Author Archives: Kate Kashman

Eight Ways to Save at Restaurants

Posted on June 12, 2009 by Kate Kashman| 1 Comment

As much as I try to limit our restaurant eating, there are three events that seem to increase the number of times we eat out:  birthdays, traveling, and moving.  With four kids and two adults, eating in restaurants gets expensive pretty quickly.  There are a couple of strategies that we use to make sure that our final bill doesn’t exceed our budget.  Check them out: 

  1. Choose your restaurants wisely.  Ask around, search the internet, or check the local family magazine for good choices.  Our family is fond of Friendly’s (mostly because the kids get ice cream with their meals.)  Look for special nights such as half price burgers or all-you-can-eat pasta. 
  2. Drink water.  We do let the kids get drinks if they are included in the kids’ meal, but the grownups usually stick to water, with the occasional splurge on iced tea or coffee (free refills!). 
  3. Check for deals.  Resort towns usually have a lot of newspaper offers, especially in the freebie mags in the hotel foyers.  You might find early birds or similar promotions in regular newspapers. Many restaurants, especially chains, offer printable on-line coupons at their websites. 
  4. Keep an eye out for “kids eat free” offers.  I usually google the name of the town plus “kids eat free.”  There are a couple of websites that are trying to put together a comprehensive list of kids eat free offers:  Kids Eat 4 Free, MyKidsEatFree, and Coupon Diva’s Kids Eat Free page are the best country-wide sites I’ve found so far.  Always call ahead to verify that they’re still offering the deal.  Most end at age 10 or 12, and they usually have a limit of one or two free kids’ meals with each adult entree purchased. 
  5. Join restaurant birthday clubs.  Many restaurants offer birthday deals, and you can sign up for the chain restaurant’s lists online.  Freebies4Mom has a comprehensive list on their Birthday Freebies page.  Some offers will have short expiration dates, but others will be good for a long time.  I sign up each member of my family, and keep the offers in my glove box when we travel or move.  Sometimes we are only able to use one or two coupons on a visit, but I’ve been known to get lucky and use four at a time!  (I always ask to use all that I have – the worst they can do is say “no.” 
  6. Consider purchasing an Entertainment book, which offers 2-for-1 dining and a variety of other substantial discounts.  The books are good from their publishing in August through the following November, for a total of 15 months.  They are a little pricey, at a regular price of $25-$40 per book, but the price starts to go down before Christmas and continues to drop through the summer.  Check this list to see if books are available for the area in which you live, travel or move to!  From this page, you can look at the offers available in each individual book and see if it would work for you.  I have heard people say that they would never get their money’s worth out of an Entertainment book, but I can’t imagine how that is true.  My local book retails for $30 (but I can get it for $20 if I wait a couple of months) and includes $20 in local grocery store coupons on the front page.  Add in one nice restaurant meal and I’ve paid for the book already.  In addition, I find that the Entertainment book offers for hotels and rental cars are often the best deals I can find.  
  7. Order wisely.  Even if you’re just getting pizza or driving through a fast food place, take a moment to consider your options.  Would three medium pizzas be cheaper than two large?  Can you split an entree, or order an appetizer for your meal? 
  8. Hit the buffet line.  Chinese buffets are a favorite in my family, but other kinds of buffets can also work well.  While you won’t find the most elegant food on your average buffet, they do usually include a nice variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, plus enough variety to please even your pickiest eater.  Lunch buffets are less expensive than dinner buffets, and children’s prices are almost always based upon age.

As you can see, there are many ways to keep restaurant dining affordable.  Combine a couple of strategies to make sure that your next trip, celebration or move doesn’t break the bank.

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Posted in Guest Blogger

Don’t Buy New

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Kate Kashman| Leave a comment

Buying things is an inevitable part of life.  I mean, I’ve heard of people who scrounge everything from street corners and dumpsters, but most of us don’t have the time or inclination for that sort of lifestyle.  Therefore, we buy things.  There are, however, quite a few things that you don’t need to buy brand new.  Buying used is economical and it’s also environmentally friendly.  What are the best bets for buying second-hand?

