I saved thousands of dollars by sneaking into the dorm cafeteria for food...
During my freshman and sophomore years, I was on an athletic scholarship and food was included. My junior year I tore my ACL and stopped playing and lost my meal plan. I was essentially on my own. No support from my single mom and dad wasn’t in the picture at all. I got a job on campus and that covered my rent, fuel, books and tuition. I had no extra money for food or extra curricular activities.
My on campus job had a fat stack of free mini pizza coupons from Pizza Hut. I took every single one of them and had a mini pizza every day for about 3 months.
I also would sneak into the dorm cafeteria to eat lunch. I would wait for it to get real crowded and while a large group of students would gather to swipe their meal cards to enter, I would try to blend in and I’d walk right in.
I did this a few times a week for two years.
I remember thinking that if I got caught I’d play the victim card and basically make the argument that I was a literally a starving student.
I saved thousands of dollars in food.
Saved me.