Just a few tips. 1st, book reservations through open table, where you can earn dining points and get rewards back. 2nd, check whether a restaurant has any apps or dining programs. 3rd, get gift cards from Costco which are sold at a discount. Thanks!!!
Thanks for the great tips! Here's what we do: 1. Glass of wine/other beverage at home 2. Order only water at the restaurant 3. We order only entrees and split them. 4. Come home and have dessert! This makes for a fun "progressive" event. We have done this just with our own family, and also with other families, or just adults.
Michael is sooo sweet,his voice is dreamy. I get so relaxed after listening to him. What a genuinely nice and good man. He,s one of the good guys,so glad that he is now working from home.
Here are a couple of our tips: While we enjoy eating out and the fun food from some restaurants, we have also found that some places we like are just loud and lack atmosphere with a "rush, rush" feel because they want to turn the table. Doing the take out menu from these restaurants is lots of fun and we can eat at our own pace, enjoy drinks at home, and we save on the gratuity. Also, we sometimes go out without the kids and eat in the bar section of the restaurant because this usually offers a more leasurly feel, and they seems to expect that we would order appetizers or even just dessert, especially during happy hour!
Very interesting method. I am Canadian and I have to say that whenever I visit the US I am chocked at the size of your portions, so I can definitely see how ordering an appetizer or two to share for a table of 4 would suffice.
+LizaMTL I agree about our portion sizes. I recently joined some out of town relatives, at a restaurant for happy hour, that I recommended. I advised the party, that they had the option of ordering an entree from the menu, instead of the happy hour appetizers; but, everyone declined and chose to order from the appetizer menu. I assumed we would all share a few appetizers. Each person started ordering their own FULL SIZE appetizer, and I exclaimed, "WOW! That's A LOT of food!" Open mouth, insert foot, right?! LOL! I hadn't met one of the members of the party, previous to that evening, and I thought my comment must've been so rude; but, I just commented out of surprise without thinking. Since they were new to the restaurant, I thought they weren't aware of the amount they were ordering; but, apparently everyone wanted their own. SMH. Of course, a ton of food went to waste that evening...
+LizaMTL I agree about the enormous size of the portions the Americans get, I could never finish a meal while I was there lol. Fabulous choice and wonderful menus, but my appetite was ruined before I ate sadly due to the humongous portion sizes.
This method of calculating every aspect of eating out, would drive me crazy. I love to read a menu in the establishment when we arrive. I don't like to know everything beforehand . Part of the fun is finding the surprises on the menus. As for the prices, I'd rather stay home and cook than have to curtail my choices due to the cost. Hubby and I eat out when we wish to, we know instinctively what we wish to spend, so we choose the places that suit our needs in that regard. Sometimes we choose high end sometimes medium, but always we enjoy the event regardless of the occasion. Being spontaneous is exciting, eating out should be just that. Incidentally we do not tip here in New Zealand, it's simply not considered necessary, I think our minimum wage is higher than that in America and maybe that is why we don't have tipping. I found when I was in America that one was constantly forced to give money to everyone and anyone who is offering a service such as porters opening doors etc. This is not something we have here. In New Zealand if one wishes to tip then they tip, but it is not part of our culture to do so as an expectation. We do have value added tax of 12% which covers the need to tip.
+bobbyandsammysmum You're right, NZ minimum wage is higher (Texas minimum wage is only NZ$10.65 compared to our $14.75, though Australia is even better at NZ$18.50), so the employee is already guaranteed more money. However, tipping does have it's benefits in the US system, because it's expected, so a waiter can take home quite a lot in tips if they're busy and attentive (though I'd rather be guaranteed a certain amount than have it depend on the customer's mood). GST is 15%, though the business doesn't get to keep the GST, they have to pay that to the government, so it doesn't really factor into how much the employee gets. I agree with what you're saying though, I'd rather just go somewhere with enough money for whatever I want than to have to be cheap and controlled because I was cost cutting. Eating at home is always cheaper anyway, so eating out is more of a luxury that I want to enjoy, not be restricted due to money.
***** Yea, I'm in New Zealand, not Texas, so I just googled it. I didn't realise that there are different rates for different workers. $2.15 an hour is just pathetic though, I would 100% like to know that I am at least guaranteed a minimum amount of take-home pay for being there and doing my job. Tips are great for when you give performance-based pay, but to have to depend on them for your living, that's harsh
BobandMartha Good for you. Fortunately, everyone is different and M&M's tips are extremely helpful for so many of us, especially young couples who never learned to budget or live within their means. Very happy such great people are here giving great advice that everyone could benefit from.
I only recently learnt that what you call an entree in the US is what we call the main meal or course - our entree is your appetiser, a term we don't use all that frequently! Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else is confused, apologies if this is already mentioned in the comments.
When dining out I always see my order as two meals. I almost always take about half home, and that splits the cost in half essentially. I could stretch it out even more by splitting my leftovers in half and adding a homemade salad and side at home. This lets me order things that I might find a little too pricey for only one serving.
I do the same exact thing. It's at least 2-3 servings, especially when you add extra veggie and or salad from home. That would be lunch the next day. :)
Love the video and the practical approach. Teaching your boys stewardship and healthy eating habits is a gift they will carry with them for their lifetime. You and Michael are helping many people. OXO
Where I live in NJ a lot of restaurants will do a "Locals Night" on a weekday where they do a prix fixe multi course menu for way cheaper than it would be going out on a Friday or Saturday and ordering multiple courses. Simply moving date night to Wednesday could save you a lot of money.
I always ask the server if they have a smaller portion or lunch size, which they usually do! Also, if I want a salad, (that doesn't come with my meal) my husband and I will split it so we only order one. I'm a light eater also and take the leftovers home so I get a second meal--kind of a 2 for the price of 1:) When I go out with the kids, even though they are teens, we can usually get away with ordering 2 meals and sharing because the restaurant brings beans, bread & salad or something of that nature depending on where we are it seems like we are a bit full by the time the meal arrives! And if dessert is ordered--ONE is more than enough for the 4 of us.
