COMMENT
Dine Out For Less!

A recent report from Virgin Money has found that we spend an incredible £42 billion each year on dining out. That includes eating out in restaurants, bars and cafes, with £9 billion being spent on lunches and £33 billion on evening meals. Blimey!

The average spend across the UK was found to be £21.87 per head for an evening meal, with 20 per cent of us dining out at least once a week with our partners or friends and family. That means that, over a lifetime, one in five of us will spend a whopping £54,000 on evening meals out!

And according to the survey, men are more likely to be dipping into their wallets, with 65% claiming to pick up the tab. And two thirds of us believe an old fashioned meal out is the most romantic way to get to know our date.

Well, there's certainly some serious money going into the tills of restaurants and cafes across the country! However, the interesting thing is, there are easy ways to save money when dining out which don't involve taking your date to McDonalds. And to do so, you just need to do a little preparation. So if you enjoy dining out but aren't so keen on the dent it leaves in your wallet, check out these tips.

For a start, check out the many websites that have been set up to book tables at restaurants for you (even the trendy ones that are hard to get a reservation at). Companies such as Toptable offer a free restaurant and party booking service, and they have access to all sorts of special bargain menu deals too. One section specifies all of the restaurants offering 50% off your bill if you book through Toptable, and there is a whole range of restaurants to choose from offering two or three course menus, often with a glass of wine for just £15. And each restaurant comes with a review so you can get an idea if it will be suitable. Plus, if you need to book a venue for a Christmas party, booking through Toptable will mean you'll be eligible for a free meal for two at a later date! And although a lot of the restaurants are in London, there are plenty more located in cities all over the UK.

Other sites offering restaurant-booking services include Lastminute.com, which offers a similar range of offers to Toptable. However, in addition to table bookings, Lastminute also offers fantastic deals if you're interested in booking dinner and a show. For example, you could book to see a musical such as The Producers and have a two-course dinner at Porters for just £19.95! Plus, this offer is even available on Friday nights, fantastic value. And if you have a little more cash, you could see the Phantom of the Opera after enjoying a two-course lunch whilst cruising along the Thames for just £35.95.

Many restaurants offer special lunch or pre-theatre dinner two or three course menus, some for as little as £10, which can be great value. And don't forget to keep and eye out in local newspapers for two for one vouchers valid at restaurants nearby. If you're a keen Tesco Clubcard collector, why not redeem some of your vouchers for those valid at various eating establishments? Participating restaurants include Café Rouge, Bella Italia and Bar HaHa, and as each £2.50 voucher will be worth £10 at the restaurant, this can be a great value way to redeem your points and enjoy a free meal out.

And if you're currently thinking that you couldn't really justify spending any money at all in a restaurant at the moment, why not cook a special meal instead? You don't even need to fork out for a cookbook; you can find a whole wealth of recipes online at Delia's, Jamie Oliver's and the BBC's websites.

So there you have it, a number of ways to save money on dining out!