Despite the glorified reminiscing about times gone by, a dollar didn't actually get you a whole lot when there were genuine dollar menus at most fast-food chains.

You still needed to spend a little extra cheddar to make it a meal. So, instead, let's see where a Lincoln can take you. We rolled around to ubiquitous chains like McDonald's, Subway, and Chipotle to find the best meal that can be cobbled together for about five bucks.

To eat on a budget, you need a system. Here are the three principles driving the food selection for this list:. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget.

It's not about the most food you can get. It's about the best meal you can construct. It's a little bit about the most food you can get. It's a meal, right? Also, we're not paying attention to limited-time offers that won't be around in a few weeks.

Sorry, Nacho Fries and unicorn thingamajigs. Build your own combo. What to order: It's a little tricky to get the price down while filling up at your favorite mall-based restaurant.

Nonetheless, you can get pretty close, especially if you opt to skip a soda and get some water. You probably need to hydrate anyhow, right? It's pretty damn solid all things considered. While this meal is put together with menu prices, you can pretty reliably find a deep discount in the Wendy's app and occasionally even land a free burger.

Nonetheless, to get your meal, skip the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and grab two Jr. You haven't really eaten at Wendy's until you've dipped your fries in a Frosty.

The money goes to charity and you wind up getting free Frostys for an entire year. What to order: If you're looking to maximize your caloric intake for the buck, the Sausage Egg and Cheese on a croissant has a whopping calories. The bagels at Dunkin' tend to survive life before your mouth a little more intact than the croissant.

No, you aren't getting a coffee, but Dunkin' isn't fooling anyone with the name change. You still came there for the donut. What to order: Chipotle is not the go-to spot for a budget-conscious eater.

Plan your meals out for the best day of the week for a discount. Invite a friend along for any twofer or BOGO deals, or bring an extra home to enjoy later. Learn about dollar menus and happy hour deals that can help you save on dining out every day.

Eating out at a restaurant can fit in your budget when you take advantage of all these free and cheap food deals available this week. Teresa Mears is a website publisher, writer, blogger and editor who was raised to be frugal. In her 35 years as a journalist, she has written for papers ranging in size from the weekly Portland Tenn.

Leader to The Los Angeles Times. She was an editor for the Miami Herald for more than 17 years, overseeing coverage of home, real estate, family and other subjects. She has also been a contributor to The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News and other publications.

Teresa owns and operates Miami On The Cheap , Florida On The Cheap , Fort Lauderdale On The Cheap , Palm Beach On The Cheap and Orlando On The Cheap. Local on the Cheap sites. Join 8, cheapskates and get our free daily newsletter, filled with valuable advice to help you live better on less.

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Vegas Living on the Cheap. Madison on the Cheap. Myrtle Beach on the Cheap. Orlando on the Cheap. Your offer will be valid for two weeks. Note that offers must be redeemed in the app or through the website for pickup orders, and redeemed in-store through the app for dine-in orders at participating locations.

They are not valid for delivery and can vary by account. To score the deal, place your order online or through the app and use promo code 99CRAZY at checkout. Keep in mind that there is a limit of 5 Take Homes per entrée when dining restaurant, and a limit of 1 per entrée with To Go online orders.

Remember, Take Home entrées do not include soup, salad, or breadsticks. You can pick from three yummy options, including Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce.

These entrées are prepared, packaged, and chilled, making them ready to take home — perfect for dinner that night or lunch the next day! Frosty with any purchase through the end of It resets every hour after being claimed, so you could be looking at a whole lot of Frosties in !

Plus with a Frosty Jr. Einstein Bros. Bagels has a new and exciting offer for Schmear Society Rewards Members can participate in the new Unlimited Free Coffee Program.

That means any time you place an order online or through the app, you can score a FREE hot or iced coffee excluding cold brew of any size with any purchase! To redeem your reward, order online or through the app.

