Meals for Three? Huh. Not exactly revolutionary. I've been eating meals for LESS than three for years on campus. I'm not saying that they're nutritious, but they'll satisfy... sort of.
Finding these rare deals has been a combination of behind-the-scenes work experience, trial-and-error, and careful research, and now, for the first time -- we're sharing!!
Here are some ideas if you are super hungry at the library and find yourself counting the quarters at the bottom of your backpack and still coming up short:
What? Toasted bacon sandwich
Where? Tim Horton's, any location that has sandwiches
Cost? ~$1.50, depends on the person who rings it in for some reason
How to Get it: Order this exactly: "A white/brown country bun (pause) toasted (pause) with bacon." They may or may not tell you that it's not possible to order this, because some of the cash registers won't let them ring it in (or they are new and don't know how) BUT, if you complain enough, they usually call the manager and they will ring it in manually. A country bun (if you want that on it's own with butter) should ring in at 89 cents, and if the manager has to type it in, bacon is an extra 50 cents. Then, if you're real adventurous, you can tell the sandwich person when they're making it to put mustard or something on it if you like. You can't order it with lettuce though (i've tried), because then they just charge you for a BLT (no tomato), which is like three bucks.... I discovered this little gem when I did an unfortunate 2-month stunt working there 2 summers ago.
What? Chips and Guac / Chips and fresh Salsa
Where? Burrito place at Nat Sci
Cost? $2.50
How to Get it: Simple, it's on the menu (i think). I like it because they give you a ton of chips, and its delicious and satisfies my hunger cravings unlike something like.. hmm... a muffin would, for example.
What? Bagel with cream cheese / Bagel with cheese and cucumbers / Everything Bagel w. butter
Where? Tim Horton's
Cost? $1.15 - $2.40
How to get it: Again, not really rocket science, these are some of the classic Timmy's offerings. BUT, if you're hungry, and have like a dollar... an everything bagel toasted with butter still gives you the satisfaction of a meal.. even though it isn't really (the onions kind of heat up when its toasted and have a flavour, unlike most things at Tim Horton's...) And, if you feel like a sammy, but can't afford it? Toasted sesame Bagel with garlic cheese and cucumber: you've got crunchy freshness of cukes, with the garlic flavour.... it's kind of satisfying?
What? Fries, Rice, Noodles, Potatoes, side dishes of all kinds of exciting variety
Where? Any campus residence (ideally Delaware because it's central)
Cost? THE BEST DEAL: ~$1.00 for a huge plate
How to get it: the actual challenge (if you don't live in residence) is getting in. Yes, ideally you have a friend who lives there and they sign you in as a guest, and sometimes I've told front desk staff I'm just using the caf and they let me in... but otherwise... use your imagination. The actual COST of everything if you don't have the Rez meal plan is pretty much double what kids in Rez pay, so most things are expensive... BUT, some things aren't. With a meal plan, a big plate of fries is 60 cents... without, it's $1.20 (still a deal). The same goes for most starch-based side dishes (as listed above). You just order them "to go", and order them alone, and they usually just fill the whole plate (aka: big enough for lunch). Ice cream is also cheap, if you feel so inclined. There might be other stuff, I just haven't lived in rez in a while, and don't really remember... ** Coffee is also $1.00 or less**
What? Toast, classic 2-eggs breakfast, grilled cheese, hamburger (by itself), and... a lot more
Where? The Grad Club
Cost? Under five bucks, (grilled cheese is particularly satisfying/cheap)
How to Get it: The hardest part is actually discovering this place or actually physically finding it. It is in the basement of Middlesex College. Just go down the stairs to the bottom level and walk down the hallway, it's kind of in the middle of the building-ish. It has signs posted all over the doors saying you need to be a member, etc etc... but you definitely don't. The MAIN draw about this place (for me) is that you can pay with credit card, so if you forget money entirely one day -- you're not screwed! (but you have to spend over $4 to use debit/credit)
... plus I'm sure a lot more hidden treasures! If you guys know of a cheap place/item that I haven't posted here -- shoot us an email (
publications@usc-uwo.org) about it and we'll post it for all to see (on here!) !!!
