Like most freshmen, I was required to purchase an on-campus meal plan for my first year. For that first year, it was great. About three weeks into the semester, I realized I was leaving money on the table, as I wasn’t utilizing all of my available meals, so I started making late-night runs to the ice cream shop on campus or for the special late-night waffles sold in one of the restaurants on campus.

Most college students know that about halfway through the semester however, the food quality drops off drastically. The once convenient pleasure of going down to the dining hall for a nice meal takes a turn as the quality and variety of what’s served starts to falter. The rumor passed around on campus was that it was because it was less likely for parents to come around at that point in the semester, and thus there wasn’t an incentive to impress. They already had the money, after all.

At the end of freshmen year, I was looking at my budget for the upcoming fall semester trying to find ways to save some additional money. I was self-funded, worked two jobs, and saving where I could was important at the time. I had been able to save on textbooks by borrowing copies at the library, and moving off campus wasn’t an option for me at the time (I had also figured that paying for 12 months of housing and not using 3 of those months wasn’t economical either, especially considering furniture costs), so I took a long hard look at that oh so convenient, but subpar meal plan.

When I did the math, I found that I would have to spend $250 a WEEK on groceries to match the cost of the meal plan for a 16-week semester. One could feed a family of 4 with that sort of budget, or eat out for most meals, and yet schools are charging that amount to feed one person low-quality food for the duration of their stay. On our campus, there were stores within walking distance or along the bus line that carried groceries, so I decided to drop the meal plan for the next year.

I had been worried about the limited ability to make good-tasting food in such as small space with limited resources, but it worked out. I didn’t lose out on the memories of going to the dining hall with friends, as I could still pay to get into the dining hall for some meals within my weekly budget. I could also treat them to a homemade meal every so once and awhile. If I had to estimate, I likely saved over $4000 by not having a meal plan for my last three years, and I had the pleasure of making exactly what I wanted, whenever I wanted it, without having to rely on what the dining hall was carrying that day.

Cooking in a dorm, or even an apartment if you have limited cooking experience, can feel intimating, but the goal of this site is to help you learn how to cook despite these challenges, whether for financial reasons or if you are tired of sad, slightly cold, campus burgers.

Calculating the Cost

If you also want to calculate the cost of having a meal plan, the math is simple.

Meal Plan Cost / Semester Weeks = Cost per Week

That value would give you how much you need to spend in order to match the price of the meal plan. You might be surprised by how much you could save!

The USDA has a monthly cost of food report that shows expected expentitures at three different spends levels per age. For the average college student, they estimate you could be spending on the low end of $60 a week up to $110 a week. You may find that this number is lower than the expected weekly cost of your meal plan, and decide to switch! However, there are some circumstances where it may not make sense for you.

When a Meal Plan Makes Sense

Meal plans are sometimes the best option in certain situations, and its why many colleges require first years to have a meal plan in the first place. Most people out of high school may not know how to cook, or have money dedicated just to meal costs, which is why its often required that first year. Some other reasons for staying on a meal plan can be found below:

• No nearby grocery stores
• No space for a fridge or microwave
• Schedules that don’t allow for going back to your housing to cook
• Required for campus living

Obstacles like not knowing how to cook can be overcome, so stay tuned for recipes and tips if you decide to kick the meal plan and dive into cooking!