DC by the dollar: Reliable deals around the DC area

FREE: Every evening at 6 p.m. the Kennedy Center (2700 F St. NW) offers free lobby concerts from various musicians at the Millennium Stage. It’s the perfect way to check out the grandiose building — and even snap a selfie on the outside balcony above the Potomac River — without spending a single dime. No tickets necessary. — Jason Fraley

$1: Garlic, lemon, oil. That’s all that Maydan (1346 Florida Ave. NW) swears is in their toum garlic spread, one of seven condiments available on their excellent menu. But you’ll be convinced there’s something addictive in the mix and, at $1 per serving, you’ll be happy to go back for thirds. — Noah Frank

$1.25: A dollar and a quarter will usually get you a ride on the historic 1921 Dentzel Carousel at Glen Echo (7300 Macarthur Blvd., Glen Echo, Maryland). However, the Carousel is currently closed for repairs until Spring 2020. Pack a picnic and stick around the Art Deco-style park for an art exhibit, puppet show or dance class. — Rachel Nania

$2: A trip to Glenstone Museum (12100 Glen Road, Potomac, Maryland) is one of the hottest tickets in town. And while entry into the museum is free, reservations are hard to come by. However, Ride On public transit passengers are guaranteed entry without a reservation. Catch the bus at Rockville Station and ride it to Glenstone for $2. — Rachel Nania

$2.50: You don’t have to be from Philly to appreciate the trays of hot, freshly-baked pretzel products filling the air with mouthwatering scents at The Pretzel Bakery (257 15th St. SE). And while everything is great, it’s hard to beat the chewy, Nutella-stuffed, glazed, salted pretzel bomb when it comes to pure joy. — Noah Frank

$3: A healthy, filling lunch for $3 that also helps support refugees? You can find it at Falafel Inc. (1140 Maine Ave. SW & 1210 Potomac St. NW). The falafel sandwich (falafel, lettuce, red cabbage, Pali salad, tahini and red sauce on a fresh baked pita) is $3. Tip: Make sure you sample all of the concept’s sauces. A portion of meal proceeds helps to feed refugees. — Rachel Nania

$3.25: Our taco options around the District have expanded dramatically over the last several years. But I haven’t found anything quite like the cueritos taco at Mezcalero (3714 14th St. NW). It’s a pork skin taco, slow-braised, served simply with onions and cilantro. It’s salty and delicious and literally melts in your mouth. — Noah Frank

$4: Happy hour at Archipelago (1201 U St. NW) is a cornucopia of Islander and East Asian delights, but for value, you can’t beat the three, butter-slathered Hawaiian ham & cheese sliders. Sweet, chewy, delicious.

$4: Coffee & culture: Head to the National Mall for a morning of coffee and culture. Pick up a cappuccino at Dolcezza inside the Hirshhorn (Independence Ave. SW & 7th St. SW). Then, spend the rest of your time roaming the halls of the free modern art museum. — Rachel Nania 

$4.25: Four dollars and 25 cents will get you the best Baja fish taco in all the land (and sea) at Bandit Taco (4629 41st St. NW & 1946 New Hampshire Ave. NW). IMO. — Rachel Nania 

$5: Believe it or not, you can still see a ballgame in this town for $5. Every Regular, Prime and Marquee game on the Nationals schedule, you can get one of just a few hundred Grandstand tickets to Nationals Park (1500 South Capitol St. SE), so long as you’re willing to show up early and go straight into the park (tickets are $15 for Diamond games). They’re available for individual sale right when gates open. Your seat is technically in the upper deck down the left field line, but you can stand anywhere. — Noah Frank

$5.95: The baked egg strata at Le Bon Café (210 2nd St. SE) is the most delicious breakfast on Capitol Hill. It can be ordered one of two ways: 1. Italian sausage with caramelized onions and red pepper; or 2. Spinach with mushrooms and roasted pepper. You can either sit inside with a cup of coffee pretending you’re in Paris or take it to-go outside on Pennsylvania Avenue while staring at the Library of Congress and Capitol Building for a distinctly D.C. vibe. — Jason Fraley

$6.79: If you’re looking for a cheap ticket to the movies, drive over to the AMC Shirlington 7 (2772 S. Randolph St., Arlington, Virginia) in the morning for just $6.79. Or, you can catch a matinee for $11.99, which is cheaper than most multiplexes. It’s also located in an adorable walkable community, so you can shop and dine while you wait for the sun to set. Then, you can nab tickets to Signature Theatre’s latest productions, running around $40 on the low end with Student Rush tickets available for $35 to complete a fun-filled day. — Jason Fraley

$7: This is the best happy hour deal in the city, period, stop, end of sentence. Where else can you get a can of PBR, a shot of Jim Beam, and a grilled hot dog, all for just $7, but at Bravo Bar (2917 Georgia Ave. NW)? The best part? Well, the hot dog. But the second-best? It’s available every day of the week from 5-8 p.m. — Noah Frank

$7.10: Formerly known as Pedro & Vinny’s, this little joint was a longtime hidden gem of Arlington (2599 Columbia Pike), located just down the street from the historic Bob & Edith’s Diner. After the owners split, it has since been rebranded Burrito Brothers (also located on 1825 I St. NW and 205 Pennsylvania Ave. SE), but the original building still looks like a glorified food truck and the food is still pretty darn close to those fond, tasty memories. — Jason Fraley

