<p>how does pay for food at penn work? do you have to get a meal plan and can you just get the least expensive one? are there nearby supermakets to the campus?</p>
<p>ALL FRESHMEN must get one of the 4 main meal plans. Dining dollars carry over from the fall to the spring semester, but meals do not. The first four are the meal plans for freshmen to choose from: <a href="http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/eCampus1/PennDining/MealPlans/MealPlans.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/eCampus1/PennDining/MealPlans/MealPlans.htm</a></p>
<p>Are you allowed to add to the number of Dining dollars? For example, if I want the blue plan but know I'm going to use more than just 275 Dining Dollars, am I allowed to add more?</p>
<p>Or, once I use up my meal plan / dining dollars, am I just allowed to charge things on a credit/debit card? That would simplify life.</p>
<p>To continue the conversation with myself, I was wondering what "bursar" means. I've seen it on a few other meal plan threads.</p>
<ol>
<li>Yes, you can add dining dollars whenever you want.</li>
<li>Yes you can pay for meals and items that you would use dining dollars for with cash.</li>
<li>Bursar means that it will be charged to your monthly university bill. Basically charge now, pay a month later. People bursar anything from Books to food. The most popular "Bursar" are Ipods, specifically Video Ipods. I think all the bill says is "Computer Connection" or "University Bookstore" when the charge comes up so your parents won't actually know you bought an ipod, lol.</li>
</ol>
<p>I say go for the option with the most dining dollars and the fewest meals (Liberty Plan). Very few people I know are able to shell through all their meals even on this option (and when you calculate it out the individual meal costs are quite high)! Dining dollars are a little more versatile than the meals. Getting more meals than what the Liberty Plan offers... I have no idea how you'd go through so many, let alone find the time to eat them. And yes sarah you can use your cards/cash to buy things, but the meal plans are pretty spendy alone, so it's best to avoid spending more cash if you can help it.</p>
<p>Are Dining dollars the equivalent of 1 dollar? Or are they more valuable...say like a Euro?</p>
<p>equivalent</p>
<p>Are you also allowed to add the number of meals if you decide you want a few more meals?</p>
<p>yes, but you must select to add them, i believe, in intervals of 15. For example, you must buy 15 meals to add, or 30 meals to add, etc. </p>
<p>**Definately get the Liberty Plan (Or whatever plan has the most dining dollars) because you will never use all the meals on the other plans and you will severely lack in dining dollars.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice :)</p>
<p>At which locations can we use Dining $? And I assume that since they carry over, that means that you buy food plans each semester, right?</p>
<p>are freshmen allowed to get any of the other plans? (other than quaker, red, blue or liberty)</p>
<p>---------aha, nevermind, just read the "rules" contract thing</p>
<p>Retail Locations mean you can use dining dollars, Residential Locations mean meals</p>
<p>so you have to pay for a meal plan every semester?</p>
<p>If you choose the Liberty plan (125 meals + 400 dining $) to the Red plan (210 meals + 150 $) will you be able to cover the difference between the meals (85) with the difference between the $ (250)? Or you will have to spend several hundreds of real $ in addition?</p>
<p>a great math question but the answer is a people question. How many meals do you eat........the best advice I can give you is to get a calendar. Now, look at the academic schedule, count the weeks and think about holidays and such. You will quickly get a feel for the patterns of a semester. This is a very personal thing really. Do you for example sleep in on Sundays.........lots of kids eat the Penn Brunch with friends. Would you be more inclined to go out??? Those are the kinds of things people here cannot answer or factor for you. ie I eat sushi lots of day for lunch.......Houston. What is it that you are used to versus what you might select if your free will guided you????</p>
<p>It is a "money question", hazmat. Never being in the USA (thus - not knowing the prices) I try to figure out what will be the expenses of my kid. He will have to work for every $ he will spend (Here we have low income, but lower prices, too). My kid is not a great eater, and for sure will not take breakfast in the dining hall, nor will he take 3 meals during the weekends (but he will not leave the campus ). Often he will prefer to take a sandwich, a piece of pizza, a cup of salad or some fruits than to go to the dining hall. Still it seems to me more reasonable to take a meal plan with more meals, to leave some of them unuzed and to by additional dining $ (if he has earned real $ :))) ), than to be OBLIGED to buy dining $, due to the lack of choice. I don't want him to stay hungry! By the way - how much approximately does it cost to buy a piece of pizza, a hot dog or 1 kg of apples?</p>
<p>Ok, your expectation is very clear. If the goal is the greatest amount of food and no additional dollars then book meal plan with meals. One can also use the meal plan to buy grab n go items in other locations....ie
<a href="http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/dining/%5B/url%5D">http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/dining/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.upenn.edu/foodplaza/%5B/url%5D">http://www.upenn.edu/foodplaza/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.penndining.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.penndining.com/</a></p>
<p>I recognize you have not been to US so when you remark that your son will "will not leave the campus" please be aware that he can eat from many places and do just that. What you are saying is he will not spend $$ off or in addition to the Penn Dining Plan. Your son can probably choose the plan that has some dining dollars and predominant amount of meals......it will work fine. This will allow him to go w/ friends and eat at places other than DiningHall. Anything else I could help you with??? If this isn't a good explanation please advise and I will try again. I know how important it is to know that your son will not be hungry while a student regardless of the money. Well come to Penn, you must be proud and happy.</p>