Good video, In our household were smart about eating out too. We typically go out for dinner on Sunday evenings not Saturday because lots of places have vouchers which are not valid on Saturday. Also I never eat desserts and cut out hot drinks at end of the meal.
great tips! I do have to say, my husband and I usually go out to eat once a week, and almost always get an entree on the expensive side, (a steak or a fish dish) because I absolutely butcher those two items when I try to cook them myself. So we prefer to order something like that rather than something I can replicate at home. But we ALWAYS split it, because with the side item and salad/soup that usually come with it, plus bread, it is always enough food. However we always get a drink, as the dinner out is usually a date night/celebration of the end of the work week and a glass of wine/beer is relaxing and helps create that enjoyable atmosphere we are trying to get out of the experience. I also am a complete weirdo, but water at restaurants has a metallic taste to me. We try to hit half off wine nights or similar though. I agree about the tipping thing! I waited tables for seven years. We always tip 20 to 25 percent. the only time I ever broke that rule was the one and only time a server actually made an overtly snide comment to our faces about my husband and I splitting an entree, (basically implied that we are cheap). Knowing that particular restaurant was frequented by the over 65 set, and that this server probably normally received a lower tip on average than what we usually do, I left a note beside the ten percent tip explaining what the tip would have been originally, and that we were very offended by her comment, and that we would never be back. I felt that was better than talking to a manager, we didn't want anything free and I didn't want her to get in trouble, I truly wanted her to learn from it. Sorry for such a long comment! =)
I was going to ask if anyone had comments about tipping. I live in a three college town...so I know tips are important. I try to do a minimum 20%...but I have a hard time leaving less when the service is less than acceptable. I have often wondered about leaving a lesser, 10% tip with a note explaining what they could to do improve.
+mickyunit my minimum starting point is 20% and is increased based on level of service. I don't often have horrible service, but if I do/did I would think 10% would be sufficient with a note as you mentioned. I was reading an article about tipping (by Dave Ramsey) and he stated "tipping doesn't say as much about the server, as it says about you" he also mentioned "generous people have a tendency to prosper, they're attractive, kind, nice, have a sense of abundance" "The spirit of generosity necessitates that you're less selfish and more selfless" Good stuff, keep being generous!!! =)
what great tips! We have a child with autism and always make sure that we have a corner slot where some noise and "weirdness" can be tolerated. We also check the menu to make sure we have something for our picky eaters.
Hey Marnie! I thought I was the only one who pulled up menus before dining out. lol! Glad I'm not the only one. :) You two are adorable and navy blue looks really good on you! :)
A lot of restaurants have early bird specials, even the nicer restaurants, we like to take advantage of that, or sometimes like you mentioned about appetizers, if you go during "happy hour" even if you aren't ordering adult beverages you can take advantage of happy hour pricing on the appetizers. Also on a side note Google images for the actor Sean Christian from Days Of Our Lives.. I think he and Michael resemble one another!
I really liked those tips. Having a lot of young kids (4 kids 7 and under), we rarely eat out, but I like your ideas and I'll share them with my husband for when we do get to eat out. I also wanted to say that I really like M&M Mondays. I think you guys got into a good groove and you seem more natural now. I know in the beginning you were getting used to filming w/ another person and not talking over each other which seemed unnatural for you two, but it seems to flow really well now!
Just watched this and I totally agree with everything...and I mean everything! This is exactly how my husband and I do it. I don't need to pay $8.00 for a glass of wine. We are totally fine with water. We went out with a group of couples to a "fancy" restaurant and by the end of the night it cost each couple $200.00! Now, honestly, we can afford to pay that, but really we don't like to. I'd rather put that money somewhere else like inviting our adult children over for good steaks on the grill. When my husband and I go out we can both eat for between $30 and $40 total. We tend to stick to mid-range price wise restaurants and we have very enjoyable meals. I am going to show this video to my husband! :) Thanks, Marnie!
I love how much Michael has come out of his shell..it's the evolution of Michael :) I remember when he never used to want to come on camera now look at him..awwww..soon he'll have his own channel of reviews of men's products and things from a guys perspective. ..
As a college student working as a server I really appreciate that you ended the video with tipping your server! My $5.00 checks at the end of the week do not really do much to help me. There are ways to save money going out to eat, but under tipping your server is not the way to do it. I agree completely with all of your money saving ideas like only getting water and apps. Being direct with your server is also really important. I know personally I am not going to try to up sell a table if they communicate to me exactly what they want.
Great tips. My husband and I almost always split an entree and order an extra salad. Not to be cost conscious, but because we are always looking for ways to cut calories. And restaurant meals are the worst when it comes to watching your weight. We also don't have any problem having the waiter tell the chef exactly how we want it prepared, as to oil, butter, etc. Laurie
Great tips! Drinking water instead of drinks saves a lot! My husband and I like splitting entrees when eating out. You typically get way too much food for just one person so splitting them is a great way to not waste and watch your portion sizes. I will also share an entree with my 4 yr old instead of ordering him a kids meal bc they can add quite a bit to the bill and he typically will only eat 1/4 of the meal.
Great video. It's just hubby and me now and it is CRAZY how much we spend on food - eating out and the grocery store. Any tip to help keep that in check is welcome.
I would rather watch my budget like M&M and be able to go twice as many times out to eat! Although I am a southern gal who has to have sweet tea! Our restaurants didnt even offer water back in the 60's and 70's. We were not into the water craze. Our meals usually require us to take home leftovers for a second supper or lunch. I had a gastric bypass and can't eat very much at a time. Olive garden and cracker barrel is an example. I would rather do some restrictions and stay out of debt at all costs!
Great tips I totally agree with everything y'all said...we always order water, almost always split the entree or split a couple of appetizers!!!!!! Laurie
Marnie- Do you watch Rachel Cruze's youtube vidoes? She's Dave Ramsey's daughter and her YT videos are great! I think you and your boys would enjoy them!
I don't go out for dinner as often as many Americans, but I can not imagine going for dinner an dnot having wine or beer with it. I don't ever drink soda, apart from sparkling water, but I just love a good glass of wine to match the dish. But here, the portions of the main courses are generally not large enough to share. Splitting dessert, or skipping dessert I do quite often.
well...this doesnt sound like an enjoyable outing?.....to much structure.....takes the fun out of it.....but to each their own!....maybe if it has to be so limited....hit subway.....or just stay in.
