So I've been living on basically nothing lately and honestly? The cheapest foods to live on aren't even that depressing once you figure out the hack. Like, everyone thinks broke people just eat ramen, but that's actually wasteful. I've been rotating between stuff like dried lentils, bulk oatmeal, eggs, and canned tuna - literally costs almost nothing and keeps you full for hours. Pasta with basic sauce is my go-to when I need something filling. Throw in some frozen veggies and you've got a meal.

The real game changers though? Pork shoulder when it's on sale - you can stretch that into like five different meals throughout the week. Sweet potatoes, cabbage, rice, black beans. These are the cheapest foods to live on that actually don't taste like punishment. Bananas and in-season apples for fruit. Peanut butter for protein. Yogurt in those big containers.

Honestly once you know what to buy, the cheapest foods to live on become routine. Pancake mix, chickpeas, potatoes - all dirt cheap and versatile. I'm not gonna lie, some weeks are tighter than others, but I've stopped feeling like I'm depriving myself. The cheapest foods to live on just require a little creativity in the kitchen. Anyone else have budget grocery wins? Would love to hear what's working for people right now.