How BudgetBites works
Ten short steps, in the order most people use them. Skip around — nothing depends on the step before it except the budget.
Step 1
Save your first recipe
On the Add page, paste a link from TikTok, Instagram or YouTube. Caption and transcript are optional — a photo of a recipe card, a screenshot, or just the link is enough. You get an ingredient list, prep time, macros and two price tags.
Go to Add →Step 2
Pull in your TikToks
Link your TikTok account and the From TikTok tab lists your videos, filtered down to the food ones. One tap turns a caption into a saved, costed recipe.
Open TikTok imports →Step 3
Set a budget and your state
Choose weekly or monthly, enter the amount, and pick the state you shop in. Every estimate is then scaled to local grocery prices instead of the national average.
Set your budget →Step 4
Add where you shop
Find the farmers markets and supermarkets nearest you. Marking one as primary applies its price level on top of your state adjustment — farmers market produce and premium grocers cost differently.
Find markets →Step 5
Plan the week or month
Drop meals onto the calendar. A running total shows what you've committed against the budget for that stretch, day by day.
Open the planner →Step 6
Use the under-budget nudge
When you've planned less than your budget allows, BudgetBites shows how much is left and recommends the saved meals that would use it well — biggest first, without tipping you over.
See recommendations →Step 7
Pair a mocktail
Mocktail Mamis is the curated drinks side of the app. Filter by nighttime, digestion, low calorie, fruity or creamy — and every dinner recipe suggests a wind-down pairing on its own page.
Browse mocktails →Step 8
Cook what you ate abroad
On the Travel tab, snap the dish in front of you and tag the city. BudgetBites names the dish and writes a home version with US-store substitutions and costs.
Try travel mode →Step 9
Ask the kitchen chat
Say “I'm in the mood for a high protein pescatarian dinner under $12” and it searches your kitchen and the web, then offers to save what it finds.
Start a chat →Step 10
Share the win
Post what you recreated to the community feed. Anyone can save a shared recipe straight into their own kitchen.
Visit the community →