French does, doesn’t it?
Also in German literature, but only printed books not newspapers.

It’s just polite to not do it when you’re out in society

Flour should be in your budget. Learn how to make a pan fried wheat tortilla - super quick and easy. Then you can look up Turkish flatbread or Italian focaccia. That will spice up your routine.

Fried potatoes, refried potatoes (from boiled leftovers).

Make sauces with nothing but a bit of butter, flour, instant buillon cube/powder. Optional: cream, milk, onions, garlic, anything that was left in the pan from something you just fried.

You can also steam some potatoes with canned meat in a pot.

But onion - I think - would be a great game changer.
And if you can plant some rosemary or thyme in a garden or pot on the windowsill. Those are hardy plants and won’t likely die on you and they taste amazing with potatoes, especially freshly picked.