How to get fancy meals for FREE

One word: tastings.

Whether you plan on getting married or not, I highly recommend you follow these directions:

1. Pick a friend of the opposite sex (or same sex if you live in Massachusetts) and establish your wedding details: engagement date, wedding date, how many people you plan to invite, and whether you plan to have the ceremony at the reception site or at another location.

2. Do some research and make a list of fancy reception halls you want to visit. Call them up and tell them you're getting married (gush and squeal) and ask to make an appointment to tour the place with your "fiance."

3. Visit each reception hall (gush and squeal) and tell them all about your wedding. They'll ask you all sorts of questions, so stick to your prepared information otherwise they might sniff out a freeloader.

4. At the end of the tour, tell them how much you LOVE the place and that you'd love to set up a tasting soon.

5. Reservation is made, so all you have to do is show up. Nice places will pull out all the stops to impress you and gain your $20,000 business to their fancy wedding establishment. All you need to do is leave a gratuity for the waiter, but a $10 tip is a small price to pay for a few hours of finger-lickin' goodness.

Why HB and I never thought to try this back in college when we were always broke and looking for a free meal, I have no idea.