True cheap eating requires some sacrifices. Or at least they’re sacrifices to most people. I think one of the greatest inflators of restaurant bills are drinks. And never mind the horrors that will be afflicted upon your tab if you get ALCOHOLIC drinks. Damn expensive. Well, at least those get you buzzed. I’m talking about the average soda, iced tea, orange juice or god forbid mineral water. If the price of your lunch is say 5 dollars and you get a dollar soda, you’ve just increased your bill by 20%. Don’t fall into that trap, especialy at a sit down restaurant. Ask for water if it’s available. Or if you aren’t embarassed, bring a drink from home.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking an all you can drink soda is a good bargain at a fast food joint. In actuality, this is where they really clean up on. Sugar water. You’re basically paying a dollar for sugar and water. The average person is only going to get one drink plus a 1/2 cup refill anyhow, unless they’re deliberately trying to waste it. They’re dealing in volume anyhow so it’s not going to hurt them if you drink above the average. Why do you think that combo meals exist? To try and get you to pay for that drink. Skip it.

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When people talk about Cheap Eats in Vegas, it inevitably boils down to buffets, beer, or hot dogs. Well, not always but that’s the gist of it. Anyhow, I saw something on the Food Network about a place that has these gigantic hot dogs for 99 cents. I believe the place in question is Slots-A-Fun The camera films a bunch of tourists laughing and talking about these big weiners. There was some German lady going “ho-ho-ho, these hot dogs are Eeenormoose, not like where ve come from”. Geez.

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Two Buck Chuck, which actually goes under the name Charles Shaw, can be found exclusively at Trader Joe’s stores (over 150 stores exist). It got the name Two Buck Chuck from it’s extraordinary price of only $1.99 (in California at least). However, it has become somewhat of a legend among wine consumers because it has repeatedly shot down much more expensive wines, some more than $15!

Needless to say, this is a true Cheap Eats value. Wine in any quantity is way too expensive for a lot of cheap eaters, but this wine is cheaper than some bottled water for chrissakes! There are five varieties to choose from: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. I’ve tried the Cabernet, Merlot and the Sauvignon and though I’m no wine expert they were all extremely pleasant to drink. I’ve also tried cooking up a beef stew using the Cabernet as a deglazer and it lent a really complex nice flavor to the sauce. The wine is so well known around my area that bringing Charles Shaw to a party (especially during the holidays) is certainly not looked down upon and in fact encouraged! After all, at less than two bucks a bottle, you can buy a whole case and even give it out as gifts.

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