Estimate Savings: $5-25 per month
Eating out is expensive but eating out with kids can be very expensive. Before you go out to eat with your growing family take the following things into consideration.
Check out the menu before you arrive. Before you head out to the restaurant, sit with your children and review the menu. Be sure that there is something on the menu that you and your child can agree on. This strategy ensures the following:
- Your child is choosing a healthy option.
- The choice your child is making is within your budget.
- There is something on the menu your child likes to eat.
One of the more frustrating experiences for parents is children ordering something that is very expensive and then refusing to eat it because they did not like it or it was not what they were expecting. This strategy gives you time to talk and review your options.
Choose child-friendly restaurants. For parents with particularly young children (under 5), choosing a restaurant that is child-friendly ensures that there is something for kids that is tasty and reasonably priced. For example, restaurants like IHOP and Applebee’s provide kids menus that are reasonably priced while providing the sit-down, restaurant atmosphere that parents crave.
Look at the Appetizer Menu. For kids who have almost outgrown the children’s menu but are still too young to eat a full adult meal, suggest they look at the appetizer menu. Appetizers are usually smaller portion sizes of plates you would find on the adult menu.
Hopefully, these strategies can help you enjoy your next meal out with your family for less.
