Dining out on a budget

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - With the economy in a slump more families are eating at home, which is why restaurants are offering deals to get you in their doors.

So there are ways you can drastically cut your bill at both fast food places and some of the nicest restaurants. Sometimes you can even get food for free.

Even if there's not on a big sign out front, chances are you can find a deal once inside.

Savings can be found everywhere from the daily special to online deals found through third-party Web sites or from the restaurant's own Web site. Coupons turn up in Sunday circulars and can be e-mailed to you if you join a restaurants online club.

Another good idea is ordering an appetizer for your main course. Many times the plate is just as big but is just a fraction of the price.

Some restaurants will allow adults to order from the children's menu, which can be perfect if you aren't very hungry or are just trying to lose a few pounds by controlling your portions.

If you eat a lot of fast food the key is ordering off the dollar menu, and some fast food places offer deals on certain days.

If you have kids they can often eat for free. One web site, CouponDivas.com, has a very thorough list of restaurants that have kids-eat-for free nights.

Other similar websites are my KidsEatFree.com and KidsEat4Free. Com. It's a good idea to call the restaurant first just to make sure they are still offering this deal.