I recently got some work, and bought 40 pounds of pinto beans, 30 pounds of rice, and 5 pounds of grits, and 25 pounds of other such dried staples.
Food stamps sound pretty good, I could use some meat and vegetables, and juice and milk.
30 pounds of rice ~ Kokuo Rose Yellow at 11.99 for a 15 lb bag
5 pounds of grits ~ prices all over the place, and there are of course other dried staples with variable prices ~ you really need to know how to shop.
When it comes to dried beans versus canned beans you need to compute shelf life and risk from pests against the marginally higher cost for cooked beans in a can. Some beans don't can well, some are great ~ you can prepare for a hurricane or other disaster with canned beans. We had two 4 foot snowfalls 2 winters in a row. I ate canned beans and sardines every day for a month ~ mostly blind while still recovering from eye surgery since everybody else was in California or somewhere else ~ and I was on my own.
I"d given my eyeteeth for a tortilla ~ so ever since i make sure i've got a 20 pak ~ usually about $1 to $1.50 ~ depending on the store and brand.
Don't eat wild mushrooms you don't know how to identify!