BY JOANNA MONOBE
The Westside Express
The Home Economics Club at Los Banos High School organized an activity for club members where they learned about budgeting through making ramen.
The idea originated from the club’s president, Hailey Tangco, a senior, who decided to turn a simple meal, such as ramen, into a fun and educational experience. Members were given a set amount of “money” and were tasked with creating and elevating a simple bowl of ramen while staying within their budget.
Students were split into groups of four and randomly selected an envelope that contained their price limit. A variety of spices and toppings were available to purchase such as paprika, green onions and eggs, each with a set price, requiring students to carefully plan and prioritize their spending.
As the school year transitions into a new semester, the club has shifted its focus toward real-world situations rather than solely teaching students how to cook. This activity provided a hands-on lesson in budgeting, meal planning and decision-making, all essential life skills.
Marley Zavala , a senior who participated in the activity, shared her experience. “My approach to the budgeting challenge was to choose things that didn’t cost so much,” she said. “I decided what ingredients to use by choosing ones that were $2 and below. The most challenging part of the activity was deciding on the ingredients and not going over the budget.”
Since students worked in groups, Zavala expressed how it added another layer of difficulty to the decision-making process. “It affected our decisions by taking us a little bit longer to agree on what to use,” Zavala said. “This activity taught me that I don’t need a bunch of money to put a meal together. It changed the way I thought of needing a lot of money to create a good meal.”
