Sounds like my mom when Hamburger Helper came out. 5 cents of pasta, pour a 15 cent can of Campbells soup on it. HH was 35 cents a box and more work!
you know the college in our little town is back in session when you overhear young people in the grocery aisles cell phoning their moms and exclaiming 'did you know that hamburger helper DOESNT come with hamburger????' 'do you know how expensive hamburger meat is these days???' (and you overhear the moms all replying the same answers to both questions 'yes, actually I do')
yup-never had a 'helper' type food until adulthood.