food alone in the US it's hard to get under $20/day
This is crazy to me because I’m routinely under that, even accounting for $6 a day in energy drinks.
A microwavable bag of broccoli ($1.20), a can of beans ($1), a pound of chicken/beef ($3), and a cup of rice (<$0.50) should cover anyone’s caloric needs while being quite healthy. Maybe add in a few eggs if needed and a multivitamin to be safe, but we’re still well under $10.
Even without access to a kitchen, $20 is still a lot. I’m a 6’2” man and $8 on the Taco Bell value menu is overkill for me.
Unrelated, but can I ask why you settled on Maine initially? I was looking for somewhere in New England to build a cabin on a good size parcel of land, but their income tax rates made me cringe even being from Connecticut.