Same here. I’ve turned cheap eating into a personal challenge, and the initial results are good. I guess it’s just an early case of “Great Depression mindset”.
In addition to beans and rice, and the occasional case of Ramen noodles, and the occasional jar of peanut butter, I’m putting back quite a few cans of American made soup. One two-serving can of soup along with half an Italian sausage link makes a decent, 350 calorie meal for as low as $2.25.
All we’ve got to do is be tougher than the enemy.
I grew up so poor we gleaned fields for veggies. We would start out the week with stew and every day we just added water and veggies. I can stretch a dollar like nobody else. I have a nice big yard and can grow what I need. I have a couple of old depression era cookbooks, a casserole can last a long time.
Youtube on cheap eating:
https://www.youtube.com/c/GreatDepressionCooking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZFp5n9Qqzc