<p>I'm an incoming freshman and the school has recently sent me a budget of my expenses/financial aid. On this, they have budgeted over $6,000 for living expenses. This doesn't even include Room and Board, that's already paid for. Is this a realistic number, am I actually going to spend $6,000 a year on living expenses?</p>
<p>Probably, and if books have to come out of this, then definitely. Living expenses also include any travel between school and home.</p>
<p>I really can’t imagine spending nearly that much for living expenses. I pay about that during the school year for my books+apartment+car+credit cards+food+utilities+misc expenses.</p>
<p>Considering this doesn’t cover room and board, seems like a lot to me.</p>
<p>no no… schools intentionally inflate the living expense number… I asked about it too and they told me. They assume ur an extravagat person. dont worry… food, rent are nearly my only expenses.</p>
<p>oh books? I might spend $200 a semester for books. But if ur major is book intensive? car, okay… i dont have a car. utilities like electric, water are probably free they were at the 3 universities ive been to. and of course room and board is a living expense. The number is not what you owe.</p>
<p>$6,000 is more than enough to keep you asleep at night! For textbooks, I would reserve at LEAST $1,000 since some are outrageously priced and you might need it then and there! Food differs for everyone; I generally spend about $200-300 on food per month, so that’s like $2,000 on food for a year average. As for miscellaneous things, i’d save a good $500-1,000 for fun things like going on trips, gas, movies, clothes, etc. Of course, this is my opinion.</p>
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<p>Are you serious? That’s the cheapest I’ve ever heard. Some books can’t be rented, and some profs require the latest, greatest editions, which can only be purchased new. I’ve spent over $200 for just one book.</p>
<p>I guess I’m lucky… sometimes I can buy a used version on amazon… last spring, 2 professors lent me the textbooks because my allowance wasn’t in yet. I did have to buy a huge, hardbound art book “art through the ages” for $170… I could have gotten an ebook for $100 but I’m going to try to sell it. That was for a summer Cass. This semester, It looks like I may need to spend $100</p>
<p>Even brand new books can generally be found much, much cheaper. I’ve never spent full sticker price for a book.</p>
<p>^ Sometimes, as was said, you need the book “right now” and you end up descending into the bookstore and paying full MSRP. In my case I use the book for whatever I needed and then return it to buy it again half price on Amazon.</p>
<p>Plus, doesn’t the bookstore buy back the book?</p>
<p>For like $10 lol.</p>