I was brought up on frugality despite a well-to-do background. So I like these sort of challenges. You don't have to be dirt poor spend your money intelligently. And if you do, you can find yourself with more choices in life.
About 20-30 years ago I came up with a rule of thumb budget for meals - $1 for breakfast, $2 for lunch, and $3 for dinner. Originally that got us ribeye steaks a couple of times a week. Now they're chuckeyes, but that's really the only difference.
A couple of Eggs and an English muffin (Thomas's - not a substitute) + butter costs me about 70 cents. I would never complain about that breakfast. Sure, it could be Eggs Benedict for 50 cents more, but it's not really necessary for everyday.
That's where it becomes a chefly challenge because, while you may not be thinking about the food cost of your meal, your favorite chef certainly is.
