one of my favorite super-versatile cheapies, as long as you’re not vegetarian, is a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store. You can get one from anywhere between $5—$7 in most grocery stores… get 2 or 3, pick all the chicken off, and store it in the fridge. You can use the chicken for salad toppings, chicken salad, chicken soup, casseroles (which is also a super cheapie thing… noodles, canned cream-of-something soup, some frozen veggies, and the chicken). You’d be really surprised how far those chickens can last you.