To the uninitiated, Meal Plan Dollars (officially called MPD) seem like an amazing deal. “What?” exclaimed freshman-year me. “I get extra money to spend on more food? This is amazing!”

Alas, after depleting all 150 MPD within the first two weeks of the quarter (curse you, Late Night), I quickly realized that I was actually getting the short end of the stick. Unlike peer schools that offer students the option to eat fewer meals, Stanford asks all students to pay the food fee. It’s important to note this, since you pay the same even if all you eat for breakfast is a bowl of Cocoa Puffs that probably cost R&DE less than 10 cents.

I know, I know, the money is necessary for the upkeep of dining halls. I think our dining staff comprises some of the best people on campus. So, we’ll make do with what we have. Here are five easy tips, with bonus alliteration, to stretch those Meal Plan Dollars.

Do your math

We Cards pay a flat rate for meal plans, regardless of the amount we eat. During the 2015-16 school year, it costs $5,761 total. Looking at just the $2,091 amount for fall quarter, we can see that this averages about $9 per meal, if you go for the 19-meals-per-week meal plan. Not bad.

But if you want to eat something besides Arillaga’s infamously dry chicken everyday, the story is different.

If we think of MPD as regular dollars, we subtract the 155 Meal Plan Dollars from the $2,091 fee, and the 14 meals per week come out to $12.30 per meal. Ten meals per week comes out to $15 per meal. That’s a hefty price to pay for a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

So, if you want the most bang for your buck, go with the 19 meal plan.

Breakfast brilliantly

Cereal and milk from Munger could last a week. Granola bars can keep under your bed for months. Let’s face it: How often are we actually hungry AND awake at 8 a.m.? Swap the $9+ breakfast for a filling snack-meal of Munger goodies and rejoice. You’ll have enough Meal Plan Dollars to last the entire quarter.

Lunch logically

However, most Stanford students like to change up their meals from the daily salad bar. Most R&DE cafes (aka the only places that allow you to use your MPD) are closed for breakfast and dinner. So the best time to spend your MPD is at lunch. A hot lunch of baked salmon with pesto over rice pilaf at Olive’s will set you back about $7.50, but the portions are so big, you could save the rest for dinner. Subway is also a good choice for lunch — upgrade to a footlong for about $2 more and save half for dinner. (Did I mention that investing in a mini fridge is a great idea?)

Snack smartly

Late Night can be bad for you and your wallet. Swap the overpriced chicken tenders for some sensible snacks at Munger, where you can buy Chobani yogurt for $2, a box of baby carrots for $1 and a loaf of sourdough for about $2. Spread some Nutella on that, and you’ve got a midnight snack better than the $8 acai berry bowl.

Shop sensibly

Speaking of Munger, skip the $4.50 Naked juice and coconut chips. Grab some organic dark chocolate almonds from the bulk section (letting you choose exactly how much you want to eat), a can of Pringles for a little under $2 or a quart of milk for about $2 to go with some boxed granola. Even the gelato is a reasonable splurge: At $4.05 for a medium cup, the Italian ice cream is comparable to Palo Alto prices, without even factoring transportation costs of going outside of the Bubble.

 

Contact Samantha Wong at slwong ‘at’ stanford.edu.