50 Best Cheap Eats Blogs
Everybody enjoys a delicious meal, but the cost of going out on a regular basis can impact your budget significantly. Believe it or not, to eat cheaply doesn’t mean isolating yourself to fast food lines. There are a handful of ways to find cheap eats, and one of the easiest is simply making dinner in your own kitchen. Combined with coupons, planning meals ahead of time and shopping with a list in hand, you will find your wallet with money to spare. Replicate and even improve upon some of your favorite restaurant meals by staying in and cooking a home cooked meal. Check out the blogs below to find resources on collecting your own cheap eats recipes or how to find cheap eats restaurants when you want someone else to do the cooking and cleaning.
Top Five
- Good Cheap Eats: Created by a mom who lives in Southern California with six kids and a $600/month grocery budget, this site provides families with the tools needed to eat healthy, home-cooked meals on a budget. In addition to recipes, Jessica shares tips for saving money while shopping for food as well as product reviews and how to properly freeze food to last longer.
- Why We Love It: Based upon their slogan to eat well, act your wage and enjoy life, this California mom helps busy parents realize that they can feed their family healthy food on a budget. No matter how busy you are, Jessica is able to help guide you through the process of getting a healthy and delicious meal on the table.
- Favorite Post: Build a Frugal Pantry
- Cheap Healthy Good: This entire blog is centered on the purpose of providing ethically minded people with recipes and tips on how to use nutritious ingredients to make delicious and satisfying meals. Striving to use mostly whole foods, all the recipes fall between $1 and $8. The blog includes three to four writers all of whom offer a variety of culinary expertise and background.
- Why We Love It: This site not only sticks to providing healthy recipes on a budget but also tackles questions from readers, such as what are the best foods to look for when shopping at bulk stores like Costco. The writing is funny and upbeat, leaving us anxious to see what will be posted tomorrow.
- Favorite Post: 1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo
- Cheap Eats: This blog not only provides tips on where to find cheap eats but includes recipes and techniques on how to make cheap eats at home. Browse the lists of recommended cheap eats from fast food, to sit down restaurants, to recipes for $3 and under.
- Why We Love It: This site is geared toward those looking to stretch their food money in a thrifty and creative way. Creativity in the kitchen can go a long ways in helping you save money in the kitchen. Don't be afraid to try something new or attempt a recipe for products you normally buy pre-made. Who knew you could make enchilada sauce for only $0.55?
- Favorite Post: “Making Homemade Gatorade”
- Real Cheap Food: Written by a mindful foodie who loves good food, this blog was created in an attempt to see if the blogger could eat a nutritious and well-balanced diet for less than $5 a day. Matthew found that he could spend even less than what he had budgeted for once he became more mindful about what he was spending and eating.
- Why We Love It: Here is a real guy out there doing it: eating good food on a serious budget without compromising the quality of his diet. Matthew provides great tips, advice and philosophies on how to live well, on a couple of dollars a day. He also includes videos on how to properly prepare ingredients for cooking, which is a great way to overcome any intimidation with cooking by simply following a step-by-step tutorial.
- Favorite Post: Mustard. There, I said it.
- The Economical Epicurean: The Economical Epicurean is thriftiness at its finest, providing everything from money-saving recipes/tips for appetizers, vegetarian dishes, and beverages as well as recommended restaurants. The site isn’t cluttered with a lot of pictures, which allows you to fall into Diana Owen’s writing cadence.
- Why We Love It: Many of the recipes that Diana posts have a story behind them and you get a sense that she really is passionate about cooking. It’s not just about creating a site about saving money, but about living life and being inspired by the people you surround yourself with and the places you visit.
- Favorite Post: Vacation Inspiration
The Rest of the Best
- $5 Dinners: Unsure if you can really make a meal for under $5? It really isn’t as hard as it sounds. Check out the collection of recipes for mouth-watering dishes such as the slow cooker creole chicken or tackle the beef tamale skillet dinner. What do you have to lose but $5?
- 4 Days of Gourmet: Simple, delectable, budget-conscious recipes from a busy mom, claims the opening headline on this visually beautiful and well-organized blog. With a passion for cooking and responsibility as a stay-at-home mom, this site is filled with delicious and decadent recipes that will have your mouth watering, from the Lemon-Poppy Seed Bread with Raspberry Swirl to Pork Chops.
- Bargain Babe: Featured on Good Morning America, ABC News, NPR, and in Better Homes and Gardens, Bargain Babe does her homework in producing articles, links to coupons and advice on buying organically. Each tip Bargain Babe provides is practical, personal and useful.
- Blog of Cheapcooking.com: Ellen has tons of easy and budget-friendly recipes that utilize everything from frozen foods to seasonal vegetables. Learn how to make homemade chicken broth (super easy) or attempt the baked acorn squash with maple syrup.
- Cheap Cooking: Ellen has created Cheap Cooking where she writes recipes and posts articles and links to online resources and a bookstore as well. Check out the featured cheap and easy recipes that are on her homepage.
