It has been in the news about many Americans not using up all of their vacation time. With work and family responsibilities it becomes difficult to make time for ourselves. But it is also important to take some down time to refresh yourself.
Besides the travel costs another big expense of traveling is dining out. Just as you plan out your route for your trip by taking some time before you leave, you may be able to save up to half off on restaurant meals.
Restaurants.com
One of the websites that offers discounted meal certificates is restaurants.com. Restaurants.com offers certificates for certain restaurants at a deep discount. The website states that you can save up to 80% but it is important to read the fine print. Some of the stipulations may be that you need to spend a certain amount, cannot be used to pay taxes or tips, cannot be combined with other gift certificates and gift cards and can only be redeemed once per month per restaurant.
Another thing to consider about these coupons is that they are purchased and printed from the internet, so you will need to print them before you leave home or have access to a computer and printer.
Coupon books
There is also a coupon book that offers coupon offers for certain restaurants and attractions in various cities. Each coupon book is only valid for a certain area, but if you are planning on spending time in a certain city it may make sense to purchase a coupon book for that area. The books range from $35 to $50 depending on the area but sometimes they offer them for a discounted price. You can also get a mobile version and have the coupons on your smart phone instead of paper coupons.
Also, check out the website for the convention and visitors bureau for the area you are planning on visiting. There may be discounts available for area restaurants and attractions that are not published in other places.
Daily Deal Sites
There are numerous daily deal sites to choose from in various cities around the country. If you are planning on visiting a certain area, check out the deals for that area. Most of these only run for a short amount of time, so it is important to keep an eye on expiration dates and other stipulations they may have.
By taking a little time to plan before you leave home, you may be able to save money on your restaurant meals that can be used for something else.