<p>My sons will both move into apartments this fall at their respective colleges. I'm trying to get a sense of what to give them for a food budget. I'm thinking $50 /week for groceries (assuming they will cook there own dinners & breakfast most of the time) and $7 / day for lunch out (on campus or at a Subway /etc). I don't really want to give them free reign, but a decent guideline. One will live with two other guys, I think they will pool there money for dinners and trade off on days that they are responsible. The other will be mostly on his own. </p>
<p>One is already saying he needs $12 / day for lunch alone at school (unless I want him to eat the 'junk food'). At that rate, I think I'm better off just buying the food plan again.</p>
<p>Having lived alone for a summer, I would starve if I only budgeted myself $50 a week for groceries. Granted, I have a lot of different dietary needs so I only really eat fresh fruits and veggies- little meat, no dairy, and no gluten/simple carbs so a lot of the cheap food options are out. Eating healthy is very expensive and almost all of my earnings go straight to food. If your kids are the type to eat Ramen or pasta type dishes often, then $50 would work. However, if they eat a lot of veggies, those can be expensive.</p>
<p>If they can cook as you say, and they know where to shop...$50 should be enough for each. $7 is fine if they aren't huge eaters...if they like big meals, maybe $10 will suffice.</p>
<p>My parents give me free reign, but I am very good about spending.</p>
<p>it depends where they plan to eat for lunch. if they're going to eat on campus, the $12 figure might be reasonable. that's about what it costs at my school to get a meal in the dining hall w/o a meal plan.</p>
<p>Are you honestly expecting college-aged boys to cook their own meals most of the time? Because, I'm a girl and I don't even do that, and boys are usually worse.</p>
<p>i am a guy and i do, i cooked quite a lot this summer, not simply those easy quick microwavable food, but actual complicated meals, i marinated, fried, sauteed, roasted, baked, deep fried... i tried everything.</p>
<p>Campus cafeteria food is really expensive (for me no way I'd buy a food plan). I personally have a family of 6 and we feed everyone a well balanced diet for just over $100 a week. It means cooking from scratch and taking lunches with me to school, but it is do-able. I don't know if your sons would want to make the effort, but if finances restrict them from something more expensive they'll do it. If the choice is cook and get to eat, or run out of food money before the end of the month, the choice is easy.</p>
<p>well... without a meal plan, 1 day of breakfast/lunch/dinner at my school would cost about $16. but nobody does that because if you live on campus, you have to buy the meal plan as well. as for the specific question - I don't know because I just ask my parents for money and they give it to me. usually I go through about $70 a month (I'm on the meal plan obviously :)) so I guess they trust me :)</p>
<p>Yup, I expect him to cook his own meals. The older one already does. The younger one is living with two other friends. So he's responsible for, lets say, 2 dinners a week. And lets say they have pizza, take out chinese or go out one night a week. We're sending a crock pot, a George Forman grill, and a microwave with him.</p>
<ol>
<li> Meat - they can pick up chicken, roast , hamburger. Throw it in the crock pot with a can of soup mix / marinade / ethnic flavoring / water. Add potatoes and, heaven forbid, some veggies. Go to class, ready when you come home.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>Or they grill a chicken breast or hamburgers. Again, not too tough.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Salad - That's really not tough. More a matter of whether they will bother.</p></li>
<li><p>Veggies - If they make hamburgers or grill something else, they can cook a package of frozen vegetables. They make them now with nice flavoring, if they don't want the basic peas and carrots.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>And when they forget / are busy / etc. there are frozen dinner ideas that can be used. And there's always PB&J / canned soup / etc as backups. So yes, they are cooking on their own. </p>
<p>(My son hated the cafeteria food last year, lost 10 pounds off his already skinny frame.)</p>