Clark Howard's Tips

Sept. 18, 2008

Restaurateurs are in a classic squeeze play. Their food costs are going up, while customer traffic is down. That means that eating out is getting cheaper.

When the economy was booming, Clark warned you about specials -- those du jour "deals" that were really designed to make you pay more. But that's reversed now. One thing that remains the same is that you should never order something unless you know the price.

So as eating out gets cheaper, you may see early bird specials, early week specials and couponing. You'll also see complete meal deals because people are skipping costly beverages, desserts and appetizers. The complete meal deals will be cheaper compared to buying the items individually, but they're also designed to boost the bill.

Be wary of gift cards. Clark loves the ones where you get more than what you pay for, but don't let them gather dust. Use a gift card shortly after you buy it because it may turn to dust if a restaurant goes out of business.

One final word: Don't reduce what you tip. It's not the fault of your waiter or waitress that the economy is hurting.

Consumer advice courtesy of