Doing the math...on meal plans

Figuring out what meal plan to get or whether to have a meal plan at all can be a little tricky, especially if you have never had a meal plan before.  As I mentioned in a previous post, when I looked at my meal plan and other food expenses after the fall of my sophomore year, I decided to drop the meal plan altogether.

To evaluate everything, I wanted to figure out exactly how much I was spending on different things.  I double-checked the cost of the meal plan online and then looked through credit card bills to see how much I was eating out and buying groceries.

(Note that food costs will be different for different people.  Costs can be affected by the region in which you live.  Costs will also depend on what types of food you buy.  For example, buying organic foods will cost a lot more than Ramen.)

For the fall of 2012, I spent approximately $1240 on food.  The actual amount was slightly higher, as I took some groceries from home.  The $1240 was divided up approximately as:
Groceries: ~$280
Eating out on or off campus: ~$260
Dining Hall: ~$700 (I got the "Block 120" meal plan, which cost $1128, but then swiped in a friend for meals for which he repaid me.  We agreed upon this at the beginning of the semester, as I knew I wouldn't eat 120 meals in the dining hall.)

To have or not to have...a meal plan

During Christmas break of my sophomore year, I decided to reevaluate my meal plan.  Actually, I reevaluate my meal plan after each semester.  But during this evaluation, I decided to get rid of my meal plan all together.  My decision was based on what made the most sense financially and on my desire to make my own meals in my dorm more often.

So my advice is to take a good look at the different meal plan options.  One benefit of a meal plan is that your food costs are already covered at the beginning of the semester.  You are also guaranteed a variety of options of meat, veggies, fruit, etc. that would be hard to generate on your own.  Additionally, eating at a dining hall is great for meeting with friends or making new friends.  When I was a freshman, all of my friends had meal plans, and a group of us would go to dinner together almost every night.

On the downside, meals at the dining hall are generally more expensive than if one were to cook for themselves or eat out at somewhere like Noodles and Company or Qdoba.  Many people feel a certain security in having a meal plan with a guaranteed number of meals, but then fail to eat at the dining hall enough.  And when I decided to drop the meal plan, there was no problem for me with using a payment method other than my dining hall card.

For me it came down to a few factors.  I did not have as many friends with meal plans this year.  Also, I enjoyed cooking on my own when I had the chance.  Even when I was on the meal plan, I wasn't eating at the dining hall often enough to make it worth it.

What's your dining hall story?