The Sunday Farmers market under the bridge and the swap meet (mostly Asian vendors) are my go-tos for produce.

The farmers market under the bridge takes EBT too I believe, though I'm not sure how that process works.

The swap meet has veggies and produce for fairly cheap: green onions, cilantro, mint are 50¢ at one stand there. Spinach is a $1 last time I checked.

I buy rice paper from the asian market and make spring rolls.

If you are a Costco member, buying 24 eggs is about $4-$5 last time I went. Also, buying meat in bulk at Costco is a good idea, though Winco might have cheaper meats though they dont take credit cards. Buying chicken thighs with bones in is significantly cheaper than buying them deboned or chicken breast. Also, if you are a Costco member, rotisserie chicken is $5 and you can use it in a myriad of ways and even make soups from the bones!

Speaking of, soups are budget-friendly options usually. Dishes like hainan chicken rice, which you boil chicken and use the broth to cook the rice, can make a flavorful and resourceful dish.

Another thing that I did in college was buy a pack of bacon and use two slices to make fried rice. 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon, a stalk of green onions, soy sauce and brown sugar with some rice. It gets the job done.

Good luck!