If you have kids or grandchildren coming to visit for the holidays, undoubtedly you'll want to treat them to at least one restaurant meal. A number have specials for kids and/or families.

Begin by checking for ads in your local newspapers. And, when you frequent a restaurant, look for fliers or ask the manager about holiday deals.

These three sites are extremely helpful; but call to make certain the deals they tell you about are still current.

• At www.mykidseatfree.com you can search for restaurants by state, then further refine your search by specific cities and by days of the week.
• At www.coupondivas.com/kids-eat-free restaurant specials are listed by the days. Not surprisingly, most deals are offered on the least busy days: Monday through Thursday, with Tuesday traditionally having the widest selection of restaurants.
• Over 100 restaurants where kids eat free are posted at: www.MyFreeStuff.com. The listings are alphabetical by the name of the restaurant.

2) Deals For All Ages

Family style diners as well as many upscale restaurants are offering bargains in order to attract customers. The best source is www.restaurant.com where you can search for restaurants by ZIP code. For each, you'll see a picture of the restaurant, its menu and a general description of the certificate. A typical example: a $25 certificate that can be purchased for only $10 is valid for a $40+ food purchase.

- Nancy Dunnan