+Marnie Goldberg yes....i supposee if you eat out alot there must be some guidelines. i guess im just the opposite....i see people all the time saving...and cutting expenses....and planning for their future. when...sometimes we never stop to smell the roses and live!....and some never even make it to enjoy the fuits of their labor.......i like to enjoy now!...but thats how i roll!
Great advice about eating out... Thanks for sharing.... Marnie I remember u saying u had an underactive thyroid, may I ask what u take for it and did u suffer from hair loss. I'm on synthroid but it's not making me feel good anymore :(
I eat out very rarely and for me a burger from the value menu at mcd's takes the want of eating out away. Though if I go to a sit down restaurant I order something I really want (and don't really like cooking it ex. lasagna) and make sure I take half for the next day. Though I only allow it maybe once or twice a year so I a make sure I enjoy every bite
Great tips....and thanks for the reminders about restaurant.com and coupons on the grocery receipts! Another thing we like to do is stock up on restauarant gift cards when our grocery store offers 2x or 4x the fuel savings rewards. Then we save a little bit extra on gas that month. Also...don't forget to look at the mailers that come in weekly and monthly, sometimes there are coupons for denny's, subway etc. When we go out to breakfast and I get coffee (otherwise I just drink water at other meals out), I ask for a to go coffee. Restauarants generally will honor requests for to go drinks. Applebees in our area does half price appetizers after ten pm. Lastly, I also convert cash back bonus (discovercard) to giftcards, a $20 cash bonus can become a $25 gift card. Hope this helps!
This made me remember when I was about 9 years old and out to dinner with my Grandparents. I ordered steak and lobster (market price). They didn't say anything to me, but they sure said something to my parents! Lol... I then learned you never order anything that cost more than the entrée of the person paying the bill! I don't have any children, but when my Husband and I take our nephews (ages 8 and 10) out to dinner we give them an amount (depending on where we are), "You have $15 tonight", that way they can do the math and decide on what they want under our guidelines. They are pretty smart and will usually choose to split something that way they can fit in a dessert to share!
I save even more because...we don't typically eat out..maybe twice a year at the most?Like this weekend for a very special occasion and it was ok for my 11yr old to have his favourite steak.We love home cooked meals! I used to split my meal with my mom always but some of the restaurants here stopped allowing it or they charge you for that...so it makes no sense..
IDK is it just me or did a lot of people miss the point here - they are not talking about saving 20 a week to go out to nice dinner (lets be real here they are not hurting or stressed to save for a special day/date) they are talking about how to save a bit when you are going out more then a couple times a month its all about their tip and tricks on how to save a buck or two not "oh god we want dinner next week we need to save for it", a coupon is an awesome idea its free money why not use it.
Hi Marnie!!! Great tips...!!! Now that my husband and I are emptynesters...have been for about 10 years now...we eat out much more. Through the years we have had just about every positive and negative dining out experience you can imagine. When out kids got old enough to make their own choices from the menu, we would tell them how much they could spend from the menu...and let them work with a dollar amount to come up with what they ordered. This did not include an appetizer...we would most always select an appetizer as a family...something we all enjoyed eating...and then take it from there. My son was always a very picky eater...so it was usually a burger for him...lol...but many times my daughter and I would share and entree. Now my husband and I share and appetizer and entree...and if we get a dessert we share that, too. We find the same to be true with beverages...we rarely order drinks...alcohol or soda...it is always iced tea or water...and when we do order alcohol it is wine or beer...which we feel is more economical when eating out than sugary cocktails full of ice. Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks...!!! xoxo Wanda (P.S. We also believe in tipping the server...and you are absolutely right that they remember...!!!)
When the boys were little we would get two desserts for the table then cut each one into four pieces, that way everyone got a couple of bites from each dessert. It's so much more fun to be cheap lol. xoxo C
Hi Marnie & Michael, I have to tell you about my recent adventure at Red Loster. "My eyes was longer than my stomach that day". This was during lunch and I was by myself, I ordered a drink and large entree. The bill was over $60.00. I paid the bill and walked out feeling like a stuffed oversized pig. Although, it was an excellent meal, I hate the fact that I did not care about the cost. I'm more careful in my selection based on price and restaurants. Thanks for sharing your tips.
I always feel obligated to order a drink. Some places even charge for tap water now. Funnily enough with food I would never feel obligated to order 3 courses. Maybe if it's a super fancy restaurant but not in a mid of the road family restaurant. Might also be a cultural thing
Hi to you both - I have been wondering when you mention your 'line items' that you budget for each week do you actually have a written list/spreadsheet etc. that lets you know how much is allocated for a certain thing? So that at any given time in the week you know how much (of your lump sum amount in the bank) is for each item ie. haircuts/makeup/eating out etc.? Hope I am explaining myself here and apologies if you have already explained this but I REALLY appreciate your time in mentoring us all in this subject ;) Oh and a tip for eating out with kids (or even us grownups!) is eat something before you go (handful of nuts - cheese) whatever fills you up a bit so you are not ravenous and order TOO much (plus my kids NEVER finish a meal so I would rather feed them for free at home and pay for hot chips and dessert! - we do order sometines if a special occasion ;) Great advice and thank you! Catherine :)
Thanks Marnie ;) So is the idea that you check the folder before you go shopping to know how much you have available in a certain 'column'? I am just working out how to implement it - if my hubby worked out all the 'columns' then each time I wanted to purchase something I would need to know exactly how much was available in that specific column yeah? (Sorry to sound so 'slow' here but I want to understand it :) btw it was so sweet when you were explaining how the filming works to your mum...she was like 'mmm yes talking to 'the people' ' xx
Good ideas. We don't tip in New Zealand so that makes things easier. We do a lot of the same things, though its more to justify having a alcoholic drink with the meal.
