This post is in conjunction with tastecard but all thoughts are my own.
Having the pubs and restaurants shut, then opened, then shut again during lockdown was the part of lockdown I really struggled with. With everything available online I discovered I can live without physical shops, and even homeschooling wasn’t so bad now which I’m happy to say now I’m reasonably confident I never have to do it again. Not being able to say ‘stuff this, let’s go for dinner’ when I didn’t feel like cooking, or have a chance to catch a bite with friends… That was more difficult than I ever imagined it would be.
As soon as the restaurants were open again I booked up to go for a meal out on the very first day, and have been single handedly attempting to heroically rescue the local economy ever since. taking pretty much any excuse not to cook.
I’m not the only one who’s missed eating out.
According to some research by tastecard, people are all over going out to eat in 2022 with searches for all kinds of restaurants up massively since pre-pandemic times.
If looking for a place to eat out with the kids in tow, I’m most likely to look for an Italian as they love pizza. Who doesn’t?! Unsurprisingly, interest in Italian restaurants has more than doubled over the past three years.
Although more people than ever are looking up their local Italians and curry houses, the biggest jump in searches are people looking for Japanese restaurants. I blinking love sushi so this is something I can definitely get behind!
As much as I do love going out to eat, it can get expensive.
Particularly now I’m the only adult in my household and with the cost of living skyrocketing, it isn’t always an option to spend cash going out. I often look out for good deals though; lots of chain restaurants will offer money off vouchers on occasion, and voucher sites can save you money on meals out too.
tastecard make it easier.
For a membership of £5.99 a month – or £39.99 for a full year – you can get unlimited discounts such as 2-4-1 and 50% off at food chains including Zizzi, Prezzo, Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia and Burger King which are great for taking the kids out if you don’t fancy cooking.
As well as that, there are plenty of independent restaurants who offer money off, including my local curry house which is probably the place I’m most likely to visit for a midweek dinner and offers 2 for 1 on meals if booked in advance, Sunday – Thursday.
You can also save 25% at coffee shops, and 50% on Papa John’s and Pizza Hut delivery and 40% cinema trips too. Some discounts are available weekdays only, and others are available every day; you can search the mobile app easily to see what’s available in your area.
On average, members can save around £18.88 per meal which means even if you just eat out once a month you can save over £200 – and much more if you happen to go out more often, get pizza delivered or fancy a day out or a trip to the cinema. Take the kids on a few days out over the summer holidays and you’ve covered your yearly fee!
To register for tastecard, you can go to their website or download the app to see what’s available near you.