<p>Since I took this thread off the prices of groceries and onto the meal plans, etc, (my apologies to the OP) let me just give a little more information, so that I am sure to be fair to the school, Bama Dining, but also provide some useful information for parents next year whose kids move in early for things like Outdoor Action (and then I will be done, I promise!)</p>
<p>My son moved in on Thursday, 8/7. We had already confirmed his schedule (he had been at Bama Bound a week before, and registered, and I confirmed his schedule on Wednesday 8/6, and I was aware that he would not be able to use his meal plan until the 9th, so I figured he would use Dining Dollars for any meals he ate on campus, and would be with us for much of the rest of the time. I did not realize, though, until we moved him in and started to look at the Bama Dining facebook page, that hours were severely limited for all locations. Beginning that Friday morning, I wanted him to try out as many of the dining options while I was still in Alabama. He stayed in Ridgecrest Thursday night, while our family went off to a hotel. I called him Friday morning to see how he was and what he had eaten for breakfast. Dunkin Donuts was his only option. I took a look at the schedule of hours for the first time that morning (which I still have saved) and here is what was open for students on Thursday 8/7 and Friday 8/8: Fresh Food (from 11-2, but no meal plans accepted on those days), and Dining Dollar options Chick Fil A (7:30-2pm), Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, and a couple of the quick service places that he was not yet aware of (but none were breakfast places.) No dining halls were open at all on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday morning, Lakeside was not open as it was scheduled to be, so my son found Chick Fil A on Saturday morning. Burke and Fresh Food, if open, did not open until 12 noon. By that time, we had picked him up for the day.</p>
<p>This past week, because his schedule was packed with Outdoor Action, and because the students met each day early to pack lunches together, and ate dinner together as a part of the program, finding on-campus dining was not a huge issue. There were a couple of times when he did go to get a late lunch, and he found the Raising Cane’s (Lakeside was already closed for the afternoon.) He was mostly thirsty from all of the outdoor work in the program and also going to the rec center and playing basketball. We had stocked his refrigerator with bottled water and Gatorade, so at least he had that, and he had found all of the vending machines.</p>
<p>I guess what other parents may be able to learn from me is that, during the earliest of early move-in, eating on campus, especially using the meal plan, is difficult to do. Hours are very limited, locations are very limited. Yes, my son had plenty of cash, if needed, but as a freshman, new to the area, without a car, his options were limited to what was on campus, and he had mostly Dining Dollars locations, and even those were closed most of the time. I am glad that we were in town until the 10th, and that, because of all of the move-in and rushing activities going on on campus, we picked him up frequently, particularly for meals. My regret is that we did not make one more trip to the store to buy him some groceries, like eggs, milk, bread, cereal, etc. I admit I made erroneous assumptions about the ease of eating on campus during the first and second weeks, especially with that all-access meal plan plus Dining Dollars. With all the choices, I just thought it would be a non-issue. I was wrong.</p>