[asknthrow]

> longer hours means buying more food

this is where you're failing to understand the frugal mindset. People with a frugal mindset rarely if ever buy more food (if you mean, not make their own meals), no matter their work hours.

[grecy]

I'm not failing to understand it, I live it.

You wind up spending more on food because you're utterly exhausted from working longer hours. It's not that you want to, it's that you get backed into a corner and don't have a choice.