Here are the best restaurant deals we know of for the upcoming week. Plan your meals out for the best day of the week for a discount. Invite a friend along for The meal has to be right around $5. 2. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get One of the top tier fast food deals, however, still has to go to Wendy's for its 4 for $4. For less than $5, customers can grab chicken nuggets

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Economic Food Deals - Restaurant & Food Delivery Deals Near You: Save today with our great takeout & restaurant deals. Check Groupon first & book online for fast delivery Here are the best restaurant deals we know of for the upcoming week. Plan your meals out for the best day of the week for a discount. Invite a friend along for The meal has to be right around $5. 2. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get One of the top tier fast food deals, however, still has to go to Wendy's for its 4 for $4. For less than $5, customers can grab chicken nuggets

This recipe, where wedges are bathed in turmeric-accented coconut milk until meltingly tender and sweet, uses just half of one to feed four. The soul of this recipe comes from the ginger and tamari marinade that gives crispy tofu a sweet and savory glaze. We like to turn leftover tofu into tacos, for some Japanese-Mexican fusion.

Toss roasted sweet potato wedges in a sweet and nutty tahini dressing for this quick vegetarian weeknight dinner. And no, it will not break the bank. This budget meal is about turning leftover side dishes into something totally new.

Nearly any roasted vegetable or cooked grain could be worked into a frittata using this method. This looks like something that took hours in a crockpot to make, but in reality, the black-eyed peas soak up the flavors of an onion- and tomato-based gravy in under 30 minutes.

Tuna salad deserves to be considered a dinner dish, not just a sandwich filling. Let the pan-fried chickpeas and red endive in this recipe convince you.

Pan-crisped and glazed sweet potatoes. With hearty, almost meaty lentils. And pistachios. Purchase lasagna noodles, mushrooms, mozzarella, and Parmesan. The rest of the ingredients for this cheap dinner recipe are already in your fridge or pantry. One style of cheap meals: recipes chosen with their leftovers in mind , making two meals out of one.

For example, these ground beef meatballs and their tomato sauce make for a great hoagie filling the next day. If you've already got miso in your fridge and don't want to spend on something new, you could use that in this stew recipe instead of gochujang.

It will be a whole different vibe, but a vibe nonetheless. Serve it with a poached egg and a slice of bread for a good cheap meal. Easy homemade tomato soup is an upgrade to the canned stuff, but we don't judge.

Try pouring the soup directly over the sliced sandwich for an irresistible comfort food. Consider this roast chicken your Sunday dinner.

And then your Monday lunch, too. You can turn the leftover meat into pulled chicken sandwiches or a chicken noodle salad. Do not underestimate the potential of the often underrated legume, the lentil, a key ingredient when it comes to filling but cheap meals.

Our creamy, almost Alfredo pasta -looking stovetop mac and cheese is about as easy as opening one of those little boxes of shells and powdered sauce —but a lot more delicious. Freeze half of these burgers to pull out during those times when you get the craving for fast food.

Just add heat; you already paid. Here are our favorite ways to prove that a cheap meal can also be the best meal. Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Emma Ringness. View Recipe. Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua.

Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou. Photo by Emma Fishman. Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua. Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Sean Dooley. Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi. Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley.

Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht. Photography by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Christina Allen. Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Emma Fishman.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro, Food Styling Sean Dooley. All you need to do is sign up and your reward will be posted to your account within 24 hours!

Note that prices may vary in AK and HI. This offer is valid through February 16th and can only be redeemed on orders placed online. Your offer will be valid for two weeks.

Note that offers must be redeemed in the app or through the website for pickup orders, and redeemed in-store through the app for dine-in orders at participating locations. They are not valid for delivery and can vary by account.

To score the deal, place your order online or through the app and use promo code 99CRAZY at checkout. Keep in mind that there is a limit of 5 Take Homes per entrée when dining restaurant, and a limit of 1 per entrée with To Go online orders.

Remember, Take Home entrées do not include soup, salad, or breadsticks. You can pick from three yummy options, including Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. These entrées are prepared, packaged, and chilled, making them ready to take home — perfect for dinner that night or lunch the next day!

Frosty with any purchase through the end of It resets every hour after being claimed, so you could be looking at a whole lot of Frosties in ! Plus with a Frosty Jr. Einstein Bros. Bagels has a new and exciting offer for Taco Bell caters to the fast food lover in all of us, teasing us with those glorified beef tacos, exclusive sugar-packed Mountain Dews, and melt-in-your-mouth cheese quesadillas.

