One way we try to keep our dining out costs lower is by avoiding ordering kids’ meals. In general, I find these to be expensive (and boring). I would much rather that my kids try some food off of our plates to get exposure to different types of food rather than ordering endless chicken nuggets and macaroni & cheese off the children’s menu.

However, as my son gets bigger, he eats more. (Often he eats more than I do.) So, we continue to share with him off of our plates (because in general restaurant portions are very large), but we also have begun to order an appetizer at the beginning of our meal. That takes the edge off our hunger, fills my son up a bit, and allows us to keep our costs low, all while allowing my son continued exposure to different kinds of food.

Melissa Batai

Melissa Batai

Melissa, a mom to three little ones (ages 7, 3 and 1), blogs at both Mom’s Plans where she writes about living a fulfilling life on less and paying down debt, and Fiscal Phoenix where she writes about rising from the ashes of your financial mistakes.