<p>Most of the meals on campus are less than that, but they charge you a meal block anyway. For example, there is a place with a salad and shrimp for $7.95 or so. They will charge you a block + $2.</p>
<p>This is crap because it happens even during dinner, and meal blocks are known to be worh $6.95 on every meal but dinner, which is $7.95.</p>
<p>A lot of the meals on campus are like, $3-4 , but they are still HAPPY to charge you a block.</p>
<p>I don’t think at any college the meal plan is seen as a way to save money. It’s a way for a college to make money off of their fairly strong location based monopoly.</p>
<p>Get the plan with the LEAST blocks you POSSIBLY can. DineX can be spent at the grocery store on campus, so you can use it to buy anything you want/need pretty much. I got a plan with way too many blocks, and I ended up wasting tons of money each week. </p>
<p>I’m not proud to say it, but I had my dad (a physician) sign a note saying I had developed a gluten allergy and needed to be off the meal plan. CMU wrote me a check and I’ve been buying and cooking my own food since - and I eat on campus with my friends when they do, and it ends up being much cheaper in the end.</p>
<p>I’m not getting the green but the red. 11 meals a week (2 a day except weekends, which is fine with me since I only eat twice a day and on weekend I’ll likely be out) and $660 flex. </p>
<p>Still the food is actually pretty good to me. Like the sandwiches and breakfast. I <3 Skibo.</p>
<p>You love Skibo now, but after you’ve had every pizza and pasta entree at least five times, it starts to gradually look less awesome. Although their soft serve with rainbow sprinkles never ceases to be sexy.</p>
<p>@ lucky… you will not be eating breakfast after a few weeks…b/c you will be sleep deprived and waking up with just the right amount of time to get to class granola bar in hand…maybe a coffee if you can…smile
PAMELAs for Brunch on the weekend!! A must!!</p>
<p>Seriously-- that is the best choice of plans!
There’s also tons of free food on campus the first few weeks-- lots of groups have BBQs and mixers…your blocks go unused. Some of the greek houses accept the meal blocks too if you want to eat their chef’s food lunch or dinner (if you join).</p>
<p>@ Kate…thanks for the tip on medical-exemptions from the meal plan!</p>
<p>I don’t think the frats take blocks, I think you actually get a prorated meal plan and get some money back, money which is used to pay for your frat/sorority bid. But I could be wrong, I haven’t rushed. </p>
<p>The best breakfast places IMO are Schatz, which always has your staple breakfast food (french toast, eggs, sausage, pancakes, and an omelette request bar), the Library cafe which has sexy bagels that are delicious, and Ginger’s, which has kickass breakfast sandwiches that come on a croissant, muffin or toast.</p>
<p>Yea, I suggest getting off the meal plan as soon as possible after your freshman year. The meal plan definitely does NOT save you money. It’s quite the contrary. Learn to cook a bit and you’ll be set for your future years.</p>