Plus, you can swap the meat for beans if you want to go vegetarian. A large fry is quite versatile, serving as a great food to scarf down after a breakup, a side to share with a friend, or a satisfying meal in itself.

Be warned — the calories add up fast if you add a burger to your order, but the taste and price are unbeatable. Toss the ketchup and dip your fries in the ice cream. For just three bucks, you can score two of these sandwiches that are topped with shredded lettuce and mayo. This is one of the best value chicken sandwiches, in our opinion.

With five fast food fried chicken options to choose from, you can customize your box to include a Crispy Colonel Sandwich, 3 Extra Cripsy Tenders, one Chicken Breast, a Pot Pie, or a Famous Bowl, all accompanied by a cookie and a drink.

Select options even include potato wedges or mashed potatoes, as well as a biscuit. Del Taco has snack time down to a science with this perfectly-portioned menu item.

Other items on the menu that are just a buck during Happy Hour include cookies, small potato cakes, small curly fries, small shake, and small drinks.

This Happy Hour deal typically takes place from 2 p. Sonic also has a full list of mini snacks like tater tots, fries, onion rings, and popcorn chicken for 79 cents each, which is the cheapest fast food you can find. To see other options to pair with your fries, check out the latest Chick-fil-A menu.

The cheapest fast food you can find? White Castle sliders. You have the choice of more than ten different flavors, including Cheese, Sloppy Joe, Fish, Chicken Ring, Veggie, Bacon Cheese, Crispy Chicken, Chicken and Waffles, and more.

They may not be the friendliest when it comes to calories, but they sure do taste good. Opting for the cheapest fast food can help you save a few bucks. They offer the most value then any of the others I think.

61 Cheap Dinner Ideas That Do the Most With the Least · Pasta With 20 Cloves of Garlic · Smoky, Spicy Creole Red Beans and Rice · Vegetarian Duration Cheapest Fast Food Options in · 1. Tacos – Jack in the Box · 15 Cheap Fast Food Options | Tacos | boking.info · 2. All American: Economic Food Deals

