How to Get the Most Bang for your Lyons Buck
At Wheaton College, there are several different meal plans available to the student body. The first plan is the Carte Blanche plan that first years are automatically put on. In this meal plan, you have unlimited meal swipes to Chase Dining Hall, located on lower campus near most of the first year dorms, as well as $50 Lyons Bucks. The remaining meal plans are for sophomores and up. They can choose from the Carte Blanche meal plan or the other two. The middle meal plan is 225 meal swipes, with $350 Lyons Bucks and the last plan consists of 150 meal swipes, with $525 Lyons Bucks. Typically, the higher up you are in class year, you will pick a meal plan with a lower number of meal swipes and a higher number of Lyons Bucks. But what are Lyons Bucks you ask?
Lyons Bucks are like free spending dollars you can use at any of the cafes on campus - Balfour Hood Cafe, Davis-Spencer Cafe, and the most popular one of all, Emerson dining. Emerson dining has a Starbucks as well as made-to-order sandwiches and salads. But it can be challenging to budget ourself for the whole semester on just a few hundred dollars. Here are some tips to help you through the semester.
1. Check your balance often
The food at the cafes can be quite expensive at times, so its important you are aware of how much money you have so you're not left blind sided come week 7.
2. Don't mind leftovers
The salads and sandwiches from Emerson are HUGE! Don't force yourself to eat it all! Instead, eat half and save the rest for a late night sack or tomorrow's lunch!
3. I know stealing is bad, but sometimes it's okay
At Chase, you're allowed to take food out of the dining hall. When you go in for meals, bring a container or two and make yourself a salad or grab an extra sandwich to go. This way, you get essentially two meals for one swipe and you can save your Lyons Bucks for later!
4. Make your own food!
College is expensive. But sometimes, it's nice to have something a little extra special. Olivia '18, says she makes her own coffee with her Keurig in order to save some Lyons Bucks for other meals.
Do you think it's helpful, or unfair that freshman are only allowed to use the first meal plan?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the steps in this post because I am enrolled in the 3rd meal plan and I find it very useful to follow these steps. I always check my balance every 2 weeks or so after buying stuff in Davis Spencer cafe or Emerson. As well, I take leftovers from Chase and Emerson all the time to bring back home and I eat it later during the day or another day if I store it in the fridge. Management is very useful when you have changed your meal plan.
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