As he reached the checkout, Elias did the mental math. He had pasta, sauce, oats, and a gallon of whole milk. He even had two dollars left over, which he used to buy a single, dark chocolate bar near the register.
In the produce section, he ignored the pre-cut fruit bowls and organic berries. He grabbed a five-pound bag of russet potatoes. At roughly five cents an ounce, they were the hardest workers in his pantry; he could mash them, fry them, or bake them until they were fluffy and filling. He added a crown of broccoli and a bag of yellow onions for flavor and vitamins. cheap food to buy at walmart
The fluorescent lights of Walmart hummed a low, electric tune as Elias pushed a cart with a slightly squeaky left wheel through the automatic doors. His wallet felt light—thirty dollars had to stretch across seven days—but he moved with the practiced confidence of a man who knew the geography of a bargain. As he reached the checkout, Elias did the mental math