Students at the University of Miami tend to fall into two categories: those who spend all of their dining dollars on Starbucks within the first three weeks and those who find themselves at the end of the year with hundreds unspent. If you fall into the latter group, this is what you need to know and some smart purchasing suggestions so your extra cash doesn’t go to waste.

What’s The Difference?

Meal Swipes

All meal plans include a designated number of meal swipes per week or per semester, which can be used at the Stanford and Pearson/Mahoney dining halls or at The Corner Deli inside The Market. Meal swipes do not roll over between semesters.

Dining Dollars

Dining Dollars are more like cash and are a separate pool of money than meals swipes. They can be used at any campus dining location, including Starbucks, Smoothie King and Einstein’s. While unused Dining Dollars carry over from fall to spring, they expire at the end of spring semester.

Cane Express

Cane Express is the most flexible form of payment available on your Cane Card. It’s basically like a debit card that can only be used everywhere on campus. You can use it at vending machines, laundry facilities, the food court, the library and the University bookstore. Unfortunately none of these three options can be used at visiting food trucks or the Wednesday Farmer’s Market.

Pro Tip

To check your meal swipes and/or add funds dining dollars or cane express balance, sign into your CaneLink account, go under “Housing and Dining” and select “Meals Remaining.”

The Market

Accepts

• Meal Swipes (Corner Deli only) • Dining Dollars
• Cane Express

What to buy

1. Cleaning Supplies: Dining Dollars make it easy to purchase the cleaning essentials every student needs like Tide Pods, laundry detergent, disinfectants, windex and sponges.

2. Personal Care: Save yourself a trip to CVS. The Market sells a number of over-the-counter medications such as Advil and Aleve. They also have everyday toiletries such as tissues, shampoo, conditioner, soap bars, tampons and toilet paper.

3. Kitchen Items: Kitchen essentials such as plastic cups, plates, utensils, garbage bags, paper towels and napkins are all available at The Market and can be purchased with Dining Dollars.

4. Storable Food: Dining Dollars can, of course, be used for dining- now or later. Stock up on canned foods and pantry items that just might last until you graduate. Here, you can purchase coffee, hot chocolate and tea packets as well as seasonings, condiments, canned soups, pasta and water bottles.

University Village Store

Accepts

• Dining Dollars
• Cane Express

What to buy

1. Cleaning Supplies: The University Village Store offers essentially the same cleaning and household essentials that The Market has, maybe even more.

2. Personal Care: Toiletries such as sunscreen. bug spray, soap bars, band-aids, tooth-paste, condoms, deodorants, and eye drops are available for purchase with dining dollars.

3. Kitchen Items: The UV store offers kitchen essentials, too. Cups, plates, plastic forks, knives and spoons – as well as more niche items like lighter fluid, Styrofoam coolers and A1 steak sauce.

4. Storable Food: The UV store offers a solid selection of storable pantry and baking items beyond what you might find at The Market, including boxed cake and pancake mixes, oatmeal and cereal cups, marshmallows, Jell-O and chocolate syrup.

words_molly mackenzie. design_isa marquez. illustrations_nina d’agostini