The Marketplace is one of the most convenient places to eat on campus because of its central location, but the prices can sometimes be a turn off. When you’re running low on your meal plan or you don’t have much money to spare, it can suck having to pay between six to eight dollars for something to silence your hunger or quench your thirst.
These are four ways to save some money in the Marketplace when you don’t want to spend too much money, but have no where else to go.
1. Get an Iced Coffee and ask for Pumps of Flavor at Starbucks:
Photo by Christina Millan
Starbucks is the place for coffee in the Marketplace and they are known for their specialty drinks that can be pricy. If you’re in need of coffee and don’t want to spend five bucks on a Caramel Frappuccino get an Iced Coffee with a pump of caramel flavoring and add half-n-half. If you want to add extra sweetness ask for whipped cream.
A large Iced Coffee cost less than three dollars and pumps of flavor are about fifty cents. You can get your sweet tooth coffee for two dollars less with this simple trick. I suggest pumps of mocha and raspberry.
2. Skip Out on the Chicken at Chick-N-Bap:
Photo by Laura Schorr
So, I know that the chicken is the main ingredient of Chick-N-Bap’s most popular dish, but if you get a plate without chicken, the price goes down from six dollars to two dollars. They compensate for the lack of chicken with extra rice and lettuce. The rice and sauces are so good they can make you forget about the missing chicken.
This trick can help you when you’re hungry and the only place to go is the Marketplace, but you don’t want to spend a ton of money. This dish is only two dollars, thats only a few cents more than a bag of chips and cheaper than getting a hummus cup with pretzel chips.
3. Grab a Mango Lassi instead of a Mighty Mango Smoothie:
Photo by Christina Millan
I personally don’t mind blowing my meal plan on smoothies because they are amazing and a gift to humans, but I do have to eat real food too. When I have to get food and I’m craving a smoothie I get a mango lassi at Moghul. A mango lassi is a thick mango drink that taste very similar to a Mighty Mango smoothie from Red Mango.
This drink is only two dollars compared to a small smoothie from Red Mango that is a little over five dollars. Although nothing can satisfy a smoothie craving, this comes pretty close and is worth the price.
4. Don’t Get a Protein at Mein Bowl:
Photo by Christina Millan
Mein Bowl is the Asian Cuisine section of the Marketplace that offers Lo Mein, Fried Rice and a variety of Asian side dishes. A trip to Mein Bowl can cost between six to eight dollars for decent Asian food, but you can get basically the same thing for three dollars if you don’t get a protein.
When you order, ask for either rice or lo mein or both. Don’t get any chicken or tofu and go straight to the toppings. They should charge you only for lo mein, which is three dollars. My only warning is that they can be a bit stingy and charge you fifty cents extra if they think you asked for too many toppings.
Photo by Christina Millan
The Marketplace is no longer for the wealthy or those that throw caution to the wind, it now has options for those that need something cheap to eat in between classes in the most convenient place on campus.