Eating On A Budget

By Allison Johnson
Blog Content Contributor

Buying food gets expensive. There are days when we treat ourselves like queens and kings by eating out at nice restaurants, days when we actually talk ourselves into buying groceries, and even days when we have to have sleep for dinner. The struggle is real, but I have to say, I have not had ramen noodles in over a year, and I owe that to some cheap eating spots.

Santi’s Tacos

• These are the best and most authentic tacos in San Marcos. Santi’s Tacos is a food truck located on 128 S Guadalupe. I could honestly write an entire review over the place. I love the entire menu, but on Thursdays there is a special perfect for my budget. Thursday is Torta Thursday. The tortas are $1.50 each. I need two or three to get full, but even that is still a cheap dinner! Beats getting four tacos from Jack in the Box.

Subway

• Three years ago, I was paying anywhere from $8-$11 to have a meal at Subway. I do not remember who told me about these offers, but thank God someone did. Subway sends weekly offers out to people who subscribe via text for deals. Some of the deals are any 6-inch sub for $3, or even two value meals for $10. There is a Subway right off the Square. That’s probably only a five-minute walk from a lot of your classes, so take advantage of the deals!

Papa John’s

• There are so many places to get pizza in San Marcos. I highly recommend trying all of them, but sometimes I crave some of the pizza I’ve been eating my entire life, and one of the pizza chains I enjoy a lot is Papa John’s. Luckily, there is a 50% off coupon online pretty much every day. Use whichever code is valid that week when you check out. The good thing with getting 50% off a pizza is that you could get two meals for about $6. So get yourself a large or XL pizza, eat half for dinner, then have some tasty cold pizza for lunch the next day!

Flaming Bird

• If you take tons of trips to HEB like me, you have probably noticed Flaming Bird. If you enter HEB from the far right (right next to the apartments), you will see Flaming Bird right when you walk in. It’s my favorite place for burrito bowls, and on Tuesdays, they offer them for $4. They are not stingy with the food either. If I am determined, I will eat the whole thing in one sitting, but most of the time I can eat twice from it. I always keep tortillas in my fridge at home, so if there are leftover chicken and beans, I can make a burrito with the leftovers. The chef is very kind too!

I know that these choices are not the healthiest, but hey… a girl has got to eat. If these choices do not appeal to you, Hooked registers your location and will display all discounted food prices. The app is available through all smartphones.

Featured image by Brooke Vega.