<p>I’m trying to get an idea of how much money we will be spending next year when D begins at Bama. For parent who had students living on campus with the meal plan, about how much $$ spending money would be considered a reasonable amount. This would not include clothes or personal items such as toiletries. This would be pocket money. </p>
<p>Thanks! I </p>
<p>We are giving our D $200 a month. That is for gas, laundry, toiletries, Starbucks, movies, shopping, going out, and anything else. I anticipate it being more than enough. She says she hasn’t used her car much at all so far. </p>
<p>Starbucks you bring up a good point. D is ADDICTED to Starbucks. I believe that figure is fair. I am sure you stocked her up at the beginning of the semester, so toothpaste, face wash, etc. that she may need later on is covered here. </p>
<p>I don’t think D will have a car with her. At least not the first year. How much does laundry seem to run on a weekly basis if you don’t mind me asking? </p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Your D can use her Dining Dollars at Starbucks.</p>
<p>Many kids get part-time jobs for pocket money…especially after settling down after fall semester. </p>
<p>No allowance for my son. If he wanted something fun, he paid for it with his own money. </p>
<p>I agree with the idea of earning the extras. Certainly, that is the way it worked for me at the University of Miami, back when I attended. I think Nostradamus may have been in a few classes and we studied by candlelight. 
I am pretty sure the same values apply today when you just have to earn the money. </p>
<p>However, D’s first semester will be a time when she will become accustomed to college. So- she can use dining dollars for the daily fix at Starbucks. I am thinking that shopping will not be a regular thing. Purchases will be planned, and although she loves being stylish, we can make a few purchases during the year and she will just not have regular outings at the mall. Life is filled with choices and she wants to be at Bama. Choice made, lol.</p>
<p>We will stock up on toiletries, makeup, and outfits. She will have to take advantage of the meal plan and I know that the suggestion has been made for kids to grab milk and cereal </p>
<p>I am not sure how there can be no allowance. I think that there just has to be a certain amount of dollars for the incidentals.</p>
<p>Could be the difference between boys and girls. Mine wouldn’t step foot in the mall voluntarily and doesn’t drink coffee - so we have it easy.</p>
<p>Yes big difference between guys and gals! My son would rather make do than go to the mall and my daughter is another story. To each their own, but I believe in kids earning their own spending money. I’m not paying for Starbucks, beer, movies, and eating out.<br>
Spending depends on the kid if it’s their money. My son probably made $4000 at his job this summer and he will most likely come home at the end of the year with $3800. I personally think he could spend a little more but I prefer his spending habits to my daughter’s. If she makes $4000 she comes back with nothing when the year is over. I’ve told her she needs to read a Dave Ramsey book.
We pay for most clothing (unless my daughter is asking for a $400 pair of Frye boots) gas, laundry and supply cars as needed. I did stop paying for haircuts this year. Got tired of my daughter whining about needing her hair done and decided it was time for college kids to pay for hair salon visits… I think she now goes to the hair school that is close to her campus-lol!! Not so when I was footing the bill!!</p>
<p>We gave our son $100 a week, but he lived off campus, and did not have a meal plan his final two years at Bama. Our younger son is a freshman at UAH. He receives $25 a week for other items that he wants/needs. He has been happy with that, as I gave it to him in a lump sum and told him to budget. Once he went off campus for a Sunday lunch with his teammates. Another time he went to Best Buy for something computer-related. He also loves the UAH food, so why go looking for something different, he said. When he needs clothing/shoes, he calls and asks that I send something to him.</p>
<p>Neither of my kids worked their first semesters in college, so we did fund their pocket money during those periods. </p>
<p>However, when S1 started spending WAY TOO MUCH his first semester (eating off campus with pals), we told him he had to get a JOB. So, he started tutoring at the UA tutoring center. Killed two birds with one stone. He had less time to eat off campus, and he earned his own pocket money.</p>
<p>Both boys ended up working as tutors for all semesters after their fall semester. They would earn about $80-120 a week.</p>
