Hot take: my sister swore dried beans were the cheapest protein, and she was flat out wrong for me
She handed me a 2 pound bag of pinto beans from the Aldi on 5th and told me I'd eat for a whole week on $3, but I didn't count the 3 hours of soaking and simmering or the gas bill that came with it. By the time I added onion, cumin, and a can of tomatoes just to make them taste like something, I was in for almost $7 and a whole Sunday afternoon. Is there a trick I'm missing, or should I just stick to the $5 rotisserie chicken from Costco?