<p>Those are some good ideas for saving – I was surprised by the pdf on the BamaDining site (creative ways to use meal plan) that encourages getting enough fruit, cereal, milk for a few days and taking it back to the dorm – ah, the benefits of the all-you-care-to-eat meal plan! D has a designated amount of $$ per semester with her meal plan (essentially, dining debit) and unfortunately, she is somewhat limited, since the cost per meal can get rather steep, depending on the venue. BamaDining All Access will be great for my S.</p>