<p>I'm an incoming freshman living on campus (Tolbert) and I'm wondering what you guys think about the UF meal plans. I'm trying to save a good amount of money, and was considering getting the $1800 14 meals a week plan. But after reading up a bit on UF dining, I notice a lot of people suggest getting the declining balance or just using a debit card. But I'm not a huge fast food person, I prefer fresh veggies and fruit and all that wholesome good stuff. I'm working while at UF and my schedule looks pretty packed so buying fresh food from walmart or publix probably isn't gonna happen. I mean if the dining halls are the only places that have fresh stuff it seems smarter to me to just get a meal plan. What do you guys suggest?</p>
<p>If you’re good with money you could try to just pay for your own food as you go, buying meals at the dining hall or keeping groceries in your room. If not, you may want to do the meal plan at least your first semester…that way, if you’re broke you know you’re going to be able to eat since it’s already paid for.</p>
<p>Also, if you’re planning to be eating the bulk of your meals at the dining hall anyway, it may be simpler to just buy the meal plan.</p>
<p>If you want to save money the meal plan is definitely not the way to go. It is only economical if you are a big eater and actually go eat all your meals at the cafeteria (which will get old). You’ll go out with friends, skip a meal or two, find it inconvenient enough to not make economic sense. Get a small fridge for your room and buy some fresh food.</p>
<p>agmama: meal plans are a 2 semester commitment, right?</p>
<p>aviatordream: I’d say the 14 meals is a great option in your situation, till you figure out a schedule for stocking fresh food in the fridge in semesters to come. Fresh food doesn’t remain too fresh (or tasty) even in the fridge 
although a fridge will certainly help for the late night snack. The 14 meal will force a discipline for “healthy” stuff – useful in the first semester or 2. Theoretically you could do it by going to the dining hall via the debit card option, but the power of the meal plan might well draw you there. College is quite a bit about making a habit.</p>
<p>As you can see, it is a bit of lifestyle/discipline issue, so different people will have different things working out.</p>
<p>agmama: meal plans are a 2 semester commitment, right?</p>
<p>aviatordream: I’d say the 14 meals is a great option in your situation, till you figure out a schedule for stocking fresh food in the fridge in semesters to come. Fresh food doesn’t remain too fresh (or tasty) even in the fridge although a fridge will certainly help for the late night snack. The 14 meal will force a discipline for “healthy” stuff – useful in the first semester or 2. Theoretically you could do it by going to the dining hall via the debit card option, but the power of the meal plan might well draw you there. College is quite a bit about making a habit.</p>
<p>As you can see, it is a bit of lifestyle/discipline issue, so different people will have different things working out.</p>
<p>the meal plan is definitely a full year (2 semester). You don’t get to just “try it out”.</p>
<p>Note that there is only a $60 difference per semester for the Open Access 7 day a week and the 14 meals a week meal plans. You do get $100 more in Flex bucks for the 14 meals a week plan, but it seems like Open Access 7 days a week will give you lots more flexibility and the ability to stop in to a dining hall between classes and grab some fruit or ice cream any time you want. Might be worth the extra $60/semester.</p>
<p>Note also that you can start with the declining balance (or just use your debit card) and then buy a prorated meal plan if you find you want to use the dining hall a lot, but not get out of a meal plan once you’re in. (special exceptions apply) And it is a 2 semester commitment.</p>
<p>I’m a transfer student and will be commuting, so I don’t know about the length of the meal plans. I did look up a commuter plan and I thought it was priced per semester, but maybe I was wrong. I will be commuting from an hour away so will definitely have to eat lunch while I’m there. I’m not working and can be bad with money, so I was tempted to buy a meal plan so I don’t find myself hungry, but out of money lol.</p>
<p>On the FAQs it does say that you have to commit to 2 semesters, but that you can change the plan in the 2nd semester.</p>
<p>Agmama, if you’re an hour away from campus I wouldn’t recommend a meal plan at all. It is a rip off if you are not constantly eating on campus.</p>
<p>I am living on campus with only a bike for transportation, and can’t cook to save my life, so I got the 7 day unlimited plan. But that’s only a good deal if you are eating most/all of your meals in the dining centers.</p>
<p>Living an hour away means that I can’t run home for lunch so I’ll have to one meal in Gainesville each day. I say I’ll pack something, but I know I won’t. I’ll forget to do it the night before and then be in too big a hurry in the morning. The commuter meal plan is 65 meals a semester plus 25 dollars in flex bucks for $480. I haven’t counted, but I think that’s one meal per day of class. There’s another option that’s the same price but it’s 300 in flex bucks and then some meals, but I can’t remember how many. I’ve just been known to spend all my money (not hard to do when I don’t have a regular job. I live off financial aid and helping my dad with his auction business, plus occasionally selling baby goats or rabbits that I raise). I feel like it might be better for me to just prepay for my food out of my financial aid money so I know I will be able to eat lunch each day. I have to think about it some more though.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s a good deal for you agmama. If you calculate the average amount per meal based on that meal plan, each meal costs ~$7.77. If you went and individually went out for lunch each day of the semester, you would probably spend less money than that per meal. I doubt you spend almost $8 for your lunches.</p>
