How to Save 80% on Your Restaurant Bill: Restaurant.com

Restaurant.com offers restaurant gift certificates for a fraction of the actual value. For example, you can buy a $25  gift certificates for $10 at any time through their website. What’s even better though, is that Restaurant.com often offers promo codes for up to 80% off their gift certificates. That means you can buy a $25 gift certificate for your favorite restaurant for just $2! The 80% off offer is currently available — enter SUMMER as the promo code.

Oh, and another BONUS! If you access restaurant.com through the ebates website, you can earn a 15% rebate, which means that $25 gift certificate costs you just $1.70! You can’t beat that deal…

I have been using their gift certificates for years and have never had a problem. Once in a while, a restaurant will go out of business after I buy a gift certificate. I just call Customer Service and they immediately offer me a site credit so that I can exchange it for a certificate for a different restaurant.

The certificates never expire, so I always stock up when they offer 80% off promo code.  Many are usable only for dinner, so be sure to read the information about each certificate before you make a purchase.

Restaurant.com is great for your favorite go-to restaurants or for trying a new restaurant with very little investment.

Costco Special Offer – 50% Off Local Restaurant Gift Cards

Just received an email from Costco: they are offering 50% discounts off selected restaurant gift cards when you purchase them in their warehouse. That’s a great deal, because generally they offer 20-25% discounts. They mentioned a few of the offers in my closest location (Vallejo, CA) and they are worthwhile deals. Check it out! But be quick about it, the deal is only good TWO DAYS ONLY: May 6-7, 2011.

Starbuck’s Happy Hour – 1/2 Price Frappuccinos

From May 6 – May 15 between 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. every day, enjoy 1/2 price frappuccinos at participating Starbucks!

Click here for details.

OpenTable.com for Restaurant Reservations & Bonus Cash

OpenTable is a free restaurant reservation website. You can use OpenTable to book a restaurant reservation online for more than 20,000 restaurarnts throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

So, where does the “deal” come in? Easy: Every time you honor a reservation that you book through OpenTable, you earn 100 “dining reward points.” Once you reach 2,000 points, OpenTable sends you a gift certificate for $20 that you can redeem at any of OpenTable’s participating restaurants. Another bonus to watch for is that many restaurants offer 1,000 for a single reservation. Book and honor two of those and you’ll already earn your $20 gift certificate!

OpenTable also offers an iPhone app that is very handy when you’re on the road or in an unfamiliar city.