•    OPENTABLE.COM is free to join, and I often use it to make reservations. It’s faster than calling, plus there’s a savings plan. Each reservation gives you one hundred points. When you reach two thousand, you get a twenty-dollar credit. I like the idea of earning money while I eat!

•    There’s also RESTAURANT.COM where you pay ten bucks for a twenty-five dollar restaurant voucher. I got so excited the day I joined that I ordered ten vouchers immediately. The following week they went on sale for half-price, and then two weeks after that they were down to two bucks. They keep repeating the same cycle, so I’ve learned to wait for the cheapest offering. Someone is paying me twenty-three dollars to eat out. That’s a deal no frugalista could resista.

•    CHOWHOUND.COM is another great site, where foodies swap info on cheap eats all over the world. We used it when visiting Palm Springs, where we found a terrific Thai place.

OENOPHILE

Restaurants make more money on wine than food, so that bottle of Cab-Sav is way overpriced. I have a lawyer friend who actually has the guts to say, “I’ll have your second cheapest bottle of Chardonnay.” Note the choice of “second cheapest” rather than “cheapest.” Classy!

I often call ahead to ask the restaurant’s corkage fee. That’s what they charge if you bring your own bottle. If the fee is fifteen dollars or under, it’s a good deal: fancier places charge thirty bucks. Word to the wise: the waiter will look at your bottle and comment on the choice, so avoid embarrassment and leave the Thunderbird at home.