He is a shady character, but we were under the impression that he wasn't about to lose his house, what with his being a Gulf Coast contractor and having not spent the past 20-plus years supporting a family. My bad.
Yeh, I practically live off of pasta as it is. Fortunately, I was raised by a chef, so I know a lot of inexpensive variations. For example: I can make a gallon of chili using strictly fresh ingredients, nothing canned processed or precooked, for $13. Add in $2 for a pound of uncooked elbow noodles and tax. You got 18 - 20 plates of food for less than a dollar per plate. A gallon of my spaghetti sauce costs a bit less and generally covers more pasta. Fresh alfredo sauce is unfortunately pricey though.