<p>I'm entering college in the fall and am trying to plan ahead a little by figuring out how much I'm going to need to save this summer. Anyone have some guestimates or figures of their own that they'd like to share? How much does it really cost to be in college per semester? Do students use sites like Student Rate?</p>
<p>The cost of books varies from major to major and school to school. On the average, books may cost approx. $1200/yr. You can do some research and purchase used books online to save some money. Transportation costs depend on the location of the school to your home so you can figure that amount out on your own. Additional food and drink expense, such as coffee, soda/juice, and food outside of the dining plan adds up quickly. You can save money on this by making a weekly or bi-monthly trip to a supermarket/walmart/target to stock up on snacks and drinks. Fun money, such as movie tickets, the occasional school weekend day trip, bowling, parties/clubs, etc. is based on how much you’re willing to spend the majority of your time on campus and how much you want to get off campus for a change of pace. Then, there are the personal incidental costs such as bathroom stuff (shampoo, soap, etc.), laundry supplies, printer supplies, occasional new piece of clothing, dues for organizations, gas money if you have a car at school, iTunes music, and whatever.</p>
<p>The costs will generally be higher if your school is located close to a major city because many kids will prefer to do more expensive things in the city during the weekends. Based on my experience, excluding the costs of books you should try to earn and put away approximately $2000 minimum (give or take). Open a checking account that includes a debit card and once you turn 18, get yourself a credit card. During the summer before college, learn how to handle writing out a check, taking money out with a debit card, recording stuff in your checkbook, use the credit card for small purchases and learn how to pay the bill (always in full!) on time.</p>
<p>I usually spend $500 - $1000 each month on my credit card statement if that helps any. Mainly just gas and food.</p>
<p>“$500 - $1000 each month on my credit card statement if that helps any.”</p>
<p>Nope.</p>
<p>“$500 - $1000 each month on my credit card statement if that helps any.”</p>
<p>"Nope. "</p>
<p>K.</p>
<p>Expect about 15-25K in expenses (housing, food, textbooks, etc.) on top of the tuition per year.</p>
<p>How do you spend 15k to 25k above tuition… housing should cost 6k at the most about tuition and you can eat for 200 a month. Textbooks are not that expensive if you don’t buy them at the bookstore. Most of all, being conservative and watching how you spend your money during college will help you with debt in college.</p>
<p>My sister spent between $50 and $100 a month, as well as about $1000 a year for books. She had a great time. I will probably spend about the same, between $50 and $100 a month. Unfortunately, my prospective school has a crappy meal plan after the freshman year, so I’ll probably end up spending a LOT more.</p>
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Housing 6K a month? Maybe in Nebraska, but not not here in Manhattan…same with food, it’s expensive, even the social life here is generally more expensive…location makes a huge difference. NYU dorms cost like $12K a year, and a teeny-tiny studio apartment is like $1800-2000 a month in rent, less if you split it but nowhere near $6K for a year! The meal plan here is kind of expensive too but I don’t use it since I commute.</p>
<p>Keep an eye out for places that give student discounts, like local markets, shops, movie theatres, etc. Mon-Thurs afternoon is the best time to see a movie btw, plus no annoying HS and under kids in the theatre, they’re like empty and cheap. :)</p>
<p>I live off campus so use about $200 - $300 on food and gas each month.</p>
<p>When I lived on campus all I really needed to survive was laundry money and books. Books only cost me $100-$200 because I bought them used online. Don’t get screwed over by the bookstore. You can also sell them back online afterward and make some money back.</p>
<p>Laundry was kind of pricey I think something like 1.50 for a washer and 1.25 to dry.</p>
<p>But thats pretty much it. Of course I’m not counting meal plans, boarding, etc which I assume is already covered in some way.</p>
<p>Any other money I spent was a luxury (going out of dorms to eat, movies, starbucks etc) and I didn’t need those things. Depending on your campus many social activities are free anyway.</p>
<p>You may want to budget 20 buck a month of misc. costs like if something breaks or you bit all your pens to death and need new ones (I do this).</p>
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<p>or you can move 30 minutes uptown to spanish harlem or washington heights, or out to queens or brooklyn, and pay $400-$800 for your own bedroom in a 2 or 3 bedroom place with friends. there’s no need to spend 2k a month on a studio.</p>
<p>I spend about $300-$400 a month on food, going out, transportation, other misc needs. That’s on top of $800/month for rent (I live in Boston–not cheap!) and about $700 a semester for books.</p>
<p>I can’t believe there are places where rent is only $6k a year. Oh, what I could do with that extra $3600!</p>
<p>Where do you get the $6k a year figure? I pay $13k for my dorm room! </p>
<p>I’d say $20k above and beyond tuition for room/board/food/airfare/whatever else is reasonable.</p>
<p>Ego: I go to NYU as well, and Hopstop’s 30 minute estimate for Wash heights/Queens to Greenwich Village is completely inaccurate. Queens will take you at least an hour. So will Wash heights. The only reasonable place to commute from is Jersey City and maybe Williamsburg. </p>
<p>Door to door, it takes 25 minutes from my dorm on Union Square to my aunt’s apartment on 38th street.</p>
<p>Golfball’s comment above mentioned paying $6k for housing.</p>
<p>But yeah, 13k sounds about right for dorms in NY… dorms in boston go for around 11k for 8 months.</p>
<p>My figures are a little different since I don’t dorm, but:</p>
<p>Rent: $5,750/month
- Electricity: $85/month
- Internet/Cable/Phone $130/month
Travel expenses: $100/month
Books: $200-$500/semester
Tuition: $17,000/semester
Groceries: $100/month plus delivery charges</p>
<p>Wow! I hope your current school is worth the extra cost in living expenses. That rent is crazy.</p>
<p>It’s not too bad. I’m not paying for my rent, I only pay for electricity and books. </p>
<p>I feel like I’ve outgrown living in a dorm and didn’t want to go back to one. And I would have been placed in a triple had I chosen to dorm.</p>
<p>If you like cold weather and cheap rent, consider Minot State University in North Dakota. The annual room and board charge is only $4028. Next year non-resident students even get to pay in-state tuition of only about $5200/year.</p>
<p>[Minot</a> State University - Residence Life](<a href=“Minot State University”>Minot State University)</p>
<p>To the original poster–where are you goiing to be? Are you asking about expenses over and above room and board? What exactly are you allowing for in this budget?</p>
<p>“Expect about 15-25K in expenses (housing, food, textbooks, etc.) on top of the tuition per year.”</p>
<p>Jesus dude, tuition at my school is only 4 k a year.
I don’t see how i’m going to spend 15+k on housing, food, and textbooks
LOL</p>