# How do you get restaurant food cheaply **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 17, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774 "2005-04-17T17:31:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/1 "2005-04-17T17:31:45Z")
Alright. In my experiences as coupon guy and as a student of voluntary simplicity I have found several ways to get fast food relatively cheaply 1. Wait for sales. Naturally some places have sales you just have to find out how to find them. Here in bloomington Dominos has buy one get one free tuesday, mad mushroom has $3.99 for a 14" pizza on tuesdays, ponderosa has $4.99 buffets on sunday if you are a student, etc. The paper is a good way to find sales, so is asking friends, so is looking at the signs when you go into restaurants. $5 buffets and $5 pizzas are easy to find if you look around. 2. Use coupons. If you can’t get coupons through the local paper, you can buy them on ebay. A sheet of ‘buy one get one free’ coupons for many restaurants is usually only $1-2. I have made good use of these and bought BOGO whoppers, quarter pounders and rallyburgers. 3. Discount cards. Local schools sometimes sell these. I remember one had large pizzas for $5, and buy one get one free deals at a local hamburge place. I suppose calling the local high school and junior high is a good way to find these cards. Do other organizations sell these? Are there other methods i’m missing? ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/2 "2005-04-17T17:35:23Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Are there other methods i’m missing? Work for the place. In most cases employees get food for free or discounted prices. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/3 "2005-04-17T17:41:41Z")
Seems excessive, but it’ll work. So will having friends who work there. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/4 "2005-04-17T18:18:45Z")
There’s also happy hour specials. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/5 "2005-04-17T18:22:47Z")
Often I get those weird “decks” of index card sized coupons and ads in the mail; some of them are usually for two-person fixed price meals at really nice restaurants which might have a limited menu but are a very good deal. Generally quite a step up from Tuesdays at Dominos, though. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/6 "2005-04-17T19:04:35Z")
Go to a place whose name is simply “Eat” or “Eats”. Of course you’re risking having your intestines participate in a wild ride, but it’s cheap. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/7 "2005-04-17T20:57:26Z")
Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Restaurants often donate leftovers and volunteers in my experience are welcome to take a meal with the guests. In addition to the fast food places you mentioned, the fried chicken places would often have sales on family-size meals that would be dinner for a week for me. And I expect the chicken could be frozen for future use, unlike burgers. Chinese food and real Mexican taquerias are also good values. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/8 "2005-04-17T21:06:51Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#): > > There’s also happy hour specials. True. The local student paper covers those, at least it used to. It had all the sales of the week (who had 15 cent beers and $1 hamburgers on thursday, etc) but they stopped carrying that info. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/9 "2005-04-17T21:13:51Z")
Fill out the surveys they usually have at tables or at the cash register. There’s a local restaurant here that asks you fill one in and sends you specials through the mail on your family members birthdays, anniversaries, etc. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/10 "2005-04-17T23:28:26Z")
Be good friends with the wife of a guy who’s heavily involved in the restaurant business and gets discounts on a bunch of restaurants and gets more free samples of stuff from vendors than she knows what to do with. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/11 "2005-04-17T23:34:50Z")
A supply of dead cockroaches could come in handy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/12 "2005-04-18T00:30:04Z")
often buffets have pay per pound take out deals that come out cheaper then paying for the eat in buffet. Yes you get less food but get more then enough for a normal meal. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/13 "2005-04-18T01:29:50Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#): > > There’s also happy hour specials. Ha! This was a staple when I was going to college! Me and my buddy would order like one pitcher of beer ($4 at the time) then stuff our faces on whatever free food they put out. On the Border use to serve mini tacos for their happy hour. mmm I miss those things. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/14 "2005-04-18T03:28:10Z")
Get a reputation for being “easy” with anyone who springs for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/15 "2005-04-18T05:40:01Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Get a reputation for being “easy” with anyone who springs for dinner. Should I still sleep with them if they use [coupons?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=271908&highlight=coupon) ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/16 "2005-04-18T05:54:16Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Should I still sleep with them if they use [coupons?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=271908&highlight=coupon) Well, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do if you want cheap food. 😃 Bear in mind this is coming from a girl who will become very, um, malleable if you feed her Italian or Mexican food. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/17 "2005-04-18T07:16:45Z")
[Here](http://soloops.ipbhost.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t33709.html) is a long list of restaurants that offer free food on your birthday. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/18 "2005-04-18T07:32:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Bear in mind this is coming from a girl who will become very, um, malleable if you feed her Italian or Mexican food. I made chicken fajitas for dinner tonight…and I do some pasta sauces that just might get you “close” all by themselves. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/19 "2005-04-18T14:02:51Z")
> [@Harimad-sol](#): > > Bear in mind this is coming from a girl who will become very, um, malleable if you feed her Italian or Mexican food. 500 cc of pesto sauce…stat! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774/20 "2005-04-18T14:59:08Z")
> [@Harimad-sol](#): > > Well, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do if you want cheap food. > > 😃 > > Bear in mind this is coming from a girl who will become very, um, malleable if you feed her Italian or Mexican food. **H-s** , I’m thinking about getting a lifetime membership to the Olive Garden - what are the odds I could benefit from your malleability? 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-restaurant-food-cheaply/299774.md?page=2)