I know a few resourceful folks who can feed a family of 4 on $100/month. The trick is to actually cook real food instead of the processed junk we’re used to.
The guys at the farmers market say they can spot the new poor because they’re the ones bargain shopping with food stamps.
The generational food stamp users eat only the best.
I know what you mean.
I remember my Mother who was born and reared on a farm, would go to the supermarket and it seemed to me that she had not bought anything to eat.
What she had actually done is buy Flower, meal, whole chicken or mullet which we could usually get for 9 cents a pound, etc.
My late wife was similar but me, I really don’t know how to cook from scratch so I buy food which often requires only to heat up or cook in a microwave.
I do often buy food which you have to open the box, then heat while adding ingredients or maybe even doing a little real cooking but never do like Mother did.
$1.50 per person or for all three? I too can eat reasonably on $1.50 for myself, by, as you say, cooking. Oatmeal, soups, stews, etc. In fact I often do, though because I like my home-made soups, not because I have to (anymore.)