Old school Southern home cook here, too. I can stretch the stretchings. Just opened a jar of home canned corn cob jelly and have a pot of chicken broth in the fridge from the chicken bones saved from dinner a couple nights ago. The leftover meat had been picked off the bones for a BBQ Chicken pizza - of course, homemade dough. Dinner tonight will be sandwiches from a bit of leftover pork chops that was originally from a boneless pork roast bought on sale and cheaper than bone-in chops. The onions on the sandwich are from the smaller rings not used from frying onion rings. The onion root went to the garden and the skins went to the compost. The sauted bell pepper was home grown. The sandwich spread will be homemade so didn’t have to buy a costly pre-made spread.
I can make 5 Scholtzsky’s sandwiches on a homemade bun and homemade spread for what one costs at the drive-thru. That’s still a costly sandwich but so good.
Can’t stand it when the grocery cashier says, “You saved $14.28!” for buying the cheaper store brand. My normal reply is, “No, I spent $223.87.” The only thing that’s stopped me from throwing the eggs at them is that the eggs have been paid for.
Lol, I hear you, and well done! You are stretching it even beyond my good efforts.