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HACKS AND FACTS

HACK THE SYSTEM TO GET THE BEST STEALS AND DEALS WHILE AT MSU

MSU's Favorite Food and Bar Hacks

Food Delivery 101

Grocery Delivery

In Lansing, many grocery stores now offer grocery delivery through external companies like Shipt and Instacart. These services work similarly to restaurant delivery services (Ex. Grubhub, DoorDash, etc.) and online transportation services (Ex. Uber & Lyft). These services cost money but provide valuable access to food that could be worth the cost depending on your situation.

 

P.S. Before you place your order, make sure you can afford to tip your driver!

 

Our favorite grocery delivery services are below:

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Instacart

Available Stores in Greater Lansing Area: The Better Health Store, Aldi, Meijer, Kroger, Costco, CVS, Sam’s Club, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market

 

Cost:

  • Membership options are annual ($99/year) or monthly ($9.99/month). Instacart express offers free deliveries over $35, eliminates the 5% service fee and busy pricing, and allows you to order from multiple stores in one order.

  • 5% of your subtotal is charged as a service fee.

  • If you don’t have Instacart Express a delivery fee will be charged for more expensive orders.

  • A grocery store may raise the price compared to the in-store price.

 

Key Tips:

  • Instacart lets you create group carts so you can save money and shop together with friends and family.  

  • They have a coupons section for each store offering different manufacturers coupons.

  • Ordering in advance and during off-hours will help you save money from busy pricing.

 

Shipt

Available stores in the Greater Lansing Area: Meijer & Target

 

Cost:

  • Shipt requires either an annual or monthly subscription. The annual plan costs $99/year while the monthly plan costs $14/month.

  • Orders under $35 will add a $7 delivery fee, while orders over $35 have no delivery fee.

  • The price of each Item also costs a bit more compared to in-store prices. This can range from a few cents to a dollar or two.

 

Key Tips:   

  • Students get two weeks free and save 50% on the annual subscription ($50/year).

  • The Shipt app and website display deal and discount sections for each selected store.

 

Imperfect Produce:

Imperfect produce (IP) is currently unavailable in the Lansing area, but if you’re traveling out of state in the summer it may be useful. They source “ugly” fruits and vegetables directly from farmers. Since grocery stores won’t buy deformed produce, Imperfect Produce can ship them straight to your door for cheap.

 

Buying from IP is about 30% cheaper than grocery store prices.

 

Meal Delivery

The number of services offering meal delivery from restaurants can honestly be a bit intimidating. Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub, and Postmates are the largest and most popular services available, but plenty of other options exist. They may be a good option if physically getting to food is a problem for you, especially in an emergency. Signing up for a free trial can help you in a pinch. Let’s do a quick comparison.

 

P.S. Once again, make sure to tip your driver!

 

Cost:  Most places charge through several different fees. For example delivery fees, service fees, and small order fees (fees are placed on top of the food price and sales tax).

 

UberEats: Delivery fee varies from store to store. Service fee: 15% of subtotal. Small order fee: orders less than $10.

 

DoorDash: Fees vary from store to store. Expect to pay a delivery and service fee. Additional fees for small orders and busy times. The optional Dashpash subscription service is $9.99/month and offers no delivery fee and a reduced service fee on orders over $15.

 

Grubhub: Fees vary from store to store. Expect to pay a delivery or service fee.

 

Postmates: Postmate partner stores charge a $1.99 - $3.99 delivery fee while non-partners charge a $5.99 - $9.99 fee.

 

Tips:

  • Utilize free trials in an emergency. Once you use one up, move on to the next service!

  • Look out for deals and coupons. Coupon codes are always in circulation, and at any given time I’m sure you could find one for at least one of these services. Restaurants also offer their own deals through each services site or app.

  • GrubHub offers a student discount: $12 off your first $15+ order.

Prime Apartment Locations for Life Off Campus

There is a wide variety of housing types to choose from, each of which is tailored to the needs of different students. Some of the biggest factors to consider are:

  • Rent levels

  • Location

  • Housing type and quality

  • Neighbor/roommates

  • Amenities (including meal plans)

Everyone will weigh these considerations differently. Here are some tricks to getting the best housing deal you can.

 

  • Start looking early - like November early. Housing close to campus usually goes quick, so if you want to live close, strike fast.

  • There are four main regions students off-campus often live in:

    • Just north of campus, in between Burcham Drive and Grand River Ave: mainly houses and co-ops

    • East of campus along Grand River: mainly apartments

    • Farther north of campus, down Abbott and Hagadorn Streets: mainly apartments

    • Southwest of campus, near Jolly and Dunckel: apartments

    • The most expensive places are usually the apartments just north of campus and east of campus, because they’re so close

  • Before you pick out a place, check out how easy it will be to get to the grocery store. Consider the transportation you have on hand--buses, cars, scooters, bikes, etc. Refer to the transportation tab of this website to learn more.

  • A better location usually means more expensive rent, with fewer amenities.

  • Sometimes an apartment that looks cheap is actually full of hidden fees, which are the real moneymaker for the landlords.

    • So have a trusted friend or family member look it over with you--a second set of eyes is always helpful for catching those little things that slip through the cracks.

  • Don’t forget to ask the leasing agent about utilities!

  • Finding a good place to live takes work. Use the “MSU Free and For Sale” group on Facebook and let your friends know you’re looking for a place to live so they can let you know if anything pops up.

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Here are some tips on how the different types of housing work:

 

  • Apartments and small houses can be lived in by a group of friends, or with individually rented out rooms.

  • Fraternity and Sorority houses are more expensive options with an application process; if you’re just looking for a place to live with a couple buddies, this isn’t the best option.

  • Co-ops usually offer meal plans included in the rent, so they’re an option to consider when resources are tight. The tight-knit living conditions are not for everyone, but if you like living with a large community this could be the place.

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