Off topic a little. Recently Hubby and I were in SA and we ate at a place I'd seen you and Michael eat at called Hot Joy. I can't remember if y'all liked it or not but I can't say as I'll ever go back but it was definitely interesting! Did y'all like it? Maybe we just ordered wrong😁
Common sense? Or a Aha - duh moment! I actually never really thought about it - THANK YOU Marnie & Michael. I think I am just programmed to order tea, appetizer, salad or soup, dinner, etc. I take most of my dinner home, why? I'm usually satisfied with an appetizer and a salad. Holy smokes Batman, use your brain, just order what you are going to eat. DUH! Save the $$.
Interesting method! I always look at menus beforehand, only because I'm a vegetarian so it's more to see what my options are than price. I wonder, do you mostly go to higher end restaurants, which is why you tell your family what they can and cannot order? It seems to me it would be easier to go to a restaurant where everything is reasonable and it doesn't have to be so limited as far as only water, only appetizers, maybe an entree?
+digitalteacup These tips are more for sit-down kinds of restaurants. But if we're going somewhere reasonably priced, we'll all just do water and an entree.
Hey guys!I love this video!Thank you so much for all your tips and your thoughts.My husband and I are in the same page with you guys.Now I have a question what do you do when you are out with friends?Do you split the bill?Or do you pay each couple their portion?
+littleangel3184 We pay our portion, for the most part, unless it's pretty close, and then we'll just split it in half. It's an awkward thing unless you get it squared away right from the start.
Hi Marnie - Just a bit confused.......when you say entrée I'm assuming you're referring to a main meal? It's just that in Australia we call appetizers an entrée. We then have a main meal followed by dessert! Your tips are great and pretty much what we do too. I just recently 'found' you on RUclips after typing in 'hypothyroidism advice'.....and I'm so glad I did, I love tuning in each day. So greetings from a new fan from Sydney Australia!!!
What are your thoughts on how much to tip your server if the service really wasn't great at all. I understand that restaurants can be really busy and that the quality of service may go down, but there have been times when there are only a few people in the restaurant and service is really bad. I don't know what is appropriate to do in those situations. I don't want to come off rude and ungrateful, but I don't feel like leaving a 20%+ tip.
Whatever it is that I eat, a drink is a must (cocktail, fresh juice, tea or even coffee at the end in addition to the former) Thats a non negotiable for me! I do understand that if on average each drink is $10 per head thats $40 just for the drinks for you guys! Oh you would hate to invite me for dinners :'-) "Yes, a fresh glass of orange juice as well as an expresso machiato with the dessert please" haha
Unfortunately in NY/NJ I cannot drink tab water, which is quite awful!!! I do normally drink water, though, but never tab... Even using britta filters I can taste an awful taste... I am a big water "snob" and Evian and other fancy ones taste very bad as well... Very hard to find good tasting water... And yes, water should have no taste and no smell...
Oh Marnie..........I'm not sure your husband and my husband aren't long lost brothers. lol I HAVE to agree with you and Michael because....that's the way I have lived for the last 32 years, yet, I do understand some of the comments from viewers listed below. Things that people need to take into consideration is .....WHERE YOU LIVE! I live in a small town in Kentucky so it's not that important to set such strict guidelines because honestly, we don't have that much to choose from....BUT if we lived in San Antonio, of course, that's a whole different scenario. lol But I have to say, now that my husband and I are empty-nesters and we don't have kids sitting at the table with us, it's hard to break that "restrictive" monetary mentality which I don't particularly enjoy. It has become a "restrictive" way of life and now, I don't know how to break it! I HATE to always be looking at the price of things and trying to figure out what is going to cost $2 less. lol I guess being FRUGAL has become a way of life! ..............................Sometimes I don't like it........but, at this point, I can't seem to break it! lol
+Dianne Buckingham ahhh you need to set yourself a fun challenge, put aside $5 a week for a month and then make yourself spend $20 over your normal bill one time to jolt you into spending that bit extra!!
+Liz Limon I was figuring someone would comment that they thought this video was silly because the tips were too obvious, but it's taken us a long time to figure this stuff out!
Just a few tips. 1st, book reservations through open table, where you can earn dining points and get rewards back. 2nd, check whether a restaurant has any apps or dining programs. 3rd, get gift cards from Costco which are sold at a discount. Thanks!!!
Thanks for the great tips! Here's what we do:
1. Glass of wine/other beverage at home
2. Order only water at the restaurant
3. We order only entrees and split them.
4. Come home and have dessert!
This makes for a fun "progressive" event. We have done this just with our own family, and also with other families, or just adults.
Michael is sooo sweet,his voice is dreamy. I get so relaxed after listening to him. What a genuinely nice and good man. He,s one of the good guys,so glad that he is now working from home.
Here are a couple of our tips: While we enjoy eating out and the fun food from some restaurants, we have also found that some places we like are just loud and lack atmosphere with a "rush, rush" feel because they want to turn the table. Doing the take out menu from these restaurants is lots of fun and we can eat at our own pace, enjoy drinks at home, and we save on the gratuity. Also, we sometimes go out without the kids and eat in the bar section of the restaurant because this usually offers a more leasurly feel, and they seems to expect that we would order appetizers or even just dessert, especially during happy hour!
Very interesting method. I am Canadian and I have to say that whenever I visit the US I am chocked at the size of your portions, so I can definitely see how ordering an appetizer or two to share for a table of 4 would suffice.
+LizaMTL I agree about our portion sizes. I recently joined some out of town relatives, at a restaurant for happy hour, that I recommended. I advised the party, that they had the option of ordering an entree from the menu, instead of the happy hour appetizers; but, everyone declined and chose to order from the appetizer menu. I assumed we would all share a few appetizers. Each person started ordering their own FULL SIZE appetizer, and I exclaimed, "WOW! That's A LOT of food!" Open mouth, insert foot, right?! LOL! I hadn't met one of the members of the party, previous to that evening, and I thought my comment must've been so rude; but, I just commented out of surprise without thinking. Since they were new to the restaurant, I thought they weren't aware of the amount they were ordering; but, apparently everyone wanted their own. SMH. Of course, a ton of food went to waste that evening...
