<p>I'm hoping to attend FSU in the fall of 2012 and I was just wondering what everyone's thoughts were on the meal plans. I don't plan to eat at the cafeteria that much, maybe three times a week. I prefer to buy my own groceries and honestly, I don't have $3,900 for a meal plan.</p>
<p>So I was wondering do I have to have a meal plan to eat in the cafeteria? If not, about how much cash would you pay per meal?</p>
<p>Any input would be great. Thanks.</p>
<p>You can eat at the dining halls without a meal plan.</p>
<p>Breakfasts are about $7, lunches about $8, and dinners about $11. If you purchase Garnet Bucks, which can be used at all of the on-campus food outlets and which don’t expire, you will save .50 a meal at the dining halls.</p>
<p>If you don’t want to purchase a meal plan make sure you don’t select a dorm that requires you to do so. (Broward, Bryan, Cawthon, Landis, Gilchrist, Jennie or Reynolds)</p>
<p>If you’re going to eat that rarely at the dining halls, DO NOT get a meal plan. Just pay per meal, which will save you a TON of money.</p>
<p>However, do make sure that if you are on that plan, that you are in a dorm that doesn’t require one (as listed above), or else your entire plan will fall apart.</p>
<p>The meal plan is a waste of money. I talk to people on campus and there tired of the same food already. And actually I have used their meal plan a couple times already because they do not wanted it to go to waste.</p>
<p>I agree the meal plans should be avoided. The food is okay, but you don’t save any money (or break even) unless you get the unlimited plan and eat at least 3 times a day, every day. </p>
<p>But if living in those east side halls is more important to you (Honors, Music LLC, etc.), then you will have no choice:(</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/florida-state-university/1140468-new-meal-plan-prices-released-buyer-beware.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/florida-state-university/1140468-new-meal-plan-prices-released-buyer-beware.html</a></p>
<p>Needless to say, I do not recommend purchasing a meal plan.</p>
<p>I totally disagree and I believe that the unlimited meal plan definitely has its benefits. Similar to valet parking your vehicle and paying an added “convenience” fee, as in the meal plan, the benefits may outweigh the added expenses. Having immediate access to your food, without having to purchase, prepare and clean-up after yourself, in my opinion, outweighs the added expense. Just calculate how much time it would take you to prepare all your meals during your freshman year ?</p>
<p>No one is saying it’s not easier to have a meal plan. What we are saying is that it is overpriced and there is no savings by prepaying a semester’s worth of food, unless you EAT LIKE A PIG ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.</p>
<p>^Precisely.</p>
<p>And I even admitted that the unlimited mealplan isn’t a complete ripoff… that is if you use it.</p>
<p>It takes me maybe 30-45 minutes to cook dinner, depending on what all I cook (I follow the KISS rule). The only time it takes that long is if I cook rice in my rice cooker, which takes 26 minutes. I can then also make enough to have lunch the next day. 3 minutes at most in the microwave. </p>
<p>Shopping for that stuff? I go on Friday, when I have no class, to Publix (or Winn-Dixie) using FSU’s buses. Clean-up is pretty easy- maybe 10-15 minutes to do “dishes” (it’s not exactly the smartest way, but I use a lot of paper plates, plastic silverware, etc to ease clean-up). </p>
<p>So, on a day when I cook a decently-sized meal, it takes me MAYBE an hour from start to finish to cook and clean-up. It takes me at most 2 hours to get to the store, shop, and get back- and that’s if I time everything horribly and have to wait for the bus or the lines at the store are crowded. </p>
<p>All that said, if you are going to eat 3 meals a day (or more) at the dining halls, then the meal plans are great for you. In fact, there are plenty of people that the meal plans work great for. The problem is that for the vast majority of people, they don’t make sense.</p>
<p>^^^^^Pasbal-^^^^^</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your reply, but I would never do what you do, example-
<p>^ Funny stuff! Hate to break it to you, but the city of Tallahassee is like a big Winn-Dixie store–just supersized! Gainesville is like a giant Winn-Dixie too, except Gainesville has a permanent hot dog water odor hanging over it.</p>
<p>Too, hope you’re sitting down–college dining halls use paper napkins–not linen, and the silverware isn’t silver, you’ll get bent, spotted, stainless steel forks with tines pointing 4 different directions.</p>
<p>I’m starting to believe that the college experience is going to be a very huge shock for you then. </p>
<p>If you’re expecting perfect silverware, plates, and cloth napkins, you better enjoy Chili’s food because that’s the only place on campus you’re going to be able to eat. </p>
<p>As for not cleaning up after yourself or cooking for yourself, boy I hope you get a big dose of reality when you get here. For your sake I hope you don’t have roommates or live on campus, because you will certainly HATE it.</p>
<p>FSU may not be what you’re looking for, I’m afraid.</p>
<p>I guess that if I get denied by UF and wind-up at FSU, I guess that I will get a cultural shock as I have never been away from home alone and have always been cared for by staff. Seriously speaking, how is the restaurant scene in Tallahassee, and I am not referring to Burger King or Chilli’s. Are there several “nicer” hispanic restaurants near FSU ? Also, if you would be so kind, cost not a factor, what are the nicest dorms on campus ? Thanks David Miami</p>
<p>I’m sure your chauffeur will make recommendations as he transports you around town. </p>
<p>I live like 90% of people and have to actually work and earn a living. Sorry I’m concerned about my budget.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone else for the legitimate help.</p>
<p>Just ignore him. It’ll do you a lot of good, I am sure :). </p>
<p>If you have any more questions, danielle, please feel free to ask them. As I think you’ve probably figured out by now, it wouldn’t make financial sense at all for you to get a meal plan if you don’t plan on using it pretty much daily (at least). </p>
<p>[This</a> page](<a href=“http://housing.fsu.edu/housing/ungrad/mealplans.html]This”>http://housing.fsu.edu/housing/ungrad/mealplans.html) will help you in figuring out what dorms you should apply for in order to make sure that you aren’t stuck in one where you are required to get a meal plan. </p>
<p>You’re pretty much left with the two new dorms, Wildwood and Degraff, and then Salley and the community-style dorms. All of these (except Degraff) are pretty much west-side dorms, although Deviney and Dorman are more centrally located. :)</p>