After an 18-year career, a developer spent 100 days building CheapFoodMap, a crowdsourced map of local eateries offering meals under $10. Inspired by Korea's "Begger's Map," the site focuses on independent businesses, excluding franchises. The coverage is strongest in Texas, where the creator resides, but the map now features 1200 meals across 15 U.S. cities.

Initial data was sourced from Google Reviews, filtering for restaurants with 4.2+ stars and at least 500 reviews, then cross-referenced for menu items priced under $10. The developer is seeking feedback on the price-freshness model and strategies for encouraging user updates, especially given current inflation impacting food prices.

CheapFoodMap aims to be a reliable resource for finding affordable, quality meals, with recent additions including a $9.99 Meat Combo Meal in Pantego, TX, and a $6.50 brisket tostada in Arlington, TX. The project welcomes all suggestions to improve its utility and accuracy.