Yeah you have to get denied at least twice. I was denied twice, once in a different state. The third time my case manager had us get a lawyer for it and they went to court about it before I got accepted. So yeah it’s bullshit but that is how it was ran before Trump, so I can’t imagine it would have gotten easier under his.
Cooking for yourself and not eating out ever, and my bill from Aldi rarely is above $50, just buy seasoning as you go. I make a week’s worth of food on one day a week, freeze most of it, and then just reheat it in a microwave.