A night on the town is no cheap proposition. Happily, the solution to spending less isn't staying home or smuggling soda cans and home-popped popcorn into the movie theater. Before you plan your next big night out, check out these ideas.

Dinner

If you're doing the traditional dinner-and-a-movie night out, go to the movie first, THEN dinner. The reason is that you can usually save a few bucks on movies if you catch a matinee show -- or any movie before 6 p.m. Then have dinner at 8 p.m. It's backward from the usual pattern, but you save a few dollars.

Another way you can save while eating out is to order an appetizer as your meal.

"Instead of skipping the appetizers, you might consider making them your entree," said Deborah Ng, of eSSORTMENT.com "Some of the items offered 'to start' are bigger than the meals we eat at home on a regular basis. Why not eat an appetizer or two instead of ordering the more expensive bigger meal? Appetizers are also great for the children."

Before you make your reservation, be sure to check in with free online services. Dinnerbroker.com has tips on how you can save money on reservations at fine restaurants. Restaurant.com sells gift certificates for restaurants (but not chains) across the country for much less than face value, and OpenTable.com lets you make reservations online, and you earn 100 points for each reservation. Earn 2,000 points and get a $20 gift certificate to be used at any participating restaurant.

Movies

Movie tickets can run $10 or more per person. Add a tub of popcorn and a soda, and you can easily double that amount. Below are some tips for ways to see movies for less.

Head for the drive-in.
Drive-ins are retro in more ways than one: They hearken back to the days of milkshakes and hoopskirts, and their prices are lower than conventional movie theaters. You might pay by the person (usually about $6 for adults, $4 or less for kids), or a flat rate per car. You can save even more by bringing your own treats. Find listings through the United Drive-In Theater Owners Association or DriveInTheater.com.

Look for freebies.
Many theaters offer free showings of long-out-of-theater movies and timeless classics. Usually, these are tied to some sort of theme, such as AMC's Summer Movie Camp, which are free morning movies shown once a week during June and July. Check the theater chains' Web sites for current local information.

Join loyalty programs.
Earn points every time you purchase tickets and snacks, and then redeem those points for gift certificates. As with other point-earning clubs, you'll need to assess whether you'll rack up points quickly enough to make joining worthwhile. Regal's "Crown Club" program is free to join, and you earn one box-office credit per dollar spent. But you can earn a maximum of only 12 credits per day -- so this program won't work well for families unless each person buys his or her own ticket. It takes 120 credits to earn a free movie ticket.

Avoid online ticket reservation programs.
Reservation programs may save you a few minutes of waiting in line, but you'll pay big for the convenience. Fandango, for example, slaps on an extra $1.50 per ticket to reserve online. Advance buys might be worth it for much-hyped openings, such as the new X-Men movie, but if you're dying to see, say, "He's Just Not That Into You," just wait in line -- that is, if there is a line.

General Tips

Coupons, coupons, coupons. Clip 'em for anything from dinners out to event tickets. Coupons are all over the place -- you just have to start noticing them and using them. But you probably don't want to use one on your first date with someone.

Some venues such as museums have once-a-month free admission. Watch for those days and hit the museums then. Public libraries in some cities offer free family passes to local museums. Just go to your local library and check it out. Enjoy the plethora of free outdoor entertainment options -- walk around some nature trails that you may have in your area, attend free concerts in the parks, enjoy the goods and people-watching at an art fair.

If you're headed to the bars, go before the cover charge starts. Maybe head early to the place you want to see live music, and eat dinner before the music -- you'll not only save yourself a pesky cover charge, but you'll also have a highly coveted spot once the show starts.