Last week, was the first week of my lifehacks on cutting expenses and saving money. I told you all about how I went paperless in order to save money on all things education and career. Up next in the money-saving series, college campus food! I don’t know about you, but the food at the dining halls just is not the most thrilling of cuisines. Since I live on campus though, I have to have a meal plan, and since I have to spend that money, I might as well make the most of it–right? So, I have below some tips and tricks to vamp up the food at the dining halls and make eating much less expensive (while not tasting gross!).

Green2Go

Photo by PennState

I cannot express enough how great of an idea and how beneficial for all parties Green2Go is. Not only is it much better for the environment than the traditional styrofoam containers, but it is also such a great way to save money! Personally, I’m not the hugest advocate for environmental protection–honestly, I do what makes fiscal sense for me–but, the convenience that you get from Green2Go is enough to push me to use them. I do not know why more people do not use them!

Anyhow, what I do, is I get dinner from the buffet using Green2Go. I don’t know about you, but the food that I can pack into that Green2Go is way more than enough for one meal, so I get plenty of lots of different items that I then separate into tupperware containers for more meals throughout my week. This allows me to have the lowest meal plan and still get plenty to eat. (Last semester, with meal plan level one, I had over two hundred dollars left over!).

You also get every tenth meal free! So, any time that you use your Green2Go, get a punch, and you’ll have a free meal in no time.

Budget Your Points

Photo by Courtney McDowell

Forever an advocate of all things Google, I also use Google Sheets to keep track of my meal plan. I created a spreadsheet that allows me to input the meals that I purchase using my meal points. From there, it keeps track of the total amount that I have spent, my balance, the number of days that have already passed in the semester, and the number of days that remain in the semester. I have created a template of this spreadsheet that you can access to make a copy of here.

All you have to do is put the semester standing in the top cell, and all of the dates and day calculations will fill themselves out. Then, just put n “x” into the meals that you eat, add any additional dollars that you spend in “Other,” and you’re golden.

Comment below any money-saving tips that you may have!

Over and out.

-Courtney