Saving Money Just Got Yummier

I've read everything the library has on the topic of being frugal, and even though the tips have become a little repetitive, I always check out the new ones, just in case. I'm really glad I grabbed The Cheapskate Next Door, by Jeff Yeager. I credit this book with potentially saving me hundreds of dollars over the next few years, and I'm not even going to make you read the whole book to find out how (although if you like this tip, maybe you should pick up the book to find more!)

It’s all about one little URL: http://www.restaurant.com/

It’s so cool—really, unbelievably cool. Basically, you buy restaurant gift certificates for yourself or others, and you buy at a discount. A $25 gift certificate costs $10, a $50 gift certificate costs $20, a $100 gift certificate costs $40! My whole family can’t go out together for under $100 anymore, so cutting that down to $40 is really exciting.

There is a catch, sort of. Our local restaurants are apparently not participating. There’s one in Corvallis, one in Eugene, and 95 in Portland. The full list of participating restaurants for Oregon is here: http://tinyurl.com/27qm39s. If you have friends or relatives in other states, search for their city; you can buy a specific certificate for them, or give them a Restaurant.com certificate, which they can use to choose their own restaurant online. (If you buy them a $100 certificate for $40, they can then choose a certificate of the same face value, also worth $40.)

Some restaurants will not allow alcohol to be paid for by gift certificate, and many have a minimum purchase amount that might require you to buy two of the smaller denominations at once. And tip is not included—you are expected to pay an 18% tip for the full value of the meal. Really quite reasonable, considering.

I sort of feel like I’m advertising for these guys, but remember, I’m really advertising for Jeff Yeager’s book and for your library’s fine collection. Thar’s money-saving information in them thar shelves!