It’s seven weeks until the end of the semester and you’ve been living off meal points all year. The menu cycle you’ve been stuck with since August has been making your stomach churn for weeks now but, with no other options, you reluctantly head to the dining hall. You grab your pizza, swipe your card, and right as you’re about to flash the cashier a smile, you notice that you barely have $200 left in your account.

A few calculations later, you realize you can’t spend more than $4 a day, and, not to be dramatic, but you’re also going to starve.

Most of us have been there, unsure of how to make it through the rest of the semester on a dining-dollar budget. Here’s how you can survive the rest of the semester with what’s left of your meal plan.

Dos:

• DO: Eat as many of your meals you can stomach within the campus dining commons. These places are the most efficient use of your money, since you receive the full 65% student discount.
• DO: Try to eat as often as you can within your living space. If you are lucky enough to have access to a kitchen, consider making meals at home. This can cut your bill in half, and can potentially provide you with meals for weeks.
• DO: Save your leftovers! That half eaten pasta can be tomorrow’s dinner too, saving you a meal swipe or two.

Don’ts:

• DON’T: Spend meal points in your hall’s markets. This tactic may be the easiest way to save points since the market prices don’t provide a substantial discount.
• DON’T: Use meal points at national chains on campus, like Burger King, Starbucks, Panda Express, and Chick-Fil-A. You could blow through your daily budget on one frappuccino…not that we’d know from experience.
• DON’T: Alter your normal eating habits to save money. Though it may seem a financially sound option, health and nutrition should come first.

If all else fails and you’re left with single-digit account totals as April arrives, head to Penn State’s account management system and accept your defeat. Or, if your parents are feeling generous, give Mom and Dad a call and be grateful as your balance magically skyrockets.

If you do need to deposit money to your account, there are two places — LionCash and the standard meal plan balance — to which this money can be deposited. The more popular choice is LionCash, since it can be used for other essentials, like laundry, books, food in select off-campus restaurants, or merchandise from stores.

Many students don’t recognize, however, that you can also deposit money into your meal plan account. This can be done two ways — you can either upgrade your meal plan or deposit an actual dollar amount into your account. This allows you to tailor your funds to your specific needs for the remainder of the semester.

On the other hand, if you are one of the few with ample meal points left and are looking to splurge, head to the HUB or the Creamery and bask in all the overpriced meal choices. Or treat your friends to an all-expenses-paid swipefest in Market East.