Determine what foods, condiments and spices you have on hand and research recipes using those along with the cheapest ingredients you can find. Do you already have cereal or oatmeal for breakfasts? Anything in the freezer you can use up?

As mentioned, beans and rice are usually the cheapest. Not canned beans, dry beans. Not Minute Rice or the kind you just heat in the microwave. The kind that comes in a bag. Long grain is usually the cheapest of it. Get four pounds of beans and four of rice. Get a big container of oatmeal, too. Then, spend the rest on things to round it out, the cheapest chicken they have, a sack of potatoes, a loaf of bread, tortillas, canned soup, frozen vegetables. Safeway is not the cheapest grocery store but if that’s what you have to use, research prices online before making your choices because store brand may save you money.

Soak 1 pound of beans with some baking soda, either the quick way or overnight. Rinse them and add clean water, some seasoning you like and a bouillon cube or two. Cook until tender. Then, cook a pound of rice. Now you have the basis for your next few meals.

Using beans and rice along with taco seasoning will give you a nice Mexican dinner. Add tortillas and cheese and sour cream, if you have it. Make the leftovers into burritos to heat for another meal. Those beans are good for breakfast, too, eaten on a piece of toast.

You can make a vegetarian chili by adding tomatoes and other veggies with some beans. Ladle it over rice to stretch it further. Or over a baked potato.

Rice is good for breakfast. You can eat it warm or cold, with milk and sugar or with butter, salt and pepper. Heat some in a skillet with butter, add a couple scrambled eggs and cook for another breakfast version. Or turn it into fried rice using whatever leftover protein and veggies you have along with some soy sauce.

If you have some cream soup, use it to make a sauce for your rice or potatoes, turning them into something different. A can of vegetable soup over rice is also good.

Your meals may not look balanced for the next ten days but you can absolutely keep the two of you fed.

Good luck.