It's no secret that college students eat out a lot. They choose everything from fine dining to frequent fast food runs, which makes it easy to spend financial aid money on meals.
What many students don't know about, or take advantage of, is the wide world of discount offers available to them in the Western New York area. Coupons, specials and happy hours are all designed to cut the costs of food expenditures for students willing to seek them out, without having to turn to the widely exhausted value menu.
Tony Mansour, manager of Natalie's Caf?(c)-Deli on Millersport in Grover Cleveland Plaza, said the 10 percent discount for UB students offered at his restaurant is aimed to help those struggling with light pockets.
"I used to be a UB student myself," said Mansour. "Coupons and discounts really helped me a lot back then, what with all the other expenses I had. Students should definitely take full advantage of them, they add up."
Natalie's has a menu comprising of souvlaki, gyros, falafel, and soups and sandwiches, typical college student staples.
Other area North Campus-area restaurants that offer student discounts include Fuddrucker's, at the corner of Maple and Sweet Home Roads. Fuddrucker's has a menu filled with burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads and sides. The restaurant offers a 15 percent discount to UB students.
Other restaurants have daily and weekly specials, and select discounts offered during certain times of the day.
Buffalo Wild Wings has a Tuesday special of buy-one-get-one free wings, a Wednesday special of 50-cent legs, and a Thursday special of 50-cent boneless wings.
Chinese food is incredibly cheap and comes in large portions at Chinese Cookery, located on Millersport in the Getzville Plaza. The restaurant, although small and typically used for take-out, offers combination platters ranging in price from $5 to $6.
And don't forget the holy grail of college eating: pizza. Mark's Pizzeria, Papa Leo's, Stevie V's and Pizza Hut are some that participate frequently in discounts, which are usually printed right on the menus, making them hard to forget.
Restaurants aren't the only places students can save. Those looking to save some money on food supplies should keep in mind that coupons aren't only for your mom's grocery excursions anymore. Even receipts from places like Tops Friendly Markets have coupons printed on the back, and they are also frequently sent in the mail to most homeowners.
Entertainment coupon books, which provide a plethora of savings for a multitude of places ranging from the Olive Garden to McDonald's, retail for about $30. The giant book also includes discounts on movie tickets, recreational activities, and dry cleaning, as well as many others.
But many students still say coupons are too much of a hassle, and the only discounts they use are ones they remember from area advertisements.
"I won't cut coupons," said Shaun Spellman, a junior business administration major. "Advertised deals that catch my eye, like bar specials published in The Spectrum, are really the discounts I take advantage of."
For those who are willing to take the time to clip and organize them, coupons remain a great source of discounts, but students should also be careful to look into taking advantage of the specials offered at restaurants and other dining areas.
The main reason students say they don't use coupons and student discounts is because they forget, or the savings seem difficult to discover and they simply can't be bothered.
"When I remember, I use them," said Jennifer Shalik, senior psychology major. "Usually, though, I have to search to find out about them."
Overall, the cheapest way for students to save cash may be to cook at home as much as possible, though that does not limit the way students can get a discount on their food.
"I use coupons, but really only for groceries," said Peiju Shen, graduate finance student. "I rarely eat out. I usually cook at home for myself."
