10 Ways to Eat Out for Less

Restaurant portions are often huge, so consider splitting a dish with someone at your table. If you ask, many establishments will even split your order between two plates before they bring them out to you  (some will even put full-size sides on both plates).

And a nice bonus: Sharing a meal means fewer calories and fat grams hitting your waistline.

Drinks can really add to your tab, particularly if you're drinking something that is billed by the glass. To keep your check as lean as possible, order water (almost always free), or opt for a beverage that comes with free refills – soda, coffee, ice tea, etc. Can't do without that alcoholic beverage? Order one glass. Then, stick to water for the rest of the meal.

Coupons aren't just for groceries. Flip through your local newspaper and junk mailers, and you're likely to find lots of restaurant coupons. Buy-one-get-one-free offers can make a big dent in the price of eating out, so they're worth the search time. For even more savings, consider investing in a school coupon book, if they're available in your area, and check to see if your favorite restaurants have a loyalty app, where you can grab coupons, or earn freebies.

Lots of establishments feature special nights where kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée. Do a little research to find restaurants in your area that do this, and you could slash the cost of your meal by half (or more)– now that's sure to make you and the kids happy.

No, I'm not suggesting that you skip dinner entirely, but I am suggesting that you consider skipping dinner out. Eating out at dinnertime is often much more expensive than eating out at lunchtime – even if the same foods are on the menu. Make the switch to mid-day meals, and you'll avoid the higher price tags and probably the crowd as well.

If it's the restaurant food that you crave and not the restaurant experience, you can cut your costs by ordering your food to go. Many restaurant chains now offer car-side service, making it easy for you to get your favorite meals to go. How does this save you money? By taking the sit-down experience out of the equation, you can skip the drink order entirely and also avoid having to pay a tip – a savings of 15 percent by itself.

Purchase discounted gift certificates or gift cards to your favorite restaurants through Gift Card Granny or a deal site, like Groupon.

Sign up for the fan clubs at your favorite restaurants, and you'll often score a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert at sign up, plus a free meal on your birthday and on the anniversary of your sign up date. Plus, you'll score plenty of coupons throughout the year.

Some restaurants automatically give you a free meal on your birthday when you sign up for their fan club or newsletter, others have a separate birthday club that you need to sign up for. Either way, make sure you sign up for all the birthday food freebies that you're entitled to.

• List of Restaurant Birthday Clubs