Eating Out

dawny75 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-28-2002, 07:13 AM

Where do ya'll eat out inexpensively, and what do you do for cheap entertainment?

We've been doing the Don Pablo's fajitas/Blockbuster movie thing this month. They've been running special, buy fajitas, get a free movie card. So date night was dinner and a movie for under $15 (we fill up on chips & salsa and share the fajitas).

Yesterday I noticed Boston Market is running an $8.99 special in my neighborhood: a whole chicken, three sides and cornbread. Sounds like dinner for four on a busy night this week. (The individual meals are over $5.)

nagymom · #2 (**permalink**) 11-01-2002, 04:23 PM

We live in a small town that doesn't have a lot to offer in way of entertainment. We do have a Ruby Tuesday and Texas Steak House with some local offerings as well. I'm not much of one for movie theaters so we usually rent any movies we want to see. I HATE theaters--I'm one of those poor unfortunate people who attracts every creep, pervert, tall, talker within a 10 mile radius. I've had more movies ruined due to rude people so I usually wait for something to come ut on video.

In the summer we spend a lot of time in our pool. This will be our first winter in this area so it will be intersting to see how we do entertainment wise.

Jayne

kasparcat · #3 (**permalink**) 11-02-2002, 05:32 PM

Cici's Pizza is a chain (cicispizza.com) that has all-you-an-eat pizza and salad bar including dessert pizza, ziti, breadsticks, for $3.99 for adults and $1.99 for kids.

If you have a DVD player, we have found NetFlix.com to be the absolutely best value in rentals.

Rani

dinsky · #4 (**permalink**) 11-02-2002, 06:09 PM

At any given time over the last seven weeks, someone has been sick in our house. Add that to all of the construction that is being done and we have to go cheap. Blockbuster has had a couple of special offers lately (with Lord of the Ring and Spiderman), reserve your copy and get 10 weeks of free movie rentals (one a week). So, we have done that. We also have pizza night every Friday. There is a $1.50 movie theater in town. Add a box of Junior Mints from Eckerds and a bottle of water and you have a $2 a person date. We also walk as a family on our local greenways and hike in our state parks.

dinsky

Frazzled Leslie · #5 (**permalink**) 11-05-2002, 02:51 PM

When my husband and I were dating he was unemployed sometimes. Because we live in New Orleans, the weather can get hot early in the day. For a "cheap date" I would boil some eggs, cook some sausage, buy a few doughnuts or sweet thing, put coffee in a thermos and meet him at the park early in the morning. We would enjoy our "bricnic" for a few hours, be home by 11 when it was getting hot, and have the rest of Saturday to do what we needed to do without worrying about a date later in the day. We now do bricnics in our back yard.

Frazzled Leslie · #6 (**permalink**) 11-05-2002, 02:51 PM

When my husband and I were dating he was unemployed sometimes. Because we live in New Orleans, the weather can get hot early in the day. For a "cheap date" I would boil some eggs, cook some sausage, buy a few doughnuts or sweet thing, put coffee in a thermos and meet him at the park early in the morning. We would enjoy our "bricnic" for a few hours, be home by 11 when it was getting hot, and have the rest of Saturday to do what we needed to do without worrying about a date later in the day. We now do bricnics in our back yard.

mjsjtjcj · #7 (**permalink**) 11-05-2002, 07:37 PM

You could make pizza, which would be much cheapier than eating it out...with what you save on the pizza you could probably pay for 1 movie ticket.

Local museum/art center

Sunday (or anyday) Drive

Weather pending...minature golf

Weather pending...camping (tents can be bought pretty cheap - maybe on sale this time of year) Don't forget the campfire at night!

Board games, cards, etc.

Hope this helps.

pita1213 · #8 (**permalink**) 11-06-2002, 02:01 PM

when you go out to eat odering water instead of soda can take a lot off your bill. we also order appeatizers for our meals. if dh order a super sampler plater at ruby tuesday and subs french fries for the potato skins we save a couple of dollars off the price of his meal since he didn't order the chicken tender platter. we also save 6 dollors by not ordering the mozarella sticks he likes since they are part of the super sampler.
dd is 4 and usually doesn't eat a lot at each sitting, so she shares with me. that saves 3-4 dollars. and i get either the loaded cheese fries or the chicken quasadilla. the loaded cheese fries is enough for both of use plus enough to take home in a doggie bag for lunch the next day.

check the valupack envelope that comes in the mail. there are usually coupons to local restaurants in there and those can save you a lot and you didn't hvae to pay for the coupons like you would if you bought an entertainment book.

dawny75 · #9 (**permalink**) 11-07-2002, 06:27 AM

Thanks for all the good ideas! Dawny

nagymom · #10 (**permalink**) 11-08-2002, 05:30 AM

If you have a ci-ci's near you then I second the motion for them. We had one in High Point where we lived until this past summer and we all loved it. It was CHEAP to eat there and they would cusotm make a pizza for you as part of their low price. You could order the entire pizza be sent to your table or just a slice--it was up to you. They kept the bar full too. Some pizza places act kind of stingy with their all-you-can-eat buffets but we were never disappointed with Ci-Ci's.

There was a very similar place in Colorado Springs when we lived there in the early 90's. A place called Giovanni's--one low price, all you could eat and the place was packed every night.

Jayne