This is one of the best things I learned to do when I was a poor person.

A whole chicken is relatively inexpensive, especially if you are buying on sale. There's not much easier than roasting a chicken. Just follow a basic recipe, nothing fancy.

That also makes your leftovers very versatile. I like to use them to make chicken stock with the bones and some veggies or to make chicken pot pie. You could also just use the meat for a chicken salad or something. Or toss it in a salad. But don't waste the bones!

Now I do this every Thanksgiving with a roast duck and I use the leftovers to make duck pho (I don't have to feed a lot of people.)