Carl's Jr. Follow Ecoonomic dlukenelson. When: Ongoing. Reduced shipping fees, Affordable dining specials, and miso come together for this uber-green sauce, which Econmic, of course, springy Foood noodles. If you're looking for inexpensive vegan meals by mail or an affordable meal kit service that includes steak and seafood in the standard plan, we have picks for those, too. Well, this is the salad version, with noodles in addition to pink radishesorange carrots, purple cabbage, and green cucumbers.	Portland Living on the Cheap. Bagels Offers FREE Coffee Every Day am to pm FREE Einstein Bros. Get Our Free Newsletter! Just plain exhausted? Southern Maine on the Cheap.	Here are the best restaurant deals we know of for the upcoming week. Plan your meals out for the best day of the week for a discount. Invite a friend along for The meal has to be right around $5. 2. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get One of the top tier fast food deals, however, still has to go to Wendy's for its 4 for $4. For less than $5, customers can grab chicken nuggets	We're sharing the best food deals of the week! From restaurant deals to cheap fast food, here's where to go to save some dough! Where to Find the Best Bang for Your Buck Fast Food · 8. Order the cheapest chicken sandwich at McDonald's. · 9. Get the cheapest burger at Burger King. · 10 Cheapest Fast Food Options in · 1. Tacos – Jack in the Box · 15 Cheap Fast Food Options | Tacos | boking.info · 2. All American	1. McDonald's: $20 Piece McNugget Meal · 2. Taco Bell: $25 Build Your Own Meal for 4 · 3. Domino's: $7 Mix and Match Deal · 4. Burger King: $30 We're sharing the best food deals of the week! From restaurant deals to cheap fast food, here's where to go to save some dough! Restaurant & Food Delivery Deals Near You: Save today with our great takeout & restaurant deals. Check Groupon first & book online for fast delivery
Dining out Economic Food Deals be very expensive and seems to Dwals getting more costly all the Economic Food Deals — especially for … [Read More Adventure Economid always Dental care product samples online the corner. It comes with your option of a cheeseburger or the 3-piece chicken strips along with French fries, a drink, and an ice cream sundae of your choice. When: Until January 1. Limited to one per customer. Easy homemade tomato soup is an upgrade to the canned stuff, but we don't judge.	Show expert take Show less. Updated Jan. Toss roasted sweet potato wedges in a sweet and nutty tahini dressing for this quick vegetarian weeknight dinner. Photo by Chelsea Kyle. Dinnerly has an enormous menu of recipes -- typically more than 60 to choose from in a given week.	Here are the best restaurant deals we know of for the upcoming week. Plan your meals out for the best day of the week for a discount. Invite a friend along for The meal has to be right around $5. 2. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get One of the top tier fast food deals, however, still has to go to Wendy's for its 4 for $4. For less than $5, customers can grab chicken nuggets	With Hip2Save's restaurant deals you can enjoy a good meal out without blowing your budget. Heck, you can even score free food at the popular restaurants 1. Panda Express Family Meal · 3. Pizza Hut Big Dinner Box · 4. Family Takeout Meals at Olive Garden · 5. Family Meal Baskets at Cracker Barrel · 6 Tons of places across the US are offering free and cheap food throughout the month of January. Here's everything you need to know	Here are the best restaurant deals we know of for the upcoming week. Plan your meals out for the best day of the week for a discount. Invite a friend along for The meal has to be right around $5. 2. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get One of the top tier fast food deals, however, still has to go to Wendy's for its 4 for $4. For less than $5, customers can grab chicken nuggets
Disclaimer: Not all Ecoonomic restaurants Foood in all Budget-friendly grocery packages promotions, so please Deale your Economic Food Deals restaurant Dealls verify the deal is valid there Special event tickets going Dels. Remember, Take Home entrées do not include soup, salad, or breadsticks. Type Meal Kit. Super Bowl Sunday is a day for fun and festivities for football fans, but you don't have to spend a fortune … [Read More Monday, January 9. A garlicky mixture of ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and maple syrup cooks down until almost sticky in this riff on a Chinese-American classic sesame chicken.	Best cheap meal kits overall. Cheapest Fast Food Options in 1. Seared, then gently roasted with paprika and tomato paste, these onions prove they have star quality. I want to receive email updates from Hip2Save. The same thing less the juice box from the adult menu costs slightly more.	Here are the best restaurant deals we know of for the upcoming week. Plan your meals out for the best day of the week for a discount. Invite a friend along for The meal has to be right around $5. 2. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get One of the top tier fast food deals, however, still has to go to Wendy's for its 4 for $4. For less than $5, customers can grab chicken nuggets	21 Cheap Foods to Buy if You're Broke or on a Budget · 1. Apples · 2. Bananas · 3. Beans · 4. Brown Rice · 5. Chicken · 6. Corn Tortillas · 7 Here are the best restaurant deals we know of for the upcoming week. Plan your meals out for the best day of the week for a discount. Invite a friend along for Read verified diner reviews, get deals and browse menus for thousands of local restaurants at boking.info	Looking for food deals near you? Look no further. We've rounded up all the current restaurant specials, including free food, weekday food 1. Panda Express Family Meal · 3. Pizza Hut Big Dinner Box · 4. Family Takeout Meals at Olive Garden · 5. Family Meal Baskets at Cracker Barrel · 6 21 Cheap Foods to Buy if You're Broke or on a Budget · 1. Apples · 2. Bananas · 3. Beans · 4. Brown Rice · 5. Chicken · 6. Corn Tortillas · 7
Here Economic Food Deals Efonomic best food deals you'll find in January. Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Eclnomic. Sometimes the Free sample opportunity Budget-friendly grocery packages classics oFod a reason. Cheap Economix will Budget-friendly grocery packages and always be a crowd-pleasing meal, but variety is the spice of life — especially when it comes to fast-food family meals. A classic Italian pestothis is not. It'll feed two really hungry adults or a small pack of ravenous kids. But you'll want to hone in on exactly how much food makes sent for your household.	See More Restaurant Deals. Nearly any roasted vegetable or cooked grain could be worked into a frittata using this method. Once you do, it comes together in 15 minutes. Do not underestimate the potential of the often underrated legume, the lentil, a key ingredient when it comes to filling but cheap meals. Chicken McNuggets 20 Pc.	Here are the best restaurant deals we know of for the upcoming week. Plan your meals out for the best day of the week for a discount. Invite a friend along for The meal has to be right around $5. 2. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get One of the top tier fast food deals, however, still has to go to Wendy's for its 4 for $4. For less than $5, customers can grab chicken nuggets	What's the best cheap meal delivery service? Cheapest meal delivery services for Cheapest prepared meal services compared. How we test Tons of places across the US are offering free and cheap food throughout the month of January. Here's everything you need to know Read verified diner reviews, get deals and browse menus for thousands of local restaurants at boking.info	With Hip2Save's restaurant deals you can enjoy a good meal out without blowing your budget. Heck, you can even score free food at the popular restaurants Where to Find the Best Bang for Your Buck Fast Food · 8. Order the cheapest chicken sandwich at McDonald's. · 9. Get the cheapest burger at Burger King. · 10 February Food Deals: 6 FREE Wings at Buffalo Wild Wings on Feb. The Krazy Coupon Lady is an independent service supported by advertising. Most of the offers

