Food for Less!

With the recession, everyone's been cutting back on unnecessary spening. We all love to go out to eat, but any kind of deal we can get makes it that much better. Here's some restaurant deals I found:

ARBY'S: $5 Roastburger combo and Wednesday FreebiesYou can still hit up your local Arbys on Wednesdays in August for a free regular roast beef, roast chicken club, and a Beef’n Cheddar with the purchase of a soft drink but in addition to “Wednesday FREEbies” you can also pick up a low priced combo every day. For only $5 you can get a one of four Roastburger combos complete with fries and a drink at participating locations.

CHEESECAKE FACTORY: (one of my faves) Lunch and Dinner; $3.95 to $6.95

The Cheesecake Factory, which offers plenty more than cheesecake, recently rolled out a new 'Small Plates and Snacks' menu to its restaurants which offer a cheap way to fill up on a wide array of culinary delights. While the plates are small, the portions are impressive and with 16 varied items on the new menu; there plenty of unique tastes to turn these snacks into a meal.

PF CHANGS'S: $39.99 for 2 / select $9.99 dinnersThe recession doesn't mean your taste buds have to take a staycation; grab a friend or loved one and head over to P.F. Chang's for a generous four-course meal including soup, starter, entr'e and mini dessert as part of their 'Chang's for 2' promotion which is just $39. Select P.F. Chang's locations are also featuring 'Regional Classics' for $9.99 with dishes hailing from five regions in China.

APPLEBEE'S: $5.99 lunch combos and 2 for $20 dinner dealsApplebee’s is still running its affordable 2 for $20 dinner promotion which features 2 full size entrees and your choice of four appetizers including burgers, pasta and chicken. Applebee’s also has some new lunch deals as part of its “Pick ‘n Pair” lunch special which starts at $5.99 and includes French dip sliders, soups and salads.

T.G.I. FRIDAY'S: $5 off for every buddy you bringFriday’s knows that dining out is social event and with its new BYOB promotion it pays to bring your friends to Friday’s. If you “Bring Your Own Buddies” to Fridays you’ll get $5 off the bill for each friend you bring for up to 10 friends. To get the deal you can print out a coupon before you go or text “BYOB13” to “MYTGIF” and have the coupon sent to your phone.

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE: Dinner, Outback special for under $10
There's steak and there's Outback steak! Outback has expanded its Outback special to include a 6-oz. sirloin offering for only $9.95 and comes with salad, baked potato and bread. Outback also offers 14 other meals for under $15. The latest deal at Outback lets you enjoy a Bloomin’ Onion and 2 Blue Moons for only $8.95. If you crave steak, Outback is one of the best ways to fit it into your newly reduced budget for eating out!

HOOTERS: Lunch and dinner, $5.99
Hot on the heels of their $1 draft beer bailout Hooters is offering an economic stimulus package full of wings. Every Wednesday Hooters will offer a 10 piece Boneless wing combo served with a side of fries and a roomful of delightfully tacky decor all for only $5.99. Apparently you are going to Hooters for the wings -- or at you should be!

WENDY'S: Lunch and dinner, sandwiches for $.99Wendy's is trying to give America a finance lesson in their new "3-conomics" sandwich deals. For only 99 cents you can choose from a Crispy Chicken, Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger or a Double Stack, rounding out the meal with fries and a drink for just over $3. This lesson in 3-conomics might prove to be the most delicious way to teach Americans to spend less than they make. How can you pass up a burger with bacon on it for under a buck?

CHILI'S: Lunch and dinner, 3 courses for 2 people for $20
Chili’s latest special makes a splash and puts Applebee’s 2 for $20 deal on notice with its three Courses, two People, $20 special. With more than 15 choices and a desert to top of the evening, Chili’s is heating things up in the casual dining arena.

BOSTON MARKET: $5 lunch and dinner, add a chicken to any Family Meal for $1.99
Boston Market's $5 menu includes 11 meal choices made with favorites from their homestyle menu. With options like a quarter of a chicken and pot pie to sandwiches and side dish sampler platters, $5 gets you a meal even mom would approve of. Now if you buy a Family Meal you can add a whole chicken for just $1.99