+LizaMTL I agree about the enormous size of the portions the Americans get, I could never finish a meal while I was there lol. Fabulous choice and wonderful menus, but my appetite was ruined before I ate sadly due to the humongous portion sizes.
This method of calculating every aspect of eating out, would drive me crazy. I love to read a menu in the establishment when we arrive. I don't like to know everything beforehand . Part of the fun is finding the surprises on the menus. As for the prices, I'd rather stay home and cook than have to curtail my choices due to the cost. Hubby and I eat out when we wish to, we know instinctively what we wish to spend, so we choose the places that suit our needs in that regard. Sometimes we choose high end sometimes medium, but always we enjoy the event regardless of the occasion. Being spontaneous is exciting, eating out should be just that. Incidentally we do not tip here in New Zealand, it's simply not considered necessary, I think our minimum wage is higher than that in America and maybe that is why we don't have tipping. I found when I was in America that one was constantly forced to give money to everyone and anyone who is offering a service such as porters opening doors etc. This is not something we have here. In New Zealand if one wishes to tip then they tip, but it is not part of our culture to do so as an expectation. We do have value added tax of 12% which covers the need to tip.
+bobbyandsammysmum You're right, NZ minimum wage is higher (Texas minimum wage is only NZ$10.65 compared to our $14.75, though Australia is even better at NZ$18.50), so the employee is already guaranteed more money. However, tipping does have it's benefits in the US system, because it's expected, so a waiter can take home quite a lot in tips if they're busy and attentive (though I'd rather be guaranteed a certain amount than have it depend on the customer's mood). GST is 15%, though the business doesn't get to keep the GST, they have to pay that to the government, so it doesn't really factor into how much the employee gets. I agree with what you're saying though, I'd rather just go somewhere with enough money for whatever I want than to have to be cheap and controlled because I was cost cutting. Eating at home is always cheaper anyway, so eating out is more of a luxury that I want to enjoy, not be restricted due to money.
+h0llyw00dgirl You are quite right it is 15% lol silly me lol
bobbyandsammysmum It used to be 12.5%, I still forget that it's not sometimes :P
***** Yea, I'm in New Zealand, not Texas, so I just googled it. I didn't realise that there are different rates for different workers. $2.15 an hour is just pathetic though, I would 100% like to know that I am at least guaranteed a minimum amount of take-home pay for being there and doing my job. Tips are great for when you give performance-based pay, but to have to depend on them for your living, that's harsh
BobandMartha
Good for you. Fortunately, everyone is different and M&M's tips are extremely helpful for so many of us, especially young couples who never learned to budget or live within their means. Very happy such great people are here giving great advice that everyone could benefit from.
I only recently learnt that what you call an entree in the US is what we call the main meal or course - our entree is your appetiser, a term we don't use all that frequently! Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else is confused, apologies if this is already mentioned in the comments.
When dining out I always see my order as two meals. I almost always take about half home, and that splits the cost in half essentially. I could stretch it out even more by splitting my leftovers in half and adding a homemade salad and side at home. This lets me order things that I might find a little too pricey for only one serving.
I do the same exact thing. It's at least 2-3 servings, especially when you add extra veggie and or salad from home. That would be lunch the next day. :)
Love the video and the practical approach. Teaching your boys stewardship and healthy eating habits is a gift they will carry with them for their lifetime. You and Michael are helping many people. OXO
Really love your M&M Monday series!!!
Where I live in NJ a lot of restaurants will do a "Locals Night" on a weekday where they do a prix fixe multi course menu for way cheaper than it would be going out on a Friday or Saturday and ordering multiple courses. Simply moving date night to Wednesday could save you a lot of money.
+molly44 Great idea!
I would pick the appetizers over the entrée any day!
Great tips Marnie and Michael, i learn so much from your M&M Mondays! What an inspirational couple yall are :)
Michael's voice is so soothing
This is a really good idea for eating out sensibly and maintaining your budget and figure, especially eating out on a more frequent basis.
I always ask the server if they have a smaller portion or lunch size, which they usually do! Also, if I want a salad, (that doesn't come with my meal) my husband and I will split it so we only order one. I'm a light eater also and take the leftovers home so I get a second meal--kind of a 2 for the price of 1:)
When I go out with the kids, even though they are teens, we can usually get away with ordering 2 meals and sharing because the restaurant brings beans, bread & salad or something of that nature depending on where we are it seems like we are a bit full by the time the meal arrives! And if dessert is ordered--ONE is more than enough for the 4 of us.
Good video, In our household were smart about eating out too. We typically go out for dinner on Sunday evenings not Saturday because lots of places have vouchers which are not valid on Saturday. Also I never eat desserts and cut out hot drinks at end of the meal.
great tips! I do have to say, my husband and I usually go out to eat once a week, and almost always get an entree on the expensive side, (a steak or a fish dish) because I absolutely butcher those two items when I try to cook them myself. So we prefer to order something like that rather than something I can replicate at home. But we ALWAYS split it, because with the side item and salad/soup that usually come with it, plus bread, it is always enough food. However we always get a drink, as the dinner out is usually a date night/celebration of the end of the work week and a glass of wine/beer is relaxing and helps create that enjoyable atmosphere we are trying to get out of the experience. I also am a complete weirdo, but water at restaurants has a metallic taste to me. We try to hit half off wine nights or similar though. I agree about the tipping thing! I waited tables for seven years. We always tip 20 to 25 percent. the only time I ever broke that rule was the one and only time a server actually made an overtly snide comment to our faces about my husband and I splitting an entree, (basically implied that we are cheap). Knowing that particular restaurant was frequented by the over 65 set, and that this server probably normally received a lower tip on average than what we usually do, I left a note beside the ten percent tip explaining what the tip would have been originally, and that we were very offended by her comment, and that we would never be back. I felt that was better than talking to a manager, we didn't want anything free and I didn't want her to get in trouble, I truly wanted her to learn from it. Sorry for such a long comment! =)
I was going to ask if anyone had comments about tipping. I live in a three college town...so I know tips are important. I try to do a minimum 20%...but I have a hard time leaving less when the service is less than acceptable. I have often wondered about leaving a lesser, 10% tip with a note explaining what they could to do improve.
