Did you know prisoners once used instant noodles as money?

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]Did you know prisoners once used instant noodles as money?

[00:00:03]In some prisons, instant noodles became more valuable than cigarettes because noodles were cheap, useful, and easy to trade. They started functioning like money.

[00:00:14]Prisoners used noodles to buy favors, food, and everyday products inside prison systems. This shows that almost anything can become money [music] as long as people trust it and accept it as valuable.

[00:00:27]The value spreads [music] to other items that people accept as payment.

[00:00:31]In the end, money is not just paper or coins.

[00:00:34]It is something society agrees [music] has value.