<p>Are the personal expenses at CMU included in the final cost of 46k or do we have to bring our own money for that?</p>
<p>Book cost is not included but if you are super-cheap I think that is about it. Your meal plan should cover all your meals and nobody forces you to go to parties or to go out etc. </p>
<p>I'm trying to see what I spent money on in the last month and it has mostly been clothes, food (extra, eating out), girls, parties, alcohol, alochol, alcohol, etc. So I guess just book costs (even this isn't all required as you can just borrow almost all freshmen books from friends since I never used my stat book) and you can read history/english/math/econ/programming books from friends. </p>
<p>I guess just an extra 500 or so for a semester could cover your costs if you are super-cheap.</p>
<p>I'm so glad my parents don't read internet forums. They're afraid of me going to a college where alcohol simply exists. Doesn't matter if it's consumed or not.</p>
<p>In terms of books and such (not that I have any personal experience), my sis is a freshman at Bradley U. and she got all of her books dirt cheap by getting in contact with students the May before she went to college.</p>
<p>My parents estimated - told me - to plan that i'd spend like $250 a month in general expenses. </p>
<p>not that they'll pay it, just to plan not to work for tuition, to work for spending money.</p>