3 Mistakes That Are Costing You Tons of Money at the Grocery Store, According to a Budget Food Blogger by Allana Akhtar Beth Moncel counts every penny she spends on her meals. The chef behind the food blog Budget Bytes has created hundreds of recipes, going above and beyond to calculate the cost to produce each meal — down to the last cent. Broccoli cheddar tots? Those cost $3.22. Her taco bowls come in at $1.72 (made with exactly 3 cents worth of salt and pepper).