The economy’s giving us whiplash. Eggs cost more than streaming subscriptions. Gas prices are flirting with luxury perfume territory. Somehow your morning coffee allowance is inching closer to a car payment. But when your wallet’s feeling lighter than your latte foam, these Baltimore bargain bites are here to save the day — and your appetite. They’re the rare combo of cheap, reliable and ridiculously satisfying. In other words: your stomach’s stimulus package.

Ammici’s

$20 for a three-course meal (carry-out only)

• 231 S. High St.

Little Italy’s OG crowd‑pleaser has been quietly running the deal of the decade: $20 gets you a house or Caesar salad, any entrée on the menu (yes, even the spicy shrimp diavolo or chicken parm) and dessert (cannoli or tiramisu). We’re talking a feast that would normally run double — or triple — the price if you were dining at other local Italian establishments. The best part? It’s available all day, every day. The one catch is that it’s takeout only, but honestly, this is the kind of red‑sauce comfort food you want to eat in sweatpants on your couch anyway.

Poyoteca

$16.99 half chicken and two sides (feeds two)

• 55 Market Place

At this Inner Harbor Peruvian chicken spot, the portions are so generous you might think they made a mistake. A juicy half chicken — split into quarter white and quarter dark — plus two sides like creamy mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, or roasted brussels sprouts and carrots is easily enough for two people (unless you’ve skipped lunch). The sauces are where the magic happens: the creamy aji amarillo makes everything taste like it belongs on a tropical vacation, and the picante jalapeño brings a green, herby kick that spice lovers will want to put on everything. Dinner at this price feels like a rare win in today’s economy.

The Dive

Happy Meal‑style specials (4-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday)

• 3123 Elliott St.

Step into this retro neighborhood bar in Canton and you’ll feel like you stumbled into a cooler, boozier version of your childhood McDonald’s. During happy hour, they serve playful riffs on Happy Meals for only $7.35: a single smashburger, crispy chicken sandwich or filet‑o‑fish, all served with fries. The presentation is pure nostalgia, but the flavors are grown‑up approved.

True Chesapeake

$2 oysters and $6 cocktails (5-7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday)

• 3300 Clipper Mill Road

This Clipper Mill seafood destination turns happy hour into a miniature coastal vacation. They farm their own oysters in Southern Maryland, so when you get a dozen Huckleberries or Skinny Dippers for $24, you know they’re coming straight from the source. For just $2 each, you can go raw and briny, or opt for roasted with butter, parmesan and Old Bay. Pair them with a $6 martini, daiquiri or old fashioned, and suddenly your weekday feels a little fancier. You can drink and slurp like a Rockefeller without burning through the rent money.

Estiatoria Plaka

$6 gyros (11 a.m.-3 p.m Tuesday through Friday)

• 4718 Eastern Ave.

If your weekday lunch budget has been looking bleak lately, Greektown’s Estiatoria Plaka is here with a lifeline: $6 gyros stacked with tender meat, warm pita and cool tzatziki. The flavors are bold and fresh enough to make you forget you’re eating on the cheap (and have to go back to work after). The deal is available for dine‑in, carry‑out or delivery, though we’d argue it’s best fresh from the kitchen so the pita stays fluffy and the tzatziki stays cold.

Water Song Yunnan Kitchen

$25 all‑you‑can‑eat buffet (11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday)

• 21 E. Cross St.

A newcomer to the “stuff‑yourself‑silly” scene, Water Song has rolled out a lunch buffet that’s worth blocking off your calendar. For $25, you get 90 minutes to work your way through their Chinese‑Mexican fusion menu: think five‑spice wings, pork dumplings in spicy‑sour sauce, garlic‑fried green beans, braised beef rice noodles, bulgogi tacos, shrimp fried rice and more. Just be warned: you might leave wishing that you had more time.

Tagliata

$8-$10 small plates and $6 wine (4 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Friday)

• 1012 Fleet St.

Harbor East’s upscale Italian chophouse might look like the kind of place that only does special‑occasion splurges, but its happy hour is surprisingly wallet‑friendly. For $8, you can enjoy oysters with Calabrian chili mignonette, Tuscan fried chicken, Caesar salad and spaghetti. The $10 plates include options such as hearty rigatoni alla vodka, veal bolognese or house‑made meatballs. Even the wine list plays along with $6 glasses of sparkling, rosé, red or white. This sort of deal lets you have your “fancy night out” moment without the post‑dinner bank account guilt.