Tesh Tuesday- Menu Money Wasters

Menus Are Designed to Trick You Into Spending More

Want to lower your restaurant food bills? Look at the menu differently, because most menus are designed to trick you into spending more. Here are their top tricks:

• Beware of the first item you see. Studies show you’re more likely to order the first thing on any food list. So, restaurants often categorize their menu by the type of dish – like chicken, fish, or salads, but they’ll always place their biggest money-maker in the number one spot.

• Bigger isn’t always better. A lot of restaurants offer two sizes. Say, a lunch size Chicken Caesar salad for $9, and a full size for $12. You may think spending more gets you a bigger bang for your buck, but it’s usually just code for “rip-off.” That's because the plate size often stays the same. Chefs simply throw on a little extra lettuce.

•  Never order a never-ending pasta bowl. You may think it’s “free food,” but experts warn anything “never-ending” is often a bad buy, because you probably won’t eat more than one serving of anything. So, don’t do it unless you’re planning on pulling an all-nighter, like the teens who recently made headlines after taking on Denny’s “All You Can Eat” pancake challenge, and sat in the restaurant for 24 hoursstraight.

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Best Things in Life are Free - Tesh Tuesday

Things You Should Be Getting for Free

If you’re like most people, you probably love freebies! So, here’s a list of things you’re probably paying for - but shouldn't be, courtesy of US News & World Report:

• Let’s start with basic computer software. There’s no need to lay out hundreds of bucks for brand-name software when there are free alternatives, like OpenOffice.org – which includes word processing, spreadsheets, graphics and databases, and can read and write files from other common software programs.

• Your credit report. Forget the jingle for a website that really isn’t free. Once a year, you can get free credit reports from all three credit agencies – Equifax, Trans Union and Experian. Just click on AnnualCreditReport.com.

• Water! It covers 70 percent of the planet, so why should you pay extra for the bottled kind? Instead of forking over at least a dollar for every bottle of water, save your money and the environment by drinkingtap water, and filling reusable bottles. If you’re worried about contaminants, invest in a home water purifier.

• You also shouldn't be paying for banking. With so many credit card offers out there, you can easily get a card with no annual fee. The same thing goes for checking accounts and ATMs: They should all be free. If you’re being charged, it may be time to move your money to a different bank.

• There’s also no need to pay a bundle for DVD rentals. They’re free to rent at most libraries, and Red Box vending machines charge only $1 a night, a cost you can avoid by using a coupon code from the siteInsideRedBox.com.

• The final freebie on the list: Shipping charges. If you shop online you not only save on sales tax, but you can usually find coupon codes for free shipping. With the holidays not that far off, you could save a bundle. Check out FreeShipping.org.

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