Sixty-one percent of Americans go out to eat at least once a week. And 45% dine out one to two times a week. Those are the findings of a Gallup poll of 1,028 U.S. adults. And the restaurant industry really cashes in on those visits. According to the National Restaurant Association, the industry's projected sales for 2019 were $863 billion. While consumers want the luxury of dining out, saving money is a priority for many. If you don't want to skip out on birthday dinners or weekend brunches simply because money is tight, use one of these dining hacks to keep your bill as low as possible.

*Mix up Meal Times

"I am always on a budget," says Kuri Diaz of Best Price Nutrition. She advises looking for specials on a lunch menu or a happy hour menu. "Most of the time, it's the same stuff on the menu but cheaper for certain times and/or certain dishes," she says.

*Limit Drinks

Registered dietitian Sylvia White, founder of the Parenting Diabetes website, advises sipping water for free instead of ordering pricy drinks. "Drinks can be over $15 extra for a family," she says. Skipping them allows you to stay on budget and avoid unhealthy sugars and calories. Alcoholic drinks add up even more, so if you plan to have a cocktail, look for happy hour specials or other deals.

*Portion Control

Most restaurant meals are double the portion you'd eat at home. White also suggests splitting an entree with your meal companion. If you're still hungry, order an extra side a la carte. Another option? Order appetizers as your main meal, or share a few with friends.

*Order Vegetarian or Vegan

Skipping meat products is a great way to lower your bill but still be satisfied with your meal. "Vegetable wraps, bean tacos, vegetable stir-fries and hummus platters tend to be the least expensive menu options," says Cadry Nelson, a vegan food and travel writer who runs the Cadry's Kitchen blog. Next time you dine out, look for meatless options that are heavy on nutrients and flavor but light on your wallet.

*Eat Family Style

With dining, sharing is caring -- and saving. "Family style dining is usually going to be cheaper than individual entrees," says Jake Lizarraga, a writer for the Canadian personal finance magazine FinanceFox. "A 24-ounce steak, a pasta dish and a vegetable will likely be less than two appetizers and two 12-ounce steaks with sides of their own." Look for restaurant meal deals with large portions so you can have a little bit of everything with minimal cost.

*There's an App for That

These days, countless chain restaurants have loyalty rewards programs connected to apps where diners can collect points, earn coupons and redeem other offers. Take the Pizza Hut Hut Rewards program, found on the Pizza Hut mobile app, where diners earn 2 points for every $1 spent and can spend those points on breadsticks or pizzas. Plus, it offers exclusive discounts, birthday rewards and NFL game-day deals.

*Credit Card Rewards

Have your spending work toward your savings. Greg Mahnken, a credit industry analyst with Credit Card Insider, recommends using credit cards that offer dining rewards. "Some credit cards offer rotating rewards categories," he says. "This means the categories that you earn rewards on change every few months."

The Discover it(r) card, which doesn't have an annual fee, will offer 5% cash back on restaurants for one quarter in 2020, Mahnken says. But before you swipe your credit card on your next restaurant bill, consider whether paying with a rewards card is really saving you money, because most reward cards that offer these rewards have an annual fee.

Mahnken explains that with the Capital One Savor card, consumers pay a $95 annual fee (after the first year, which is free) to earn 4% cash back on restaurant and entertainment purchases. You'd need to spend $2,375 on dining and entertainment just to earn back that $95 fee. "If you dine out for work frequently or simply dine out often with your family, you might spend this amount," he says. "If you spend less on dining every year, you may find a card with no annual fee to be a better choice."

*Skip Sweet Treats

Cake, pie, cookies and other after-dinner treats can be tempting, but they're costly. "Just say no," Sylvia White says. "After a full meal, most diners are stuffed anyway." This will help you work toward any health and fitness goals as well.

When coming home from a night out, it's much better to have afterthoughts of your delicious entree, rather than how much you spent on it. Try one of these tips so you can savor the dining-out experience and have both full bellies and full wallets.