![]() ![]() While they’re donating, we give them information about different ways that they can get involved both on- and off-campus,” says CEO and founder Bryan Pezeshki. That will curb those snack attacks so common with (still growing) college students and help avoid paying for the higher-cost meal plans.“Students don’t just donate the meals to us. Have mom or dad stop off at a nearby Costco and buy non-perishable food – think power bars, peanut butter, and nuts – and store it in your dorm room. One last tip – go bulk shopping to save on meal plan costs. Use the money saved on a lower-cost meal plan to shop for yourself, and see if you can’t get a small fridge and microwave in your room, so you can prepare some of those great meals mom and dad sent you on your own. That will mean going grocery shopping, but that’s okay. If, for example, you have a dormitory with good kitchen facilities (and not every dorm has one), you can scale back on your meal plan numbers and cook for yourself several times a week. ![]() If you’re going to aim for a low-meal-count plan – say five meals per week – don’t do so until you’ve checked out your dormitory’s kitchen and room cooking options. Some colleges may frown on this habit, so check with the dining hall staff first. Using your card to swipe for a single banana is a waste of money, given that the next student who gets a salad, pasta, a drink and dessert is paying the same amount of money, per swipe, for a meal.īetter yet, bring a Tupperware container and bring your leftovers back to the dorm instead of throwing them in the trash. Make Your Meal Swipes CountĪnother way to maximize your meal plan swipes is to eat a real meal. On the other hand, feeling obligated to eat every meal can contribute to the freshman fifteen, so perhaps it is better to match the meal plan to your eating habits than vice versa. Use those early weeks to determine the number of meals that work for you, and try to eat your way all the way up the maximum meals you’re allowed on your plan. Most schools give you a grace period for a few weeks, allowing you to adjust the number of meals you really need on a meal plan, upward or downward. The idea is to max out perfectly on the number of swipes you’re allowed on a daily, weekly, monthly or semester basis.Īny unused swipes are a waste of money, so keep an eye on the number of swipes you’re using early in a semester. It’s up to the college student to know how many swipes are left on their meal plan card. ![]() Ask your college if that option is available, or if you’re visiting campus on a college tour. That way, a sandwich and a bottle of water cost less than a full meal, with soup, salad, an entrée and dessert. Some schools may also offer a swiping model based on per-item costs, (i.e., what you actually get on your tray). As the UCLA model shows, each can cost up to $12 (and more, depending on which school you attend), so meal costs can and do add up. The more card swipes you get, the more a college meal plan will cost. Students simply pay for a plan in advance with a certain number of meals (although some offer unlimited meals) and are provided a card (it could be their student ID), which they use to swipe every time they get a meal. Know the Swipe Modelīy and large, college meal plans operate like most credit and debit cards, under the so-called “swipe” system. Here’s a checklist of things you need to know to make the best meal plan selection. To get the best and most affordable plan, college students, and their parents who may be paying for those meals, should understand how college meal plans work, and what each (literally) brings to the table. Five Steps in Choosing the Meal Plan That Works for You ![]()
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