+mickyunit my minimum starting point is 20% and is increased based on level of service. I don't often have horrible service, but if I do/did I would think 10% would be sufficient with a note as you mentioned. I was reading an article about tipping (by Dave Ramsey) and he stated "tipping doesn't say as much about the server, as it says about you" he also mentioned "generous people have a tendency to prosper, they're attractive, kind, nice, have a sense of abundance" "The spirit of generosity necessitates that you're less selfish and more selfless" Good stuff, keep being generous!!! =)
what great tips! We have a child with autism and always make sure that we have a corner slot where some noise and "weirdness" can be tolerated. We also check the menu to make sure we have something for our picky eaters.
Hey Marnie! I thought I was the only one who pulled up menus before dining out. lol! Glad I'm not the only one. :) You two are adorable and navy blue looks really good on you! :)
A lot of restaurants have early bird specials, even the nicer restaurants, we like to take advantage of that, or sometimes like you mentioned about appetizers, if you go during "happy hour" even if you aren't ordering adult beverages you can take advantage of happy hour pricing on the appetizers. Also on a side note Google images for the actor Sean Christian from Days Of Our Lives.. I think he and Michael resemble one another!
+Stacy L I just googled!! Wow!! He totally does!
Great tips, thank you guys!
I really liked those tips. Having a lot of young kids (4 kids 7 and under), we rarely eat out, but I like your ideas and I'll share them with my husband for when we do get to eat out. I also wanted to say that I really like M&M Mondays. I think you guys got into a good groove and you seem more natural now. I know in the beginning you were getting used to filming w/ another person and not talking over each other which seemed unnatural for you two, but it seems to flow really well now!
You guys give such great tips! Love the travel tips too...
Just watched this and I totally agree with everything...and I mean everything! This is exactly how my husband and I do it. I don't need to pay $8.00 for a glass of wine. We are totally fine with water. We went out with a group of couples to a "fancy" restaurant and by the end of the night it cost each couple $200.00! Now, honestly, we can afford to pay that, but really we don't like to. I'd rather put that money somewhere else like inviting our adult children over for good steaks on the grill. When my husband and I go out we can both eat for between $30 and $40 total. We tend to stick to mid-range price wise restaurants and we have very enjoyable meals. I am going to show this video to my husband! :) Thanks, Marnie!
+Claudette Flanigan Nice to hear there are others out there that feel the same as we do. :)
Great video! I always wondered how other families eat out.
What percentage do you tip the wait staff?
I love how much Michael has come out of his shell..it's the evolution of Michael :) I remember when he never used to want to come on camera now look at him..awwww..soon he'll have his own channel of reviews of men's products and things from a guys perspective. ..
As a college student working as a server I really appreciate that you ended the video with tipping your server! My $5.00 checks at the end of the week do not really do much to help me. There are ways to save money going out to eat, but under tipping your server is not the way to do it. I agree completely with all of your money saving ideas like only getting water and apps. Being direct with your server is also really important. I know personally I am not going to try to up sell a table if they communicate to me exactly what they want.
Such great tips.... Thankyou both!!
Great tips. My husband and I almost always split an entree and order an extra salad. Not to be cost conscious, but because we are always looking for ways to cut calories. And restaurant meals are the worst when it comes to watching your weight. We also don't have any problem having the waiter tell the chef exactly how we want it prepared, as to oil, butter, etc. Laurie
Great tips! Drinking water instead of drinks saves a lot! My husband and I like splitting entrees when eating out. You typically get way too much food for just one person so splitting them is a great way to not waste and watch your portion sizes. I will also share an entree with my 4 yr old instead of ordering him a kids meal bc they can add quite a bit to the bill and he typically will only eat 1/4 of the meal.
We have always orderd water as a general rule for our whole family. Great example for our kids!!
Marnie & Michael:
very good tips!! Thank you!
Great tips - have a great week, you two!
Great video. It's just hubby and me now and it is CRAZY how much we spend on food - eating out and the grocery store. Any tip to help keep that in check is welcome.
Your tips helped me. Thank you!
Thank you!!! Great video
We find Restaurants that offer kids meals that usually include a drink and icecream for about $10 my fussy 18 year old still orders them.
And I always check out the menu upfront when I can but just because I am impatient and want to look forward to whatever it is I choose hehe
Marnie, I love your necklace. Great video. "Tapas not topless" - ha!
I would rather watch my budget like M&M and be able to go twice as many times out to eat! Although I am a southern gal who has to have sweet tea! Our restaurants didnt even offer water back in the 60's and 70's. We were not into the water craze. Our meals usually require us to take home leftovers for a second supper or lunch. I had a gastric bypass and can't eat very much at a time. Olive garden and cracker barrel is an example. I would rather do some restrictions and stay out of debt at all costs!
Yes,yes,YES!!!I love all your tips Thank you!!
Great tips I totally agree with everything y'all said...we always order water, almost always split the entree or split a couple of appetizers!!!!!! Laurie
Marnie- Do you watch Rachel Cruze's youtube vidoes? She's Dave Ramsey's daughter and her YT videos are great! I think you and your boys would enjoy them!
+Carrie Chadha I'm going to check her out!
I don't go out for dinner as often as many Americans, but I can not imagine going for dinner an dnot having wine or beer with it. I don't ever drink soda, apart from sparkling water, but I just love a good glass of wine to match the dish. But here, the portions of the main courses are generally not large enough to share. Splitting dessert, or skipping dessert I do quite often.
Check out your local bars for happy hour specials. Our favorite has 1/2 price drinks and 1/2 price appetizers which are portioned like a meal.
You're so right about just sticking to ordering appetizers! Or I like to split meals too. One entree and one salad per two people and then split it :)
well...this doesnt sound like an enjoyable outing?.....to much structure.....takes the fun out of it.....but to each their own!....maybe if it has to be so limited....hit subway.....or just stay in.
+Kristine Tank These are suggestions, especially if you eat out a lot.
