I’ve been a fan of Restaurant.com for at least a decade.

Seriously! You purchase a discounted gift certificate (make sure to check the certificate for restrictions, such as a minimum purchase amount or mandatory gratuity) for a local restaurant. You have a year from the date of purchase to use it.

Right now the following deal is available:

$100 eGift Card for only $18.00
$200 eGift Card for only $36.00

The Restaurant.com eGift Card can be redeemed at over 62,000 restaurants and providers nationwide. Available denominations vary by restaurant, and certificates are subject to minimum spend requirements and other restrictions. You can split up the $100 or $200 among a few local restaurants.

Here are two examples of how to use the certs to your advantage.

Cafe XYZ- Certificate for $15.00. Terms of cert: $15 off the purchase of $30 or more.

The check comes to $30.00
Minus Cert amt. -$15.00
Total New Bill: $15.00
Gift Certificate Cost $6.00
The price for this complete meal is $21.00 (that includes the cost of the certificate). The total amount saved $9.00.

ABC Cafe- Certificate for $25.00. Terms of the cert: $25.00 off the purchase of $35.00 or more.

The check comes to $35.00
Minus Cert amt. -$25.00
Total New Bill: $10.00
Gift Certificate Cost $10.00
The price for this complete meal is $20.00 (that includes the cost of the certificate). The total amount saved $15.00.

Don’t forget to tip your server!