Tricks to help you spend less money at restaurants

This story is part of How to Cut Your Food Bill, a monthlong newsletter series about how to save money on meals and groceries. Sign up here . Dining at restaurants can be a tasty experience. It can also be a pricey one. That's one reason why fewer people are going out to eat. A YouGov report from October found that 37% of American diners said they were eating out less often than they had a year earlier, driven away by high menu prices and a desire to save money. Only 8% said they were dining out more. Yet many of us will do it anyway, whether to get a break from cooking a meal at home or as a way to spend time with friends and family. Eating at restaurants may even boost our mental health . Luckily for us, personal finance and nutrition experts say there are some simple strategies that make it possible to eat out without spending a fortune. Think about why you're dining out Is your goal to try a buzzy new restaurant? Or are you just going out to eat to socialize? Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert at NerdWallet, says determining why you're eating out can help you choose a restaurant that meets your needs and doesn't cause you to overspend. …