There comes a point in every semester in which the mass-produced meals of the dining hall have lost all of their appeal and the monotony of meal-prepping has become entirely too familiar. Upon reaching this point, the obvious solution seems to be to venture out of the comfort of your residence hall or apartment and into the city’s unpredictable weather in order to either give a new restaurant on campus a try or dine in at your go-to spot. However, the cost of attending college isn’t cheap — and neither is dining out. Luckily, there are a variety of apps available for download to help minimize the costs of dining out on and around campus by helping you score crazy deals at your favorite restaurants.
1. Plyo
Do you spend time working out on campus? If so, downloading the Plyo app might just be in your best interest. Plyo offers the opportunity for students to gain points in exchange for time spent at the Recreation & Wellness Center. These points are then able to be redeemed at various restaurants on campus, as well as online. Restaurants offering deals on the app include Frank & Andrea’s, The Cove, Crisp & Green, Qdoba, Black Coffee and Waffle Bar, and many more. Using the app is as simple as allowing it to use your location in order to track the amount of time you spend working out.
2. Hooked
On campus and hit with the sudden urge to grab a bite that won’t make a huge dent in your wallet? If so, the Hooked app might be worth checking out. At any given moment, the Hooked app offers major discounts on a variety of campus favorites — including The Purple Onion Cafe, Punch Pizza, QDOBA, Insomnia Cookies, Subway, D.P. Dough, and many more. Discounts range from BOGOs to 25% of your order. Hooked requires that you input your location in order to match you with all of the restaurants within your vicinity that are offering discounts. Deals presented on Hooked are time-sensitive and rotate every couple of hours, so you’re bound to find something that appeals to you on any given day.
3. ByME
Are you interested in skipping the line and copping a discount at your favorite local joint? If so, ByME might just be the next app you should download. ByME offers a variety of exclusive deals at different restaurants in the city of Minneapolis. Users are able to pay directly with the app in order to receive discounts on different purchases.
5. Various Restaurant-Specific Apps
Can’t seem to find any deals available for your favorite restaurant? Don’t fret too much, because many restaurants offer their own rewards programs accessible via their mobile apps. Around campus, a handful of businesses with their own include Chipotle, Noodles & Company, Crisp & Green, and many others. It is always worth checking to see if a company has their own app in order to always score the best deal.
For those more inclined to cooking their meals at home, I recommend checking out this article featuring 6 Apps You Should Download If You Want to Save Money at the Grocery Store.
If you’re on a particularly tight budget, 5 Ways to Turn Canned Soup into a Delicious Meal is worth reading.