I am an undergraduate freshman and I am international student.
Because I am an international, there is a controversy arising between getting more vs getting less.
I want to ask how much allowance per month is enough?
Tuition, room, board, meals, textbooks, and med are covered by my parents and I am only asking for allowance on top of that.
Some people say $30/week, but I think that isn’t enough at all if I have to cover all laundry, phone bills, eating out, etc.
Some people say $50/week, $80/week and I’ve seen up to $150/week.
I am trying to persuade my parents the amount to give (they are giving me some but I’m failing to live up to it).
If you live in the dorm with a meal plan, you’ll only need to pay for food for Sunday night. Then, you’ll probably need some money to cover the odd meal when you can’t get to the cafeteria. Your best bet would be to get an on campus job to cover these expenses. Will you be able to work as an international student? Otherwise, I think $50 a week would more than cover your expenses.
If you aren’t able to work, then $50/week is more than enough. If you are able to work a little, then nothing!
You might be able to negotiate one time events like concerts or a weekend away (spring break) to get a bonus payment but my kids live on $0 extra from me and they learn to budget what they have for special events, food outside their meal plans, lattes and smoothies.
You can’t have a pt job? You have a meal plan, eating out is a luxury you have covered. Have you ever held a job? Got any of your own savings?
If I were you, I would look hard at getting a job.
No, the cafeterias close for Sunday night. However, some groups sponsor Sunday night meals at a very low price. For example, St. Thomas Aquinas’ campus ministry, hosts a Sunday night meal for $3.50. If you have a microwave & refrigerator in your dorm room, it’s not hard to store some basics to get you through one meal a week.
That’s interesting about Sunday night. Do most dorms have a place to cook if wanted? Not that my son wouldn’t make it a standing pizza night. But I wonder if that’s common at other schools. Hmm…don’t want to hijack the thread.
Many schools have the ‘no Sunday night meals’ arrangement. Mine did 40 years ago and it’s the same today. Kids have been figuring out Sunday night meals for decades.