For many centuries, bars and pubs have been a great place for people to go after a long, hard day at work. They go to meet friends, have a few beers, and take the edge off. The problem with this is, going to the bar can be quite expensive. The average tab today is around $25 per person, which can really add up if you’re going frequently.
If you’re someone who wants to watch the budget, you can still go to the bar and enjoy a great time with family and friends. It just means you have to be more careful about how you spend your money. There are several steps you can take to ensure you leave the bar without emptying out your bank account.
1) Go During Happy Hour
Yes, happy hour may not be the most fun times of the day, but it’s when you can find the best deals. Happy hours are designed to get you in the door and they hope you stay and party through the night. If you take advantage of happy hour, you will ultimately spend less on booze and food while still having a great time.
2) Don’t Get a Tab
The bartender hopes you’ll open a tab so you can continue drinking. The bad part about that is, as you keep drinking, you don’t know how much money you’ve spent. Where do you draw the line? You can easily spend hundreds by opening a tab and just saying, “add it to my tab.” Then what happens when you get a few in you? Your inhibitions kick in and you start offering to buy people rounds and the party continues. Don’t open a tab. Know how much you’re spending and keep yourself to a budget.
3) Make Smarter Decisions
Bars can get a lot of drinks out of a keg, so they often price draft beers cheaper than bottles. That’s one decision you can make to lessen the burden on your wallet. Watch what you’re ordering. Bar food is also often more expensive. If you know you want to eat during the night, plan it so you don’t eat at the bar. If you’re a wine drinker, order the whole bottle than paying per glass, which is often more expensive.
4) Tipping
It’s common practice to tip $1 per drink, according to industry experts. This is another thing you should do with cash. Pull money out of the ATM and while you’re paying for the drinks in cash, also leave room for the tip. That way you’ll spend less money. Doing everything in cash seems to be the trick to saving money as you can better budget how you’re spending.
