In my last post, I referred to the rat as a useful source for easily accessible food. Regardless of what type of meal plan you have, it’s easier than you think to make the most out of what you’re already paying for. No more needless runs to the grocery store every week to keep your dorm room stocked full of snacks!
Here are a few ideas and tips to make the most of your meal plan:
Even if you’re eating in, grab a to-go box to take a meal with you for later. I also highly recommend purchasing the green reusable containers for only $5. For example, today they served one of my favorite meals so far—Dim Sum—which included brown rice and multiple choices of dumplings (with teriyaki sauce might I add!). I ate a plate at the rat and took some in a container to go to keep in my dorm fridge for later.
Also make use of the Rat’s fresh fruits and veggies. They usually have apples, bananas, pears, and/or oranges up for grabs. Sometimes I take two—one for now and one for later. For the first few weeks of the semester, I kept purchasing fruit from Kroger when I could have just made use of what’s available in the Rat!
Another useful tip is to stock up on little items such as sugar packets, tea bags, and peanut butter. The rat has mini peanut butter containers to go which come in handy when making a pb&j in your dorm. I also use the sugar packets for my morning coffee and tea bags for my late night tea time. These are all overlooked items that I’m already paying for in my meal plan, so why waste more money buying them from a grocery store?
Making use of the rat’s resources has saved me so many trips to the grocery store. Using your own containers to bring home soup, salad, or even cookies can be so beneficial for having (free!) food in your dorm. It also comes in handy for when you’re having those late-night munchies after rat hours. I hope some of you can use these hacks to your advantage as they’ve helped me a lot, as well as my bank account ;).
(photo 1: medium.com, photo 2: basket.com)