<p>I spent $32.50 last semester and I'm only up to $15.75 this semester. (Not counting books.) My parents don't give me a cent. I go to school in a rural area, I don't own a car, and I'm very, very stingy. I work to keep my scholarships and for extra money. To be honest, I haven't received an allowance since I was about 13 years old.</p>
<p>The idea of getting an allowance makes me laugh--college is supposed to be a time for independence. If you need an allowance, you really don't belong in college. (All of this is IMHO.)</p>
<p>I can't help but think that kids who have too much money given to them to "blow" on purely discretionary spending (meals out, concerts, manicures, clubbing, weekend trips, etc) are going to have a difficult time adjusting to "adult family life". After some time, people often come to believe that such expenses are "necessitities" and then cannot fathom going without when it comes time to marry and raising kids.</p>
<p>I did read somewhere that some college grads with good jobs still depend on their parents for money because their good jobs don't cover all the real necessities and these "other" necessities that they have gotten used to having. (the lifestyle that they have grown accustomed to.)</p>