Cheap date

My sister is the queen of savings and regularly preaches the awesomeness of coupons. She regularly saves 50 percent on groceries and has a refrigerator stocked full of yummy goodness, while I, on the other hand, spend $40 every two days on the bare minimum and have a fridge of leftover mashed potatoes and refried beans. Sadly, I don’t often heed her money-saving advice—until she dropped the Restaurant.com bomb on me. The Web site features a plethora of restaurants offering $25 gift certificates for $10 and some that offer $75 certificates for $30. The best part is there are many local restaurants participating: Crest Cafe, Bamiyan Afghan Restaurant and Chanterelle. While most gift certificates include 18 percent gratuity and a minimum purchase of $35, restaurantgoers still save money for a night out. Since I eat out more than I try to cook, it’s the perfect way for me to save money. Thanks, sis.