Menu Tricks to Avoid to Save Money

8 menu marketing tricks to watch for next time you eat out are outlined by New York Magazine as they review the book Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It), written by William Poundstone. Strategic placement of menu items could make you spend more than you had planned, but you can dine prepared after checking out the article Menu Mind Games.

For example, did you know:

The upper right-hand corner of the menu is where diners' eyes go first, making it prime real estate for high priced items. The highest priced item, the anchor, is surrounded by other, slightly lower priced items to make them look like a great deal.

And...

High-profit, slow-selling dishes are often boxed to draw attention--and orders.

Low-profit, fast-selling menu items are places off in "Siberia" so diners may miss them and spend more on the higher priced dishes.

Poundstone's book will be available in January 2010. To read more menu marketing mind games, read the full article at NYMag.com.

What tips can you share to save money while dining out? Please tell us how by posting a comment below. And thanks for being a Tip Hero!

Homepage photo credit: Zach Alexander

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Comments:

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When we eat out, we try to keep the cost down by:- just getting a main meal, and an inexpensive one. We are older and have found that if we start with an appetizer and/or/soup/salad we are full before the main course comes! So we skip those and eat the main course. If I am still hungry I may get a dessert, often we don't and if we do, we get one and share it. My wife used to get a glass of wine, but often skips that too now as it has gotten out of hand, the wine often costs almost as much as her main course!! If we are local we will often wait and get our dessert and coffee at home.

Posted by David A Liddle on December 31, 2009 1:45 PM

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Having 3 children, we don't often go out to eat with the whole family as the cost can equal that of a luxury vacation. When we do partake in the occasional meal out, we have water and don't order appetizers. When it's just the grown ups, we often order an appetizer and a main course and split both of them. More than enough food (as restaurant portions are usually 3-4 times the actual portion size) and we two different flavors to savor.

Posted by anonymous on December 31, 2009 4:31 PM

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Skip the drinks and desert - those two items add the cost of another person on to the meal. Water is fine and you don't need the desert - and face it, if the dinner was good, you're too full to enjoy it anyway.

Posted by Cynthia on January 02, 2010 7:45 PM

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I have two kids and I NEVER order off the kids menu. Five dollars for fried food and a soft drink is ridiculous. I order a full meal at nice restaurants that includes a soup or salad and we share everything. (Never tell the waiter you are sharing because they may charge you for extra plates.) We order waters and have sweet drinks at home for special occasions for a fraction of the price. NEVER OR DRINKS OF ANY KIND AT A RESTAURANT!

Posted by anonymous on January 03, 2010 12:40 AM

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At the restaurants these days, as soon as my meal comes I get a to-go box and divide it evenly on the spot. Not only is it more appetizing looking this way (leftovers), but I never EVER go into that box as the meal is always more than enough.

Posted by anonymous on January 03, 2010 5:52 PM

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I don't know if fast food is considered eating out but when I take my kids out we go to fast food restaurants and I tell them they can spend 2 or 3 dollars they order off the dollar menu and on their own have decided that french frys are not filling enough and order hamburgers or chicken sandwiches. My youngest likes chicken nuggets but orders plan chicken sandwiches and tears the meat up to dip in free ranch dressing. This way I can take myself and 3 kids our for about $10

Posted by anonymous on January 04, 2010 3:59 PM

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I'm a vegetarian, so I almost never have a problem finding the lowest-priced items on the menu. They're the only ones I can eat.

Posted by haverwench on January 04, 2010 8:13 PM

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Be sure to ask the price of coffee before ordering. Many "middle of the road" restaurants don't put the coffe price on the menu itself.I found this out the hard way by paying over three bucks.

Posted by anonymous on January 05, 2010 3:43 PM

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Lunch is most often times a cheaper eating out option.Typically there are many lunch specials offered as compared to dinner.Since most restaurant portions are LARGE......share one entree.

Posted by anonymous on January 13, 2010 11:54 AM

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On different books on eating out. If you don't treat yourself it will backlash on somewhere so be careful. I use to eat out several times a week, and then I stopped and eat out every two weeks life seem less joyful eating out less. I would like to eat out at a cheaper restaurants just don't order appetizer and dessert because it doubles the bill.

Posted by anonymous on February 24, 2010 7:29 PM

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