Unpopular opinion: that $1.50 ramen hack everyone raves about is actually more expensive per meal

My coworker Dave cornered me by the break room microwave last Tuesday and went on about his 'gourmet' ramen upgrades. He adds eggs, frozen veggies, and sesame oil. I did the math while he was talking. Eggs are like 30 cents each now, frozen veggies another 50 cents, the oil adds up. His 'budget' bowl was probably close to $2.75. I pointed out that a simple bean and rice burrito from scratch is about 80 cents and just as filling. He got defensive and said it's about 'taste'. Has anyone else done the actual math on these so called budget hacks or am I being too picky?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylanward11d ago

Yeah I've noticed this too. People get hyped up about these hacks without running the numbers. A fried egg and some green onions sounds cheap until you actually price it out. That $1.50 ramen suddenly becomes a $3 meal real quick and you're still eating noodles with no real protein. The bean and rice burrito comparison is spot on honestly. I've done similar math on my own cooking and ground beef tacos from scratch beat ramen in both cost and taste by a long shot. Sometimes the simplest meals really are the cheapest and most filling.

the_lucas11d ago

See, I kinda look at it different. A $3 meal that actually satisfies you and has some nutrition beats a $1.50 one that leaves you hungry in an hour. Isn't the whole point of cheap eating to not be starving 20 minutes later?