- Cheapeats, inc: Rosemarie Gambetta, founder of Cheapeatsinc.com, juggles careers in real estate and fashion and has a trained eye for finding the hottest items at the hottest prices. She is a reliable source for friends and clients by being able to suggest a variety of restaurants where patrons are guaranteed a good meal at a great price.
- Choosy Beggars: Tina and Mike refuse to compromise on the variety, quality, and types of cuisine they eat based upon their salary. We all deserve to eat fresh, exotic, amazing food regardless of our paycheck size.
- Dave’s Cheap Eats: Dave is on the search for high-quality restaurant food at low prices. After spending time in Virginia, Tennessee, and California, and traveling throughout the United States, Dave has complied a list of good cheap restaurant eats. His requirements include that the entrée cost $10 or less, that there is enough food for a solid meal, and that it tastes good.
- Delish: While Delish is owned and operated by Hearst Magazines (and partnered with MSN to create delish.com) the feeling on this site it that of a small passionate company. Delish helps everyday people find the best deals possible when throwing a party or serving dinner to your family.
- e-Mealz: Make Time for Family: Simplify your life by allowing e-Mealz to create menus to suite your families needs. Eat as a family and feel more satisfied knowing you are saving money as well as spending quality time with your loved ones.
- Eat Well, Eat Cheap: Quit eating out, and shrink both your food and beverage budget. At Eat Well, Eat Cheap you can find recipes to cook delicious meals as well as bargain wines to complement your meals for less than $10 a bottle.
- Eating On A Budget: Kevin sets out on a 90-day social experiment to see if he can make a drastic cut to his budget and only spend $1 per day. Follow as Kevin learns that he can actually make it with such an extreme budget and continues to work on building a better pantry.
- Eating on a Budget: Most cupboards are equipped with a handful of staple ingredients; Eating on a Budget provides a list of recipes that include what you already have in the house. Browse their recipe e-book including tasty meatless main dishes, casseroles and desserts.
- Eating Well: When the economy struggles, a lot of people look for ways to save money. Forget take-out -- one of the easiest ways to save money is to stay in and cook at home. Here you will find over a 100 recipes that allow you to stay within your budget.
- eats.com: Ask the eats editors any questions regarding where to find cheap restaurants in cities across the United States. Find out where the best late-night grub is in New York City or discover a place that delivers breakfast in Seattle.
- Frugal Cooking: Frugal cooking has a different meaning to most people; however, the common denominator is saving money. The author goes on to add that frugal cooking also entails using things already in the pantry and focuses many recipes on using what you have in the house.
- Frugal Cuisine: Don’t break the budget with these cooking tips and recipes provided by Frugal Cuisine on how to make great dishes at home. Check out the Never Throw Out Chicken Fat article in which you learn how to use chicken fat in place of expensive butter.
- Frugal Family Foodies: Robin loves cookbooks, the farmer’s market, kitchen stores and stinky cheese; however, her kids do not. Take advice from this mom who successfully feeds her kids fresh, seasonal food without breaking the bank.
- Frugal Feats: Suzanne and Robin are both busy moms and wives who live and cook in New Hampshire. Through Frugal Feats they share the recipes that scored big points with their family as well as the ones that flopped.
- Frugal Foods: With frugal menu options, the site editor, Coleen, has a food and nutrition background and lends her expertise to creating healthy meals. Browse the frugal meals and tips that will save money and time.
- Get Real or Get Out: Ryane developed Get Real or Get Out as a means to document her journey of enjoying good food, wine and wonderful company all without spending her entire paycheck at Whole Foods. Check out her blog to see how she balances living a healthy and active lifestyle without compromising on eating good food and indulging in a couple of cupcakes along the way.
- Groupon: Groupon was launched in November 2008 and has gained a reputation for hosting some amazing deals for shopping, eating out and traveling. It is easy to go to a familiar restaurant week after week, but when presented with a great deal (e.g., you pay $10 and receive a coupon for $20 worth of food at a featured restaurant) you might be more willing to explore and try out new places with a fabulous coupon in hand.
- Grub Girl: Grub Girl lives and eats in San Francisco, California, but her blog extends from reviewing restaurants in the Bay Area to providing cooking tips so you can make bargain meals in your own kitchen. Grub Girl explores the bargain bite world, where food can cost less but still retain its value and taste. She has some interesting and unique pieces including one on how to cash in on food bargains on your birthday.
- Hillbilly Housewife: This site is simple and straightforward, focusing on low-cost home cooking from scratch. All of the recipes are tested in a real kitchen with all the real life components that fill your kitchen, from hungry kids constantly asking when dinner is ready to begging puppies at your side.
- I think I have a recipe for that: With a budget of $70 per week, two people attempt to make the most out of limited funds. Check out the adventure as Kazari and Ryan cook food every night of the week.
- Just Hungry: Just Hungry highlights easy and affordable ways to cook Japanese food. Also check out Just Hungry’s sister site at Just Bento, which is dedicated to authentic Japanese lunch recipes.
