I'm guilty... That's right I admit it! But can you blame me? My bank role's in the red, I'm unemployed(traditionally speaking) and for less then four bucks I can have a three-course meal! The latest value menu I've explored was that of Arby's. Curly fries, ham and cheddar melt, chicken sandwich, and a chocolate milkshake all for $4.26. What?!? I know, I know, In order for them to sell me food at prices like that they are supporting factory style farming and unsustainable water consumption and government subsidized feed lots and antibiotic pumped livestock, but it satisfies my hunger! For 1 dollar and a few cents I can have a flame broiled double cheese burger, and for $.89 I can eat a 5 layer burrito (Steven you are wrong, it's disgusting). Let's really take a good look at how and what eating cheap means. Let's say for instance I have a weekly food budget of $70. I could spend $70 at the grocery store and if done properly I could survive for 2 to 3 weeks off canned soups, ramen noodles, and tasty cake pies. Or, with that same $70 I could eat one value double cheese burger three times a day for 21 days and not have to clean a single dirty dish. Well thank you but that's a no brainer! (Calculations based on the potential diet of one single man in his late 20's with no family to support or any concern for colon health). Hell, when I go to a bar for a bite to eat and a beer I will spend at least $15 including tip. Now that one meal could count as two if I take half my meal to go but we've all been there... it's just easier to eat the rest then to rap it up. So lets face it folks, the value menu is our economic saving grace. If we were forced to pay actual food cost prices, (the cost of food produced from a sustainable, unsubsidized farming operation) our fragile economy would plummet into the swirling toilet bowl depths along with the budget saving, colon crushing, 5 layer burrito. Any suggestions? I'm hungry.sd