$7.79: What if a real BBQ joint made a KFC bowl but, you know, good? Behold, the Rocklands Pearl (2418 Wisconsin Ave.; also 3471 Washington Blvd., Arlington, Virginia, and 25 S. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, Virginia), a layer cake of mac & cheese, baked beans, chopped pork and sauce. It’s delicious, after zero beers or five. — Noah Frank

$8: For just $8 a month, a Capital BikeShare (many locations in and around D.C.) membership is probably the best ongoing value in my budget (and at the yearly rate of $85, it’s actually only about $7/month). I don’t have to pay to maintain a bike, or worry about locking one up, or have to lug it on the bus or train with me. Some employers include it under their pretax transit benefit options. Plus, I can choose one-way rides if I want a good workout, or only want to ride home from work, so as not to be dripping in sweat around my co-workers. — Noah Frank

$9: It sounds wacky, but it works … and that’s what makes The Craig D one of D.C.’s most popular sandwiches. Nine dollars gets you a plain bagel with seasonal fruit cream cheese, piled with nectarines, hot peppers, bacon and chips at Call Your Mother (3301 Georgia Ave. NW). — Rachel Nania 

$10: For some reason, the Hollywood-based American Film Institute chose Silver Spring, Maryland, as its East Coast location for the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center (8633 Colesville Road). So, we should all take advantage of its regular slate of classic movies on the silver screen of a renovated movie palace built in 1938. I’ll never forget seeing “Lawrence of Arabia” there in 65 mm or a Q&A with the late director Milos Forman after a screening of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Matinees run $10. — Jason Fraley

$12: This one comes with the disclaimer that I used to pour beer in the taproom at Port City Brewing Company (3950 Wheeler Ave., Alexandria, Virginia), so I am clearly biased. But I still go back frequently, often when friends visit, for their solid array of balanced beers. To get six tasters and a tour for just $12, it’s a great, cheap afternoon. — Noah Frank

$12: Bored with the routine happy hours? Head to The Phillips Collection (1600 21st St. NW) the first Thursday of every month for an evening of art and live music. Drinks and food are also available for purchase. — Rachel Nania

$12.95: If you’re a fan of pho, but haven’t branched out to southern Vietnamese cooking, let the menu at Bún DC (pronounced “boon” — 2905 Sherman Ave. NW) be your guide. The next bad dish I have will be my first, but the one I always go back to is the #31. Tôm & Mực, an enormous bowl of vermicelli noodle soup with a rich, tomato crab broth unlike anything else I’ve ever had. — Noah Frank

$14.50: Sushi is expensive. But if you’ve got a hankering for some fresh fish and can’t afford to break the bank, the sakedon at Donburi (2438 18th St. NW and 114 19th St. NW) is a pile of thick-cut salmon on top of a bowl of rice along with pickled cucumbers, radish, and ginger. It’s a full meal, all for a reasonable price. — Noah Frank

$15: Head to D.C.’s Petworth neighborhood for some of the best pizza the city has to offer. And while you can’t go wrong with any of the pies on Timber’s (809 Upshur St. NW) menu, The Julia is sure to please, with provolone, mozzarella, sugar snap peas, pea shoot pesto, pea shoot salad, honey-lemon dressing and sesame seeds. — Rachel Nania

$15: There are movies, then there is the experience of walking beneath the relics of the American space program on your way into a stadium IMAX to watch a science fiction flick at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (600 Independence Ave. SW). It is a uniquely D.C. experience, it’s less expensive than some other IMAX options, and it’s the only way I’ll ever watch another Star Wars movie as long as I live here. — Noah Frank

$15: There are few better ways to spend $15 than by checking out the rotating exhibits at the National Geographic Museum (1145 17th St. NW), from Indiana Jones archaeology props to actual heirlooms from the sinking of the Titanic. Kids get in for $10. — Jason Fraley

$16: Every meal I’ve eaten at Himitsu (828 Upshur St. NW) has been one of the best I’ve had in the city. And while their Korean fried chicken and biscuits would have made this list if it was still on the menu (cough, cough), the hamachi crudo is a standby that I’ve ordered every time I’ve gone. — Noah Frank

$18: Eighteen dollars guarantees you a tired toddler on a rainy or snowy day. The one-time fee gets you all-day access at the indoor play center, BusyBees (11 Wisconsin Circle, Bethesda, Maryland; also 6110 Arlington Blvd. D, Falls Church, Virginia and 4211 Fairfax Corner E Ave., Fairfax, Virginia). It’s not cheap (especially if you have more than one kiddo), but it gets the job done. — Rachel Nania

$20: If you can’t swing a trip to the Cape this year, you can at least get a taste of New England summers at Luke’s Lobster (624 E St. NW, 800 17th St. NW, 1211 Potomac St. NW & 7129 Bethesda Lane, Bethesda, Maryland). Twenty dollars gets you a lobster roll, kettle chips and a drink. — Rachel Nania

$26: One of my favorite deals is not long for this world, as the best golf value in the area will soon be no more. So get out to Glenn Dale Golf Club (11501 Old Prospect Hill Road, Glenn Dale, Maryland) and walk 18 holes before they close after Labor Day. You won’t find a tougher, better kept, more beautiful course anywhere close to that price point. — Noah Frank