Couple Shares Their Controversial Money Saving Hack For Eating Out At Restaurants
It works for them, but does it inconvenience others?
Bobex-73 / Shutterstock With the economy in a bad place and so many struggling financially, people are cutting corners wherever they can. Many have chosen not to go out to eat anymore, while others attempt to do so in the most budget-friendly way possible.
One couple shared the controversial yet effective way they save money when they go out to eat.
As the cost of living continues to rise and salaries stay stagnant, people have become more innovative to make ends meet. As TikTok creator Hadassah Moore said, “Gotta save money somehow.”
She and her partner shared an interesting hack they use to save money when they eat out at restaurants.
“Our money-saving tactic is sharing one refillable drink when we go out to eat,” Moore said.
In a video filmed at The Diner in Sevierville, Tennessee, Moore and her partner can be seen sitting at a table that has one coffee cup. Her partner picks it up and takes a sip, then puts it down before she follows suit.
Although Moore’s "tactic" may seem unconventional, or even controversial to some, the overwhelming majority of fellow TikTokers who commented on her video thought it was a great idea. Many admitted to even doing the same thing.
“We did this when we were first starting out [because] we were so broke,” one person said. “Now we’re back to doing it again.”
“With the prices for soda these days, we do the same. $4 for a drink is insane!” someone else pointed out.
Others shared their own money-saving tactics in the comments section.
Photo: Karolina Grabowska / Pexels
“Our money-saving tactic is we’re both getting waters,” one person said. “Pro tip: order waters and bring flavor packets or Mio when you go out to eat,” another person suggested.
The fact of the matter is that fewer people are eating out at restaurants altogether.
While small fixes like sharing drinks or bringing something to flavor your water might save some money, for many it isn’t enough.
TSG Wealth Management took a look at the downtrend of restaurant-going and reported on data by the NPD Group that found, "about 82% of meals and snacks are prepared at home — significantly more than a decade ago.”
While there are a variety of reasons for eating out less, cost seems to be the most significant.
“A restaurant meal has always been a splurge, historically costing about three times more than a home-cooked meal,” TSG Wealth Management noted. “But the price of a restaurant meal has been rising much faster than the price of a home-cooked meal over the last several years, which may be inspiring more people to learn their way around a kitchen.”
While Moore’s idea is clever, it causes a major inconvenience for servers.
While no one can fault diners for coming up with ways to save a little bit of money while still enjoying a night out, only ordering one drink for two people makes the server’s job harder.
Photo: Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels
Having to continuously refill a cup being used by two people is no easy thing, particularly if all of their tables are doing it. Plus, skimping on drinks doesn't do the staff any favors since they are already struggling with wages and tips. Is it really fair to put extra pressure on them?
Regardless of what the right answer is, Moore’s TikTok is proof that people will go to almost any length to save money these days.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.