<p>So, I'm trying to figure out loans, jobs, etc. at the moment and one aspect I really need help with is what the cost of living might be at Columbia.</p>
<p>I'm planning on going with Plan 4 in the meal plan, so I know that would mean I'd eat out a bit, and obviously part of the reason I chose CU is because of NYC, so I'd like to venture out there--go to plays, films, clubs, etc.</p>
<p>My question is basically this: how much is a reasonable amount to set aside for these sorts of expenses (eating out, entertainment, transportation)? I know on some other boards, parents say that they dole out about 300/month to their kids for extraneous expenses--is this estimate high, low, or just about right for NYC? Thanks for your help! :)</p>
<p>$300 is definitely on the high side, I think, but then again there are different circles. If you are wealthier and you run with a wealthier crowd, you could probably spend $300 a month (shopping on the weekends, taking cabs everywhere, etc), but if you're not so wealthy and hang with others who are not so wealthy, then about $100 is about right, in my opinion. I think that's about what I spend.</p>
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If you are wealthier and you run with a wealthier crowd, you could probably spend $300 a month (shopping on the weekends, taking cabs everywhere, etc),
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<p>$300 in one night (or even a weekend) is not hard to do in this city.</p>
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I know on some other boards, parents say that they dole out about 300/month to their kids for extraneous expenses--is this estimate high, low, or just about right for NYC? Thanks for your help!
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<p>HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA</p>
<p>yea, i know 5 people off the top of my head who get between 2000-5000$/month and they still manage to blow it all in a week</p>
<p>dining out is a toss up. depending on where you go it can range from 10$/plate to 80+$/plate. actually, nsop gives you a nice little guide to dining out broken down by price, region, food type, and more.</p>
<p>plays are expensive. a musical on broadway can range upwards of 150$/ticket. even using TKTS which offers half price tickets only to shows that day that havnt yet been sold, its still expensive as hell.</p>
<p>movies are 10-15, 15 for imax.</p>
<p>clubs, at least the ones i've been to tend to hover around 20$ cover...something like that</p>
<p>drinking out usually is about 5$/drink. no kidding. happy hour and nightly specials are different of course but 5$ is about right</p>
<p>5 bucks a drink is totally on the low end....typically its more like 7 or 8 and if you go to really classy or popular bars/lounges downtown you can end up paying as much as 10-15 per drink!</p>
<p>As for living costs, i get 400/month from my parents and i earn about 700/month from work and i get by pretty comfortably...as an upperclassman the most you'll spend on is food but cooking yourself and avoiding the supermarket on 115th are good ways to save money. As a freshman however I didnt spend very much at all, my parents used to give me 300/month and i used to make about 600/month and i used to have alot of money left over mainly due to the meal plan. At a place like columbia you don't want to be living on such a tight budget because 1) NYC is an expensive city and 2) the majority of ppl at columbia are pretty well off so some ppls' taste will be a bit expensive.</p>
<p>well, i didn't get a dime, i had to earn all of that. but with steady cash flow, that's what i spent, and i never had to eat ramen for three meals a day to keep body and soul together.</p>
<p>plus, if you're shelling out $40k+ for a year at columbia, it's worth it to enjoy the experience, cause i mean, what's the difference between 40k and 43k? Have your parents add it to your tab if you have to, but it's worth it to have some spending money and to not always be penny-pinching your whole time at college.</p>
<p>i totally agree with denz on that one....also when your living with your parents i'm sure they spend more than 100/month on you so they might as well give you the money they would be spending on you anyway....and skraylor, when you are no longer a freshman you should request that your parents give you whatever it was they were spending on the meal plan so you can buy food and don't get one of those horrible upperclassman meal plans. </p>
<p>Btw, the 700/month job is bio tutoring @ 18 bucks an hr....alot less than i'd get tutoring freelance but its alot simpler if you tutor through columbia and they set up all your scheduling and stuff for you.</p>
<p>Freshman/Sophomore/Junior year i used to work for dining @ 10-11.50 an hr (i got a raise every semester), so i had to work alot more hours to make the money....by junior year i was barely working 8hrs/wk so i wasnt really making more than $350 a month which was sad but i kindda hated the job and was useless to them by then.</p>
<p>lerner is 3$. but its only friday/saturday (i think..?)</p>
<p>they are put on by the ferris film reel society and they tend to get good movies and whatnot but its not every week. i think recently they had babel, volver, and borat...probably a few others i missed too tho</p>
<p>also, every saturday at 8 there are free movies in john jay (w/free popcorn). they have a lot older movies tho. recently they went thru all the rockies before the new one was released</p>