Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
A while back, I wrote about something that honestly surprised even me: I was spending almost $100 a month at 85°C Bakery. At the time, it didn’t feel like a big deal. I’d swing by, pick up a couple pastries—maybe a taro bun, a coffee bread, sometimes a sea salt coffee—and that became part of my morning routine. It added up quietly, slowly, almost invisibly. I never opened my budgeting app after each visit thinking, “Wow, I just spent another five dollars on bread.” It was just breakfast, and breakfast never felt worth worrying about.
Then I discovered the app Too Good To Go, which lets you buy leftover bakery or restaurant items at a steep discount. That alone helped me cut my spending by about $70 a month. Suddenly, instead of spending $100, I was only spending about $30. I felt accomplished—like I had hacked the system. I was eating good food, supporting the reduction of food waste, and spending a lot less money. Win-win… or so I thought.
But like anything, the shine eventually wore off, and the numbers started to matter again. Thirty dollars a month may seem small, but it adds up to $360 a year on breakfast alone. And that number hit me one day when I was grocery shopping and realized a box of oatmeal costs around $10, and it could easily last me a month or more. It was such a stark comparison that it made me rethink my entire approach to breakfast.
That moment made me step back and reconsider: why was I still spending money on breakfast out of convenience when there were so many ways to eat cheaply—and still enjoy my food?
It’s easy to fall into the belief that saving money requires major sacrifices. But sometimes it just requires a shift in mindset and a willingness to explore alternatives. With that in mind, I started building a list of inexpensive, simple, and surprisingly good breakfast options that can help anyone save money without feeling deprived.
Below is that list—my personal breakdown of inexpensive breakfast options, how much they generally cost, and why they might be worth trying if you’re looking to cut down your monthly food spending.
1. Oatmeal: The Ultimate Budget Breakfast
If you’re trying to keep costs down, oatmeal is king.
A big container of rolled oats or a box of instant packets typically runs $8–$12 depending on brand and size. Even if you dress it up with fruit, nuts, or honey, your per-meal cost usually stays under $0.50–$1.00.
What I like about oatmeal:
- It’s incredibly filling
- It’s customizable
- It cooks in minutes
- It’s healthy
- You can easily switch flavors so you don’t get bored
Throw in a banana, some berries, a spoonful of peanut butter, or cinnamon and apples, and you suddenly have a breakfast that most cafés would charge $7 for.
2. Eggs: High-Protein and Low-Cost
Eggs are one of the most cost-effective breakfast options out there. Even with today’s fluctuating prices, a dozen eggs usually costs $3–$5, and each egg becomes a meal ingredient for $0.25–$0.40.
You can make:
- Scrambled eggs
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Fried eggs
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Omelets with leftover veggies
A two-egg breakfast with toast costs less than a dollar. Compare that to a $6 bakery bun and coffee, and it’s a no-brainer.
3. Yogurt and Granola
This combo gives you protein, crunch, sweetness, and variety.
A large tub of yogurt (usually around 32 oz) costs $4–$6, and a big bag of granola is around $5–$8 depending on the brand. If you eat a normal serving each morning, this breakfast ends up being about $1–$1.50 per day.
Add fruit to make it feel more substantial—or use frozen fruit for even more savings.
4. Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches
Before you laugh, hear me out. Frozen breakfast sandwiches or burritos can cost $1.50–$2.50 each, depending on the brand and supermarket. Are they gourmet? Not really. Are they convenient, filling, and way cheaper than fast food? Absolutely.
They also save you time, which sometimes has value too.
5. Peanut Butter Toast or Bagels
This one is incredibly simple and shockingly cheap.
Bread: $2–$4
Peanut butter: $3–$6
Bagels: $3–$4
A slice of toast with peanut butter costs maybe $0.30–$0.40, and keeps you full for a while because of all the protein and fats. If you want variety, use jam, bananas, honey, or cinnamon sugar.
This option is so cheap it almost feels like cheating.
6. Smoothies (Budget Version)
People assume smoothies are expensive because smoothie shops charge $7–$11 for one. But making smoothies at home is drastically cheaper.
