Today I'm happy to share with you one of my favorite saving-money tips when it comes to traveling by air: Cup Noodles. Yep! Best thing EVER!
Here's why:
I always go for the cheap tickets, which means more layovers. Airports charge a ridiculous amount of money for their food, and many airlines in America don't feed you meals anymore (at least none that I've been on in a while). If they do have food, you have to buy it at the same ridiculous prices. Like $7 for a few crackers and cheese. If you're hungry, one of those isn't enough to even take the edge off! I'm poor, and can't afford $8 for a BK burger at the airport or $28 worth of cheese and crackers to actually feel fed, so the best thing is usually to bring my own food. But what to bring? Sandwiches and things like that are good and filling but are perishable, so you can't truck along a ham and cheese sandwich to eat at the next airport after traveling 6 hours. Plus they get easily squished, unless you bring a container, but then you have a container you have to wash out and keep carrying with you. Most packaged snacks are non-perishable, so they're good, but when you're traveling for a LONG time, you kinda want something more filling than chips or cookies.
So here's the top 5 reasons why Cup Noodles is the BOMB:
1. It's small and easy to carry. It's packages relatively well, so it can handle being jostled around in your bag without breaking or, in the case of an unprotected sandwich, getting squished. Plus, once you're done, everything left goes straight in the trash and clean-up is easy.
2. No microwave required. Most other brands of easy-ramen type stuff usually require a microwave, which isn't always available in airports. I've never seen one, though I haven't looked. I'm assuming the people who have them are the restaurants, and I don't know how much they'd be willing to let you use theirs for your own food.
3. All you need is hot water, so by extension, a coffee place. And EVERY airport will have some kind of coffee place, Starbucks or no. All you have to do is walk up to the counter and ask for a small cup of hot water and most places are happy to oblige. The usual fare for this is $0.00 but sometimes I've been charged 25 cents or at most *once* a dollar. Still. Not bad! That combined with about 86 cents for the Cup Noodles makes the MOST I pay for a meal at the airport is $1.86.
4. They are filling. For me, anyways. Just one of these is usually enough to get me by until the next layover or until I get on a plane that will actually give me some food.
5. Time. Once you pour in that hot water, it only takes 3 minutes to be completely cooked and ready for your enjoyment. If you're SUPER pressed for time and you need to get on the plane, use the coffee cup you got for the hot water and poor the cooked noodles and broth back into that. Just put the lid back on, and take it with you. Easy.
Here's why:
I always go for the cheap tickets, which means more layovers. Airports charge a ridiculous amount of money for their food, and many airlines in America don't feed you meals anymore (at least none that I've been on in a while). If they do have food, you have to buy it at the same ridiculous prices. Like $7 for a few crackers and cheese. If you're hungry, one of those isn't enough to even take the edge off! I'm poor, and can't afford $8 for a BK burger at the airport or $28 worth of cheese and crackers to actually feel fed, so the best thing is usually to bring my own food. But what to bring? Sandwiches and things like that are good and filling but are perishable, so you can't truck along a ham and cheese sandwich to eat at the next airport after traveling 6 hours. Plus they get easily squished, unless you bring a container, but then you have a container you have to wash out and keep carrying with you. Most packaged snacks are non-perishable, so they're good, but when you're traveling for a LONG time, you kinda want something more filling than chips or cookies.
So here's the top 5 reasons why Cup Noodles is the BOMB:
1. It's small and easy to carry. It's packages relatively well, so it can handle being jostled around in your bag without breaking or, in the case of an unprotected sandwich, getting squished. Plus, once you're done, everything left goes straight in the trash and clean-up is easy.
2. No microwave required. Most other brands of easy-ramen type stuff usually require a microwave, which isn't always available in airports. I've never seen one, though I haven't looked. I'm assuming the people who have them are the restaurants, and I don't know how much they'd be willing to let you use theirs for your own food.
3. All you need is hot water, so by extension, a coffee place. And EVERY airport will have some kind of coffee place, Starbucks or no. All you have to do is walk up to the counter and ask for a small cup of hot water and most places are happy to oblige. The usual fare for this is $0.00 but sometimes I've been charged 25 cents or at most *once* a dollar. Still. Not bad! That combined with about 86 cents for the Cup Noodles makes the MOST I pay for a meal at the airport is $1.86.
4. They are filling. For me, anyways. Just one of these is usually enough to get me by until the next layover or until I get on a plane that will actually give me some food.
5. Time. Once you pour in that hot water, it only takes 3 minutes to be completely cooked and ready for your enjoyment. If you're SUPER pressed for time and you need to get on the plane, use the coffee cup you got for the hot water and poor the cooked noodles and broth back into that. Just put the lid back on, and take it with you. Easy.
