The Cost Of: Eating Out

So normally for dinner I eat whatever I can find in my cabinet/closet, which is usually tuna or Ramen... something depressing. However, on the weekends when I have more time, I like to venture out of my blah zone and go out to dinner or cook. This weekend, I chose to meet up with an old friend of mine from high school. She is my sushi buddy, but this weekend wasn't a payday weekend for me, so I had to downgrade to Jason's Deli. This was a disappointment for me because i freakin' love Bento and usually order the more expensive rolls, which generally gets me into food trouble. BTW, if you haven't been, go! They also serve Japanese dinner. On a side note, is Surin any good? I've also heard that Chuck's Fish is good... But back on task...

Tonight we went to Jason's Deli, which IMO is one of the best food bangs for your buck. The salad bar was 6.99 and a BOWL, not a CUP of soup was 1.50 extra. This came out to a little over $9. I love love love their salad bar because they've got everything on it, and those cute little muffins, and the ice cream at the end. The soup (chili) was good as well - I left full and satisfied. But most importantly, I left feeling refreshed for having caught up with my friend.

I generally save going out for the weekend so it's less of an expense. In addition, I also scour the CW and coupon books for deals at Qdoba, Crimson Cafe, Roly Poly, and other places to get the most from my money. I go food shopping on Sunday and pick up some general microwaveable staples such as Ramen and grits, in addition to food for the makings of a sandwich and a couple of snacks. My big splurge is always a 12 pack of Coke Zero, which I just have to have.

So, how often do you eat out? What do you do to save money?