<p>How much do you spend a month? On books? Living expenses? Trips? What is a reasonable amount (not barebones, but not extravagant) for a freshman to expect to spend a month?</p>
<p>Around $400-$500 a month to have a decent time. If you go barebones and just hang out and play video games all day you could get by on $150-$250 a month. Plan to spend around $200-$400 a semester on books depending on your major.</p>
<p>Being on financial aid, I don't have a lot of money to spend and almost always rely on my work-study money to pay for any kind of extras. Making around $800 a semester, that really doesn't cover a whole lot, especially if you are also saving to pay tuition, etc. I would say that I probably spend anywhere between $20-50 a month eating out (usually less, but I'll save so that if my friends want to go out for a night on the town, etc. I have enough). I probably spend $100 a month total, depending on the circumstance. You're going to Scripps, right? I find that there is usually something to do on the weekend if you want to go out (usually a party on the 5Cs). If your friends don't have cars your chances of getting off campus are less, because taking the MetroLink is time-consuming and can be expensive if you do it frequently. If you have a car, then I would imagine that your costs would be significantly higher. Also keep in mind that your friends may have less money than you, so even if you have the money, they may not. Books vary depending on major, as the above poster said. I find that I usually spend approx. $300-400 a semester on books (I'm a science major). If at all possible, don't buy your books at the Huntley - it's ridiculously expensive and sales tax in CA is astronomical (this comes from a MN girl, where tax is 5.5 or 6.0%).</p>
<p>Yeah, Zeusviolin, I'm headed to Scripps. No car. I'll be on financial aid too... so $900 work study a semester. That'll mean $1,800 a year. If I figure (conservatively, to stay on the safe side) $800 of that towards books/fees, that leaves me $1000 for all ten months... $100 a month. Luckily, it sounds like that is feasible. </p>
<p>I'll work during summers, but I'm hoping to save most of that money, or even put it towards loans, or just living expenses during the summer, depending on where I am and whether I am back with my parents. I'm already planning to buy the majority of my books online. Which site is your favorite?</p>
<p>I'll take this as an opportunity to stop working on my 20 page Core 2 paper that's due in less than 12 hours... I would say that amazon.com is your best bet for books. If at all possible get them used, either unhighlighted (really distracting) or remainder copies (they have a black mark on the spine but are otherwise pretty pristine and dirt cheap). There is almost always a Core 1 reader that costs about $90, no real way to get around that. Half.com and alibris.com also have good deals, but I would check amazon first. They usually have the largest variety. Your first semester you may be stuck buying a lot of stuff at Huntley because you won't know your class schedule - a good way to avoid this is just buying the bare minimum during orientation week and then wait until you get each class's syllabus. Then buy the books you will need to read within the first two weeks at Huntley and the rest online. Since you know you will be taking Core 1 for sure, I would check out the Huntley website at <a href="http://www.huntley.claremont.edu%5B/url%5D">www.huntley.claremont.edu</a> about two weeks before classes start because that's when the lists are generally posted. You will all read the same books, so order in advance if you can for those. Also, all intro science classes use the same book, so if you are doing something along those lines you can look into that as well. If you have any other questions, let me knos!</p>
<p>Oh, and I really don't know why you'd ever need $400-500 a month to have a good time, unless you go shopping or to a show every weekend. I can guarantee that you won't have time for that, even if you did have the money.</p>
<p>i make about 400/500 a month at my job while at school, and i spend every penny of that each month, and then some. i work over the summers and put that money in the bank so i can use it as extra money throughout the school year. but i also have to pay my car payment, my car insurance, food (i live in an apartment) gas (gotta drive to work) and random other expenses.</p>
<p>last time I checked...MN sales tax was 6.5% and 7% downtown...been that way for a long time too...but whatever</p>
<p>I agree though that that seems like an excessive amount (unless you are paying for a car (and all that entails) and daily food and the like.</p>
<p>Sorry, I do a lot of shopping in WI, where the sales tax is 5.5 or 6%. Live just across the river...St. Croix Valley. Anyway, just to clear it up!</p>
<p>Don't forget to figure in laundry!!! Laundry, laundry <em>coughs</em> I've shelled out around $120 this year (1.50 per load, per machine and I do it weekly). Just don't forget to set some money aside for it.</p>