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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]"Um do you have a kid in college yet? The food is generally terrible and dining halls close by 8 pm often. My DD Often had to order Uber eats because she had just come up for air from classes and studying and the dining halls were closed. Plus sometimes she just wanted decent food."

I really don't get this. Has it changed that much since we were students? In my dorm 35 years ago, they always had a salad bar and a sandwich/hot quesadilla table. (California!) If what they served that day was awful or for some reason you didn't feel like eating it, you could just eat a hearty salad and load it with proteins, or make a sandwich or quesadilla. And if there was a day during the week when you were scheduled for a class during a meal, or it was too far to return to your own dining hall, you could eat in a different dining hall. In the worst case scenario, you could have the cafeteria people pack a lunch for you, or even set aside a plate for your dinner. They were usually cleaning up or starting food prep for the next day until about 9 at night.

None of this stopped us from ordering pizza almost every night. You paid by how many slices you ate. Today, an 8-slice pizza in the neighborhood near UMD costs about $20 with the tip and delivery fee. It is cut into about 10 slices, so $2/slice. That doesn't add up to hundreds of dollars a month. If someone had a car we'd pile in about every other week and search for a taco truck. Some of my favorite memories are of the times someone's parent would send them a $20 bill. Back then, $20 would buy enough tacos al pastor to feed four hungry students! We also had a frozen yogurt shop on campus and you could sometimes convince the kids on your hall to take a break and walk over there for a $3 cup of mango fro-yo.

It sounds to me like lots of kids order out because they're bored. That's fine, and to be expected. But instead of doing it budget style, they're ordering expensive meals from Uber Eats at $25 a pop. Same with the expensive coffees that some kids drink daily. I plan to give my kid about $50/month for "walking around money." But I have no problem telling my kid that he can pay for expensive stuff like Uber Eats out of his own money that he earns, just like I do now while he's a teen in HS and living at home.

What makes even less sense are the kids living off campus in an apartment with a full kitchen. They have no excuse for not liking what is served, since they are their own cook. And they have a freezer where they can keep some ready-to-eat meals stashed for days when they're too tired or busy to cook for themselves. 
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