+Marnie Goldberg yes....i supposee if you eat out alot there must be some guidelines. i guess im just the opposite....i see people all the time saving...and cutting expenses....and planning for their future. when...sometimes we never stop to smell the roses and live!....and some never even make it to enjoy the fuits of their labor.......i like to enjoy now!...but thats how i roll!
yes' this helps alot! thanks!
You two are adorable!
Great advice about eating out... Thanks for sharing.... Marnie I remember u saying u had an underactive thyroid, may I ask what u take for it and did u suffer from hair loss. I'm on synthroid but it's not making me feel good anymore :(
+Dee Manfre I'm on synthroid. I shed a little when I change my meds, but not often.
I eat out very rarely and for me a burger from the value menu at mcd's takes the want of eating out away. Though if I go to a sit down restaurant I order something I really want (and don't really like cooking it ex. lasagna) and make sure I take half for the next day. Though I only allow it maybe once or twice a year so I a make sure I enjoy every bite
Marnie, I really like your shirt. I don't see it listed, where is it from? Thanks for another great videos guys!
+Jacqueline Fashbaugh It's an old sweater from Loft that isn't available anymore-sorry!
Great tips....and thanks for the reminders about restaurant.com and coupons on the grocery receipts! Another thing we like to do is stock up on restauarant gift cards when our grocery store offers 2x or 4x the fuel savings rewards. Then we save a little bit extra on gas that month. Also...don't forget to look at the mailers that come in weekly and monthly, sometimes there are coupons for denny's, subway etc. When we go out to breakfast and I get coffee (otherwise I just drink water at other meals out), I ask for a to go coffee. Restauarants generally will honor requests for to go drinks. Applebees in our area does half price appetizers after ten pm. Lastly, I also convert cash back bonus (discovercard) to giftcards, a $20 cash bonus can become a $25 gift card. Hope this helps!
This made me remember when I was about 9 years old and out to dinner with my Grandparents. I ordered steak and lobster (market price). They didn't say anything to me, but they sure said something to my parents! Lol... I then learned you never order anything that cost more than the entrée of the person paying the bill! I don't have any children, but when my Husband and I take our nephews (ages 8 and 10) out to dinner we give them an amount (depending on where we are), "You have $15 tonight", that way they can do the math and decide on what they want under our guidelines. They are pretty smart and will usually choose to split something that way they can fit in a dessert to share!
Thank you... fab tips!
I save even more because...we don't typically eat out..maybe twice a year at the most?Like this weekend for a very special occasion and it was ok for my 11yr old to have his favourite steak.We love home cooked meals! I used to split my meal with my mom always but some of the restaurants here stopped allowing it or they charge you for that...so it makes no sense..
Great tips! Michael is a RUclips pro now.
IDK is it just me or did a lot of people miss the point here - they are not talking about saving 20 a week to go out to nice dinner (lets be real here they are not hurting or stressed to save for a special day/date) they are talking about how to save a bit when you are going out more then a couple times a month its all about their tip and tricks on how to save a buck or two not "oh god we want dinner next week we need to save for it", a coupon is an awesome idea its free money why not use it.
+Joanne Blink I'd say more than a few people missed the point!! Thank you for getting it!!
Marnie Goldberg
Indeed! Mind boggling how off the mark some can be! Wow
Great tips!!!
Love the tips and this series :-)
Hi Marnie!!! Great tips...!!! Now that my husband and I are emptynesters...have been for about 10 years now...we eat out much more. Through the years we have had just about every positive and negative dining out experience you can imagine. When out kids got old enough to make their own choices from the menu, we would tell them how much they could spend from the menu...and let them work with a dollar amount to come up with what they ordered. This did not include an appetizer...we would most always select an appetizer as a family...something we all enjoyed eating...and then take it from there. My son was always a very picky eater...so it was usually a burger for him...lol...but many times my daughter and I would share and entree. Now my husband and I share and appetizer and entree...and if we get a dessert we share that, too. We find the same to be true with beverages...we rarely order drinks...alcohol or soda...it is always iced tea or water...and when we do order alcohol it is wine or beer...which we feel is more economical when eating out than sugary cocktails full of ice. Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks...!!! xoxo Wanda (P.S. We also believe in tipping the server...and you are absolutely right that they remember...!!!)
When the boys were little we would get two desserts for the table then cut each one into four pieces, that way everyone got a couple of bites from each dessert. It's so much more fun to be cheap lol. xoxo C
Hi Marnie & Michael, I have to tell you about my recent adventure at Red Loster. "My eyes was longer than my stomach that day". This was during lunch and I was by myself, I ordered a drink and large entree. The bill was over $60.00. I paid the bill and walked out feeling like a stuffed oversized pig. Although, it was an excellent meal, I hate the fact that I did not care about the cost. I'm more careful in my selection based on price and restaurants. Thanks for sharing your tips.
It's understandable - in those Red Lobster commercials everything looks so good! Thanks for sharing your experience.
I always feel obligated to order a drink. Some places even charge for tap water now. Funnily enough with food I would never feel obligated to order 3 courses. Maybe if it's a super fancy restaurant but not in a mid of the road family restaurant. Might also be a cultural thing
Hi to you both - I have been wondering when you mention your 'line items' that you budget for each week do you actually have a written list/spreadsheet etc. that lets you know how much is allocated for a certain thing? So that at any given time in the week you know how much (of your lump sum amount in the bank) is for each item ie. haircuts/makeup/eating out etc.? Hope I am explaining myself here and apologies if you have already explained this but I REALLY appreciate your time in mentoring us all in this subject ;)
Oh and a tip for eating out with kids (or even us grownups!) is eat something before you go (handful of nuts - cheese) whatever fills you up a bit so you are not ravenous and order TOO much (plus my kids NEVER finish a meal so I would rather feed them for free at home and pay for hot chips and dessert! - we do order sometines if a special occasion ;)
Great advice and thank you! Catherine :)
+mumstime We do generally have line items. Michael keeps track of everything in a written folder. He's old-fashioned that way!
