Dollars and cents are actually a good way to get calories and not-fats correctly incidentally. A lot of staple vegetables, broccoli, onions, carrots, green peppers, are less than or substantially less than 2 dollars/pound, you got potatoes, pasta, flour and rice as principal starches (that you don't have to go overboard on) and finding pork or chicken for $2/pound is quite doable. I'm not sure what you've been buying or why, but cooking is not a great expense, leaving plenty of money for remaining ingredients (soy sauce, cooking wine, cheese, butter) to make delicious food.

The fact that you should really actually be COOKING rather than eating oven pizzas, pre-made cold-cuts, and other prepared foods is a difference most people aren't used to though. The fact that frying up a steak or pre-shaped burger patty isn't necessarily enough to be 'cooking' also is unfamiliar to a lot of people. Not saying you specifically. And it does take some time, but apparently, government people may have many difficulties but ceaseless demands on your hours isn't one of them.

I also don't really respect 'lack of leisure money' as a source of unhappiness. Money is a poor crutch for leisure IMO. We've got like, good company, the internet and the infinite audio/video/reading media it provides, pursuit of art/writing/music/fine cooking/cocktail mixing/whatever hobby, going outside, attending free local events... One doesn't need to like, buy beer daily or whatever it is people insist money's important for, leisure-wise, for leisure.

Cars are like... Ludicrously expensive. I don't think people appreciate how expensive just owning a car is.

My living situation involves living on substantially less than half the stated amount - close to a quarter. My rent is kind of cheap though so I'm making allowances for people needing to pay more for rent. And the fact that health insurance and pension is provided for under government employment makes it much more long-term appealing than my living situation.