<p>This is not a thread about whether kids should earn their own money in college. In my case, I'd like my D to concentrate on fluency in writing and reading English for the first year. I haven't been to the States in some years and I haven't a clue how much everything costs. If we consider an average student who has a reasonable social life and buys a reasonable amount of books, CDs, personal items... etc... what would the figure come to per month?
Oh yes. Do extra activities like riding, skiing, music lessons get added to the tuition bill, or are they paid for by the student?
Thanks</p>
<p>PS: I'm posting this also on the parents' forum</p>
<p>Music lessons get billed. My D's job paid about $50/week and she had to cover a moderately expensive cell phone bill--since discontinued with her shifting back to a SoCal number to get in on a family plan--out of that. She notes that she's a tightwad but not as tight as some, I suspect. In contrast, there are probably some students who have double that or more...there's a fair economic range at Smith.</p>
<p>Fees for classes (such as riding or music lessons) are billed, but I'd imagine that skiing is out-of-pocket. I'd budget at least $300/semester for books (it depends on the classes. Last semester I had no textbooks at all, but others I've purchased textbooks that were $100+ apiece. Even lit classes can be expensive - I took a first year seminar with 13 assigned books).</p>
<p>As for spending money - I probably spend about $10-$20 in a given week, depending on how often I decide to eat out. I definitely had friends who lived paycheck to paycheck (but bought things they probably didn't need) and others whose parents gave them money whenever they asked (also bought things they didn't need). I'm not a heavy spender, except for eating out often, and the occassional trip to CVS to buy shampoo, etc usually runs me in the $15 range.</p>
<p>Thanks for the imput.
D's rather naive query: are "smoothies" included in the meal plan?</p>
<p>No, but you get $25/year to spend in the campus center cafe, which I <em>think</em> serves smoothies (there are a few ice cream drinks, but I can't remember if smoothies are also available). Otherwise, she'll have to go downtown and pay.</p>
<p>I just noticed a comment to your post on the parents forum - which is regarding laundry. Last year, laundry at Smith was $1.35 with the OneCard or $1.50 in quarters, so it's $2.70 or $3 to both wash and dry your clothes. That's another expense that you'll probably want to cover, but it of course depends on how frequently your D has to do laundry.</p>
<p>I don't keep track of my spending because I like to think that I don't spend a lot, but I take $40 out of my checking account every three weeks or so, and then pay for everything else with my debit card).</p>
<p>Yes, that $300/semester for textbooks seems like a reasonable number. Mileage may vary from semester to semester, as Borgin notes. </p>
<p>D tended to dine out with friends on Friday night increasingly often as the semester progressed it seemed, i.e., not at all in the beginning, several times towards the end.</p>
<p>One thing I always noticed (within recent times) is that things are a lot cheaper over here than in europe. Either that or I just have horrible luck. I spent $40 on a hat that I later found in nyc (both in a quicksilver store so it was the same exact hat) for $15. But of course that 40 takes into account taxes and the exchange rate so interpret this as you please.</p>
<p>Depends on where in Europe: in Hungary, we could live like royalty; in Prague, like burghers; in Vienna, like burgers. In this last, Euros were being sucked out of my wallet as if by vacuum hose. </p>
<p>I finally decided that Vienna = German-speaking Manhattan.</p>
<p>Vienna is worth it though. <3</p>
<p>I'm from belgium so that's what I was talking about. I wish my dad had gone through with our reservations to Budapest though. I was looking forward to it and even changed my facebook status to "Karen is eagerly awaiting her trip to Budapest!". Oddly enough that was the week you were there I believe. In any case I'm assuming you weren't ripped off like we were the last time we went there. We decided to trade our money on the black market instead of through the teller because who really want's to pay a commission? That was a horrible idea. Anyone know what to do with old communist money?</p>
<p>Karen, I'm so sorry: the two biggest warnings about Budapest are about black-market currency scams and bandit taxis. And the "Czech" girls who get you to buy high-priced drinks while they keep you company.</p>
<p>Re the Communist money: bring it to the states and sell it as Communist-chic souvenirs. If you're patient, you'll get people to pay $5 on e-Bay for something that's worth nothing.</p>
<p>I'm a sometime coin collector and bought three in Prague: a "thaler," the original deal from which "piece of eight" derived, a coin from the reign Joseph II, and another from the reign of Franz Joseph. So I'm schizy...I love the Hungarians and the Czechs but I also appreciate the fairly good stab at a multi-lingual, multi-ethnic, religiously tolerant empire that the Habsburgs made.</p>
<p>Remember also that laundry is a fixed cost that she'll need to cover each week (or more if she does laundry more often). It's 2.70 to wash and dry one load with your one card, and I usually did about 2-3 loads, so it was nearly $10 per week for me times the number of weeks in a semester. </p>
