<p>Just wondering - how much do you normally spend per week while at school? Any food not on your meal plan/dinners out with friends, entertainment, whatever. And do your parents give you money for these things, or do you pay for them yourself? </p>
<p>I'm a HS senior with a major problem with planning. I'm thinking of how many hours I'll have to work during the summer so I can use whatever I make for when I'm in college. How much would you say is a good amount to save for use 1st semester?</p>
<p>I go to college in NYC and my parents paid for a one meal/day meal plan. I spend about $40-$80 per week on ALL other expenses, including transportation to work and the rest of my meals. I do, however, have a kitchen and try to cook somewhat normal meals. The rule of thumb for me is spending less than $10/day. The same is true for a suitemate of mine.
If you plan to go to college in a city (not next to, in), money will go REALLY, REALLY fast if you like buying snacks, cool things, etc. A suitemate of mine blew through the 2 grand her parents gave her "to start off until she gets a job" in two months. I spent at a similar rate for the first couple of weeks. This was THE biggest adjustment for me in college. I think pretty much everyone on my floor had a similar problem.
My parents don't give me money at all and I don't buy random things when I feel like it. Of course, I go to movies sometimes and dinner with friends and the like, but you really stop spending money on crap when you start budgeting your own money.
Granted, NYC is more expensive than other places, but if you plan to go to an urban school, I say have about $1000-1500 saved up for the first semester.</p>
<p>My situation is almost identical to worth2try. I spend around $80 per week for everything excluding rent & utilties. I do try to cook my own meals whenever I can, so that saves me some money. I had a year-round internship so that helps me with those expenses; anything that's left over goes to my rent. My parents do give me money when I need help paying for rent though.</p>
<p>I go to a city school as well (Chicago), and I have no meal plan so I have to buy all groceries/food/cooking stuff for myself, plus all other expenses. I spend about 50-100 a week depending on weather, eating out/performances/etc... It's hard to spend less than that with having to buy groceries and cook. It's probably easier on a campus with a meal plan and such.</p>
<p>Go to college in a smaller place. If you live in a place like LA or NY, just walking down the street will lighten your wallet.</p>
<p>It varies by location and lifestyle, but here's my average monthly breakdown from this yr at school in LA (I live in an apt and cook most of my own food; my parents pay for room and board, minus food):</p>
<p>Gas: $139/month (keep that in mind if you're considering having your car freshmen yr!)
On-campus eating (1 meal/day): $155/month
Groceries (2 meals/day): $103/month
Restaurants/eating out: $50/month
Clothes: $70/month
Misc. Supplies (household, academic, etc.): $29/month
TOTAL: $546/month (~$127/week)</p>
<p>I go to school in Philadelphia. Last semester I spent a <em>mathematical average</em> of $25 a week. I have 10 meals a week and never bought anything. I started off buying stupid dorm stuff and then it basically came down to $10/week to go home on the weekends.</p>
<p>depends on a lot of things, how much you go out, what your tastes are..</p>
<p>i think i spent $1500 the first semester, plus food and fraternity dues</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies!
My 2 schools are down to 1 in Boston (literally next to Fenway) and the other in a suburban town. My house isn't very far away ... maybe 45 minutes. Both schools require 1st semester students' meal plans to be 14 meals/week or 19 meals/week. I definately will be going with 14, so that's 2/day for the entire week which I supose cuts costs a little because my parents will be paying for that in room&board.</p>
<p>I average about 50-60 a week on groceries and going out on the weekend...I spend less money on food than I would with a meal plan...an extra grand should be fine unless you are a loose spender</p>
<p>It depends on who is buying the things to set up your dorm. My mom is pretty much going to pay for everything except my entertainment and stupid things.</p>
<p>The stuff for my dorm? I'm paying for that too. </p>
<p>My hope is that from Jan-May my savings can be put towards all the dorm furnishings and the rest of the summer can go towards 1st semester.</p>
<p>I'm spoiled like a baby so my parents pay for everything</p>
<p>oh yeah, forgot to answer the topic. I generally spend less than $10 a week anyway. I never eat out etc...</p>
<p>I think I probably spend between $75-100/ week, because I don't have a meal plan and I can't really cook so I tend to eat out alot (I'm getting better). I also have my own car so I have to put gas in it and take care of it (insurance, oil changes, etc). Plus there's rent and utilities too, that's not added in to the above figure. I get the money (mostly) from a financial aid refund check and (a little from) part-time job. My mom doesn't really pay much for me except my cell phone bill because we are on family plan.</p>
<p>About 10 bucks a week.</p>
<p>There's not much I need to buy really. I blew 400 bucks on a new computer once, but I don't know if that really counts.</p>
<p>Wow...after reading these I feel wicked spoiled and like an a$$.</p>
<p>I am allowed $300 a week.</p>
<p>However I spend only about $80 a week for food.</p>
<p>I will spend the saved up money for a awesome spring break trip, a video camera, and guitar lessons. </p>
<p>Possibly spend some on stocks.</p>
<p>Gas is around $100 week, insurance is $70 week, food is $70-$110 week, and entertainment is <$25 week.
I work and do not get an allowance.</p>
<p>There's not much to spend your cash on in college unless you tend to spend a lot on your social life. Some people end up spending a ton on food, but I don't. The dining plan provides plenty of food. I try to avoid spending extra on food anyway because it's wasteful and usually unhealthy. I don't shop much either. When I do go shopping it's for necessities, which my parents don't mind paying for. There are some odds and ends that I do have to buy for myself on campus, like laundry or office supplies, cigarettes, soda, and gum. But I can buy these things using my Flex points account, not actual spending money. (Most schools have a system like this; your parents pay for a set amount of Flex points for you for the semester and you use that to buy stuff you randomly need on campus.) I don't spend many flex points, maybe $20 per week. The only things I really pay for out of my own pocket (in cash from my bank account) are recreational expenses--alcohol, cab fare, entertainment of various kinds. I try to limit these expenses to $50 per week. </p>
<p>So in total, I think $50 cash a week is plenty, especially if your college provides you with a Flex points system. You spend a lot less if you live substance-free, so think about that.</p>
<p>^Agreed on the "There's not much to spend your cash on in college unless you tend to spend a lot on your social life." My parents pay for everything and I use meal points so I usually spend around $20-$40 dollars a month on eating out, ordering out, or shopping. Sometimes, I don't spend any at all except a dollar or so for church or a couple bucks for some small expenses.</p>
<p>wow... I need to cut down my expenses then...It's not even that I splurge my money around. It just seems to disappear as time goes by, in random expenses...I should also stop eating at steakhouses that often ( I'm used to eating meat...back in my country steakhouses, even really good ones, are WAY cheaper than in the US...think less than 20 bucks per steak):)</p>