5 Ways To Save Money At The Bar

It's FRIDAY, FRIDAY, gotta get down on FRIDAY! Oh snap, your New Year's Resolution was to be financially responsible in 2014 and you would love to rise to the challenge of keeping the paycheck you got this week MOSTLY in your checking account. 

That can be a challenge if you and you friends are headed into Downtown Boise tonight...but we want to help you out with your resolution.  Here's tips for saving money at the bar!

1. Buy The Second Round Of Drinks

Fab idea if you’re out with a group of friends and plan on drinking heavily. Offering to buy the second round pretty much tells your friends "I'm not cheap and I plan on taking care of you tongiht...at some point."  What they don't know is that it means you’re probably getting all of your spending out of the way early–by the time the fourth or fifth round rolls by, the order of who's buying what round will generally fall apart in a drunken haze, spearheaded by the girl or guy who bases their self-worth on letting other people know he has money.  These...are good friends to have.

2. Pay In Cash

Tabs are about as financially wise as investing with Bernie Madoff. Take it from this girl...when you're friends drink an $8 shot you end up with a $100 tab rather quickly without realizng what happened.  Just pay in cash.  Swiping plastic is way easier but with cash you know how much money you’re trough over the course of the night. Physically parting with your money may slow down your spending.

3. Research The Menu

Don't let your friends see you doing this but it's a game changer...for real.  I mentioned those $8 shots right?  Well they were $4 in my hometown during Christmas vacation.  The prices of shots tend to vary quite a bit.  Knowing the menu could save you cash when it's your turn to order a round.

4. Mixed Drinks Are Your Friend

I've realized this lately...mixed drinks provide for the perfect ratio of alcohol content to time killed. What's that mean exactly?  Mixed drinks combine the effectiveness of a shot with longevity of a beer. These are particularly crucial in bar situations, given that you need to be holding a drink at all times if you don't want to end up with shot, after shot, after shot and stumble out of the bar at the end of the night.

5. Think About Pie Hole

When the DJ calls for the last song of the night, the lights go up and the bouncer makes you toss half the beer that you totally didn't need, think to yourself: “Was the $4.75 I spent on this worth it or would it have been much more gratifying in the form of some greasy pizza?”  Or a hot dog from Gator Grille.  Or Del Taco.  Hell, it doesn't matter what your "drunchies" are craving...the answer will always be clear.  You're gonna wish you ate something at the end of a night of drinking.