Oyumo- talkin' about restaurants

People think they can't experience nice restaurants on a budget. Not true! Here are 10 ways you can go to the hottest spots in town without going broke.

1. Order a vegetarian option. Often times, menu items without meat are less expensive.

2. Dine at the bar. A lot high end restaurants offer a more "relaxed" menu for their bar patrons. The food is still awesome, but a little less fancy.

3. BYOB. Many restaurants give you the option of supplying your own wine with a reasonable corkage fee of around $25.

4. Go for lunch. Lunch is a great time to experience a restaurant at a lower cost. You'll still get the same service, experience, culinary expertise, but just in smaller portions and less expensively.

5. Go tapas style. Ordering several appetizers will allow you to sample what the kitchen has to offer, but at at a smaller price than ordering an entree.

6. Check for specials. Many restaurants will offer discounts for happy hour or even send you a gift card on your birthday!

7. Park your own car. Valets can be expensive...some even costing upwards of $10 tip! Find some street parking nearby and enjoy a nice walk to the restaurant and walk off your dessert on the way back!

8. Sample expensive wines at home. We all know that's it's less expensive to enjoy wine at home. Unless it's a special occasion, opt for less expensive bottle when dining out...or forget it altogether.

9. Stop by for dessert and coffee. For just a little more than what you would normally spend at a chain coffee house for a Mocha and a Scone, you could stop have dessert at a great restaurant. This is a great way to check out a pricey restaurant for little money. Best part is, you'll get an amazing dessert from a real pastry chef, rather than a previously frozen scone.

10. One thing NOT to do is forget the tip. This is bad way to save money. If the service was good, It's standard to tip 18 to 20%.

Go to www.oyumo.com and see if your favorite restaurant is there! If not, invite them!

www.oyumo.com