How much do you spend per week at NYU?

Colleges and Universities A-Z New York University
21

<p>I'm talking about the difference between paying full price for a movie vs getting a discount ticket via ticket central.</p>

<p>Or the difference between buying a bagel on the street for a couple bucks, vs a breakfast bar that is $.50 </p>

<p>I honestly think that my frugal ways are a turnoff to him, rather than an inspiration to emulate. </p>

<p>If I'm going to drive a 17 year old car and pay my entire efc and provide pocket money for him to go to NYU, I expect some monetary concessions on his part.</p>

<p>He does know better, he knows about credit, he hasn't learned to care, yet.</p>

<p>he'll always have extra (of my money) in the bank, but if it starts to disappear, I will want to know why. </p>

<p>Believe me, I won't deny him anything necessary for school, it's the 'other stuff' that I'm worried about.</p>

22

<p>There's alot of things being said here that I find absurd. For starters, the fake purse (and fake everything for that matter) sellers DO NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS. What's wrong with you people. Secondly, how can you trust your son and/or daughter to live by themselves in one of the largest cities IN THE WORLD and at the same time attend college and be surrounded by other college students and not trust them enough to handle money. Maybe you should just keep them at home b/c they will never grow up at this rate. I go to NYU. Everyone I know at school has a credit card or debit card. Most of them have jobs anyway. </p>

<p>NYC broadway plays are not temptations, they are culture. Besides Brodway shows are not expensive, nyu gets you cheap (but bad) tickets. So if you want to sit in orchestra prepare to pay alot. And you parents have to realize that almost all NYU students go out to bars on the weekends.. That being said they need money for that. I think a social life is a requirement of college. And the 'other stuff' that you worry about will happen.</p>

23

<p>I hear where you are coming from. I would have the same issues with my son if he lived at home. </p>

<p>Broadway plays are a frill. Maybe not frivolous but a 'want' not a need. So is a movie. you are missing my point. I expect my son to TRY to be cost conscious. If you can get a discount movie/theatre ticket but you couldn't be bothered to take the actions to do so, that is the problem I have. That is the tendency my son has and it is a source of continuing conflict. He has way more clothes than he even wears. He won't buy a pair of jeans of sneakers less than 60-80 and he goes thru 3-4 pairs of shoes a year and probably bought 6-8 jeans as well. I'm not asking him to walk barefoot and naked, but for goodness sakes I beg him to try to cut costs where possible. </p>

<p>Let me give you an example. He was in Washington DC for a week earlier this year. He had $150 in cash since he was with a group and might not have access to get to an ATM. The last day of the trip he spend $70 on books. I was furious. I would have bought those books for him (no questions asked) used off the internet for $30 delivered to my door. </p>

<p>He doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that it's my frugality that has enabled my to be able to afford to pay my portion to NYU. If I lived his lifestyle, I wouldn't have money in the bank. </p>

<p>He is selfish and materialist, I'm not proud of that. I didn't raise him to be that way and it's not the example I set.</p>

<p>he's also one of the most intelligent people I've ever met. I'm just waiting till his brain gets the clues I've been dropping for a long time now. </p>

<p>EVERYBODY is different.<br>
I'd love to trust my son with a CC, but I don't (at this time)</p>

24

<p>I'm in Stern (the biz school) and the most shocking thing (but now that I think about it, it surprises me less and less) is that you don't have to be brilliant or even have above average intelligence to succeed in the biz world. It's all about making connections and being a nice guy, I've gotten all my jobs through connections and friends, most of whom I've met sharing a pint in some bar in the village. I never asked or received money from my parents for these excursions, but I had a job and paid for all my recreational habits that way. If a parent doesn't deem it necessary to give their child money for this (and there are very good reasons not to do so) then it simply will mean the kid has to work, which of course means his grades will suffer at least a little (I worked 20hrs a week and have a 3.7, but I'm sure I could have done better if I was unemployed.)</p>

<p>Also an advantage to giving a child a cc is that you can see exactly where the money is being spent.</p>

