You can see the same advice coming up everywhere every November to cook your own food and pack your lunches, and don’t go to restaurants. It’s good advice, and most of us will agree until you face a hectic day with an empty fridge and make the decision to order takeout again.
Eating out is part of everyone’s food budget, and it could be a gifting opportunity. So, a meal out for a family that is watching its budget could be the gift that saves them from having more stuff lying around.
What eating out costs a family each week
The Bureau of Labor Statistics report says that an American family spent an average of $3,945 on food away from home in 2024, which comes to about $76 a week. But a Restaurant.com gift card from Gift-card.com’s US storefront turns one of those meals into a present.
The average household spent $6,224 on food at home, so nearly two-fifths of its total food budget is spent on eating out. But the figure won’t reflect every family’s habits, as some rarely eat out, and the spending is for takeout and delivery as well as meals at restaurants.
Eating out is already part of the monthly budget for many households, and a gift card for a restaurant they like can cover a meal that they were going to pay for. The card leaves them with a little extra money for something else and won’t be giving them another item to find space for at home.
How a Restaurant.com gift card works
Gift-card.com emails a Restaurant.com gift card instantly, so it’s a solid last-minute present to anybody in the US. You can choose $10, $25, $50, and $100 denominations, and they can go out an hour before the party if the week warrants it.
The recipient visits restaurant.com, selects a restaurant nearby from one of their focused partner restaurants, and buys the dining certificate there. The recipient can choose where to eat, as the card pays for that purchase and leaves any balance for later.
But check the restaurant’s listing before you go there, as some vouchers only cover certain menus and could come with a minimum spend. It’s much better to find that out at home than when you’re sitting at the table ready to order.
Tips for giving a restaurant gift card to a frugal family
When you send the card, add a dinner plan to a restaurant they like and tell them dinner is your treat. It gives them a reason to use the card so they won’t be leaving it in their inbox for months.
Frugal families love to double down on their savings, and you could check out other ideas to get restaurant coupons and discounts to take more off the cost of the night.
A Restaurant.com gift card from Gift-card.com’s US storefront arrives by email and helps frugal American families heading into Thanksgiving and the December holidays pay for one night out at a participating local restaurant.