5 Easy Ways To Get A Free (Or At Least Cheaper) Meal

Eating out is expensive, and free food always tastes better than food you paid for. With that said, here is a list of five easy ways to score free (or at least cheaper) food.

1. Celebrate A Birthday

Many restaurants offer consumers a free meal on their birthday, although it is mostly limited to breakfast chains — not that there's anything wrong with that.

Denny's Corporation DENN offers consumers a free Grand Slam breakfast on their birthday, and all that's needed is a valid ID. Rival breakfast chain IHOP, owned by DineEquity Inc DIN, requires consumers to sign up to their mailing list before receiving a coupon for a free stack of pancakes.

2. Sign Up For Mailing Lists

Signing up for a mailing list more times than not scores consumers a coupon for a freebie. Del Taco Restaurants Inc TACO offers two free grilled chicken tacos for signing up and on top of that, a free premium shake on your birthday.

3. Find A Coupon

Although not technically free, coupons are a great way to save a few bucks. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. CMG was giving away earlier in the summer 4 million buy-one, get-one free coupons.

Consumers should follow their favorite restaurants on social media for future announcements or subscribe to a deal-finding website like Dansdeals.com that reports on deals not just in the restaurant sector.

4. Have A Legitimate Complaint

Consumers who dined at a restaurant and had a legitimate complaint about the quality, service or overall experience should speak with the manager on site. The manager may be willing to compensate the meal or encourage the disappointed customer to give the restaurant another try through a coupon or free meal offering.

5. Third-Party Gift Cards

Privately owned coupon website RetailMeNot got into the gift card exchange business through its 2016 acquisition of GiftCard Zen.

GiftCard Zen buys unwanted and unused gift cards from consumers and then re-sells them to other people who would have a use for the gift card, all at a discount.

Here is a sample of some of their current deals:

• Buffalo Wild Wings BWLD: 7.5 percent off.
• Domino's Pizza, Inc. DPZ: 13 percent off.
• Darden Restaurants, Inc. DRI's Olive Garden: 12.5 percent off.

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