25

<p>I understand where you are coming from sue in philly. My mom is the exact same way and, unlike your son, it did rub off onto me. I have worked since I was 11 (babysitting), continued to work minimum wage jobs since I turned 16 and now work steadily. I've never been without a job, so I truly understand the value of a dollar, and let me say, NY is not cheap. Especially Broadway plays. Last2accountsbanned may think that 30-40 bucks for Broadway tix from NYU ticket central is cheap, but that's ridiculous to me (I'm a drama student and one of my biggest pet peeves is the price of theatre). Thus, even though some of my friends with rich parents went to see shows or go shopping, etc. once or twice a week, I limited myself to going to 3 broadway plays the entire year (it's actually cheaper to student rush plays, by the way, and you get better seats) and I only went clothes shopping once (other than a pair of pj pants I needed from Kmart mid semester).</p>

<p>Getting a job is a great idea and one of the best ways to learn the value of a dollar, next to budgeting. And honestly, I feel bad for those who have plenty of money that they don't earn because when they are finally cut from their parents pockets later on they will have a bigger struggle ahead of them. Now is the time your child should be learning money management, as well as having a good time. If they find they need more money, encourage them to get a job. And it will not, if they are responsible, result in a drop in their grades.</p>

<p>I worked two jobs at the beginning of the semester, but then realized that that was too much for me. I quit one (and yea, that pay cut did hurt, but the second job wasn't NECESSARY to sustain me) in order to concentrate more on my schoolwork. I worked 12 hrs. a week (3 mornings/wk.) and always had enough time to study, as well as enough money to get/do what I needed and often wanted to. My GPA was the same as it would have been had I not had a job.</p>

<p>I do agree with alwaysamom and bloomster that a debit card, at least, is a good idea because it's always good to have a little cash in your pocket.</p>

<p>And p.s. your child doesn't need money to absorb culture. They need legs.</p>

26

<p>You get a breakdown on charges to the NYU card too.</p>

<p>If some bank is stupid enough to give my son a card, he will have one. I'm not signing my name for his credit, yet.</p>

<p>I want him to get a job (he has a small work study amount). But if I fund his every whim, he will have no incentive to do so. I know my son very well. He has never done without. I have seen him buy a $60 pair of pants and then decide a short time later that he doesn't like them. </p>

<p>Another example. He drinks alot of water. I realize lugging cases to dorms isn't feasible. but if you can buy a 6 pack for $4 in a corner store vs paying 1.50 plus tax (or more), that ends up being $8 a week in savings if you drink a case of 24 or more a week. Like getting a free discount movie :-)</p>

<p>How can someone who is SO smart, be so stubborn on this issue is beyond me. I know it's a control issue. The only 'hand' I have is not putting out the $$. </p>

<p>He will have access to cash at Atms. And he will be given a print out of all the locations he can go to that are no surcharge for withdrawls. </p>

<p>One of my sayings is:</p>

<p>Failing to plan is planning to fail.</p>

27

<p>Last2AcntsBanned:</p>

<p>Your post comes off as being incredibly spoiled. Sure, maybe your parents front you the money to buy cheap knockoffs and orchestra-side Broadway tickets, but not every parent feels it is their responsibility to pay for such luxury items. It's ridiculous for you (or me, for that matter) as a young person, to lecture other people about how to raise their kids. Your parents have tons of money? Good for you. Someone else's parents don't feel like paying for all the child's expensive playthings? That's fine, too.</p>

<p>sueinphilly:</p>

<p>If it's any comfort to you, you might like letting your son use the NYUCard. Many of the delis and little restaurants around WS Park take NYUCard, so it'll allow him to eat (and eat well) without you being afraid he'll take that card to the Adidas store and go to town.</p>

<p>My first semester at college, my parents paid for a 19 meals/wk meal plan, put $200 on my NYUCard, and gave me $200 cash - no debit card, no credit card, no bank account. Spending that carefully was quite a shock. I had unplanned expenses (such as lab fees) that ate into my budget. But guess what? I survived - I bought generic brand items, I went to the dining hall to eat, and I went to free events at Weinstein.</p>

<p>In short, I don't think you're being hard on your kid at all - in fact, a little hardship on his part might make him realize the value of a dollar (or 50 cents). :)</p>

28

<p>If your son has work study and enjoys working with kids, I would encourage him to apply to America Reads. Students serve as tutors to children at inner-city schools. I worked in a middle school in the projects (south of Harlem) which was, interesting...haha (not in any way bad though, just...13 year olds...not as easily managed as younger kids, haha) and an elementary school in chinatown my second semester. It's a great job and you are paid $10/hr. ($12 if you work above 100th street, which I did my 1st sem.). The only downside is that they don't pay you for your transportation and most schools aren't within walking distance. Otherwise, it may be something he could look into. And since it operates on NYC public school time, you aren't working nights and have time to study or go out on the town. I plan on working there again this upcoming year :).</p>

