<p>That’s 160 meals per semester, right? Junior doesn’t eat breakfast most days, so he figured the unlimited was not worth it. But the 160 is barely less expensive than the unlimited. </p>
<p>I think the 90 plan would not be enough to get him through the semester. Anybody have any experience with this issue?</p>
<p>Have you thought about going with the 90 and bumping up if he sees a need to increase to the 160?</p>
<p>Contact Dining Services (Elizabeth) and see how many ‘swipes’ he did last year. This info might surprise you…or help you make a decision at the very least. Contacts: [Bama</a> Dining Contacts - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://bamadining.ua.edu/pages/contacts.html]Bama”>http://bamadining.ua.edu/pages/contacts.html)</p>
<p>Slippy, we still haven’t made a final decision regarding which meal plan to buy. I took Proudmama3’s advice and asked dining services how many times my son visited the dining halls last year, and boy was I surprised! 536 times! That’s 268 times a semester! WOW! Granted as time went on last year it did seem he started to venture off campus more…and this year he will not only have more money in his pocket, but he will have his car with him. But 160 meals per semester is only ten meals a week. Seven lunches and three dinners? UGH! I hate decisions!</p>
<p>We are thinking the 90 with a bump up if needed. She usually doesn’t eat breakfast in the dining hall.</p>
<p>Remember if you buy meal plan by Sept 6, the 60 and 90 meal plans get additional 12 and 16 free combo meals (used in Ferg), respectively. That’s ~1/week. (The unlimited nets 24 free combo meals.) [-</a> The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://fawp.ua.edu/bamadining/]-”>http://fawp.ua.edu/bamadining/)</p>
<p>Slippy - go for the 55 or the bronze.</p>
<p>55 = 8.47 per meal
Bronze = 8.81 per meal
Silver = 8.73 per meal</p>
<p>Your son can always PAY for campus meals - he doesn’t have to use a meal plan get food in the caf. He can use dining dollars when it’s $5 Fridays. He can use dining dollars for Subway at the Ferg. </p>
<p>If he’s going to the caf a lot, you can bump up without penalty - no risk - but you can’t go down and what you choose now locks you in for the whole year.</p>
<p>90 meals should be enough. If he runs short, then buy the add on.</p>
<p>The way I remember is that 10 meals a week is the most that a person can stomach. I’d go 160, just in case and then cut back next semester if needed. GL</p>
<p>^^ You CANNOT cut back the next semester. What you choose in fall locks you in for spring.</p>
<p>Slippy, I was surprised that my son had 348 swipes last year. He is still on campus this year without a car so as I think he will eat alot in the cafetaria, we are going with the 160 silver plan. The unlimited is only $181 dollars more but S says that the silver will be more than enough (especially with the 16 punches for the food court). That’s $362 he’ll now have to eat off campus if he wants.</p>
<p>Two questions on the meal plans:</p>
<p>1) If we start with the 90 for fall and then upgrade later in the semester to the 160 if we see that 90 is not enough are we locked into the 160 for spring or the original 90 we signed up for? </p>
<p>2)</p>
<p>It posted too soon…</p>
<p>2) The addons that M2K speaks of for 10-20 meals - do they still offer something like that later in the semester?</p>
<p>We are starting my son off with the 90 meal bronze plan for the fall. He did swipe ~280 times last year but he said some of those were just snacks and he is living off-campus at The Lofts this year.</p>
<p>If any student finds they have too many meals, they can always donate to someone in need. Here is the online form to use: [Student</a> 2 Student Donation Form](<a href=“http://bama.ua.edu/~auxsrvcs/bama-dining/student-2-student.html]Student”>http://bama.ua.edu/~auxsrvcs/bama-dining/student-2-student.html)
This is a small, but meaningful act of community service.</p>
<p>PS: I’m going to ask, but I think even those with unlimited plan can donate - they would count against their 10 guest meals. Stand by…</p>
<p>Yes, you can donate a meal no matter what plan you’re on. We’ve done it every semester. Son had the unlimited freshman year, the 90 sophomore year, and the 50 last year. We’re doing the 55 this year. I found that son did 70 swipes his fall semester sophomore year, so I decided on the 50 plan for junior year and monitored his sweeps to do the Thrifty 20 if needed. He cut it close, but even had enough to donate in the fall. Because he likes to meet his friends for lunch on school days, I felt comfortable doing the 50 plan again for senior year. I can tell you, this summer, he has no meal plan, and he’s got a hefty credit card bill for his campus meals during work, so I’m actually going to save money when he goes back to using the meal plan and eating at Bryant again.</p>
<p>Last year my D used roughly 190 swipes per semester (10 in each semester were guest meals) and she really liked the dining hall food, but we’re going to start with the 55 meal plan in the fall. I figure she can always increase it, but she can’t decrease it. My concern is that last year, she and all her friends had the all-access plan, so they had incentive to eat in the dining halls. This coming year the friends probably won’t have the unlimited meal plan and therefore might not eat in the dining halls as much. And if her friends aren’t going, D probably won’t go either. I’ve told D to eat wherever she wants to, and if that is the dining hall, she can use her Dining Dollars or Bama Cash to pay if she doesn’t have swipes left. The incremental cost of a cash meal over a meal plan meal isn’t that much. And sometimes it’s less (breakfast, lunch every other Friday, late night and other specials), and it makes more sense to NOT use a swipe.</p>
<p>The add on plan seems to appear around mid semester. I think that Bama Dining doesn’t advertise that at the beginning of the semester so as to not confuse people.</p>
<p>Beth’s mom, you always post what I think but in a much clearer and detailed way. Perhaps you would be willing to translate to C2012son as well?</p>
<p>^^ I just sat down with DD and showed her the numbers on meal plan swipes versus other payment options. Wanted to drill the the true cost of a swipe (don’t waste one on a coffee and cookie run!), and how to prioritize her pre-paid options (meal plan for meals first, dining dollars for snacks first and meals second), and when it makes sense to just use cash. </p>
<p>It was a very good exercise, and hit home about USING her meal plan since we have to pay for one. I will be interested to see what her actual swipe pattern is for planning next year…</p>
<p>I will note that during the summer, son only eats at the food court or in his room, so he’s not using a meal plan. But during the school year, while he’s taking classes near Bryant and his friends who will be living off campus will also be in his classes, they may go over to Bryant to eat lunch, rather than going home to their apartments to eat. I wonder if Bryant will have lunch deals. I would prefer son to eat at Bryant, healthier choices, so that’s why I’m ponying up for a meal plan for his senior year. If he doesn’t have a meal plan, he’ll likely hit the fast food joints in the Ferg instead, which he’s been doing this summer. Son has always had breakfast in his dorm, as he’s always had 8 am classes, and after sophomore year, he mostly had dinner in his dorm, stuff from the grocery, so the lowest meal plan has been fine for us, and has not been a waste of money. In fact, he uses most of his meal plan, plus most of his dining dollars, so I’ve actually had to reload his BamaCash for the first time since he’s been on campus so he has laundry money.</p>