I'm really shocked that buying booze and pre-prepared stuff at a gas station (add a 50-100% markup on whatever you buy the moment you walk in) costs $50
you sprained your wrist so you can't even make your own sandwich and salad?
for me walking along my street, maybe $8 USD for an average day of food spread out over a week. I'm not gonna eat a whole cauliflower in one day
biggest expenses are my protein shakes, frozen blueberries (a splurge at $15 per bag, but I love them so) and imported pasta sauce (delicious eaten cold from the jar with a spoon). all that I get at the grocery a few blocks down the road
also like jerk tofu my neighbour who runs a little food spot makes for me, I just buy the tofu which is cheap cuz no duty on food imports from China. take from that what you will. $4 will buy a package that lasts me days
add in cigs, call it $15-20 per day
don't even get me started on cat litter though
for real, why on earth are you buying stuff at a
gas station? was that sandwich even edible?
I think the biggest problem you're facing re costs is lack of local grocery stores. a lot of CA towns have faced that for a while as the big chains took over independent stores (or drove them out if they stayed independent by underpricing them) and then closed the ones that sold cuz not profitable enough. the phenomenon is called 'food deserts'
that's not inflation, that's capitalism at it's worst
but that can't stop you from making your own sandwiches and salad. bet the booze was half the bill though