One of my first professional writing jobs was for Frommer's travel guides. As much fun as it was to eat and drink my way from Key West to Jacksonville, it was tough to compile the budget guides. I was expected to get tourists in and out of a city like Miami Beach for $40 a day including meals, sightseeing and accommodations. Ha!

Thankfully, I no longer spend my days casing roach-riddled youth hostels, but I do still enjoy scouting tasty deals on a plate -- especially in pricey neighborhoods like South Beach.

Here are a few favorite finds -- places where you can eat and drink your way through the day for less than the cost of a couple of designer cocktails, along with a value-priced dinner option that's a little more. They're all reachable on foot within minutes of the sand.

BREAKFAST

• Down-home: A few blocks north of the Art Deco District, you can't beat the morning repast at Nermar Market. For just $3.95 (occasionally marked down to $1.99), you can get two eggs any style, strips of crisp bacon or a slab of fried ham, potatoes or buttery pressed toast and a café con leche at this modest bodega. An optional squeezed-when-you-order orange juice is under $3.

Nermar Market, 2830 Collins Ave.; 305-531-0157.

• Upscale: Enjoy million-dollar views and pocket-change breakfasts from 8 to 11 a.m. weekdays at Balans, the dependable British import on Lincoln Road. You get $2 off your meal, which means nutty granola with cranberries and orange honey yogurt or two eggs, crispy hash browns and sourdough toast for under $4. Add a coffee and a nice tip, and you're still talking about prime people-watching seats for less than the price of a movie ticket. (The $2-off deal also applies to lunch and dinner ordered between 4 and 7 p.m. weekdays, holiday excluded.)

Balans, 1022 Lincoln Rd.; 305-534-9191, balans.co.uk.

LUNCH

• Fun Fusion: Italians cringe when you say it but swoon when they taste the Italian tacos at The 4th P, tucked in a tortilla-size storefront on Washington Avenue. Bolognese owner Manuel Iaccomeli invented the little critters, and sells them like hotcakes. Staffers from elegant Escopazzo have been known to grab a dozen after a long shift.

At a dollar apiece, you cannot go wrong. Stuffed with fresh arugula, lettuce, tomato and cheese plus prosciutto, beef or chicken, these soft, warm corn shells make for a tasty and filling midday meal.

The 4th P, 1251 Washington Ave.; 305-535-4727.

• Burger Bargain: I'm not so sure about its claim to being world famous, but the much-loved Cheeseburger Baby on Washington Avenue is worth a visit -- especially from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays, when the $7 lunch special gets you a juicy half-pound burger loaded with fresh lettuce, tomato, grilled onions and cheese (I like Cheddar) plus thick-cut fries and a soda. The joint's studied seediness is part of the experience.

Cheeseburger Baby, 1505 Washington Ave.; 305-531-7300.

SNACK TIME

• So(Be) Cool: At much-touted Blissberry on Alton Road, the cute, tank-topped server will happily swirl free samples of the tangy-tart frozen yogurt. If that's not enough, $2.50 will get you a 4-ounce cup of original Blissberry or chocolate. For 95 cents more, top it with fresh-cut fruit like mango or strawberry. If you don't mind undoing whatever good these fat-free, fructose-sweetened treats have done your body, make it a scoop of Cap'n Crunch or chocolate cookies instead. (The earthy green tea and other signature flavors are a dollar more.)

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