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Utilize deals, coupons and apps to save on dining

April 20, 2015

It doesn’t always have to be that way though, and students at MSU have developed several different strategies to alleviate the cost of food, while still nourishing their bodies past what peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese can do along the way.

The first and most obvious of these strategies is going to the grocery store. It’s no secret buying and cooking one’s own meals is the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to save money, and stores like Kroger and Meijer are the most popular places for students to flock.

“I always go to Meijer and get in on those 10 for $10 deals,” kinesiology sophomore Matthew Charlick said.

Religious studies senior Micah Zylstra has his own distinct set of strategies when it comes to saving money on food. Zylstra said he likes to head to Meijer on Thursday nights to buy food such as a pizza before the weekend hits. That way, when the late night snack cravings come along, he can save money by not making a trip to Conrad’s Grill.

There’s no denying it can be tough on students sometimes, and despite advertising sophomore Emily Vrabel’s joking suggestion that “sometimes you just have to eat and drink water” there are several other options for MSU students.

One of these is the app known as Hooked. The app is free to download, free to use and features short term and constantly changing deals on as many as 40 different restaurants in the East Lansing area.

Advertising junior Forrest O’Brien has been an intern for Hooked since he saw the opportunity to apply at the bottom of a mass email sent on to MSU students.

O’Brien is one of three students who run the Hooked app at MSU and said some of the best deals on Hooked include 50 percent off per slice at Georgio’s Pizza, $4 pizzas at GoombaS Pizza and half off sliders at the Landshark Bar and Grill with the purchase of a drink.

And while O’Brien does recognize that grocery shopping will, without a doubt, always be the best way to save money on food, he still feels Hooked has its place on college campuses.

“Most MSU students don’t have a lot of money to spend on food,” O’Brien said. “I’m a student like everyone else. ... Now people understand that this app is not going to be cheaper than going to the grocery store and cooking your own meals ... but what this app does is it lets you go out to eat with friends for cheaper than you originally would.”

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