<p>I have 2 kids, one S and one D.
With regards to my comments here, they both attend college in urban areas…one slightly larger than the other. They both lived on campus. The monthly spending amount was only to cover “walking around” money as all books, dorm costs, meals, etc were paid. Neither worked the 1st semester (at our request). </p>
<p>Our experience was that D was much more expensive to maintain than S. This is consistent with their behavior prior to attending college, however, so was no real surprise. D much more concerned about clothes, fashion, and going out in general. S is very low maintenance and tends toward the practical, frugal side.<br>
Four years ago we started off with $150 per month for D. It appears based on the surveys here that we were underfunding them! They each have since worked in most semesters. S in particular complained about the high cost of eating out with friends who did that often. </p>
<p>The other unexpected influence on spending was that they both attended private universities with a relatively high percentage of students who seemed to come from money–in some cases, SIGNIFICANT money. We do not. They both acknowledged that this fact was a challenge because they were unable to spend at the same level, sometimes meaning they were unable to join people for dinners, etc. But they adapted. D became good at eating at her place first, then going out with friends and ordering the appetizers. </p>
<p>We struggled with this–should we just give them more money? Well, we raised out amounts slightly. However, I think it also taught them to recognize excesses. Both have commented on this to us–not in a whiny way, but rather as an observation.</p>
<p>Interestingly, this sense of being surrounded with people who have “much more than you” actually had some influence on D’s ultimate choice of graduate school.
She had several fabulous options, but chose a school that didn’t have as much of a vibe of “privilege” when she was on campus interviewing, touring, etc.</p>
<p>I think that the student population and the environs of the university have to be layered on top of the individual student’s personality. For example, my D will ALWAYS want to spend more, no matter the place!</p>