Last week we went out to dinner at a well known restaurant chain for lunch. When I say we, I dont mean a relaxing romantic dinner, I mean a family lunchtime "adventure" because going to lunch with children is never a relaxing affair. The food was great and we really enjoyed it but as far as the children were concerned, the eldest was more concerned with colouring in the picture she had been given, whilst the youngest decided to decorate the table with the majority of her meal.

We always sit to eat our meals at the table at home and I think its important for the children to get used to eating out at restaurants. I always remember friends of ours looking in horror at the throught of taking their children to a restaurant because they were unsure how well they would behave. I dont worry about my children's beaviour in a restaurant but I do sometimes worry about the money we are spending on meals that arent always eaten. I know what my children like and dislike, so I tailor meals at home to their preferences but you cant always do that in a restaurant so more often than not, part of the meal left over, meaning a waste of food and money.

Like any parent, wasting money isnt something I take kindly to, so when I was on the MyFamilyClub website last week, I was delighted to come across their new Dining Club. In their words "The Dining Club will save you money on eating out at 200 participating restaurants across the UK. We’ve bagged all sorts of brilliant deals, including great 2-for-1s, dinner-and-drink options, 25% off your bill – and best of all, at some restaurants kids eat free" I am always cautious of "voucher books" that you have to pay for up front as I think sometimes that they can get put to the back of a cupboard and you never get the use of them (trust me I am speaking from past experience) but I genuinely think I would use this as it is part of the MyFamilyClub Savings pack which includes reloadable gift cards, that save you money every time you reload them (thats a whole other blog post of discovery!)

We eat out with our children far more than I ever did with my own parents. Growing up, I remember having it drilled into us that we didnt waste money but now as an adult I have a slightly more relaxed attitude, such as "if I save money on this, I can spend it on a new pair of shoes", but you get the general idea. I am conscious now that as my children grow up and become more aware of the value of things, teaching them money saving ideas is a great foundation for later life.

The words "save money", "brilliant deals" and "kids eat free" are music to my mommy money saving ears and my shoe loving heart!

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