When I moved 800 miles from home to start being a real adult, The cost of renting an apartment, utilities, and deposits took my bank account to under 20 bucks.
I had a Panasonic automatic rice cooker. That thing got a lot of use. The local area had a lot of Asians, and the grocery store I used sold 10 pounds bags of rice for a very low price, something a broke man living paycheck to paycheck could afford.It made very gummy delicious rice. I little Kikkoman soy sauce, and I had a meal that Cwas 3 or 4 cents total cost. On Fridays I would splurge and pour a can of Campbell's soup over the rice and feast. After a few months I could actually afford some meat and other ingredients to add to the rice. And for a change, I would cook Marconi and cheese.
When I got married my wife said we did not need that rice cooker. I kinda miss it still.