29

<p>Sue- My son will be a soph. He has a credit card with a $250 limit. Kid should have a credit card for emergencies and I think as a parent, you can appreciate that things come up, especially in NYC and for your own peace of mind- it's wise to allow the kid to have one. My son was quite frugal with his money and I don't think he spent more than $150/mo. He was in Rubin-175 flex meal plan (which worked great- recommended).</p>

30

<p>yea, so the parents arguments, i agree with.</p>

<p>i went to boarding school for high school so I had a debit card (for the most part the same thing as a CC), and the first year, I splurged, I bought stuff that I probably could have done without, ate out without even thinking about how much it cost.</p>

<p>after that year, I was like...wait I spent way too much. and thats how i learned, after that I've been cost-conscious and made a good balance between want/need</p>

31

<p>I have a job which covers a large portion of my spending.</p>

32

<p>Is the money you put on the NYU card the same as the money that comes on the flex plan for meal plans? Is it the same system?</p>

33

<p>I'm at work so I just skimmed the thread, sorry If I missed anything.</p>

<p>First off, its important to specify if you have a meal plan or not ( its a waste of money, its CHEAPER if you pay with campus cash every times [it comes out to $9 per meal on a 10 week meal plan, even though some things only cost $6, you still have to waste a meal...and unused meals expire at end of week if you don't have a flex), so avoid meal plan at all costs. </p>

<p>Freshmen year, I had a 10 a week meal plan, and spent 50-75 a week on food/alcohol with a few outliers here and there (joining 4 clubs, and using all 10 meals a week, means you very rarely have to pay for food, plus I did the $2 pizza for dinner thang). But its definitely a range even then, I'd sometimes drop $50-100 some nights on poker or club hoping. But approximately $2000-$2500 made me through the year. I did not have a job freshmen year, so I was actively trying to save money, so keep in mind I wasn't enjoying myself fully, and was eating unhealthy. For someone that goes out 3 nights a week, i'd recommend $100 a week.</p>

<p>Beginning of sophomore year my costs went down a little since I didn't have to pay for meal plan (had clubs and fast food and pizza mostly)and we had bigger dorms/people less fascinated with clubbing.</p>

<p>Starting 2nd semester sophomore year my expenses went up considerably. I finally got a job, and immediately - almost subconsciously- started to spend about $50-100 more a week than I had previously (up to about $200 a week[remember I don't have meal plan though]). I started eating healthier (which is $10 a meal at the least) and getting starbucks ever day and starting to go out more. I had been holding back alot more expenditures than I had assumed. </p>

<p>This summer I'm in the city and have become idiotic. I got a nice internship so i now spend $300 a week on food and entertainment (been going out alot though, don't know if this will carry over to school year). Been buying alot more clothes and buying expensive things...I used to cringe about spending $30 for a dress shirt, now I dont even bat an eye at spending $100. I bought a big screen TV, a Chinchilla, etc. Some uncontrollable expensives have also come up also, such as $75 a month subway cost.</p>

<p>Now to my conclusion to sum it up for all you lazy readers, <b> spending is almost completely variable</b> Almost all your costs and spending is voluntary. You can even go out every weekend and not manage to spend that much and not hamper your social life too much (although going to clubs gets difficult), you'll just be pregaming more, buying cheaper beer, eating unhealthy. If you give your kid more money, he will spend it. If you don't give him much he will be able to enjoy his time here, it will just be more difficult (have to get generic coffee instead of starbucks). </p>

<p>It also depends the group of friends you have, the extreme difference in economic prosperity at NYU, and because of this the groups/cliques kind of fragment (a rich person doesn't want to go to cheap bars, a poor person cant afford to get to expensive clubs every night) So you kinda end up hanging out with people who want to spend the same amount as you, making your "weekly spending estimate" a self fulfilling prophesy.</p>

34

<p>I got bored so I read through the thread</p>

<p>"It's all about making connections and being a nice guy, I've gotten all my jobs through connections and friends, most of whom I've met sharing a pint in some bar in the village."</p>