  1. Books, CDs, DVDs, and Video Games:  Used media is a huge business, which makes it easy to track down the stuff that you want at a discount price.  If you want to read the latest bestseller, see if your library has it.  For things that you want to own, check out the amazing number of online sources that sell used items.   Amazon.com, eBay, and half.com (owned by eBay)  all offer great deals on used media.  Just tonight, I went online to order some classic books for my kids on Half.com, and I spent less than four dollars per book, including shipping and handling.  Most of the books were priced at 75 cents each, and because I was able to get them all from the same seller, shipping and handling was only $1.89 per book.
  2. Baby Gear and Kids Toys:  Let’s face it, baby stuff and toys are a huge expenses, especially considering the short amount of time that most of it is used.  Check out yard sales and consignment shops for great deals on all the stuff you’ll need for babies, and most toys until they are about 5.  I did purchase new car seats for my children, for safety reasons, and a new stroller because they tend to get awfully icky.  The crib and all the other gear was obtained from yard sales.  Be sure to check the recall list on any baby gear you buy.
  3. Clothing:  Obviously, there are some things that you certainly want to purchase new, but consignment shops and thrift stores can be a fantastic way to fill out your wardrobe without emptying out your wallet.  Most towns and military bases have a thrift shop and consignment shops are a big business across the US.  Women’s and children’s clothes tend to be easier to find than men’s clothes.  Keep your eyes open for discount days and markdown schedules.  At my husband’s last duty station, the thrift shop had a dollar day where all clothing was one dollar per item.  I happened to find a huge stash of cute summer dresses in my size and I doubled my wardrobe.  The best part is that you’re not out a lot of money if the clothes don’t work out for you.  How often have you bought something only to discover that you don’t like it quite so much once you get it home?  At thrift store prices, it isn’t such a catastrophe if you make a bad choice.  Things that are particularly great to buy used includes winter coats, snow clothes, and dressy dresses.  I’m not a big fan of buying used shoes, but I will pick up a like-new pair if the size and price is right.
  4. Cars:  New cars have that lovely new car smell, but that is a very expensive smell.  The average car loses at least ten percent of it’s value as soon as it is purchased, and the depreciation the first few years is quite steep.  Whether you choose a year-old model at a 20% discount, or an older car for a few thousand dollars, you’ll save quite a bundle on the up-front costs and your insurance rates will be lower, as well.  Check the CarFax report and have a used car inspected by a trusted mechanic, or consider purchasing a used car certified by the manufacturer.
  5. Exercise and Sports Equipment:  Sporting gear can be expensive, and a remarkable amount of it is rarely used.  There are tons of places to find sports gear:  yard sales, Craig’s List, freecycle, thrift stores or a Play It Again Sports store.  Obviously, you want to avoid buying used footwear and anything else that has molded itself to the player’s body. 

I’m sure that many of you have things that you wouldn’t buy new.  Share in the comments and help us all save a little money!

For more ideas on stretching your paycheck, visit The Paycheck Chronicles.

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Posted in Guest Blogger

The Freezer Menu

Posted on June 1, 2009 by Kate Kashman| Leave a comment

Hi, readers!  I’m so excited to be guest blogging here at You Served.  Of course, this fun opportunity would come at the busiest time of my year:  the end of school.  In many ways, that makes this article even more appropriate, because this is exactly the time of year when I find myself pulling something out of the freezer instead of pulling through the drive-thru window.  If you enjoy, click on over to The Paycheck Chronicles  for more!

Let me guess…at least one night in the last month, you have ordered pizza, driven through a fast food place or picked up take out when you hadn’t planned to, right?  That is pretty common.  Life is moving fast and sometimes the thought of preparing dinner is just overwhelming.  Eating out or ordering in is expensive and not very healthy.  What’s a solution?

Here’s what I do…I have what I call our “freezer menu.”  It is a list of five or so days of meals that are quick and easy to make, and will last a long time in the cupboard or freezer.  I’m the first to admit that they aren’t the most healthy or glamorous meals, but they are better than nearly everything from a restaurant and the price is right.  What kind of things might you put on a freezer menu?  Here’s a sample of what we might have on hand: 

  • Frozen chicken patties and frozen french fries with frozen edamame
  • Boxed scalloped potatoes, frozen green beans and a ham slice.
  • Macaroni and cheese and fish sticks with a veg
  • Spaghetti with jarred sauce and turkey meatballs.  Add frozen bread if you want to be snazzy.
  • Kielbasa or Smoked Sausage with boxed rice:  spanish, saffron, whatever you like – Yum

I’m pretty sure that you all have some variety of freezer menus in your minds, or maybe even in your freezers.  Please share your ideas!  For those of you who haven’t tried this trick, give it a try.  If it is too much to buy a week’s worth of meals at once, just add one meal a week.  The first time you manage to avoid Dominos or Burger King, it will pay for itself.  Your wallet and your waistband will thank you!

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Posted in Guest Blogger, Spouse and Family, Uncategorized