• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Good Cheap Eats
  • About
    • Welcome to the Good Cheap Eats Kitchen
    • Media
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Contact Me
  • Members Only
    • Login
    • Club Homepage
    • Club Resource Library
    • Downloads
    • Live Club Events
  • Recipe Index
  • Recent Posts
  • SHOP
    • Purchases
    • Cookbooks
    • Planner
    • The Good Cheap Eats Club
    • Meal Plans
    • Holiday Helps
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Summer Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Join the Club
  • Cookbooks
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • All Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Join the Club
    • Cookbooks
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » About Jessica & Good Cheap Eats

    Welcome to the Good Cheap Eats Kitchen

    Jessica sitting at a table with a laptop and cookbooks this …

    Hello! I’m Jessica. I started Good Cheap Eats during the last recession to document how my husband and I were working to pay off more than 60k in debt. We were able to accomplish our goals (even as a busy family with six kids and a blue collar budget!) and one of the key ingredients to our success was finding ways to save money on groceries.

    Here’s the thing: we’re all about enjoying great food, and it wasn’t easy to cut back
    on dining out and fancy stuff. (But hey, we couldn’t compromise on good coffee!)

    While we love Beans and Rice and I make a pretty good Bean Tostada, I wanted more than those same budget ingredients.

    That’s when I started sharing wallet-friendly recipes that my family adored. And now, you get to explore over 800 delicious meals that not only taste amazing but also save you some serious dough!

    As we learned how to save big on food costs, I developed the Good Cheap Eats System. It’s a proven set of strategies that simplifies meal planning and keeps your budget intact without much fuss. Say goodbye to stress and hello to frugal
    living made easy!

    Just like you, thousands of fellow Good Cheap Eaters have discovered the secret to success. With our fail-safe recipes, budget meal plans, and money-saving cookbooks, our readers have become experts at maximizing both their time and money!

    At Good Cheap Eats, we’ve got your back with practical and affordable strategies to help you save money.

    Our recipes are designed for busy families and use budget-friendly ingredients that you can easily find. We’re here to share valuable tips and tricks that will save you time and money.

    Recipes You’ll Love

    As a busy mom with a big family, I understand the importance of getting recipes to turn out right – the first time. You don’t have time for recipe mishaps!

    That’s why I put our recipes through rigorous testing, ensuring you have foolproof instructions that are quick and easy to follow right from the beginning.

    Our recipes are reliable, so you can enjoy delicious food more often. Plus, the money you save can be put towards doing amazing things!

    hand holding homemade chocolate chip cookies.

    Baking

    overhead shot of cashew chicken on a white dinner plate with a fork nearby on the black table.

    Easy Dinners

    overhead shot of hands clasping glass of iced mocha with ice cubes floating atop.

    Drinks

    pizza freezer kit in gallon size ziptop bag.

    Freezer Prep

    potato soup with sausage in meal prep containers with lids nearby.

    Meal Prep

    blue plate icon with spoon and fork.

    Find a Good Cheap Eat

    Don’t Miss a Thing!

    Subscribe to our mailing list to get regular updates on new content and sure-fire strategies for saving money.

      Built with ConvertKit
      Jessica preparing food in a kitchen

      About Me

      I’ve always been a writer — and a lover of food. 

      As early as four, I would copy recipes from my mom’s recipe box and experiment in the kitchen. It comes as no surprise that most of my employment has involved food of some kind. 

      From selling frozen bananas at the local amusement park to bagging groceries at the supermarket, I surrounded myself with food from the start. Since then I’ve served as a prep cook for a large scale catering operation, a bakery barista, a server in a high end restaurant, and now an international cookbook author and recipe developer for national brands.

      (In between times, I studied in France, earned my Masters of Education, and taught high school and French.)

      But my biggest challenge and most amazing win was learning to feed my family great meals on a limited budget.

      Knowing that how I spent our money could make or break our budget and our quest to be debt-free was the fuel I needed to get creative in meal planning, grocery shopping, and food prep so that we could stretch our dollars farther.

      I want that for you! You can do more with your money, especially when it comes to eating and feeding the people you love.

      Cook with Me on Instagram

      I love to see what Good Cheap Eats you cook up!  Please tag me @goodcheapeatsblog

      Fun Facts

      1

      Europe or Bust

      Bryan and I have taken our kids on month-long trips to Europe multiple times.

      2

      Salad, please.

      Make it big, with protein and a funky cheese.

      3

      Grocery Geek

      I am a certified Grocery Geek and love to explore markets both here and abroad.

      4

      The Butler Did It

      British mysteries are my jam…Vera, Poirot, Morse.

      Most Popular Posts

      • asian marinated chicken breast sliced on a plate with rice and veg.
        5-Minute Asian Chicken Marinade Recipe
      • bowl of soup with spoon of vegetables.
        What to Make for Dinner When There’s “Nothing” to Eat
      • green onions added to meal prep salads.
        Meal Prep Salads for Easy Lunches You’ll Want to Eat
      • overhead view of the open jar of roasted garlic cloves in oil.
        Roasting Garlic Cloves
      • ingredients for burrito bar
        Burrito Bar: How to Build Your Own
      • flatlay of printable budget grocery list with food items around on black table.
        Save Money on Food with This Budget Grocery List
      • squishing a smore between two hands.
        How to Make the Best S’mores at Home (No Fire Required)
      • glass mug of medicine ball tea with steam rising.
        Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea – Cheaper at Home

      Resources You Can Trust

      I’ve written four cookbooks for the Harvard Common Press, an imprint of Quarto, as well as self-published a variety of meal plans and money-saving guides.

      Cover image of Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook.
      cover image of how to save money on groceries.
      cover of good cheap eats cookbook.
      cover image of good cheap eats dinner in 30 minutes or less cookbook.

      Read More Around the Web

      I’m a regular contributor for Kitchn. I’ve also been featured on Good Morning America, PBS NewsHour, Redbook, and CBS News, among others.

      My work has also been published on Simply Recipes, Money Saving Mom, Simple Bites, and the Art of Simple.

      collage of media outlets where good cheap eats has been featured.

      Level Up Your Savings

      banner ad collage of resources in the free resource library.

      Learn the GCE System and start saving more money.

      Subscribe now for access to our free resource library which includes:

      • Access to free printables
      • Downloadable materials
      • Printouts to help you organize your kitchen & grocery budget
      • Free cooking plans
      • Free meal plans
        Built with ConvertKit

        Footer

        back to top

        About

        • Privacy Policy
        • Disclaimer
        • Terms & Conditions
        • Shipping Policy
        • Return Policy
        • Digital Shop

        Newsletter

        • Sign Up! for emails and updates

        Contact

        • Contact
        • About

        As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

        Copyright © 2023 Good Cheap Eats