When quality food like fresh produce, meats cost more than frozen meals, and junk food, guess what gets bought. Junk food.
When I walked out on my child abusing husband, with $4.00, there were No safety nets, my parents watched my boys while I woirked for $1.50 a hr waiting tables, my HS dipoloma was useless, out moded. I found a $65 run down place, paid utilities, did laundry, mowed the grass. Put up plastic sheeting on windows in the winter. Did that for 10 yrs. Cooked, sewed, used rummage sales. Took my non driving mom shopping which my dad hated, helped her in her garden.. You did what needed to be done.
Quality food always costs LESS than prepared food and even junk food.
13 Oz bag of Lays potato chips at Walmart costs about $5. I could buy 10 lbs of potatoes for that at our local farmers market