<p>Luckily, noho is a pretty cheap town. Movies with a student discount are around 6 dollars, herell's ice cream is 2.50-ish, and she probably won't buy too many books for fun (there's a great public library in town). </p>
<p>The most expensive time is always right when you move in, especially if you're a flyer like us cause we have to buy all the little things that people who drive in bring from home.</p>
<p>Super replies. I f you guys need anything from Paris, or are planning a trip there (Although it seems unlikely that TD will go back to Europe again in the near future), I'd love to reciprocate!!!!</p>
<p>LiT, as the Great Wheel turns, I'll keep that in mind. I don't know if/when our next trip will be but there are already rumblings about England/France being on the next docket. I think I could spend most of a week just visiting the British Museum. And in Paris, I could join the search for the remains of Mary Magdalene. :)</p>
<p>TheMom also mentioned Portugal, which I'd combine with Barcelona/Madrid...from everything I've heard, I think I'd like Barcelona very much. </p>
<p>D says she doubts she'll go to Florence again for more than a day...heard more American English than Italian out and about town.</p>
<p>Happy to hear that I don't have to continue saving quarters for D's laundry and that there's even a little discount for using the OneCard.</p>
<p>LiT -
I will forward D's list of "must haves" from Paris. I believe item #1 is a deep purple Longchamp (color unavailable in here and Grand Cayman - - boo hoo).</p>
<p>I still think the estimate of expenses listed on this thread are on the low side. D easily spent $20/week last year -- excluding laundry. And that was with us dropping off Costco cases/cartons of water bottles, sports drinks, tampons, microwave popcorn, granola bars and Nabisco 100 calorie snack packs at the beginning of each semester. A movie and coffee once a week added up more quickly than either D expected; there were also gifts for classmates (xmas, bdays), special outings (skiing w/ friends) and totally unnecessary clothing purchases.</p>
<p>Next year, D will be responsible for her day-to-day expenses (w/ the assist of the obligatory Costco trip). I'm confident that w/o too much belt-tightening, her summer earnings, gift $ and work-study job will see her through - - even if she is wary of this new order.</p>
<p>Laundry is supposedly expensive. My D, who once loved to throw towels in the hamper at the rate of . . . well, several a week, has now become more economical with dirty clothes. No "I don't know if it's dirty so go ahead and wash it" contributions.</p>
<p>What made me laundry conscious wasn't so much the cost as the pain of dragging my laundry bag downstairs and back up every weekend. It was heavy and I lived at the end of the hall my first year, on the third floor, so I put it off as long as humanly possible. Which actually made it heavier and worse, but at least it was cheaper. :-)</p>
<p>I mentioned this thread to D today. She said that washing towels once a month seems standard and that you can get two weeks wear out of one pair of jeans and that most Smithies break down and do laundry when they run out of clean socks and underwear.</p>
<p>Otoh, she said that she's gotten really comfortable in business and business casual attire, this on the way back from her internship. (She's getting the rust off of driving, having not driven in a year...not the best thing for a rookie in LA. She gets back on the freeways this weekend.)</p>
<p>Well... I am an MHC student waiting for the MHC forums to get some people so I'll ask here...</p>
<p>Well here, back in my home country, I got two maids and my mom doing all the cleaning, cooking and laundry (that's pretty normal here) and I haven't done laundry before. So I was wondering, if you do your laundry like once in two weeks, what will be the total cost per month for all the drying, washing, whatever is involved? Does any other money go in doing chores (e.g. room cleaning)? Can you get the necessary cleaning tools and detergent materials in the school or do you have to buy them from the supermarket with your money?</p>
<p>My mom was also wondering what other activities/outing/ normally falls in an average college girl's yearly routine so that we can get an idea of the minimal cost as far as personal expenses are concerned. I will probably end up traveling to Manhattan once every week to visit my aunt.</p>
<p>Now, I think I'll need to purchase a laptop once I get there (not for me as it's fragile but you can't study on your bed with a desktop too :P). I will probably end up looking into that Smith computer purchase store that students are recommended to get their computers from at a discount. Any idea how much would go to that provided I buy a printer, scanner and all those necessary components? Does the 4-year-warranty need to be purchased separately? I wonder if there's any other forum where I can place this question in.</p>
<p>Also, since my parents would be thousands of miles away, they can't send me money every week for my purchase and I'll be earning that from my work-study. However, how much money should a freshman take when going to school for the first time (provided she doesn't come back home till next summer) -- for covering books and personal expenses? If I am planning to buy my curtains, clothing, shampoo and stuff there... how much would go into that (clothing would probably be like jeans and t-shirt, not the lady lady type)? Is phone bill included in tuition normally? Should students get a microwave and external room fans too (for the summer)?</p>