Capitalism is hell so thought it be best we all have a space to both rant a bit and also give each other some insight on how we best get by. Remember that you don't wanna put anything too incriminating or personal since wreckers are always looking for dirt but maybe you can tell us about your "friend".
Mind you this isn't a neoliberal "pull yourself from your bootstraps" comm poverty will not be eliminated by simply making "better" individual choices instead think of this comm as a safe place to vent about surviving under capitalism and a place to share whatever hard earned knowledge you wished you knew of earlier.
Chest freezers and buying in bulk will cut your food budget down a lot, especially chest freezers.
You can freeze almost anything for a month or so, and pre-frozen packaged food can last years.
Clipping coupons for certain frozen items like Boca burgers or Frozen pizzas can cut the price in half when they are on sale.
Buying in bulk is definitely the way to do food if you can. It costs more in the beginning but you'll make dividends in saved cost and in health benefits.