Money Saving Tip of the Day

I recently did something a little crazy—but financially brilliant. During the holiday sales, I stocked up on restaurant gift cards. You know the ones: “Buy $100, Get $25 Free.” I bought them for my favorite local spots: the Irish pub around the corner, the pizza place we love on Fridays, and the nice steakhouse we save for special occasions. Mathematically, I was already winning. By getting $125 worth of food for $100, I had locked in an instant 20% discount on my future meals. But then I thought: How can I stretch this even further? The gift cards are great, but they are only one part of the equation. Most of these restaurants also offer weekly specials—Half-Price Burgers on Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Kids Eat Free Wednesdays, or Happy Hour appetizers. If I used my discounted gift cards only on nights when the food was also discounted, I wouldn’t just be saving 20%. I’d be saving 50%, 60%, or even 70% off the regular menu price. The problem? I can never remember which restaurant has the ...