Eating on campus doesn’t have to be expensive.
Many of UF’s 45 dining options offer deals for students to get the best bang out of their buck.
Hanna Hein, a 17-year-old UF animal science freshman, said Flex Bucks and declining balance are both great options that give students the freedom to eat at different places.
“In the Fall I plan on doubling up on both declining balance and cooking for myself,” Hein said. “With the declining balance, it will help me to manage my money and plan how I want to allocate them.”
You can link your bank account to your Gator 1 Card and use it to buy items at the UF Bookstore, pick up a snack at a vending machine or gain access to dining halls on campus.
The cost of a seven-day, open-access meal plan for Fall costs $1,896 with tax. This plan includes $100 of Flex Bucks and the ability to visit Gator Corner Dining Center and Fresh Food Company as many times as your stomach can handle.
If you’re going to want three meals a day, the unlimited meal plan is your best option, said 18-year-old UF journalism student Christine Thomas. “It’s really convenient to have the ability to set up your Wells Fargo account with your Gator 1 Card,” Thomas said. “It’s your everything when you’re a student. You need to have it on you at all times because it is your meal card and the way you identify yourself after taking a test.”
Although the bank options are convenient, some students are concerned there aren’t enough affordable deals on campus.
Giselle Ponce, a 19-year-old telecommunication sophomore, said she doesn’t think the food places on campus want to help students out on saving money.
“Subway is the only place I can go to and get a full meal under $5,” Ponce said.
She said that some factors that influence students to eat out instead of cooking include the convenience of grabbing something on the go and the time you save eating out. The Reitz is a great central place on campus to do just that.
The lowest priced items at Subway include a yogurt for $1.50, cheese pizza for $3.47 and five options for a $5 foot long. Students looking to stretch their dollar can visit the Burger King located in the Reitz Union, which has $6 menu items and is one of few places that serves low-priced items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Burger King offers its Whopper Jr. for $1.59 and its apple pie for $1. Not to mention that Panda Express, Croutons for you salad lovers and Pollo Tropical are among many Reitz alternatives to mix up your daily food choices.
While the Hub is one of the busiest locations on campus, it provides quiet study areas as well as low priced meal options. Students studying for exams can enjoy a Starbucks 12-ounce brewed coffee for $1.75 or a cookie for $2.25. The cheapest deals at the P.O.D. Market include 10-cent Pixy Stix and a 99-cent table of goodies stocked with Oreos, Stride gum and Hershey’s chocolate bars. If you’re eating on a budget, you can stop by the Chick-fil-A located in the Hub and purchase a medium waffle fry or medium drink for $1.79.
David Looney, the associate director for Business Services, said the 45 points of service on campus have special offers from time to time.
“I think we do a great job of meeting the needs of the majority of students,” Looney said. “We continuously evaluate students’ needs and look for ways to bring great food options to campus.”
This story originally ran on page 21 on 8/14/2013 under the headline "Finding food deals on campus"
