@lvvcsf@zipstermom and friends – what did you end up choosing for the meal plan?
@lvvcsf I remembered you saying that the Flex 14 was costlier than just getting the traditional plan and giving your child the equivalent amount of Flex cash. I was on an OU webchat with Food Services last month and specifically brought up that point, at which time they extolled the value of the Flex14, saying that nobody uses the 20 meals a week anyway, and the kids like to use their flex dollars at the non-dining-hall options (market, cafe, etc).
Am I missing something here? Look forward to hearing what others have chosen…
Here is my theory. The flex 14 plan is a bit over $1000 more than the traditional 20 plan. It gives you about $450 “flex dollars” and according to OU dining 1 flex dollar is equivalent to $1. It seems I could give my child $450 cash, they would have nearly the flexibility as they would with the flex plan and we would be nearly $600 ahead. Since you only get 14 meals on the flex plan you are in essence forced to use those flex points and if they’re not used they’re lost I believe. With the traditional plan if you do not spend your money it’s still yours and having 20 meals there would be less need to spend it.
I thought the same thing @lvvcsf , based on your original post on the subject. In addition, if one is a hungry person, why wouldn’t one want 20 meals a week, for $1,000 less. It was so counterintuitive that I wondered if this was just a bad pricing scheme or so smart that I hadn’t understood it correctly… Thanks for weighing in! Btw, did your daughter get her room yet? It’s starting to seem real… (:
Today is her selection day. She won’t be able to get on it at the specified time as she has a dress rehearsal for a dance recital. We’re heading to OU June 13-14 for orientation. Yep getting real!
Hi all–It’s been a bit since I have been on CC with all the craziness surrounding the end of the year here! It is all becoming quite real with our last full day of school this Thursday, three days of finals the week after and graduation on June 12.
My son has already picked out his room (a double in Washington hall on the 2nd floor) and his roommate (did that via the OU Class of 2020 FB page) and will be attending orientation just after graduation on June 15/16. As for food, we originaly signed up for the 14 Flex plan, but after reading everything here, have decided to drop to the 14 regular plan and give him the $450 in his debit account. Seems like a win/win. Thanks to those for pointing this out.
Btw, update: got son the 20 meal standard plan for only about $300 more than standard 14 and gave him cash equivalent to Flex Cash. He eats 14 large meals a week. He just could not make it to the caf for every meal. 4 times this semester to date he bought a lunch at Boyd market so he’s already banking his Flex money. He likes the dining hall food so much that he eats there all the time. We’ll switch him to standard 14 and give him side cash again next semester. I must say, having eaten 3 meals a day there during orientation, that the food is delicious and varied. So can eat as healthy or unhealthy as you want…