Frozen fruit is the key here. A big bag costs $8–$12 but gives you at least 6–10 servings. Add yogurt, oatmeal, or milk, and your smoothie is usually $1–$2 total.
Plus, no more throwing away spoiled fruit—frozen keeps things simple.
7. Leftovers: The Underrated Breakfast
Not every breakfast has to look like “breakfast.”
If you have leftover rice, veggies, chicken, or even pasta—eat it. Think about cultures all around the world: breakfast isn’t always sugary or bread-based.
Reheated leftovers cost $0 extra and prevent food waste.
8. Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are just oatmeal that feels fancy.
You mix:
- Oats
- Milk or yogurt
- Fruit
- Sweetener if you want
Put it in the fridge overnight. That’s it.
It takes 30 seconds to prepare and usually costs $0.50–$1.00 per serving, depending on add-ins.
9. Cereal—But With Smart Buying
Cereal can be expensive if you’re buying brand names, but store-brand cereals can be as cheap as $2–$3 per box, and each serving ends up being under $0.50.
Milk is the priciest part, but even then, per-cup cost is about $0.30–$0.50.
If you choose cereals that actually fill you up (like bran or granola clusters), it becomes a surprisingly affordable option.
10. Pancakes or Waffles (Bulk Batch Freeze)
Making pancakes or waffles from scratch is incredibly cheap.
Flour, eggs, milk, baking powder, sugar—these cost pennies per serving. You can batch-cook pancakes or waffles, freeze them, and toast them in the morning.
Cost per serving? Anywhere from $0.20–$0.40.
It’s also easy to adjust flavors, add fruit, or make them healthier with oats.
Reflecting on My Old Breakfast Habits
When I think back to the nearly $100 a month I used to spend at 85°C Bakery, it feels like such a careless luxury. I wasn’t doing it because I loved their pastries more than anything else. I was doing it because it was convenient. I was doing it because my brain had linked “morning” with “go buy breakfast.”
Convenience is expensive. Habits are expensive. Little indulgences—especially ones repeated daily—are expensive.
Saving money isn’t about removing joy. It’s about being intentional.
Too Good To Go was a great way for me to cut down from $100 to $30. It taught me to be more mindful, and it gave me a stepping stone. But even $30 proved that if I really wanted to take control of that expense, I needed to rethink the entire plan, not just find a discount.
The truth is: breakfast doesn’t need to be bought. Breakfast is one of the easiest meals to prepare cheaply at home.
How Much You Can Save
Let’s do some quick math.
If you spend $30 a month on bakery items, that’s $360 a year.
If you switch to oatmeal, eggs, toast, yogurt, or other options on this list, you might spend $10–$20 a month, depending on what you choose.
That’s $120–$240 a year.
The savings:
$120–$240 per year, just by changing breakfast habits.
And if you previously spent as much as I did—almost $100 a month—you could be saving up to $800–$900 a year.
That’s a vacation. That’s several months of car insurance. That’s a significant contribution to savings or investments. It’s real money.
Why This Matters
Breakfast seems like such a small part of the day. But it’s one of the easiest parts of your routine to overspend on without realizing it. Cutting costs doesn’t have to mean sacrificing taste, convenience, or enjoyment.
It’s about recognizing patterns that quietly drain our wallet and finding simple, affordable alternatives.
For me, the bakery runs were part habit, part stress relief, part laziness. But building a list of go-to cheap breakfast options has saved me money, reduced food waste, and added a sense of intentionality to my mornings.
You don’t have to give up your favorite bakery forever. But treating it as a once-in-a-while luxury instead of a daily habit can make a massive difference in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Saving money doesn’t always come from big decisions. Sometimes it comes from realizing that even the small things add up.
Breakfast is a great place to start. And with so many inexpensive, delicious, and easy options available, it’s one of the simplest ways to take control of your spending without feeling deprived.
If you’re trying to cut costs—or just want to be more mindful—try one or two options from the list and see how much you save. You might be surprised at how small changes can completely reshape your budget.
And if you still want to treat yourself to a pastry once in a while? Go for it. Just know that now, it’s a choice—not a habit.
