You're hungry. But you're also low on cash. Or maybe just pinching pennies. We're not judging. Here's a list of ways to hustle your way into more bites for less buck. 

Restaurant.com
It's a concept so brilliant, you'll wonder why you didn't think of it it yourself. If you find a restaurant you like on this coupon behemoth, it's the easiest way to put a dent in the dinner bill. The website sells gift certificates at less than face value, though restaurants usually stipulate minimum purchase requirements. Tip: the website is on constant sale mode. Never pay the full $10 for a $25 coupon, you can almost certainly get it for less. If you wait until the end of the month, certificates always go on sale for 80% off which means paying a mere $2 for a $25 gift certificate. 

Sign up for their mailing list
Have you ever noticed the bowl of business cards as you're leaving, raffling off a free meal in exchange for your email? Dig into your wallet, past those grimy receipts and loose change, and chuck in your digits like the best of them. Along with announcing the new spring menus, newsletters will keep you in the loop for any restaurant deals, whether it's a free glass of wine or a cheaper prix fixe menu. 

Flex your mass buying power
Websites like Groupon, LivingSocial, and BuyWithMe all offer steep discounts on restaurants as well as salons, spas, and other local businesses. Flash sales mean you have to act fast and stay on top of what's being sold, but a surprising number of gems surface, making the chase worth it. 

Keep on Tweetin'
You won't see McDonald's giving away free burgers via tweets, but it's not unheard of for local businesses to offer special deals through their Twitter accounts. One Boston burger joint pasted free fries coupons to a tree, snapped a photo, and tweeted its location. Another pizzeria tweeted a secret codeword for free slices. You could be that lucky customer. At worst, you'll know the special of the day. (Oh, it's fig and prosciutto? That sounds pretty good, too.)

Blog eat blog
Follow local food bloggers and tweeters who will inevitably get wind of the latest steal faster than you can. Then eat the rewards once you find out within a Twitter-second that your favorite restaurant just instituted $1 oyster Mondays. Slurp worthy! 

Book a 1,000 point table
Each reservation honored on OpenTable normally earns you 100 dining points, redeemable as a $20 gift certificate once you hit 2,000. But select one of their 1,000 point tables and you can hit that mark in just two dinners out. And you get even more points for strategy. 

Pass the bar exam
The time-honored trick of eating at the bar rather than the dining room is even more potent now that many restaurants have beefed up their offerings in the face of ol' man recession. So skip those stuffy white tablecloths in favor of winging it by the bar to eat equally delicious food for much less moola. Some restaurants will also run deals on certain days or hours, so be sure to plan ahead. 

Try deal aggregator websites
Some websites take all the pain out of deal hunting by doing the aggregating for you. In Boston, HubEats has your dining deals pulse mapped out by the hour. Google Calendar integration never looked so tasty. 

Don't feel obligated to order the prix fixe
Finally, if you're not feeling the appetizer and dessert, why not skip them in favor of giving the entree all the glory? You'll save, and then you can spend all those savings on a few pints of ice cream that will last you at least through the end of the week. -Lingbo Li