Enjoy Gourmet Meals Without Paying The Full Price
If you are like most Singaporeans, you might spend your weekend cafe-hopping or browsing online for the latest hype restaurants to take your family out for a good meal. While basic food cost is still very affordable in Singapore, dining out on a weekly basis at fancy restaurants is definitely not wallet-friendly. But there are ways to enjoy those gourmet meals without paying the full price for it, read on to find out how!
Credit Card Deals
Anyone who uses a credit card will know that they are one of the best ways for you to snag a discount simply by using the card as a form of payment at a restaurant. Credit cards from major banks have established some great merchant partners which they work with to provide their clients with major discounts when eating at these restaurants. Look out for discounts like one-for-one deals, free dishes with minimum spending and “pay for 3, 1 fine for free” deals to give you great value when eating out.
Other than just discounts, you can also look for credit cards that reward you with cash rebates spent on dining or exclusive dining specials. Some that are worthy of mentions include:
Standard Chartered MANHATTAN World MasterCard – Up to 15% off total bill and 6% cashback at over 100 participating restaurants. Plus, get $10 off your GrabCar ride home, when you dine on Mondays to Fridays
Amercian Express Platinum – Up to 50% savings at selected restaurants around the world and complimentary FAR Card Classic Membership (exclusive dining discounts)
ANZ Optimum Credit Card – 5% cash rebates on dining if you choose the “dining” category
OCBC 365 Credit Card – 6% cashback on weekend dining locally
Restaurant Week
Restaurant week used to be an industry secret but with Singaporeans being the foodies that we are, you can’t expect a great dining event to stay a secret for long. Held twice annually in Singapore every year, Restaurant Week allows diners to eat at some of the most coveted restaurants in Singapore without breaking the bank. During a one-week period in March and October, diners will be able to eat a 3-course gourmet meal at less than $50 for lunch and dinner. While it is not exactly cheap. The quality of food is not compromised and many of the listed restaurants would probably cost you more than $100 per pax for a meal. So if you’ve got your eye on a certain restaurant, try checking to see if it is listed and make your reservations fast!
Offpeak.sg
Offpeak.sg is an online platform that helps diners to save money by eating at off-peak hours. The great thing is that the platforms help restaurants to fill their seats during off-peak hours, and offer diners great discounts to eat in peace when the food outlets are quieter, and at a discount too! You can search by area and time to find any available restaurants offering discounts, and further filter your results by price and cuisine. We think it is a brilliant idea!
Sugar
Sugar is a foodie app that works like Groupon, with a twist. The objective of the app is for users to purchase single items are unexplored locations so that consumers get to try out new places and at the same time, help food outlets get exposure. You receive free credits which you can spend on attractive food deals simply by signing up! Some of these deals include $2 for a hand-crafted coffee, $0.60 for a wholemeal sandwich and $2 waffles!
The app also has an innovative feature where you can “skim” the discount by clicking on a green icon on the right. When you skim an item, the price is slashed further, and tapping it another time will allow you to share it with your friends and enjoy a bigger discount.
