Budget Crunch: 8 delicious deals to try now

Got $10 and a friend? Then contributor Holly Fann has eight delicious deals you need to devour this month. 

1. Throwback to your arcade days Wednesdays at Start Bar. Hump day includes happy hour specials including half-price pizzas, milkshakes and slushies from 4 to 7 p.m., and all the games are set to free play until close. Ready for endless rounds of Galaga, Mario Kart or skee-ball? Game on!

2. Celebrate the harvest of healthy, gorgeous apples by smothering them in sugary goodness Oct. 8 and Oct. 29 at Whole Foods in Town & Country. Naked apples wait to be dipped, rolled and dotted with caramel, nuts and candies for $5 each. Adults and children are welcome to make and decorate caramel apples from noon to 3 p.m.

3. After a summer of competitive cook-offs at area farmers markets, five chefs have made it to the final round of the Chefs Cook Real Challenge. The Dam’s Matt Galati, Byrd & Barrel’s Ryan McDonald, Bon Vivant Catering’s Wayne Judge, Olive & Oak’s Jesse Mendica and 1818 Chophouse’s Antoine Moussali create delectable bites with goods purchased from Midtown Farmers Market on Oct. 8. Purchase a taste of each for $5 and cast your vote before 1 p.m.

4. With just a ten spot, you can make a night of it at The Silver Ballroom. Play any pinball machine for a couple quarters and have a drink in its Retox Center. Feeling peckish? Grab a substantial $5 to $6 Australian meat pie; flavors include classic beef and cheddar and specials like chicken fajita or a slinger pie.

5. Take a scenic drive the last weekend in October to Kimmswick for two days of apple butter-centered fun. The town’s annual Apple Butter Festival draws thousands of attendees each year with local food booths, crafts, free tastings and live entertainment. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 29 and 30 and makes a tasty weekend getaway.

6. Listening to new tunes and drinking craft beer is always pretty great way to spend a few hours. Music Record Shop on Washington Avenue offers just that and more with their New Music Fridays in-store events. Owners play brand new vinyl releases and serve free Urban Chestnut beer to browsing customers.

7. There are plenty of places in St. Louis to get a cheap tasty burger and crispy fries, but there is nowhere quite like Carl’s Drive In. When a loaded double cheeseburger, fries and a frosty root beer add up to less than $10, Carl’s is a Budget Crunch-approved destination.

8. Doughnuts and beer collide in the ring during Wresting at 4 Hands Brewing Co., a free event on Oct. 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. Local Dynamo Pro wrestlers divide into teams representing 4 Hands and Strange Donuts and take to the mat for a throwdown. Bring a chair and claim your spot, then grab a bite from Seoul Taco, Gioia's Deli, Slide Piece, Southern and The Fifth Wheel. Wash it down with Apricot Slam, 4 Hands City Wide made with apricots.