Ok… our family… can I say this without sounding bad… we are Cheap !.. Crazy cheap… we don’t waste money…and on food…it’s a mortal sin… with 8 people on an income of $65,000… you learn to be frugal, use coupons, compare prices…
2nd son is not as frugal as 1st & 3rd son (those 2 are funny, 1st son refused to get a meal plan at all at his college after the 1st year telling me what a waste of money it was…he cooked at his apartment buying everything in bulk & he was very proud of how much he saved)… 3rd son. … some of the things he has said. thankfully his girlfriend understands and appreciates a SAVER … being a “tightwad” or they would not get along. ha ha
Back to 2nd son…I’ve noticed in the last couple years… yeah… he’s watching his money… he will make comments, even faces to the high prices of some things… like “are you kidding me?”…
Now, sure there will be exceptions… going out with some friends, he may want to try one of those $5 smoothies… I can’t at all see him making this a habit… because it will come out of his bank account…and he will know that… Whatever plan suits him is fine… but he’s going to manage it -and if he needs more money, it’s on HIM to buy more Flex dollars…
Does he need 3 meals a day…Not at all… but a couple things here… this is a SMALL college campus… (only a little over 1,000 students attend )… there is not many other options to eat anyway… no Starbucks or anything like that… would he want to grab a coffee, a few sausage links & a muffin in the am… and that’s all for breakfast… he COULD… then fill up more at Lunch & dinner…
With our family… when we plan a day for a smorgasbord…well sometimes that’s the only meal we eat all day… that’s a real Treat !.. he knows all about “filling up” when the food is there… I don’t see , with a plan with 3 meals a day… any need at all for snacks… he will feel like he’s eating like a King.
I doubt 1 person in our family has ever used a vending machine in our lives…this to us, would be a colossal waste of money…
If he wants snacks on hand. they will be bought outside of campus -where it’s a deal… He would understand this is most cost effective… and agree.