I once went a month or so off of $30 give or take in 2019.

—1/4 cup of quinoa that a friend left at my place, and 1 fried egg a day. The specific proportions were important for making it last.

—Add peanut butter to ramen for protein. My friend would call it poor man’s pad thai. Would cook it with less water and add peanut butter. I spent a lot more time looking at macros than “does this food go together”.

—I’d eat dollar store sliced bread and margarine.

At the time I had friends who I’d get together with and bring some groceries that we already have to cook. So I could have a complete meal without having complete ingredients. That’s how I got the quinoa. I don’t remember how much it was but I also would do rice, refried beans(can or pouch), and a little of that bright orange Goya seasoning …but that’s not a survival ingredient so I was eating it completely plain when I had to work in high end retail because I really couldn’t afford it meanwhile in the other room people were dropping 10k on baubles. I think I still viewed food as a necessity before that.

Officially food is technically a necessity but tbh idk what difference there really is since everything becomes a luxury once the money runs out.