The Best Restaurant Specials for Every Day of the Week

No cooking, no cleaning, no muss, no fuss!

Sure, buying groceries and cooking at home is usually the most affordable way to eat. But unless you really love to cook, chances are you want to eat out at least a few times a month. (And, let's face it, even if you love to cook -- who has the time to cook every single meal?)

While eating out regularly can wreck your budget, it can be a worthwhile splurge now and then. It's even better if you can time it with a restaurant special to get even more bang for your buck. Here are some of the best daily specials we've found, plus a few tips on finding your own.

Monday

• TGI Fridays: Get 50¢ wings and $2 beers
• Moe's: Burrito with chips and salsa for as little as $5.99 (may vary by location)
• Red Lobster: Endless Shrimp for $21.99 (may vary by location)
• Wingstop: Get 70¢ wings
• Beef'O'Brady's: $7.99 Angus burger and fries (may vary by location)
• Tijuana Flats: 2 for $20 condo deal (two entrees, two drinks, and one starter)
• Ruby Tuesday: Endless Garden Bar and side for $9.99 (until 4 p.m.)
• Smokey Bones: BOGO wings

Tuesday

• Buffalo Wild Wings: BOGO 50% off wings
• Beef'O'Brady's: $7.99 tacos with chips and salsa (may vary by location)
• Beef'O'Brady's: $2.99 kids' meals (may vary by location)
• Chevys: 3 tacos for $6 (3 p.m. to close)
• Del Taco: 3 snack tacos for $1.69 (3 p.m. to 11 p.m.)
• Panera: Get 13 bagels for $7.49
• Sonic: Half price Sonic Cheeseburgers (after 5 p.m., order online or in the app)
• Tijuana Flats: Get 2 tacos, chips, and a drink for $7.99
• Red Lobster: Two Grilled Lobster, Shrimp & Salmon entrees, with two sides, for $59.99 (may vary by location)
• Ruby Tuesday: Select lunch options for $5.99 (until 4 p.m.)
• Smokey Bones: BOGO chicken entrees

Wednesday

• Beef'O'Brady's: 99¢ traditional wings, BOGO free boneless wings (may vary by location)
• Chevys: $1 kids' meals (adult meal purchase required)
• Red Lobster: Get a steak and lobster entree with two sides for $24.99 (may vary by location)
• Ruby Tuesday: Endless Garden Bar for $6.99 (until 4 p.m.)
• Ruby Tuesday: Half-Rack of Baby Back Ribs and side for $11.99 (4 p.m. to close)
• Hungry Howies: Wacky Wednesday large pizza for $5.25 (may vary by location)
• Burger King: Get any Whopper for $3 (order through the app)
• Red Robin: Get 50% off kids' meals (minimum purchase required)
• Outback Steakhouse: Walkabout Wednesday entree with side and a drink for $13.99 (may vary by location)
• Smokey Bones: BOGO pulled pork platters

Thursday

• Buffalo Wild Wings: BOGO free boneless wings
• Beef'O'Brady's: $10.99 Philly sandwich and fries (may vary by location)
• Del Taco: 3 grilled chicken tacos for $2.69 (3 p.m. to 11 p.m.)
• Tijuana Flats: Get a burrito or bowl, chips, and a drink for $7.99
• Red Lobster: Get Walt's Favorite Shrimp, two sides, and a drink for $14.99 (may vary by location)
• Smokey Bones: BOGO boneless wings

Friday

• McDonald's: Free medium fries with any order ($1 minimum order, must use mobile app)
• Beef'O'Brady's: $9.99 fish and chips (may vary by location)
• Red Lobster: Get a fish fry basket with two sides for $13.99 (may vary by location)
• Ruby Tuesday: Philly Cheesesteak Hoagie and side for $7.99 (until 4 p.m.)
• Ruby Tuesday: Kids eat free (with adult entree)

Finding specials any day

If you don't see a special from your favorite restaurant on this list, you may still be able to find a deal. For instance, most restaurants, even independent locations, tend to have lunch specials. These are sometimes smaller versions of dinner dishes, or they may just be the full-size dish at a discount.

Additionally, a lot of restaurants -- especially those with bars -- have happy hour specials during the week. These tend to include things like half-priced appetizers and discounted drinks.

For fast food and take-out restaurants, check to see if they have a mobile app. You can often find lots of deals and discounts exclusively in the app. Plus, you may even get a freebie just for downloading it.

You can also sign up for a rewards account with most major chains. These can let you earn freebies and discounts for your spend. If you frequent a particular chain, these rewards can equal a lot of free food.

Finally, don't forget about the universal restaurant discount: credit card rewards. A good restaurant rewards card can easily earn you 5% or more in cash back or points on your dining purchases, even for take-out.