<p>When my daughter lived in the dorm (freshman and soph years) we gave her $150 a month allowance. Sometimes I would treat her to a clothes purchase and we paid for travel. Now that she is in an apartment, we give her $300, which covers groceries and allowance. Next year Wild Child will be a freshman in Philadelphia. He is the bottomless pit into which we deposit the family's money. We haven't figured out how to fund his existence yet. He does blow through money, but it is for running shoes, physical therapy, books, concerts, gas, sushi.....</p>
<p>I thought work study was fin aid from the government to pay for tuition and fees? Huh?</p>
<p>My mother is letting the work-study be my "allowance". Essentially, if I don't work, I live on the meal plan, friend's generosity, holiday gifts, and delicious fake ramen noodles in salt.</p>
<p>(Note: The Work-Study is usually for the college annual expenses, but my mother thought it would be simpler for her just to pay what it says so I don't bother her for money in college).</p>
<p>Blue: Work-Study is essentially an expectation that the student will get some sort of job on or off campus (from what I've seen, some schools have specific jobs available for work-study eligible people) to help alleviate the cost. I don't believe you are given that money, and then pay the school back.</p>
<p>Bluealien--work-study can cover any expenses from the expected college budget, including tuition, r & b, books, and other misc. expenses.</p>
<p>Work-study is awarded as part of the overall financial aid package, but it is a job that pays an hourly wage. It cannot be used directly to pay for tuition or housing costs, because the student won't get work study money until earned - but payments for tuiton and dorm room are generally due in advance, at the beginning of the semester - although some colleges will also set up monthly payment plans. But basically if you owe a payment of several thousand dollars and also have a job which pays a low hourly wage, makes more sense to use the earnings to pay for incidentals as they arise. College financial aid budgets generally do include category for "incidentals" - so basically that is part of the overall package.</p>
<p>
[quote]
When kids have to use their own money, it gets used less often.
[quote]
</p>
<p>Overseas, You definitely know my kid. I have to remind her to take money out of the ATM for her trip home as she literally walks around with no money. (she ended up using her debit card to get a quick take out at legal seafood at Logan and used it again to put $10 on a metrocard at JFK). </p>
<p>I pay direct college espenses ; tuition, room board and a transportation home (when she booked her filight incorrectly she had to pay to straighten things out) all other stuff is on her.</p>
<p>Cangel I offered to pay the PE expense for skiing but she could not fit it in her schedule:) .</p>
<p>Last term she ended up not even paying for books, because she
e-mailed friends got some from them, traded books and I think even checked one out from the library since they were only using a portion of it.</p>
<p>She works on campus and gets paid as a UGA. She gets paid via direct deposit, pays bills on line and says she rarely needs money. Only spends $ if they are going out to dinner to celebrate someone's birthday. She clips coupons, comparison shops, gets stuff on sale and uses her CVS extra value card when purchasing toiletries (I did suprise her with a with some Philosophy products from Sephora). She probably has more money now that she has gone off to college then she ever had at home.</p>
<p>momofwildchild: </p>
<p>I love reading your posts about your DS --- it's like a reality TV show but in writing. </p>
<p>P.S. Tell him the sushi and concerts are on him ;)</p>
<p>I think work study is to pay for daily expenses. At least that is what is was for when I went to college in the very old days.</p>
<p>Hey OP (kwibble),</p>
<p>Where are you? </p>
<p>What is the allowance for? Entertainment? Shampoo/Soap? Laundry? Fun weekends? School needs (paper, pens, etc)? </p>
<p>I told my son (a junior but he is already asking how much $ we will give him for "expenses"), that we are not going to pay for him to live a better life than we are living.... </p>
<p>That means: We pay for clothes (not extravagant), soap, shampoo, paper, pens, computer, printer, etc. </p>
<p>BUT HE will pay for fun, "extra food", "nicer restaurants", "starbucks", "weekend trips", etc.</p>
<p>we gave our S $80 month his freshman year. He was on a meal plan, I did a major run at Price Costco for water, shampoo, snacks etc. at the beginning of the semester and parent's weekend. The money was for miscellaneous stuff-getting a haircut, going out on a weekend. The first 2 months he ran out of money mid month and asked us for an advance. We didn't give him another penny and it wasn't long after that he started to budget his money over the course of the month so that he didn't run out. Now he is a sophmore and works part time on weekends. He earns his own spending money. I still pay for his food, books, car insurance but he doesn't come to us for any personal spending money.</p>
<p>We pay the majority of the tuition and dorm (some with loans). He has student loans he will pay off. We also get the plane tickets home (frequent flyer miles usually). </p>
<p>He has earned $4,000-5,000 the past two summers and paid that for part of his tuition. He has a 5 hour/week lab job and uses that for his PE expenses (also a ski class), the occasional meal out or concert ticket, and a few books. He mostly checks books out of the library, borrows from older students or does without since most of what he needs is online. He doesn't buy clothes or go out much. </p>
<p>He is a skinflint and hates to spend money no matter whose it is. His credit card bill comes here. He has to cook his meals, and generally the only charges on his credit card ($800 limit) are to the grocery store. If he's going to spend money on anything else he calls to tell/ask me first.</p>
<p>We pay the cell phone bill too (family plan). We might handle this idfferently if he liked to spend money but it's never been a problem.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for your helpful responses. It's pretty interesting that half of you give allowance and half don't; what's consistent is that the kids are expected to be responsible with what they get from the parents or with what they earn. There are a lot of different ways to go, so these comments will be helpful for a long time to come.
