people nowadays rely too much on fancy pre-made mixes and chemicals when things were much simpler before with just basic salt, pepper, and root vegetables. to stretch a cheap roast for two nights you just load the slow cooker with plenty of potatoes, carrots, and onions to bulk up the portions. serve half the meat and veggies on night one, and then chop up the rest into a hash or soup for the next evening. it keeps the budget low without needing modern gimmicks.