Maruchan Instant Lunch

Maruchan Ramen, Pork flavor.
Lemme get this straight. You get a hot, filling meal from tap water, a wee bit of gas to boil it, and something between a dime and a quarter. It comes in a dozen flavors, so it doesn't exactly get old. You can add stuff to it, like slices of ham, or pepperoni chips or even an egg or some veggies. You can even make it in a coffee maker if you don't have a pot and a stove.

I do not eat cheap ramen anymore. I don't eat a lot of carbs so I am just not into this. If I am on a carb binge or on vacation, I might go out and get the real deal, rather than the ersatz version, but really, I'm a little past being this broke now and the carbs.

I have a brick ramen tip for you: Add the powder to the water before the noodles, and boil it up with the powder in the water. This will flavor the noodles better than the directions on the package (boil water with noodles, when noodles are soft, stir in flavor).

Second runner up: store brand macaroni and cheese. Not the Kraft brand, I'm talking the store brand. It's the same thing, only 1/3rd to 1/4th the price. A few tips here: 1- add some cheese to your mix. An ounce of actual cheddar, regardless of quality, improves the Hell out of the product, in terms of taste and texture. 2- For richer sauce, use cream instead of milk. For a richer sauce on the cheap, no milk, double butter. An egg yolk works well for richness as well, if you are careful. 3- A little protein goes nicely here. Some ham or those seasoned chicken strips. We're getting out of poverty territory here, but still.

Third: Rice. With cheese or ham or soy sauce or whatever. Fry it with an egg and some bouillon.