I used to think bagged beans were for lazy cooks, then I did the math

For years I refused to buy those pre-soaked bags of beans at my local H-E-B in San Antonio. I figured dry beans cost like $1.50 a pound and the bagged ones were maybe $2.50, so why pay extra? Then my buddy who works at a food bank pointed out that I was throwing away soaked beans every time I got home too tired to cook them. He said the real cost is the electricity and time of slow cooking for 3 hours on a Tuesday night. So I tried a $1.89 bag of pinto beans last month and dinner was ready in 25 minutes flat, plus no wasted batches. The bagged ones also have no weird additives, just beans and water. Now I keep a bag in the pantry for nights when I only have 20 bucks left before payday. Anyone else find a shortcut that seemed bougie but actually saves cash over time?