<p>S is a sophomore at a university on the other side of the country. He's been in a residence hall for the past two years, but starting this summer he will be leasing an apartment on campus. He will not be on a meal plan, and will be sharing the apartment with 3 other people. There is a full kitchen. How much do others budget for food, etc.? He loves to cook and tends to have fairly expensive tastes, which he will have to rein in as long as we are paying for it.</p>
<p>You could deposit the amount equivalent to what you have paid for the meal plan into his checking account and let him use that as his food budget.</p>
<p>At the beginning of the term, we gave our son the amount of money that it would have cost had he had lived in the dorm (room and meal plan). It was up to him to decide how to use that money for rent, utilities, food, etc., and he did fine.</p>
<p>We told our kiddo that the total cost of living OFF campus had to be less than living ON campus (or else stay on campus). We too ponied up only what it would have cost totally to live on campus. This included ALL expenses…rent, utilities, cable, food, furniture, insurance, heating oil, EVERYTHING.</p>
<p>^^^^ditto, except that we donated some unused furniture and kitchen items. OK, I did buy some kitchen equipment because I had a totally irrational concern that he would not eat enough and another irrational need to help to feather his nest.</p>
<p>I agree with nysmile, although I might be tempted to send it monthly (or a bigger chunk the first month and then equal payments after that). His food costs should be less than the meal plan (you aren’t, after all, paying someone else to shop, cook and clean up after) but he will have other costs (cleaning supplies, TP, etc.)
Is he in a high cost area, or a rural school? Makes a big difference.</p>
<p>I got my son a Costco credit card, and he lives on about $200-250 per month, including gas in LA.</p>
<p>My daughter has made it through her sophomore year on a food budget of 10 dollars a day. The meal plan freshman year was about 13.50 a day so we cut that down a little. It helps her planning to keep the 10 dollars a day in mind so she might take homemade sandwiches for lunches to balance a dinner out.</p>
<p>^^^ that old proviso that your mileage may vary: Our son has to work to maintain his weight (not sure how we are related), so cutting back on food is not high on MY list.</p>
<p>S2 is s soph. living off campus. He gets $360/month for food and gas. He has a big gas drinker truck (old Ford F-150 FWD). It takes about $60 to fill it up. The rest goes for food, toiletries, etc. He says he has eliminated breakfast from his schedule!</p>
<p>Some more info: The apartment is on on-campus apartment and is furnished and includes utilities. University of Maryland doesn’t have many dorms available for juniors & seniors, so living in a dorm isn’t an option for him next year. He could have taken a less expensive apartment farther from campus, but I wanted him to be close, since he has no car. This will be kind of a middle step between living in the residence halls and having his “very own place.”</p>
<p>I’m thinking $10 a day sounds about right. If he wants more expensive food he can supplement it from his own wallet.</p>
<p>The meal plan he’s been on amounts to $17 a day, so this would be a savings for us. However, the apartment costs a bit more than the dorm, plus it’s a year-long lease. So we won’t be saving anything overall. :P</p>
<p>When our kids went off the meal plan, we gave them the same exact money the meal plan cost for their food. We took the total cost for the year for the meal plan, and counted up how many weeks of school it covered and figured out what it came to per week. Then each month, we gave them a check for the number of weeks in that month that they’d be at school. We gave them money for other things too, but I am just speaking of the food amount.</p>
<p>My fiance and I live comfortably on about $40 a week for groceries and other things you buy at the supermarket, we shop every two weeks with $80-100. </p>
<p>That said, I think we’d be living a much more standard lifestyle with $20 or so more. We live a more simple lifestyle than I think many would accept.</p>
<p>I was thinking $10/day, wow, that’s 3 trips to starbucks, and your kid’s DONE! But if he’s not of drinking age, that’s about $300/month, which can be done. </p>
<p>My son gets $200 for food. But can use the credit card for the occasional jamba juice, crepe, etc.</p>
<p>We’re another family that gave our kids as much as the cheapest meal plan (at least the 1st year each lived in an apartment). This year, we haven’t given either kid ANY money and both are paying much of it from their earnings. (When they get stuck, D will use her charge card & I pay the bill–it’s been very modest–a few groceries or meal from time to time, probably under $350 for the entire year).</p>
<p>*My fiance and I live comfortably on about $40 a week for groceries and other things you buy at the supermarket, we shop every two weeks with $80-100. *</p>
<p>That would buy maybe fruit and veggies here- no cleaning supplies, no protein or spices.</p>
<p>However, I will have to think about this also, because my youngest will be a sophomore next year and will be moving off campus to a house with three young men.
Yes she is a girl, but she assured me, it is more likely they will be cooking for her, or taking turns, rather than her being the " mom".</p>
<p>[I have more in common with killer whales than I realized ;)](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011609220_orca15m.html”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011609220_orca15m.html</a>)</p>
<p>This is the semester D1 is living off campus. We did exactly like many families did by giving her the same amount of food money as having a full meal plan on campus. It came to about $400/mon. In checking D1’s bank acct, I think she spends around $300 on grocery a month. She probably uses the other 100 for coffee, having lunch on campus and maybe having few meals out. D1 likes a lot of fancy fruit and vegetable, so that tends to add up. All three roommates cook for themselves, but they eat together, so they keep their food budget very separate. It’s worked out for them.</p>
<p>$200 a month for food is what we give our son. He spends $35-50 dollars a week at the grocery store according to S2 who visited him for a couple weeks this year. He and his roommate “keep their food separate” most of the time, but occasionally go to the grocery store together and make “big meals” or they gather at a friends’ house and they all bring contributions to the meal.</p>
<p>we do $400/month for food/eating out/dining hall/essentials.</p>
<p>we did put some money (of the above amount) on the Campus Flex $s program, that she can use at school, so she can get a few hot meals prepared for her once in a while at the cafeteris and school cafes. Plus it is more conveinant for her to eat at school between classes, when studying at the library at night, etc… cafeteria is a bit pricey, but I want the kids to eat healthy, well rounded, and it is difficult to keep fresh produce, protein in small quantities so it doesn’t go bad, in her apartment. So, I encourage her to eat at school - just feel the nutrition and bang for the buck are higher than making a box of mac n cheese every night or eating at fast food.</p>
<p>another friend gives her son $200/month, which he struggles with. she will go down an buy him groceries 2-3 times a year.</p>
<p>another friend gives her son $500 month, on a weekly basis (figures he won’t starve if he gets some money every week!!)</p>
<p>also depends on if they have a car and access to getting to the grocery store, costco, etc, or need to eat at the cafeteria or fast food places more often</p>