- Kitchen Scoop: Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross create dishes in the kitchen that don’t just satisfy your taste buds -- they also appease your budget. Take a peak at how two busy moms juggle life while managing to create delicious, healthy and affordable meals.
- Kitchen Table Medicine: Kitchen Table Medicine has a number of qualified contributing writers from dietians, physicians, therapists and personal trainers. Gain a great deal of knowledge from this site about eating healthy within your means.
- Leftover Grub: With easy step-by-step instructions, the Leftover Grub will guide you through the sometimes daunting process of making meals out of leftovers. Find a meal out of leftover carrots, beef, corn and many more looked over leftovers.
- Meals Matter: Have you ever gone to the grocery hungry and unsure what you wanted or needed, and then left with bags full of incomplete meals or junk food? At Meal Planning Made Simple, you are provided with the resources needed to plan meals of nutritional value without breaking the bank or making countless trips to the store.
- My Grocery Deals: Use this site to search available coupons featured at your favorite local grocery stores. After selecting your coupons, create and print your weekly shopping lists. Get the best deals on all of your groceries by being prepared before you leave the house.
- Poor Man’s Feast: This site is a must-read for any foodie. Written by Elissa Altman, the award-winning food writer, editor and contributor to Saveur, the New York Times, and the L.A. Times. The writing is exceptional, tackling topics such as, why food writers should play nice and how to make a simple breakfast for a pile of cousins.
- Shrinkage is Good: Bill helps you find savings on everything from wireless service plans to reducing credit card debt and tips on how to save at the grocery store. Overall, this site is extremely helpful when looking to replenish the pocketbook.
- Slash Food: Become educated about what is going on around the world in fast food restaurants and high-end eateries. Did you know that Doritos are creating shells for Taco Bell or that the New York City hot dog favorite, Papaya King, is expanding nationwide, or that coffee drinkers are more loyal to McDonald’s than to Starbucks?
- SOS Cuisine: With weekly menus tailored to suite your personal goals such as weight loss, heart health and strict budget, you will be able to automate and edit your grocery list. Members of SOS Cuisine will also be provided with a step-by-step action plan to save time and money each week.
- The $200 Mission: One mom gets creative and savvy when driven by the need to get dinner on the table. She keeps a tight budget of $200 per month to spend on groceries. Track her progress and follow her tips on how to stay on budget.
- The 99 Cent Chef: Using ingredients costing 99 cents or less, Chef Billy Vasquez creates exotic dishes such as the Cuban Salad and Brazilian Fish Stew. Browse Billy Vasquez’s visually stimulating site with delicious photos, videos and great meal ideas.
- The Cheap Gourmet: Gorgonzola cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto, baby lamp chops in garlic and rosemary… is your mouth watering yet? The Cheap Gourmet, written by Kathy Browning, proves that high-end gourmet dishes can indeed be created on a budget.
- The Food Network: There are a number of channels on the Food Network featuring ways to either make cheap eats or find them while dining out. A couple of our favorites are included in the show Unwrapped, where they discover the mysteries of Ramen Noodles and travel to Taco Bell to test out the new value menu.
- The Guerrilla Gourmet: Eric Schaefer and Tiffany Simons Schaefer make refined food at radically cheap prices. They probide a handful of creative and interesting recipes to attempt, including the hot dog maki with soy-sriracha ketchup, Chinese mustard, and pickled cucumbers.
- Toptable: Most popular in the UK, Toptable is an online reservation site where you can earn points every time you book a restaurant through Toptable. By reserving through Toptable you will receive a discounted menu and up to 50 percent off food. Once you have accumulated enough points, you will be able eligible for a free meal at one of your favorite restaurants. With enough points, you could even earn a cooking lesson with a personal chef!
- Trip Advisor: While you may have visited Trip Advisor for advice on hotels or flights, this site is also extremely valuable when deciding on your dinner plans in a new location. Simply input your location, type of cuisine, your desired atmosphere (good with kids, large groups, bar scene), and price, and you will be provided with a list of good options.
- Urbanspoon: This site is based upon reviews from critics, food bloggers and everyday foodies. You will be provided with a list of restaurants by simply inputting your location, genre of food and price point. Be equipped with a list of great restaurants by exploring this site prior to traveling to a new city.
- Vegetarian Frugal Housewife: Learn some tips on saving money from this self-proclaimed, friendly neighborhood hippie, historian, and psychic medium. This crafty eco-hippie chick has based her site off of Lydia Maria Child’s book, American Frugal Housewife, written in the 1830s, and has translated many of the tips to be used today.
- Yelp: Founded in 2004, Yelp was created as a site to allow people to write reviews on local businesses, spotlighting the hidden hole-in-the-wall places that take years to find. Currently, Yelp has more than 15 million local reviewers and adds content daily. The beauty of this site is that everyday people can get on the site and write a review, good or bad. Find great local eateries at a reasonable cost by browsing what other people have been saying.
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