<p>This is true. I need to check out the dining halls and see what kinds of choices there are before I decide. I liked the idea of having access to a salad bar and other fresh foods/healthier choices as opposed to eating fast food every day. The first time I went to college I lived in a dorm and we had to buy a meal plan. The dining hall had a home cooked type meal option, burger and fries type option, custom pasta option, an awesome salad bar, fresh fruits, ice cream bar and a ton of beverage options. Since that was a little 2 year school in Podunk, Ga…I’m guessing UF’s dining hall is going to have at least that level of choices.</p>
<p>Yeah, really the first semester gives you a good feel for what you need to do. It’s hard to tell if you’ll be going to the dining hall everyday or if you won’t like the food and won’t go at all. There’s a big learning curve. That’s the scary part about dishing out a lot of money for a meal plan if you decide it’s not worth it. Getting advice from commuter students with similar situations is basically all you can do.</p>
<p>If you want to have lunch at the dining hall, and only lunch, it would be MUCH cheaper to just pay the per meal charge for the dining room. You don’t have to have a meal plan to use the dining hall. My daughter did not have a meal plan but occasionally ate there when her friends with meal plans went there to eat.</p>
<p>The meal plan makes the meals $7 each…which is some savings, but not a ton. You’re right, I may not eat there every day and end up wasting the meals. I’ll probably just buy as I go and bring my lunch from home.</p>
<p>Meal plans are great for the first semester as to time management, since grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning up takes time. It also forces some social activities outside of class for the socially shy.</p>
<p>With this being said, its a lot of food and unless you get the full plan (unlimited access) the cost differential is not worth it.</p>
<p>While there is supposed to be a 2 semester commitment, I do not think it is enforced. Declining balance (unless you get flex bucks)) is a complete waste. </p>
<p>Sign up for the e-mail notice and look for deals. Otherwise, rent a fridge with your roommates (or get a mini-fridge) and make your own meals for the most part.</p>
<p>“Are meal plans worth it?” IMHO in a word, NO! </p>
<p>My daughter was a freshman at UF last year, and we chose the Declining Balance (DB) option. This worked out great for her, because she could use it for Chick-fil-A, coffee at Starbucks in the libraries, or grabbing a salad or sandwich at the grill in her dorm to take back to her room when she was studying…She lived in Trusler (in the Graham complex). There’s a little convenience store on the first floor that has a deli and grill, where they make sandwiches and burgers - very convenient!</p>
<p>A DB account allows you to eat anyplace on campus, including the dining halls - where you just pay per visit if you don’t have a meal plan. The prices at the dining halls vary according to time of day (i.e. breakfast is the least expensive, and dinner is most expensive). I don’t think she went in to Broward (Fresh Food Company) or Gator Dining more than a handful of times the whole year, but she could’ve done that if she chose to. It just so happened that her group of friends liked to hang out in the Hub between classes, not in the dining halls. </p>
<p>I kept up with what we spent for meals vs what a meal plan would’ve cost, and we spent MUCH less than half the price of a meal plan! We spent less than $1000/semester on meals, vs over $2000 the meal plan would’ve cost! Plus she wasn’t limited in her choices. She could also go off-campus; most places in Gainesville accept Gator 1 cards, but this only works if you have actual money on the card (i.e. declining balance), not a meal plan. </p>
<p>In fairness, the full access meal plans include a fixed number of “Flex Bucks” that allow you to eat at other places on campus besides the dining halls. The problem is that you buy these dollars in addition to the cost of the meal plan, and they expire at the end of each semester. DB dollars never expire; they carry over from semester to semester until you graduate, at which time any remaining balance is refunded to you. There are also special times throughout the year, during which any money you deposit in your DB account is boosted by 10%, so I always put in money during those times… For instance, I deposited $300, and she was credited with $330. </p>
<p>I’ll be happy to discuss our experience more if anyone has questions. But IMHO, a DB account is the only way to go!</p>
<p>If you get declining balance, its basically giving the university your money as an interest free loan (you can buy food off campus at mid-town, or pay cash or debit – why advance the school the money and tie it up where you cannot use it for other things?).</p>
<p>The only exception as pointed out by msmom94 is when they give additional credits, such as getting flex bucks or extra credit for making the purchase. </p>
<p>Each day there is a “special” where food is less (however, its the junk food type stuff like pizza or Moe’s).</p>