With mortgage rates in Toronto on the rise, parents are always looking for a way to save a few bucks, especially when they're on vacation. Eating out takes a major chunk out of your vacation budget, so if you can shave a couple of bucks off your dinner bill by finding a restaurant where your kids can eat for free, it'll take a lot of strain off your finances. Here are some restaurants where your kids can eat free and some common rules that restaurants employ for kids eat free specials.

According to parent blogs, there are more than 101 chain restaurants in the United States where kids eat free, along with numerous locally owned eateries, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find somewhere to eat lunch on your way to your Puerto Vallarta vacation rental. Holiday Inn, TGI Friday, Chik-fil-A, Denny's, Friendly's, KC Masterpiece, Pizza Hut, Ponderosa Steakhouse, the Macaroni Grill, Buster's Ice Cream, and (believe it or not) Hooters, all offer a kids eat free special.

Of course, there are always limitations on these specials so the restaurants can ensure they're not taken for a ride by overzealous parents. Don't think, for instance, that you can just drop off your kids at the restaurant while you go to your Kingston real estate conference and expect them to eat for free, because in every case the caveat is that one or more parents (or other adults) must buy their meals to qualify for the special. In most restaurants, one paying parent entitles them to one free kid's meal, so if you've got three kids you'll still end up paying for one of them.

Another common limitation on the kids eat free deal is based on age. Usually kids in diapers will eat free because they barely eat anything. Usually the age limit for kids eat free deals is set at twelve or sometimes even ten, because teenagers (especially boys) often eat more than both parents combined. The child will also have to order off of the special children's menu rather than the regular adult menu.

And finally, many restaurants offer only one kids eat free day per week, so if you want to avoid paying all the proceeds of your Canadian ETFs to your restaurant server, you should hop between restaurants daily. Tuesday is by far the most popular day for kids eat free specials, though some offer free meals all week. You may even have to arrive at a certain time (usually early dinner, from 4-5:30) to qualify for the special. Check with the individual restaurant for details.