Just for the record, I don't give either of my daughters allowance at home. They babysit or work a few hours on Saturdays. The younger one likes to save for big purchases -- an Ipod, for instance. The older one blows through the money as fast as she makes it. Her friends like to eat out and see movies, or go into the city (the railroad is over $12, so that plus dinner can take a big bite out of anyone's earnings).
I'd like my older one to work part-time in college, but since the first year is so transitional, we'll have to take a wait and see, at least the first half of the year. One thing is certain: it's going to be a rude awakening for all of us when those tuition bills start to arrive.</p>
<p>i'm attending a school in a small ohio town and my mother is giving me $50 a day. it's barely enough. you have to keep in mind that your d will also be using that money to buy alcohol and maybe drugs, so $100 a month? you gotta be kidding.</p>
<p>kwibbles:</p>
<p>It may "look" like half give allowance and half don't but you have to "read between the lines". </p>
<p>It really depends on what the word "allowance" means to dif people.</p>
<p>some may think that they give an allowance but all they are giving is money for shampoo, soap, laundry, etc (no fun stuff)</p>
<p>Some "supply" all the soap, shampoo, tampons, etc but insist that they don't give an allowance because they aren't paying for fun stuff. (some would say that they are giving an "in-kind" allowance (because the kid doesn't have to use his own earnings to pay for such stuff).</p>
<p>Some buy all their kids clothes when they are home on breaks, some make their kids buy all their own clothes with their "allowance". Some make the kids earn their clothes money. Some buy some clothes and make kids buy "extra clothes."</p>
<p>Some give money for both -- supplies, clothes, and fun stuff.</p>
<p>you can maybe talk with your d about ways to save like shower at the gym cause they usually have soap/shampoo or you can even ask her to bring empty bottles to the gym to fill up. you can maybe ask her to use pieces of soap left on the bathroom floor or use toilet paper to make tampons, i have many great ideas for saving while in college. whatever you do, do not ask your d to use used tampons because that is just plain nasty (though i know a girl who does that).</p>
<p>I go to college in London, England and spend about
£75 ($135) a week - and that's being frugal. It blows my mind to read of people spending only $20 a week on here. I'm so jealous :(</p>
<p>morningtheft,
What do you do with your money? We all know that it costs more to live in the city and that there are many more opportunities to spend money but if you are on a meal plan at college, what are you doing that costs so much? I can see a meal out on the weekends and a concert but our family doesn't even spend that much a week normally if you exclude the basics. </p>
<p>My junior college daughter lives on the money she makes during jobs at breaks and then her college work study. I think she earns about $60 or $70 a week during the school year and that is her spending money. This quarter she will be doing a study abroad so was not able to take a campus job and we will probably put some money into her checking account to help with expenses for the trip.</p>
<p>morningtheft:</p>
<p>Yes, what do you spend 135 a week on? That is about $19 per day? Do you smoke? Drink? eat out? You are wasting money and that is a horrible habit to get into. If you were a "couple" then you would be wasting 270 per week!</p>
<p>I get $700/month from my parents, buy everything and at the end it is always gone...</p>