Tough times call for cutting back on many things, but going out for dinner doesn't have to be one of them. A Web site called restaurant.com allows you to purchase gift certificates at a discount to many restaurants in your neighborhood.
Go to www.restaurant.com, enter the zip code for your neighborhood and then the distance you are willing to travel from that zip code and you will get a list of participating restaurants in your area.
There are usually certificates for $10 up to $100. A $10 gift certificate will cost you $3, so you save $7 when you go out to eat at that restaurant. A $25 certificate costs $10 so you save $15, and $100 dining certificate costs just $40, saving you $60 for your meal.
The icing on the cake is to have the code when you check out to lower the cost of your certificate The current promotion is for half off, so if you type the word "SEASON" in the discount code box you will get 60% off the cost of your certificate. Instead of paying $10 for a $25 certificate, you would now pay just $4.
I find this Web site useful not only in my neighborhood, but whenever I am going on vacation or traveling on business.
Charlie Stroller, president, CEO and CFO of Financial Advisor magazine's parent company CFPN, has 25 years' experience running companies and has specialized in expense reduction and cost containment. Those who know him can attest that he is an expert on finding the best deals when it comes to both business and personal expenditures.