A study by PureSpectrum found that on average, Brits spend £55.07 per person eating out.
Whilst eating out can be a great culinary and social experience, it can also be a budget blocker. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be, as a whole range of apps exist to help make it cheaper!
Here are some ideas to help you save money on eating out, without sacrificing good food!
At Home Meal Boxes
Eating out can be expensive, and whilst hosting a dinner party is definitely more cost-efficient – it takes a lot of time and effort!
Luckily, at-home meal boxes are here to help. Many restaurants have designed their at-home meal boxes to help you have restaurant-level food, but without the price tag. Not to mention, putting them together is a great dinner party activity.
Some of the best include:
Goila Butter Chicken Feast
An Indian feast promising butter chicken, daal, butter naan, poppadoms and chutneys. Created by Chef Saransh Goila, it’s a good alternative to an Indian restaurant.
Cost: £55 for 2.
Pizza Pilgrims Pizza Kits
Perfect for pizza night, their kits include everything you need to make delicious pizzas at home.
Cost: £25 for 5, but currently has a £5 off deal for first-time buyers.
Arabica Lebanese Feast Kits
Thinking of eating Middle Eastern? Arabica’s meal kits come with instructions of how to make a middle eastern feast – all from your own home.
Cost: Ranges from £45-65 for 2 depending on meat type.
Mystery Dining
You might have heard of mystery shopping, but have you heard of mystery dining?
These companies pay you, yes PAY YOU, to go to top restaurants and try them out. This feedback is then used to help the restaurant improve its service. You can either sign up to a platform or find deals online at specific restaurants.
Start by looking at chains like Wagamama or Giraffe, as they are likely to have deals online!
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Budget Trackers
Sometimes the best way to save money is to figure out where you’re spending it. Without realising, you might be spending way too much on certain meals, which impact your monthly spends.
Downloading budget trackers allow you to make better eating out choices, ultimately saving you money in the long-run.
Some budget tracking apps include:
Moneyhub
Moneyhub is a tool that allows you to plan your finances, track your spending and manage your savings all in one place. By seeing everything in one location, you’re more easily able to make good savings decisions when it comes to eating out.
Monzo
Monzo also allows you to track your spending, generating reports every month around how you’ve spent your money. This can help you stick to your budget and ensure you eat out within your limits.
Goodbudget
If you find it hard to stick to budgets, then this one is for you! The app allows you to virtually keep track of all your expenses, making sure you’re making good financial decisions.
Discount Apps
They don’t necessarily advertise it, but a lot of restaurants in the UK have deals and discounts for certain consumers.
For example, if you’re a student, an NHS worker or an army veteran, platforms exist to help you get the best deals at certain restaurants.
Whilst this does usually only apply to chains, it certainly makes a difference financially!
Some of the best include:
Student Beans
Student beans has tons of discounts available at UK chain restaurants for students. This applies to anyone at school, university or doing a post-graduate degree. Their discounts can get you 10-20% off certain restaurants, helping you save a good amount of money when eating out.
Blue Light Card
The Blue Light Card exists for public sector workers, including those that work in the armed forces, in the health, fire and coastguard services and social workers and teachers. Their platform has hundreds of discounts at shops and restaurants, allowing you to pick the best ones.
Health Service Discounts
Specifically for those working in the NHS, Health Service Discounts partners with chain restaurants to give health workers unique discounts – making eating out cheaper!
At Home Delivery Apps
Service charge at restaurants, especially in cities like London, can go up to 12%. This makes eating out incredibly expensive, especially if the meal itself already costs a lot.
One way to get around this is by using at-home delivery apps. These apps charge you delivery fees and a tip for the driver, but this no where near matches the 12% charged in-restaurants.
For those looking to save some cash, it could allow you to enjoy restaurant meals, with a slightly cheaper bill. Not to mention, many of them have membership fees, offering cheaper prices on some top eats.
Some options include:
UberEats
A sub-venture of Uber taxis, Uber Eats has thousands of restaurants signed up to its platform. Monthly subscriptions are available for £4.99, giving members £0 delivery fees for eats orders over £15.
Deliveroo
Deliveroo is another popular meal delivery service, with hundreds of restaurants listed on the platform. UK prime members are able to enjoy 1 year free of Deliveroo Plus, giving them reduced prices on food delivery.
JustEat
More suited for those that love fast-food, JustEat includes restaurants like KFC, McDonald’s and more. The platform currently offers a sign up fee with free delivery for 90 days, meaning you save 100% of the service charge on its orders.
