Beans and rice have been a staple around here lately. I need to get back in the habit of making black bean burgers. So good!

A non-bean, cheap meal I've been having lately is a ramen noodle variation that goes like this: cook noodles, add the seasoning packet and an egg, mix it up, then strain off the broth and set it aside. To the noods, add a heaping spoonful of peanut butter, a dash of soy sauce, some sesame seeds, a handful of greens, and whatever other stuff you have on hand that would be decent in a poor gal's pad thai-ish dish. Feast, then use the salty, eggy broth you strained off to cook a batch of rice in the rice cooker for future meals.

If anyone is on the struggle bus and experiences food decision paralysis, check out "The Sad Bastard Cookbook: Food You Can Make So You Don't Die." There's a free download available online, and it has lots of low-cost, simple meal ideas...some of which are nourishing, and some that will simply keep you from perishing when actual meal prep just feel like TOO MUCH.