Hybrid Soundtrack: Sub-$1000 Budget, No Generics?

Hey everyone, I'm trying to figure out the best approach for a short film I'm editing. It's a character-driven drama, shot mostly on an FX6 with some nice practicals like a Forza 720B for mood. The story is quite nuanced, and the music really needs to support that without overpowering it or, worse, feeling bland.

My total music budget is honestly less than $1,000. I've dabbled with royalty-free libraries and even tried pulling some instrumental stems from old projects to see if they fit, but everything feels... off. It either sounds too 'stock' or completely disconnected from the emotional beats. How can a filmmaker with such a tight budget effectively use a hybrid approach (maybe some licensed, some custom, some creative foley) to build a truly compelling soundtrack that doesn't just sound like every other low-budget film out there? Any workflows or strategies for making a little music budget go a long way without sacrificing originality?