your birthday, they also offer points with every purchase. Those points can get you free appetizers, lunch, and even dinner. The points do not expire.
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel offers meals from $8 to $15, while many of them are less than $10. Cracker Barrel does not offer coupons, so you will not be able to find them. Cracker Barrel does offer daily lunch and dinner specials, which change daily. They also serve breakfast all day, so you can get all your morning favorites all day long.
The Cheesecake Factory
While they are on the more expensive end of the inexpensive dinners, you can find options as low as $13. Many options range from $15 to $30. Your best bet is to visit them for lunch. Cheesecake Factory has a great Happy Hour.
You have to sit in the bar area and it is only between 4 to 6 pm, but the drinks are marked down drastically. You can get the most popular appetizers that are decreased in price.
P.F. Chang
One of the restaurants to eat at on a budget that ranges from $10 to $25, while most options range from $15 to $18. You can choose to eat family style to save some money. You can join their rewards program, where for every $200 you spend, you earn a free entree.
Red Lobster
They have many entrees around $15 but you may have to stay away from seafood to get that price. During the week, you can order the four-course feast. It gets you soup, salad, entree, and dessert.
We certainly cannot overlook the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, which are everyone's favorites. They also offer a Fresh Catch Club that gives you free items on your birthday and other deals and discounts only available to club members.
Texas Roadhouse
Their steak prices range from $10 to $27. They have options ranging from $10 to $15 for non-steak options. Texas Roadhouse offers discounted meals to those who 'dine early'. If you go there before 6 pm Monday thru Thursday, there are a handful of meals available for $8.99. There are some chicken, steak, and salad options available.
IHop
While you think of pancakes first, IHop also offers burgers, sandwiches, and other entrees. It’s one of the best restaurants to eat at on a budget. They have a meal for $14, but they also have meals from $4 to $6 on the 55 plus menu.
They also give out free pancakes on National Pancake Day. Keep your eyes open for when they go into buffet mode. For a few weeks out of the year, they switch to an all you can eat buffet.
What Is A Budget?
In the simplest terms, a budget is a plan for how you spend your money. It is when you have an understanding of how much money is coming into your house. It is also understanding and controlling the money you are spending on bills and other expenses. It is also you knowing the difference between how much you earn, spend, and save. And if you have not yet found a way to save, we suggest opening a savings account. It’s one of the best options when it comes to managing your spending and learning how to save.
Many of us spend money without any real understanding of where the money is going because we do not have a budget. Budgets can be for a certain period of time, or for a specific need, such as saving for a house or a wedding. Having a budget does not mean that you are restricting yourself from doing things you want. It does mean having an awareness of the money you are spending. There are plenty of restaurants to eat at on a budget, just as there are many vacation spots you can visit on a budget.
Tips For Eating Out On a Budget
When you are considering restaurants to eat at on a budget, there are some other tips you should keep in mind:
Consider Going to Restaurants Where You Are Your Own Server
These restaurants may include buffets, fast causal, or quick service. Fast-casual are restaurants like Panera and quick service restaurants are places like Starbucks. You can get a quick and filling meal for much less than a full-service restaurant. If you want to eat from your favorite restaurant, you can choose to get your meal to go. This way, you only order the main entree and pay half the cost. You can add the extras at home.
You can choose to eat lunch at one of these restaurants instead of going for dinner. You can usually get the same meal at lunch for a cheaper price. You should go to the restaurant on your birthday, where you may be able to get a discount on your meal, or perhaps you can get a free appetizer or drink.
Split Your Meal with Someone, or Take the Leftovers Home
When you go to a restaurant, you can consider splitting your meal with your dinner companion. This way you only order one entree and split the cost. This can cut the cost by half. It also helps you eat less food while you are out at the restaurant.
Usually, restaurants give you way more food than you should eat in one sitting. Instead of forcing yourself to eat too much food at one time, take half of it home with you. You can get another meal out of it. You could even get a to-go container before you start eating. You can put half of the food in the to-go container and then eat only what is left on your plate.
Skip Drinks
You should consider not ordering drinks when you go to a restaurant. Drinks are priced incredibly high at restaurants, much higher than if you bought the ingredients separately and made the drinks at home. The best way to save money at a restaurant is to only order water. There is no charge for water.
How To Eat On a Budget
Food is expensive and a large portion of our personal budget goes to it on a regular basis. Even when you do not eat out, you can still end up spending a lot of money on food. Living on a budget does not have to be hard, so before you go on your next grocery store trip, consider these tips to help you stay on budget.
Always Plan Out Your Meals for the Week
This helps you because you already know what you are going to eat and you do not have to make last-minute decisions. Last-minute decisions always tend to cost more and be less healthy. Once you have planned out your menu for the week, you can create a list of items that you need for those meals. Once you create a list, check out what items you already have a home and remove them from your list.
Also, be aware of higher-priced foods that are already in your freezer and perhaps you can create a menu around that. Once you get to the grocery store, stick to your list. If there is an item that you see and it is not on your list do not buy it. Purchasing items that are not on your list is the fastest way to blow your grocery budget.
Cook Larger Meals that Will Give You Leftovers
You can take these for lunch or eat another meal from it. Also, you can use the same base food, such as chicken for two different types of meals. For example, you can cook chicken breast and the next day cut it up for salad. When items are on sale, stock up on them.
Be careful with this option because you do not want to buy too much food that will go to waste. If you know for sure you will use or freeze the item before it goes bad, then buy more of it. If it is a really good sale price on non-perishable items, you should stock up on them at that time.
Focus on Buying Whole Foods
For example, when you want cheese, it is cheaper to buy a block of cheese than a package of shredded cheese. It will only take you a few minutes to shred the cheese yourself. Buy more whole foods, fruits, and vegetables than anything else. When you can, buy whole foods in bulk, such as rice or beans. They are cheaper when you buy them this way.
Consider buying generic foods. There is a generic version of just about any food out there. In many cases, there is no difference between the generic version and the others. Always try the generic version first because you can usually save a large amount of money this way. If the fruit and vegetables you want are not in season, consider buying the frozen version of them. They are just as healthy for you and usually are less expensive. They have the added bonus of being available all year long.
Conclusion
I hope your takeaway from this article is that even when you have created a budget for yourself, that does not mean you are forced to deny yourself of all the things you want. That could not be further from the truth. You can enjoy all the things you want, even find restaurants to eat at on a budget, you just have to be informed and smart about it.