Although you might cook up a storm in the kitchen, having someone else do the hard work for you is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. Yes, eating out is something almost all of us enjoy because it gives us a chance to try new foods and fill our stomachs without having to get our hands dirty or do the dishes when it’s over! Of course, this luxury does not come cheap, and eating out does cost us money. But did you know that you could be spending more money thanks to these restaurant traps? Knowing just how these restaurants trick their customers is the best way to trick the trickster.
Set yourself a budget
Have you ever noticed that many restaurants don’t use dollar signs on their menu? They will showcase the price using numbers alone, without any hint towards the currency. This is one of the tricks they employ to make you spend more money, and they intentionally leave out the dollar sign, so you don’t realize that you are spending real cash. When you don’t realize that you are spending cold, hard money, you often spend more because you are more care-free. This only ever benefits the restaurant, which means you need to set yourself a budget of how much you want to spend before you enter the eatery.
Avoid the music
Although it’s not uncommon for restaurants to play music for their guests, it’s always best to keep an ear out for what kind of music they are playing. If they are playing classical, then you might want to make your way back outside and choose the dishes you want from the display board outside. That’s because many restaurants utilize the psychology behind classical music. A study from the University of Leicester actually found that guests feel wealthier when there is classical music playing in the background. This means that they often feel as though they can spend more, even if you didn’t want to spend that amount in the first place.
Start off in the bottom left corner of the menu
When looking at a restaurant menu, there’s a high chance that your eyes immediately make their way to the top right corner. That’s because it’s a human instinct to greet this area of the menu first, and many companies take advantage of this. To utilize this instinct, they often place the priciest items on their menu in the top right corner as people are more likely to order these. On the other hand, they also tend to place the cheapest items on the bottom left corner. So, if you’re looking for a bargain, make sure you check out this bottom corner before you order.
We all love going to a restaurant and having our food cooked for us, but it seems as though those in charge of these eateries employ various tactics to get their customers to pay more. Do you want to be just another person tricked by these tactics? If not, then it’s best to follow these rules.
