Can anyone recommend a type of food to buy that does not cost much but can last?

your mom is on to something I would suggest you buy bisquick because you can make pancakes plus hundreds of other things.peanut butter and jelly too

Check out all the possibilities for eating cheap and foods that fall into that category in some of my previous answers:

this answer of mine has a number of links to previous answers of mine...note especially the first link there:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=201202...

and:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=201112...

https://www.google.com/images?q=cheap+budget+slow+...

And if you have a freezer, there are many cheap things that can be cooked and extra portions can be frozen for later (meats, cooked or raw, freeze very well, for example).

And if you want more info on how long things can be stored, one nifty site is Still Tasty. It's organized by categories or you can just search for a particular item:

http://www.stilltasty.com/

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Egg noodles and canned soup.

When you have the extra money, I recommend investing in a Costco membership.

Canned soups , canned stews , canned chili , canned vegetables and canned fruit . Most super market house brands are inexpensively priced .Chef Boyardee products are frequently on sale in stores .You can do casseroles with mac and cheese mix , a can of veggies, and a can of tuna or chicken .

anything canned- veggies, fruits, sauces, soups. skip the frozen meals in a box- they are loaded with salt. frozen veggies can be inexpensive as well- but they are usually the kind that don't come in a microwaveable bag. raw pasta and dried beans can also go on the list.

I was going to say ramen noodles :| other than that, just buy in bulk! Costco always sells in bulk.

Rice and dry beans. Soak the dry beans overnight and them cook them all day Ina crockpot or simmer them in a pot until they are soft.