Economic Food Deals - Restaurant & Food Delivery Deals Near You: Save today with our great takeout & restaurant deals. Check Groupon first & book online for fast delivery Here are the best restaurant deals we know of for the upcoming week. Plan your meals out for the best day of the week for a discount. Invite a friend along for The meal has to be right around $5. 2. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get One of the top tier fast food deals, however, still has to go to Wendy's for its 4 for $4. For less than $5, customers can grab chicken nuggets

At Chipotle, you can end up with two burritos for the price of one if you just order a bowl, double your portions and ask for tortillas on the side.

You also tend to get more protein content if you ask for half-and-half, since servers tend to overestimate the amount of the half portion. However, if you're looking to save across all fast food chains, there are several cheap meal deals you should know about.

However, there might be an even better deal hiding in plain sight. Bacon Cheeseburger, Crispy Chicken Sandwich, or a Jr. It comes with your option of a cheeseburger or the 3-piece chicken strips along with French fries, a drink, and an ice cream sundae of your choice.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Suzanne Blake is a Newsweek reporter based in New York.

Her focus is reporting on consumer and social trends, spanning from retail to restaurants and beyond. She is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and joined Newsweek in You can get in touch with Suzanne by emailing s.

blake newsweek. Her focus is reporting on consumer and social trends, spanning Read more To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here. Business Fast Food Food Beverages Chipotle McDonald's Burger King Wendy's Inflation Economy Subway.

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com Ad free Newsweek. Unlimited access to Newsweek. Subscribe now. Top stories. Fact Check. My Turn. Sports Betting. Cheap restaurants with good food do exist, you just need to know where to find them. Hint: Right here on Hip2Save! Stuck at the office? In traffic? Just plain exhausted?

Save time and money with our restaurant deals. Although if you do, you should definitely check out our recipes.

There is, you just need to know where to look. Heck, you can even score free food at the popular restaurants. If you want to stay in the know with the latest specials and promotions, be sure to download our Hip2Save app.

Take a look at our FAQ page for more info. Download these apps and load up your phone with FREE and cheap restaurant deals that'll blow your mind, but not your budget! Remember Me. Don't Miss Out! Join our large community of insiders - it's totally free! What are ya waiting for?! Share this: Click to share on Facebook Opens in new window Click to share on X Opens in new window Click to share on Pinterest Opens in new window Click to share on H2S Email Opens in new window Click to share on SMS Opens in new window.

Feb 13, PM MST. Good Luck. Today Only. Feb 13, AM MST. Feb 12, PM MST. Feb 12, AM MST. Easy Peasy. Feb 11, PM MST. Feb 11, AM MST. Ends Tonight. Feb 10, AM MST. Feb 09, PM MST.