As someone who is always craving a quick bite or a sit-down meal, I love to make an adventure out of meals with my friends. As a college student who does not have the money for a luxury meal, I have found so many ways to go out to eat on a budget and still get great food. For starters — let me tell you right now — download all the possible apps for restaurants you can and sign up for all of the rewards. Even though this means you will get spammed by messages and emails, you can save so much money doing this! Now that you know that trick, let me list some of my favorite places and how I get such great food for such good deals.
McDonalds
Now, you are probably wondering: why would McDonalds be on my list of top five restaurants? For starters, you can never go wrong with a great meal from a quick-service restaurant. After a night out with the girls, you can find a McDonalds almost anywhere near you. It’s so convenient to just hop in the drive-thru line while you’re having a great time with your friends. I get a free McChicken in my rewards almost any time I go, simply because I have the app.
If you’re in the rewards program, you can get a free medium fry every Friday. I add in a 10 piece nugget without the meal and it comes to only $6.59. If you were to get this on any other day with the meal, it would cost $10.79. My recommendation is to check everyday to see the deals and plan your meal depending on your budget. McDonalds offers so many great deals that you might not be aware of!
Cheesecake Factory
Cheesecake Factory is my favorite restaurant ever. If you and your girls are looking for a place to dress up and take cute pictures, this is the restaurant for you. As you walk in, it looks incredibly fancy with its low light and the fine-dining tables. Don’t let the prices on the menu scare you — as someone who has been eating here for years, I have found many ways around those intimidating prices. For starters, I still eat from the kids menu. You may be thinking: a kids meal is nowhere near big enough for me! Luckily, Cheesecake Factory meals come in large portions. I always get the kids alfredo for $10.50 and add chicken for $1.95. I start with the fried zucchini as an appetizer, which is $13.50, adding up to $25.95 for my meal. Instead of paying $30.50 for just the regular chicken alfredo, you are getting more food, and I still always have leftovers. There are so many options on the kids menu to choose from, and you can save so much more money by being a kid for a day.
Texas Roadhouse
If you and your friends are looking to have a fun time in a loud environment, Texas Roadhouse is waiting for you. I love a great steak and the unlimited rolls. Right off the bat you are filling your stomach with free rolls and peanuts. There is no need to spend extra money on more food when you can get something light. Whenever my friends and I go, we get the 6oz sirloin with two sides. That itself is only $15.99 and it fills you up with sometimes even leftovers. I get it with the side salad and loaded baked potato which is only an extra $1.29, and you get so much food. You can get both quantity and quality ordering this way. My biggest piece of advice is not to order something because it is more expensive and you think it will be better than the cheaper menu items. You can still get great food by staying on a budget.
Chipotle
Whether you are leaving the gym and want something healthy or are craving some Mexican food, Chipotle is always a great option. I always get a bowl with steak, white rice, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, corn, and salsa and that comes to $12.08, which is not bad for how much they fill the bowl up. If you want to stay on a budget, here are some hacks I have picked up on that fill me up.
For starters, again, never hate on the kids meal. You get to choose three sides on top of the meat you choose, and a bag of chips. For me, it is the the perfect portion size. Another trick I have done is gotten one taco and when choosing all my sides, I always select extra. You can choose up to five sides, and I just make it into my own bowl for only $3.65. My best advice is play around with the app. Take advantage of your rewards and find what foods you can get for a great price.
Olive Garden
If you are someone like me who loves pasta and a great night out with the girls, Olive Garden is perfect.
Don’t walk, run: Olive Garden is now doing their never ending pasta, breadsticks, soup, and salad for only $13.99. Even if you are full, as long as the pasta gets brought to the table you can take it home. It’s the perfect way to save money and stay busy at a restaurant for long time while having fun with your friends. You can choose any kind of pasta and sauce you want and order different kinds as the night goes on. My personal favorite pasta combo is starting with the rigatoni cheesy marinara and then getting the fettuccine alfredo. If you are unsure if you want to start with soup or salad, have one person order soup and the other order salad and share around the table.
eating good on a budget
Eating out wit your girls does not always have to drain your bank account — you just need to have a game plan. Keeping yourself updated on deals and downloading the apps is a huge game-changer, don’t sleep on the shareables or kid menus. Plan your night based on vibes — is it a dress-up or a drive-thru kind of night? There will always be a budget friendly option anywhere you go, whether you believe so or not. Become smarter with the menu and enjoy your night out!