By Maria Dinh–

Sophomore Maria Dinh offers advice on how to use flex points

Students are approaching midterms season, otherwise known as “low flex season.”

Here are six ways to keep those last few remaining flex points.

Download the GET App

Having this app will make accessing and checking account balances much faster. It shows recent purchases and how many points are left on the account. The app also allows the options to refill flex points and Cardinal Cash through the website.

Evaluate Those Purchases

 Look at recent purchases and see where that extra $10 went to in one day. Maybe this could be a meal with a drink or Starbucks. If staying on campus four out of five days of the week is the reason, try bringing a lunch box.

If Starbucks has become an unhealthy habit, try downsizing that favorite drink from a venti to a grande.

Normalize Lunch Boxes

Lunch boxes aren’t just for PB & J sandwiches, leftovers to reheat on campus are another good option. There are a few microwaves around campus. The two public ones are at the commuter lounge on the second floor at the Student Activity Center and in the corner of the POD at the Belknap Academic Building.

Also bringing a personal water bottle will help save money on a fountain drink or bring a reusable coffee cup from home to save 10 cents on a drink.

Look Out for Discounts 

With Grubhub as the campus food pick up app, students receive emails with codes that can save $1 on the next order. Take advantage of that code and use it wisely.

Ask a Friend for a Meal Swipe

Some students do not use all of their meal swipes, so by the end of the semester, they are rushing to get rid of them. Ask if they can cover lunch one day, but first see if that is okay with them.

Only Spend on Lunch

It’s tempting to get a granola bar at the POD for breakfast, but there is an option to  get a pack of granola bars for less than one bar. Maybe have a banana in the morning before going to class.

With all that said, please do not go hungry to save flex points.

We all need to eat lunch even if we have to stop drinking Starbucks for a while and carry a lunchbox in our backpacks.

File Graphic// The Louisville Cardinal