Beth Moncel (original) (raw)

I’m a food lover, number cruncher, and meticulous budgeter. I love science and art, and the way they come together when I cook. I love to create, problem solve, and learn new things. Making great food is my passion, my purpose, and my favorite thing to share with others.

More About Beth

Beth Moncel is a home cook turned recipe developer, food photographer, and cookbook author who created Budget Bytes in 2009 as a way to manage her own health and budget. Over the course of fifteen years, she shared her recipes, budget hacks, and food knowledge on Budgetbytes.com, social media, and in the book Budget Bytes: Over 100 Easy, Delicious Recipes to Slash Your Grocery Bill in Half, as a way to help other people learn these vital life skills and regain control over their health and finances. After a thrilling and fulfilling career as a food influencer, Beth retired to pursue a more private life and other passions.

Beth started her cooking journey as a child in the kitchen, where she watched her mother feed a family of seven on a very small budget. It’s there that she learned that cooking could be fun, creative, and didn’t have to feel like a chore. At an early age, she recognized that cooking was the perfect combination of her two favorite subjects: art and science.

As an adult, while earning degrees in both Nutritional Science and Clinical Laboratory Science, Beth once again turned to cooking as a creative outlet, a way to manage her health, and for survival as she attempted to pay back student loans. It was during this time that Budget Bytes was born. It started as a simple documentation of her journey, which quickly gained followers as many other Americans were experiencing the same struggles after the economic crash of 2008.

Helping other people learn how to prepare quality food that tasted good without breaking their budget quickly became Beth’s passion and purpose. She loved watching people discover the joys of cooking and gain agency over their lives through an increased skill set.

Over the course of her 15-year career with Budget Bytes, she developed approximately 1500 recipes, published one cookbook, and created a mobile recipe app. While she still loves all things food and cooking today, Beth is now enjoying a slower life with more friends and family and less social media.

Beth Has Been Featured In:

NPR’s Life Kit –
To Save Money on Groceries, Try These Tips Before Going to the Store
NPR’s Planet Money –
The Origins of the Influencer Industry
PBS News Hour –
Are You A Smart Shopper?
Eater.com –
When Times are Tough, I Turn to Budget Bytes
Heated from Medium.com –
This Thrifty Blogger Dishes on Her Least Expensive Meal
MarketWatch –
This woman slashed her grocery bill using tricks she picked up working at Whole Foods
Thekitchn.com –
Budget Bytes Shares Her Week of Inexpensive Dinners
Buzzfeed –
Here’s What a Food Blogger Actually Eats in a Day

Overhead view of a bowl of cowboy caviar with a spoon. Cowboy Caviar$6.59 recipe / $0.66 servingCowboy Caviar is a deliciously fresh bean salad with a colorful mix of beans and vegetables, plus a zesty lime dressing.

Overhead view of homemade French bread pizzas. French Bread Pizza$2.85 recipe / $0.71 servingFrench Bread Pizza is the perfect budget-friendly fast and easy weeknight dinner. Customize the toppings to fit your taste buds or what you have on hand!

Overhead view of a bowl of chimichurri sauce with a spoon. Chimichurri Sauce$3.21 recipe / $0.54 servingChimichurri sauce is a tangy, fresh, and garlicky sauce that delivers big flavor to any meal. Use as a marinade, dipping sauce, or a finishing drizzle.

Overhead view of a bibimbap bowl meal. Bibimbap$10.25 recipe / $2.56 servingMake easy homemade Bibimbap! This flavorful Korean rice bowl recipe is topped with veggies, garlic beef, and egg for a delicious, budget-friendly meal.

Homemade taco seasoning in a bowl with a spoon. Homemade Taco Seasoning$0.67 batchThis is the BEST homemade taco seasoning recipe. It's fast, easy, and can be made with just a few ingredients from your spice cabinet!

greek chicken up close Greek Chicken$9.71 recipe / $1.21 servingA tangy lemon and garlic marinade makes this Greek Marinated Chicken super fast and flavorful. Cook it in the oven or on a grill. Step by step photos.

Overhead view of a bowl of sesame cucumber salad with a spoon. Thai Cucumber Salad$2.88 recipe / $0.48 servingThis Thai Cucumber Salad is a quick, refreshing side dish with crisp cucumbers, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, green onions, and crunchy peanuts.

A collage of easy dinner ideas. Quick And Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas25 of our favorite quick and easy weeknight dinner ideas for busy weeks that will get dinner on the table fast! Cheap, easy, and delicious!

Side view of a plate of homemade chicken nuggets with a hand dipping a nugget into a pot of ketchup. Homemade Chicken Nuggets$2.65 recipe / $0.66 servingThese Homemade Chicken Nuggets are crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, easy to make, AND make a delicious meal or snack!

Overhead view of slices of crustless quiche in a dish. Crustless Quiche$7.71 recipe / $1.28 servingThis easy, tasty Spinach Mushroom and Feta Crustless Quiche is low on carbs and big on flavor. This veggie-filled breakfast will keep you full and happy.

Overhead view of creamy mushroom soup in a bowl with a spoon. Creamy Mushroom Soup$6.30 recipe / $1.58 servingThis deliciously rich and creamy Mushroom soup is quick, easy, and perfect for cold winter nights or to pack in a thermos for an easy lunch!

Jambalaya in a white crockpot. Slow Cooker Jambalaya$11.02 recipe / $1.37 servingThis easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya recipe is a Louisiana classic made simple, with all the big flavor and half the effort.