<p>We continued to pay for all clothing, phones, cars, insurance, gas, and their food (meal plans and groceries).</p>
<p>I also don’t give my S any pocket money, that’s his to earn or do without.</p>
<p>I buy EVERYTHING related for school - from course fees and parking to textbooks and access codes to supplies, so he doesn’t have to worry about that stuff. I pay his room and board - the super suite and meal plan his freshman year, then rent and money for groceries (this year he is an authorized user on a couple of my credit cards, including my Target Red Card, so he can just use those when he needs to buy food and I don’t give him a set amount, but do monitor the accounts for any unexpected spending), and I pay for all his travel for trips home - he’s flown one time, but is generally gas money. (And I do also pay for his phone (it’s on a family plan) and his car insurance and maintenance expenses including a recent set of new tires).</p>
<p>Other than that if it’s something he wants, he needs to figure out how to pay for it.</p>
<p>He started freshman year with about $1000 in his bank account that he had left after working that summer and he made it stretch through the year, but came home with very little remaining. The he worked an internship after freshman year and after putting some money into savings and his summer spending, he maybe had $1500 at the beginning of last year and managed to make that stretch through year 2. He didn’t work this summer (he did take a couple classes) and I know money was definitely tight for him when he returned to school, but now he’s working a co-op and will be able to replenish his funds again. </p>
<p>I don’t know how much she’s spending on laundry. She’s only been there a couple of weeks. We are comfortable with the allowance amount so far. We don’t want her working her first semester. We would rather her get accommodated to new school/new state without money pressures. I can foresee the amount changing as we figure things out and she further acclimates. </p>
<p>@ M2Kids…were your boys paid hourly for tutoring and what types of subjects? (if you don’t mind me asking) This sounds like something my science wiz DS might want to look into.</p>
<p>I can’t remember exactly but think washer and dryer were 2.00 a load. Dryer sends you a message when finished. I have one that seems to need more than other but she tutors and babysits. She is a senior… The other is a male sophomore. He is in a house with 3 others so no meal plan and will need groceries. Usually will give as needed as long as they aren’t over using my money…</p>
<p><<<<
@ M2Kids…were your boys paid hourly for tutoring and what types of subjects? (if you don’t mind me asking) This sounds like something my science wiz DS might want to look into
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<p>@BocaTerp </p>
<p>Yes, they had schedules and were paid hourly whether or not the students showed up. They were allowed to do homework if their student didn’t show up…and they still got paid.</p>
<p>They also had the opportunity to tutor “groups” and were paid a higher rate for that. Once they began tutoring groups, their rate went up for all their tutoring hours. </p>
<p>They tutored: Calculus, bio, chem, and Spanish. </p>
<p>Laundry: Washer and dryers are each $1.25 per load.</p>
<p>My DS received a lot of money from graduation. That is what he is using for spending money. I am not giving him any extra. </p>
<p>Whatever money we provide we provide in a lump sum and tell her to make it last. Budgeting is a good skill to learn. Kids today sometimes forget that their parents lifestyle is not theirs. Our lifestyles took MANY years of hard work to obtain. </p>
<p>How much money a student will spend also depends on their friends. For example, some of my friends were very comfortable financially and would think nothing of paying $25 for a dinner. Others would split a $5.00 Little Caesar’s pizza and call it good. That alone makes a big difference in how much money one will spend.</p>
<p>While I didn’t have a budget per se, I was raised to be frugal and to always have money left over. All things considered, I probably spent less than I earned at my on-campus job, even without having a meal plan. I never went hungry and often had enough money for fancy foods such as wild salmon, swordfish, cheesecake, and petit fours. If I wanted something, I waited until it was on sale. For example instead of paying $55 for a air of flip flops, I waited until I saw them online for $15. </p>
<p>@SEA_tide Yes- it is very true that it is easy to spend freely when one is around other people who are able to do so. It is important to know when to say, “No, I can’t go tonight.” It sounds like you are doing a good job. </p>