At Wofford College we are afforded several dining options as well as the ability to use our meal bucks at local restaurants, to purchase (usually) overpriced snacks at our convenience, and to get the occasional takeout pizza delivered right to our dorm. So how is it that we should use these "Terrier Bucks" and our meal swipes or our own hard-earned cash? Is there some sort of perfect cohesion or formula or balance?

The short answer is: no. There is no perfect methodology but there are many right and wrong answers. First of all- don't spend all of your Terrier Bucks in the fall because they will rollover to Interim if you are on campus and that is a wonderful late holiday gift indeed. If you thought being able to get a (sometimes) quick but always very clutch meal from Phase V late at night on a Friday was the way to go, wait until you have almost three hundred T-bucks to your name and one month to spend them all. It's unlimited chicken tenders for days.

Whatever you do though, don't forget the merits of visiting Phase V or Zach's or Player's Corner during meal tradeout times and Burwell during typical dining hours. Not only will you be able to more effectively save and utilize your Terrier Bucks but you'll also have a more readily available variety at your disposal when it comes to balancing meals. A typical day for me sees a rotation each week between what places I deign to eat at day to day- Monday might be breakfast at Burwell, lunch at Phase V, and dinner at Zach's, whereas the next day may be something altogether different.

Now let's discuss eating out and about on the town- with or without Terrier Bucks. I wouldn't recommend always hitting places like Cribbs or Lime Leaf with T-bucks because it'll eat through whatever amount you have relatively quickly (even on the Village plan). Rather, balance things out by spending some of your own pocket change on occasion if you do decide to eat out, and if you're the typical poor college student that most of us are you'd either better eat on campus or find a job.

Don't be afraid to get out and explore your town- especially if you're a Wofford student or otherwise around Spartanburg like me. If you're not, I'm sure most universities feature similar setups and systems with meal cards and meal dollars. Find your own balance between going out and staying in. Don't favor one too much over the other or you may find yourself spending unnecessary money or resources. But most importantly, enjoy yourself, your company, and you meals.