<p>YES, this is so true. This is how I got my internship now, and consequently a probable lucrative future job (the analyst who is my boss likes to guest bartend, so drinking helps me again haha) that in one months pay check will probably pay off most of excess spendings of 4 years. Unless you have a 3.9-4.0 (which you won't, unless you dont have friends go out, in which case you have no personality and won't get hired anyways), GPA isn't that important, its about who you know. If you're able to go out to fancy places, you'll meet rich friends, who have successful parents who can get your foot in the door...its what I did. </p>

<p>To talk about SueinPhillys concerns...I'd recommend payrolling your kid freshmen year, and forcing him to work subsequent years. Freshmen year its important to make friends, which is impeded if you have to work, and as i stated before more difficult - but not impossible- if you don't have much money. Your friends do start to get annoyed with you if you complain about prices/not having money...you can say they are shallow/spoiled, but thats the average NYU students. Likewise, with all the temptation in the city, very little time goes towards homework/studying...if you're son gets a job that doesn't enable him to do homework while there, his grades will suffer. </p>

<p>Sophomore year its important to start building a resume and getting work/internship experience (but I guess this depends on major), and people start to be more mature with managing time.</p>

35

<p>all along, I have planned on bankrolling him ~50 a week (of my money). I expect him to pay for laundry and stuff.</p>

<p>He will have a 175 flex plan. If I have to add declining dollars or adjust the meal plan (before the cut off date) I will do so. Obviously I don't want him to starve. In fact, I'd pay for a more expensive meal plan if he wanted it.</p>

<p>Unless he gains weight, he has enough clothes for the year. He had 6-8 pairs of jeans and at least 50-60 shirts of various types and sleeve length. He'll get new sneakers before school. </p>

<p>I will give him money for transportation home (and if got a job and needed money to get there, I would contribute towards that. I will pay for all his books and ANY other school related expense. </p>

<p>I just don't want to bankroll his "I wanna party money".</p>

<p>he will start the year with $1300 of his own money, but I won't give him access to all of it at one time. I know my son best. If it's in his reach, he will spend it, usually on something completely unnecessary (can you say more clothes?)</p>

<p>thanks for the great discussion.</p>

36

<p>don't underestimate the importance of clothes in NYC :)</p>

<p>He should be able to survive on $50 a week from you, my parents couldn't afford to give me any spending money (although they gave me $100 a week once i dropped meal plan sophomore year).</p>

<p>That being said, do keep in mind nearly every one of my friends got $100 a week on top of the meal plan every week, sometimes closer to $200....one even got $500 a week, "as much as you need" (who would go on $2000 spending sprees on clothes)...It's not that your son wastes money, its that every kid wastes money, and its really hard to force someone our age to "appreciate" money. I work alot, and I still don't go looking for discounts much. It's the culture of our generation, and you almost have to waste in order to fit in/ be happy (consumerism is a btch...people do judge you on your clothes in nyc, especially when you're trying to get into a bar/club or trying to pick someone up). Grey goose has been proven to taste worst than smirnoff...but try buying someone smirnoff vodka and see the look they give you. As a mother I know you probably don't think your son should be wasting his money so he can go out drinking and impressing superficial people...but its builds confidence, and gets alot of networking opportunites, which will help him later in life.</p>

37

<p>matt, are you in stern?</p>

38

<p>Indeed, I am a Sternie</p>

39

<p>If you are in an apartment style dorm and aren't planning to use a meal plan, how much a week are we talking about low and high (modest) end? (Not much of a party girl or clothing horse)</p>

40

<p>Pre-NYU estimations are pretty futile...People completely change once they come to college. Quiet people become party animals, people who don't care about appearance start becoming fashionable (in HS My whole warddrobe was from Kohls and probably cost $200, now its probably 20 times higher, and all name brand). </p>

<p>But it heavily depends on what you eat/want to do. If you want to eat healthy, its going to be close to $10 a meal, unless you cook (again, this is a hard thing to judge before you go). Some people eat 2 meals a day, some eat 3. If you have starbucks every day, thats another $28 a week. What are you doing instead of partying? Some people do broadway shows/concerts every week, which is more expensive than drinking. I'd try to have $150-200 a week for food, entertainment, shopping, transportation...anything less is really pushing it.</p>