Thanks Marnie ;) So is the idea that you check the folder before you go shopping to know how much you have available in a certain 'column'? I am just working out how to implement it - if my hubby worked out all the 'columns' then each time I wanted to purchase something I would need to know exactly how much was available in that specific column yeah? (Sorry to sound so 'slow' here but I want to understand it :) btw it was so sweet when you were explaining how the filming works to your mum...she was like 'mmm yes talking to 'the people' ' xx
We actually do! It's just like keeping a balance in a checkbook.
+Marnie Goldberg Thanks Marnie I get it now ! yessss! Have a great night and I hope your throat/allergies are better :)
Good ideas. We don't tip in New Zealand so that makes things easier. We do a lot of the same things, though its more to justify having a alcoholic drink with the meal.
Off topic a little. Recently Hubby and I were in SA and we ate at a place I'd seen you and Michael eat at called Hot Joy. I can't remember if y'all liked it or not but I can't say as I'll ever go back but it was definitely interesting! Did y'all like it? Maybe we just ordered wrong😁
I hated it-Michael loved it. It's one of those up and coming hot spots. I had to Google what half the ingredients were on the menu!
Common sense? Or a Aha - duh moment! I actually never really thought about it - THANK YOU Marnie & Michael. I think I am just programmed to order tea, appetizer, salad or soup, dinner, etc. I take most of my dinner home, why? I'm usually satisfied with an appetizer and a salad. Holy smokes Batman, use your brain, just order what you are going to eat. DUH! Save the $$.
you always looks so pretty!
Very good! Thank you both!
Why am I visualizing a huge M&M's Candy Bowl in the background? -D #needcandy
Interesting method! I always look at menus beforehand, only because I'm a vegetarian so it's more to see what my options are than price. I wonder, do you mostly go to higher end restaurants, which is why you tell your family what they can and cannot order? It seems to me it would be easier to go to a restaurant where everything is reasonable and it doesn't have to be so limited as far as only water, only appetizers, maybe an entree?
+digitalteacup These tips are more for sit-down kinds of restaurants. But if we're going somewhere reasonably priced, we'll all just do water and an entree.
Love the lavalamp in the background :)
Hey guys!I love this video!Thank you so much for all your tips and your thoughts.My husband and I are in the same page with you guys.Now I have a question what do you do when you are out with friends?Do you split the bill?Or do you pay each couple their portion?
+littleangel3184 We pay our portion, for the most part, unless it's pretty close, and then we'll just split it in half. It's an awkward thing unless you get it squared away right from the start.
Hi Marnie - Just a bit confused.......when you say entrée I'm assuming you're referring to a main meal? It's just that in Australia we call appetizers an entrée. We then have a main meal followed by dessert! Your tips are great and pretty much what we do too. I just recently 'found' you on RUclips after typing in 'hypothyroidism advice'.....and I'm so glad I did, I love tuning in each day. So greetings from a new fan from Sydney Australia!!!
What are your thoughts on how much to tip your server if the service really wasn't great at all. I understand that restaurants can be really busy and that the quality of service may go down, but there have been times when there are only a few people in the restaurant and service is really bad. I don't know what is appropriate to do in those situations. I don't want to come off rude and ungrateful, but I don't feel like leaving a 20%+ tip.
+Sarah Christiansen If it's awful and it was the server's fault, then no tip. But I would speak to the manager and let them know why.
Whatever it is that I eat, a drink is a must (cocktail, fresh juice, tea or even coffee at the end in addition to the former) Thats a non negotiable for me! I do understand that if on average each drink is $10 per head thats $40 just for the drinks for you guys! Oh you would hate to invite me for dinners :'-) "Yes, a fresh glass of orange juice as well as an expresso machiato with the dessert please" haha
Yay! Ronald Reagan High School! I Voted!
I'm the complete opposite, I never order appetizers I stick to the meal and if I'm really hungry I'll get a side of something :)
Applebee's and Chili's have 2 for $20 or 2 for $25. Appetizers s and 2 meals.
Wow, that necklace is cool!
have you used your new camera?
+Marie Davis I turned it on yesterday...and now I realize I have a lot to learn!!
I have the t3i, I want to make videos but I do not have auto focus and it makes me so mad.
Unfortunately in NY/NJ I cannot drink tab water, which is quite awful!!! I do normally drink water, though, but never tab... Even using britta filters I can taste an awful taste... I am a big water "snob" and Evian and other fancy ones taste very bad as well... Very hard to find good tasting water... And yes, water should have no taste and no smell...
Klimt Kahlo
Tap not tab
Getting out of debt please!!
Oh Marnie..........I'm not sure your husband and my husband aren't long lost brothers. lol I HAVE to agree with you and Michael because....that's the way I have lived for the last 32 years, yet, I do understand some of the comments from viewers listed below. Things that people need to take into consideration is .....WHERE YOU LIVE! I live in a small town in Kentucky so it's not that important to set such strict guidelines because honestly, we don't have that much to choose from....BUT if we lived in San Antonio, of course, that's a whole different scenario. lol But I have to say, now that my husband and I are empty-nesters and we don't have kids sitting at the table with us, it's hard to break that "restrictive" monetary mentality which I don't particularly enjoy. It has become a "restrictive" way of life and now, I don't know how to break it! I HATE to always be looking at the price of things and trying to figure out what is going to cost $2 less. lol I guess being FRUGAL has become a way of life! ..............................Sometimes I don't like it........but, at this point, I can't seem to break it! lol
+Dianne Buckingham ahhh you need to set yourself a fun challenge, put aside $5 a week for a month and then make yourself spend $20 over your normal bill one time to jolt you into spending that bit extra!!
Thumbs up on this video for great eating out tips, but also for your last comment..."tip your server well!"
Yay M&M!!!
Great info! Love the tips. On a side note for some reason I find the mirror in the background a bit distracting. Could be just me!. Love your chanel!!
I've heard restaurants make as much as 75% or more of their income from soda sales because the overhead is so low 😳
lol I figured you had not because you're always so busy!
No it's not common sense! Not everyone has so much experience managing all this stuff! Especially the tipping part; so many ppl don't tip. Ugh! Rude!
+Liz Limon I was figuring someone would comment that they thought this video was silly because the tips were too obvious, but it's taken us a long time to figure this stuff out!