This year, the Diamond dining plan cost $3,982. With this option, students have the ability to eat during all regular operating hours of dining halls on campus and are given $150 worth of Bonus Bucks to spend on other items. For those students without access to a kitchen, or simply those that have a busy lifestyle, the plan provides enough ease-of-service to make mouths happy.

Under the guise of flexibility, Hospitality Services gives you the option of adding late night dining or limiting the times of day that you can access dining halls for perceived savings. What is not advertised, however, is the complete freedom that you can achieve by using another service offered to students.

Rensselaer Advantage Dollars work just like Bonus Bucks, but can be used at more locations around campus, including dining halls, without having to pay the tax associated with purchased items. With RAD, you can purchase breakfast for $5.85, lunch for $7.70, and dinner for $9.59. These prices may initially seem steep—and they are—until you realize how much you already pay in comparison.

Here comes the math. For our purposes, I have assumed that we go to school for 16 weeks per semester, and that we plan on eating seven days per week. My assumption grossly overestimates the number of days that we can use dining services, as it counts dining hall closure days. If you were to eat all three daily meals in the dining halls, the cost, including $150 in Bonus Bucks, would be $5,333.36—you won’t be saving any money this way.

I went one step further this year. I prepared my own breakfast and lunch for $20 per week, and ate dinner at the Commons or Union most nights. Assuming I eat a Commons dinner every night of the semester, this plan comes to $3,068.16—not bad for an overestimate. This year, I will have actually spent around $2,700 on this plan. I don’t have a car, and can eat breakfast and lunch solely from food I purchase at Father’s in the Union. It’s not elegant, but neither is swiping your card at dining halls just to get a bagel.

The most rewarding aspect of this personalized meal plan is the freedom attached to it. If you go out for dinner with friends, Hospitality Services does not get to see your hard-earned money. If you sleep in one morning and don’t eat breakfast, no one puts it on your tab.

Keep in mind that next year, the cost of the Diamond Plan will be $4,140. You can also expect the prices used for my calculations to see a similar increase. If you have signed up already, you can cancel your plan until the first week of school. Check with The Financial Aid Office to make sure that your aid is compatible with a meal plan that is not paid for in advance.