Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Geneseo chapter.

It’s that time of the year when we’re all running low on meal plan when we need it the most.  Instead of hounding your freshman friends for their leftover meal plan cash, try some of these meal deals!

 

Rebecca Williamson and friends:

  • Best deal: A half portion of stir fry usually has more food than a full portion but it costs a lot less meal plan money.

  • Beast deal: $6-$8 MJ smoothie bowls are one of the healthier options on campus and costs just as much money as something unhealthy

  • Worst deal: Although this isn’t really a meal deal, online ordering can be more of hassle than ordering in real life. People have stolen my friends’ orders at Starbucks and MJ. Sometimes, they are also not quite ready for the time you ordered for.

    • Especially don’t do this if you have dietary restrictions. I can’t eat dairy and I’ve ordered vegan grilled cheese online, waited an hour, and gone to Letch only for them to THEN tell me they’ve run out of vegan cheese. – Jess

 

Sydney Julien:

Worst deal: MJ SMOOTHIES SUCK AND ARE OVERPRICED. FIGHT ME IF YOU DISAGREE

 

Jessica Bansbach:

  • Best deal: Fuckin. Eat bagels until you become a bagel. Frankly not even kidding. They’re really cheap.

  • Best deal: Bring plastic containers and steal food from buffets like Food Studio North or RJ. Cheat the system. Honestly my main go-to.

  • Worst deal: Don’t get food labeled vegan or gluten free unless you actually are those things; they’ll end up being more expensive.

  • Best deal: Buy a carton of eggs from Letch and make eggs a few days a week at your dorm.

  • Best deal: Never tell the cashier the truth about whether or not you have protein in a sandwich or how many scoops of ice cream you have etc unless it’s pretty obvious. You’ll get charged more.

 

Victoria Cooke:

  • Worst deal: Buying Letch/MJ/Books and Bytes coffee.  Jamaican me crazy is NOT a substitute for Starbucks and you know it. Just pay the extra dollar for the grande cappuccino that you DESERVE.

  • Best deal: Make your freshman friends with huge meal plans/friends like me who always have extra meal plan pay for you. Forge alliances and save money.

  • Worst deal: Having a meal plan.

  • Best deal: Living off campus and going to Wegmans.

 

Hannah Fahy:

  • Best deal: Skip the protein! Your meals will be at least $2 cheaper if you don’t add meat to them. You will still get protein from an egg and cheese sandwich without the bacon! Sometimes it’s nice to add that tofu, chicken or any meat-of-choice, but if you’re running low on meal plan, this is a super easy way to cut back costs.

  • Best deal: Make your own coffee! For Christmas, Hanukkah, or any holiday that you celebrate, ask for a Keurig Mini. They are less than five inches wide, and they make nice coffee! I also buy powdered creamer in bulk to put in my morning coffee.

  • Best deal: Have family dinners! Once a week or once every two weeks have all your friends pitch in to buy a home cooked meal! Go on a giant Wegman’s run, buy some real vegetables, go back to your dorm and cook a nice meal! This will also make some really fun memories.

 

Madeline Reichler:

  • Best deal: Cultural dinners happen regularly and tickets are usually about six dollars. You get dinner and show, and there is always a ton of extra food so if you bring containers you can take a lot home.
  • Best deal: The admissions office ALWAYS has a plate of cookies out for prospective students. Do you have what it takes to sneak in there and take one? If so, they’re free.
  • Worst deal: Bottled water. There’s no reason to spend 2-3 dollars on a 20 oz bottle of water when most buildings on this campus have a water fountain with a filter. Just get a reusable bottle instead.

 

We hope these tips help you stretch your meal plan so you can maintain brain power during finals!

 

Follow Her Campus @ Geneseo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Rebecca was the Campus Correspondent for Her Campus at Geneseo. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English (Creative Writing) and Communication. Rebecca was also the Copy Editor for the student newspaper The Lamron, Co-Managing Editor of Gandy Dancer, a Career Peer Mentor in the Department of Career Development, a Reader for The Masters Review, and a member of OGX dance club on campus. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @Becca_Willie04!
Jessica Bansbach

Geneseo '20

Jessica Bansbach is a junior psychology major who has more campus club memberships than fingers and toes. In her spare time, if she's forgotten that she's a college student that has more pressing matters to attend to (like, say, studying), she enjoys video games, thrift shopping, and ruminating. She was elected "funniest in group" by her summer camp counselor when she was nine and has since spent the next eleven years trying to live up to the impossible weight of that title.
Sydney is a member of the class of 2020 majoring in International Relations and Political Science with a minor in French. She is also Vice President of Geneseo's club figure skating team and coaches local kids in the sport on the weekends. While she's not really sure where life is going to take her yet, she's optimistic about the future.
Victoria Cooke

Geneseo '20

Victoria Cooke is a Senior History and Adolescence Education major with a Women's and Gender Studies minor at SUNY Geneseo. Apart from being an editor and the founder of Her Campus at Geneseo, she is also the co-president of Voices for Planned Parenthood and a Curator for TEDxSUNYGeneseo. Her passions include feminism, reading, advocating for social justice, and crafting. In the future, she hopes to inspire the next generation of history nerds and activists.
Hannah Fahy

Geneseo '20

Hannah Fahy is a junior English secondary education major at SUNY Geneseo. She is very involved on campus as the secretary of Circus Club and a general member of Musical Theater Club. She is also the social media coordinator of the Geneseo Her Campus chapter! She is an aspiring unicyclist who enjoys reading, donating blood, and knitting. She is always learning a new skill because she believes that you should never stop learning.
Madeline is a senior Psychology and Women's and Gender Studies double major at SUNY Geneseo. She is the President of the Pride Alliance, Assistant Coordinator of the Safe Zone program, and a Program Coordinator in the Office of Diversity and Equity. She may not have a lot of time to write, but she loves to contribute what she can to Her Campus Geneseo!