<p>Hey guys , i am an future international undergrad student ... Probably im going to go to ucla or uc berkeley ... so i wonder about this issue, POCKET MONEY . After paying all the stuff that schools are showing in their websites (dorm,tuition,insurance,food etc.) , how much money a freshman should need ? I m really curious because I made some research and saw that people are thinking that 11k $ per year is quite generous and also a freshman can live with only 3.5k $ per year ... It seemed to me a little bit insufficient .
what do you think guys ? How much money one would need in order to live a good social life in california?
I think that I m gonna need minimum 1.5k $ per year .</p>
<p>I meant 1.5k per month not year … I just noticed that I wrote 1.5 k per year …</p>
<p>You are NOT going to need 1500/month. That is $50 a day. Seriously, what are you going to blow $50/day on? </p>
<p>$50-100/week seems to be about what is considered sufficient by the masses. Depends on you and your spending habits though.</p>
<p>It is $50 per day but ı wont spent $50 per day . I ll go clubbing and spent $200 per day sometimes , sometimes I ll $20 per day and do nothing . But also I’ll buy clothes etc …I have to save up some money to change my phone/computer when I need to change .</p>
<p>As a high school student who lives in Turkish Metropolitan Istanbul I spent around $100 per week and I take extra money from my parents for clothes when I go to shopping , plus I never payed for my technological things before .</p>
<p>It just depends on how much you normally spend. If you tend to have expensive tastes (go shopping frequently, always go out to restaurants, like to go clubbing or to bars all the time, always taking cabs instead of public transportation), then you’re going to require a lot of money. It’ll also depend on where you live. $1.5K is way more than I spend in a month and that includes rent, food, and gas (and I live in a high cost of living area). But I also don’t go out all the time because it’s just so expensive. If you have the money to burn, then by all means, go ahead.</p>
<p>If your housing, food, and tuition are all taken care of, then the only money you NEED is for textbooks, incidentals (like toothpaste and such), and maybe a phone bill. But I mean if you think you need $1.5K a month just for extra spending money, then what does it matter what other people need?</p>
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<p>Just a reminder that the overwhelming majority of clubs in the US won’t let anyone in under 21.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/16756472-post7.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/16756472-post7.html</a></p>
<p>well that sucks … I totally forgot that … In my country , 18 is the limit , but even under 18 people go to clubs with fake id. Anyways , I can buy a used car if I can save up some money …</p>
<p>As an international student you may have bad repercussions to get caught with a fake ID. You’d better find out the consequences before you risk that. I think they will be pretty strict about that in CA because the consequences for the club are pretty high. </p>
<p>There are more things to do in LA and SF Bay area that cost a lot more than most places. Your estimate is on the high side and not too many students will have that much money. Are your There are free things to do and the beach is a short bus ride from UCLA. </p>
<p>You are getting a little ahead of yourself, as international admissions to those colleges are selective and there are only so many spots.</p>
<p>By “pocket money” do you mean to include all expenses other than tuition? If so, in a place like CA you probably do need atleast $1500/month. But if you just mean what we more colloquially mean by “pocket money” including only discretionary expenses, that seems very excessive to me. If you got it then go ahead and use it, but it’s certainly not going to be necessary.</p>
<p>^ Vlad, he said it was after tuition, R&B, food, etc so it seems to be only “fun” money.</p>
<p>To be honest, it kind of sounds like your priorities are messed up. Focus on your school work, and not how on some days you may spend $200 at a club, or get a fake ID. You will be absolutely fine with $1.5K a month, but it’s what you do with that money. $1.5K a month won’t look too hot for a college dropout who clubbed too hard. My parents insist on giving me $1K (After rent, utilities, car, and insurance) a month. It’s very generous, and I feel like I could do just fine with that money. I’ll probably save a lot of it to have something to live off for a while if something were to go wrong after I graduate. Sure I may buy clothes, and splurge a little on going out, but certainly not dropping $200 (20% - $1K…13% - $1.5K) in one night. After all it’s your money, you will do what you will with it, but I would just advise you to be wise with it.</p>
<p>1.5k a month seems very very high. Most kids in college are broke. So good luck finding other people who have money like you to go out with.</p>
<p>I would guess that 400 dollars a month would be more then enough as that’s 100 a week and some weeks you might even spend less then that.</p>
<p>$330/month was more than enough for me as a UCLA freshman. (fast food a few times per week, snacks, dorm supplies, gadgets like a Kindle and iPhone chargers, traveling to a few retreats and debate tournaments, etc.)</p>
<p>Not to be discouraging, judging by the lifestyle you’re describing you will have serious trouble competing against other international students for Berkeley seats.</p>
<p>What is the best way for a full time college student to earn additional pocket money, via the internet, or through freelance jobs?</p>
<p>@BrownParent I never used fake id in my country or in somewhere else. I said people not me …</p>
<p>1.5k a month is a LOT. As others have mentioned, that’s $50 a day. Sure, there will be nights where you’re spending more, but reducing expenses isn’t that hard. </p>
<p>You need to save money to change phones/laptops when you need to? Why do you ‘need’ to? What’s wrong with the ones you currently have? </p>
<p>Personally, my spending/pocket money is never more than around $500 a month. Usually more like $300. That comes out to around 16-17 dollars a day at the high end. There are a lot of days that I don’t spend anything though, or that I might just buy a soda or something like that in between classes. I never really find myself that lacking for money either. Sure, there are plenty of things I could think of to spend my money on, but sometimes dropping a crapload of money on a new phone/laptop that you don’t ‘need’ in any way at all is simply an irresponsible decision.</p>
<p>Guys guys guys calm down . I m going to concentrate on my School work . I plan saving up some money to buy a second hand car . You get clubbing so wrong . I am 18 and all my friends are + ı never used fake id .</p>
<p>I ll buy new MacBook , iPhone , clothes etc . That’s why i think i Need 1.5k per month . If it’s too Much for you , please explain it factually . No Need to say you re gonna be a dropout because i am not gonna be one , I have a strong confidence in myself about my Academic performance .</p>
<p>@Crustacean what is the relationship between my spending money and being admitted to Berkeley . </p>
<p>Ps: I ll Need money for Leo activities too . I am a very active Omega Leo , Youth club of lions international .</p>
<p>What do you want us to factually say about YOUR spending habits? </p>
<p>You’re not going to be spending $200/weekend at the club because you can’t go clubbing. </p>
<p>Remember that with buying a car you need insurance, maintenance, gas, parking, etc. Can you drive in America?</p>