Finding Money Mondays - 2

Chinese Take Out

It's okay to have take out nights once and a while. All work and no play makes an unhappy Dolly. I love Chinese take out. I get a hankering for it that just won't quit. Luckily I have a few tricks for making this craving a little more affordable.

1) Pick it up!
Don't be lazy and go pick it up. I order from a place thats only a few blocks away. I order it and then walk over to pick it up. I get some fresh air, exercise and it helps build up that appetite. The best benefit is most places offer a discount if you pick it up yourself. My local place gives you 10% off your order!

2) Choose Combo's
The trick to getting a variety of food at an affordable price is very simple. If you look on the menu of your local place you will see combo's for one person usually with a variety of 3-4 things for about $10 or less. If there are only a few people this is great! Order two of these. There will be enough food for 2 people to eat with leftovers for the next day for both of you. It would easily feed 3-4 people.

3) Swapping
So maybe you only like some of the things in the combo. Maybe you would like to change some things. Just ask! I usually switch things up a little. I like the foods on the combo menu's but to get the maximum variety I try to switch things around a little. My hunny likes a few things off the regular menu so we trade. For example maybe you really like ginger beef but you don't the spring rolls that come on the combo. Ask if you can trade and they will usually do it for $1-2 more depending on the item. Rice and chow mein are usually no extra charge if you prefer one over the other.

So there you have it! You can get a big variety of foods at a great price. I usually get a total of 8-9 items (including two chow mein) for about $20. Can't beat that. I showed a friend how to order this way and she was amazed at all the food we got for the money. Try it next time you order Chinese and you'll love me forever!

Find Money Mondays - 1