Welcome to the ABCs of Savings! Each day we’ll be discussing another money saving topic, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. Be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you don’t miss any steps along the way. You can read the full alphabet of posts here (updated as they are posted).

E: Entertainment

Saving money can be work. There’s clipping coupons, making shopping lists, creating budgets. But there’s also room for fun… and that fun doesn’t have to cost a ton of money. In addition to free entertainment like family game nights or walking in the park, you can save money on eating out, movies, and other types of entertainment.

Eating Out

Eating out can certainly be a budget breaker if you’re not careful. Even fast food meals have become fairly pricey for what you get. The good news is that there are a few ways that you can save when you go out to eat.

Restaurant.com
You can usually get $25 restaurant gift certificates for $2 or $3 from Restaurant.com. There’s a different promo code each week, but the image below updates automatically to show that code.

I’ve had some questions from readers questioning how Restaurant.com can sell restaurant gift certificates for so little. I assure you that they’re totally legitimate. You can learn more about how Restaurant.com certificates work here.

Kids Eat Free
I love restaurants that offer a free kid’s meal when you buy an adult meal! This is one way to take the family out to eat without breaking the bank.

Watch Your Drinks
I’m amazed at how much drinks can increase our bill when we eat out. Sometimes I just have a taste for something sweet with my meal, but most times I’ll stick with water. If Jason & I both do that, we might save $5 or more. Emma always gets her milk though. I can’t resist a chance to see her chugging calcium with her meal!

Entertainment Book
If you’re not familiar with the Entertainment Books, they are thick books full of mostly Buy 1 – Get 1 FREE coupons for restaurants, movie theaters, attractions, dry cleaning, and all sorts of other things. We’ve personally used them to eat out, go to the zoo, buy discounted movie tickets, and get oil changes.

What I love most about using Entertainment Book coupons is that you literally pay half if two people go out to eat. (Remember to tip on what the full bill would have been so that you’re not penalizing your waitress because you used a coupon.) This is a great way to have an inexpensive date night!

You can usually find a good deal on Entertainment Books here.

Movies

Keep your eyes open for movie deals! Groupon and Plum District have both run promos for tickets recently. You can usually get tickets for $5 or $6 each when these deals come around. I’ll be sure to post them for you when I see them.

Activities

In addition to the Entertainment Book coupons for movies and mini golf, other activity coupons pop up from time to time. I’ve posted coupons for $20 bowling for 4 people in the past, and I’ll keep my eyes open for other coupons like that for you.

Of course, not all entertainment has to cost money. There are many free activities you can do as a couple or as a family. I just wanted to share some ways to save when you choose an activity with a price tag. If you have any tips or ideas for saving money on entertainment, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.