<p>Our youngest has an odd class schedule this semester, so he dropped down to 75 meal swipes for the 15 week semester. We give him an allowance of $300/month, which he can allocate between the campus bucks card (also usable in campus town eateries, etc) and his checking account.</p>
<p>Following back up to post #116. The delivered/catered dinner was a huge hit! When I asked if it arrived ok, he said “Yes, it was delicious and very fancy. Haven’t eaten real green stuff in a while”. He said there was plenty of food, with leftovers (3 males got free food and had leftovers?!?!?!) and the chocolate chip cookies for dessert were also delicious. He said he happened to have a very busy night tonight, so really appreciated not having to cook. They also cleaned up their kitchen in preparation!! Miracles do happen.</p>
<p>Only downside-- we chatted about this via text conversation instead of a phonecall, but thats ok. I’ll take it.</p>
<p>I highly recommend this for kids living off campus. Wish I’d thought of it for older s when he was in school (though I did send him a cake, huge beer stein-shaped cookies and had his lawn covered with pink flamingos and a sign for his 21st birthday). I think the embarrassment has worn off by now.</p>
<p>I send D1 shoes when I miss her. Last time I did that (5 pairs), I didn’t get an instant “thank-you,” I called her to see if she was dead. Luckily, she answered.</p>
<p>^^ You sent 5 pr of shoes and she didn’t call you? Is she dead now?</p>
<p>Not getting shoes in a while.:)</p>
<p>My daughter had over 1k saved, we paid her smart phone cell bill, had a car she lost privelages to that by blowing the first two days of school off partying, we gave her $300/month.</p>
<p>Now 7 weeks later she spent over $1500, has a myriad of C-F’s, and is currently in Rehab we withdrew her from college today.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>So sorry, scaredDad. You might find this thread helpful, with others struggling with their freshmen kids too <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1020451-my-freshmans-coming-home-game-over-3.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1020451-my-freshmans-coming-home-game-over-3.html</a></p>
<p>ScaredDad, my heart goes out to you. Best of luck getting your D back on track.</p>
<p>The allowance thing is so personal, I think it depends on the kid, the college location, your pesonal finances, whatever you are comfortable with. We gave our son 4 years of spending money, book money up front. He is very responsible and interested in investing and money management. He recieved very generous graduation gifts and has worked the last three summers full time. He started with a pretty large bank balance. He has invested in some stocks, just what he is comfortable risking. His goal is to graduate with more money then he started with. We pay for transportation and he has a clothing allowance (small, very small). It’s been a few months and he has been extremely conservative, for him I knew a larger sum of money would create a miser, where $50-$60 a week would be more likely to be spent. I know the way his mind works. Since he was small every purchase made with his own money has been carefully considered. We would have to leave a store and think about it overnight before he could commit to spending. 90% of the time he would choose not to buy the toy, the pokeman cards whatever. So I didn’t think I was taking too big a risk! If he blows the cash he’ll need a loan or an on campus job. This is a kid who saved for a car since he was 12, on his 17th birthday he handed me 68 $100 bills for the down payment on his car. We make the payments during the school year, he pays during the summer. I write all this, because this was the thought process and background that helped us make this financial decision.</p>
<p>By the way DB, very happy that your son recieves his well deserved stipend! Tax money going to an excellent use.</p>
<p>Very interesting thread!
I bet as much depends on the parent style as well. I’m scattered and unplanned, and thus have no idea what we spend on College son #1, now a senior in college. He has not really worked during the school year (unlike my college years, spoiled brat!) – on the other hand, he is getting a double degree in math and government and takes a pretty full load of challenging courses and for instance this semester is tutoring math in a local public school. But he has worked each summer at Target nearly full time.
We pay his car insurance and as he lives not to far away, he’ll often come home when his tank needs filling up and then ask us to take him for a grocery shop.</p>
<p>He’s been going out with the same young woman since high school, and I adore her, so I’ll often help fund her birthday and holiday gifts, and even their anniversary meals… I figure it’s all the same money, if I don’t, he’ll take it from his savings, and I’ll pay more towards something else.</p>
<p>He actually asked me to pay for booze to stock a basic bar in his apartment when he turned 21. I politely declined! (We, at home, are not real drinkers and don’t keep a stocked bar! He was probably just yanking my chain.)</p>
<p>I didn’t realize when my D went to college that I would be expected to pay so much for sporting events. I would advise parents to select colleges where sporting events are free if the kid wants to go to a lot of games. I paid for season tickets to football and basketball games last year and bought some single tickets to hockey games. She will soon be 21 and I know lots of kids start going to bars then so I would rather that she hang out at games than bars but it takes a big chunk out of her budget and she has to choose what it will be that week: a game or movie but rarely both. Kinda sad. Games to her school were free for students when her dad went there and I wish that they did not charge the students.</p>
<p>Also, she “won the ticket lottery” and was thrilled to buy a ticket to an out of town football game for $40 bucks but the bus ride is $200 so I’m not sure if she is going or not. She has some money saved from summer but not sure if she will want to drain that.</p>
<p>If your kid gets season student tickets and has a conflict with a game, tell them to be sure to pass the ticket on to someone who might not otherwise get to go. Once she had a class that took a field trip on the night of a basketball game and she gave the ticket to a friend who she knew would like to see one. Be sure to tell your kids to do this if they are lucky enough to have season tickets. </p>
<p>I don’t think she has ever been to a play on campus as they are around $15 and I would love for her to go to one.</p>