| Drink and Save Money by Frank Lenatta Hi Bob- Hope you might consider putting this in your column since I think it might be of interest to people like me, which is to say those who would like to spend a bit less on beer without sacrificing quality when they go out to a bar. Please don't get me wrong, I don't mind paying for good things when I go out but if there's a way to save a few dollars why not use it? I go out at least two (usually three) nights a week. On Tuesday I stop for two or three beers at my local pub which will cost me at least $20 (including tip). Some Thursdays find me at the nearest brewpub for a light dinner and beer which means I'm spending around $30. Friday and Saturday are prime evenings which including food will total for both days nearly $100. That all adds up quickly. Once I realized how much I tried quite a few ways to save on those expenses. After a lot of trial and error here are my top four tips. 1. Only Bring Cash Out By far the easiest way to stick to your booze budget is to hit the town with your plastic left at home. It’s easy to rack up money on a credit or debit card, but cash is finite and you can see it going down throughout the evening. You can also preload a debit card and use that. Either way, once the cash is gone, it’s time to go home. 2. Take Advantage of Happy Hours Do you have to go out when everyone else is hitting the town? If you have your friends with you, why not do something a little earlier than usual? You’ll get great specials, including two-for-one drinks, free appetizers, and even free shots. You can always head back to a friend’s house later and finish the evening there. The best deals locally for me are two places that have half off on beer and bar food. 3. Eat (and Drink) at Home Before Hitting the Bars Food costs can really add up quickly in the bars, and the food may not even be that good. If you go out with a full stomach, you will not only save money on overpriced food and snacks, but avoid getting tipsy too quickly. In my younger days my friends and I would usually have a few cheap beers at home with our food, too. Then when we went down to the bar and were already quite happy before we’d ordered one drink. Now as an adult working a full time job this is only good for me on weekends. 4. Order Water Between Drinks This is great for several reasons. First, a glass of tap water with ice and lemon is free at every bar. You can drink this and stretch your money over time. Second, and perhaps more important, it stops you getting drunk, and makes hangovers much less severe. 5. Pitch in for Pitchers Bars and restaurants often offer pitchers of beer at a discount. Combine that with happy hour, and you can get enough beer for four or five people for less money. Be careful however - some places do not discount on pitchers and even charge more. Please remember anytime you go out to enjoy good beer to drink responsibly. I know that's almost a cliché now but that doesn't mean it's not true. My group always, yes always uses a designated driver or we walk, take public transportation, or get a cab. That's it Bob. Hope you found it interesting. I'm a big fan of your column and look forward to it each month! ---------- Thanks for sending your article in, Frank. It was one of the few I've ever received on the topic. I really liked all your tips and I know our readers appreciate your effort. Hope you write again! I'd like to invite everyone to send me their own columns about anything related to beer/drinking/booze just as Henry did. I select the best and publish them here. So join in and get writing. Cheers! Bob |
| BeerNexus proudly presents Bob Montemurro "the ombudsman of beer" Bob and Friends Speak of Beer...... |
 |
| |
 |
| Want to be a "friend of Bob" and write a guest column? Just e-mail your article to Bob HERE. |
 | |  | |  |
| Bob does not verify authorship of articles. All articles are assumed to be written by the sender. |