<p>For any current Penn students, approximately how much spending money do most kids have for the entire year? I’m guessing if I go I’ll just need money for extra food and alcohol and a movie or something?</p>
<p>Also, about what percentage of the kids have jobs?</p>
<p>As for how much money Penn students spend, I really don't know how to generalize that because it varies drastically--there are people who will drop several hundred dollars in one weekend and others who barely spend anything because they don't drink, always eat on their meal plan etc. For me, the amount I spent always depended on how many meals I was willing to eat at dining. I got sick of the food pretty quick and would always be going out even though I had meals left for the week/semester. That being said, eating out around campus isn't that expensive cause you're not going to sit down restaurants usually--so you can grab a meal for $5-7 max (less w/ food trucks; fast food etc; sometimes more for places like Cosi, Au Bon Pain). Personally, if you get a meal plan, I'd minimize the number of meals and maximize on dining dollars allowing you to eat at various retail dining places which aren't cafeterias, so the food is better.</p>
<p>As for how many people work, I'd say it seemed like 50-60% or so. A good number of people have work study jobs--doing clerical things in various academic departments; in all the libraries; at the front desks of college houses etc. These people tend to work all 4 yrs. There are others who don't work frosh year perhaps because they don't have a real financial need (based on the fin aid package) but pick up jobs later on for various reasons--i.e. doing research for a prof; just having additional spending money. Overall it seems like about 50% of the students work at one point or another for one reason or another.</p>
<p>Great info, thanks. I don't plan on spending hundreds of dollars a weekend, I spend about $30/week right now and 99% of it goes towards either food during school or alcohol/other recreational goods. So what you said about grabbing $5-7 meals sounds reasonable. At the average pace when that's what you're spending money on, how much money do you need for one year at penn?</p>
<p>I spend about $70/week and that's a pretty generous estimate. This accounts for the fact that I have a meal plan that I use for about 50% of my meals and I rarely go out to downtown clubs--that would add to the cost when you consider cabs there & back + cover. My estimate includes food, minimal entertainment, laundry, general expenses at CVS, dry cleaning, occasional cabs downtown etc; </p>
<p>For me spending tends to be clumped. I'll go weeks where it seems like I barely spend anything (i'll get by on like $20-30 for the whole week if I'm too busy studying to go anywhere) and then I'll have a week or 2 where I'll make up for it by going out to nice places with friends, going downtown and shopping. </p>
<p>Keep in mind spending goes up for seniors. Part of this is because you're just trying to make the most of your last few months as a student and esp. once you're all set with jobs/grad school, you're more likely to want to have fun and go out all the time and that costs money.</p>
<p>as a freshman I spend about $400-500 per month. I go to clubs in center city once/twice a week so spending there includes taxis,covers, and alcohol. My friends and I will go to nice restaurants about once per week so a meal is like 30-40 plus taxis. Also with the freshman required mealplan you'll get sick of on campus food and you'll want to go out for food occasionally (as stated above 5-10 a meal). Also the money is spent on clothing, and other expenses (medicines, etc.) </p>
<p>Also if you plan on traveling a lot then you'll have considerably higher expenses. When my friends and I head to NYC, Boston, DC, Montreal, etc for a weekend/long-weekend we spend about 200 per trip. So those can be some extra expenses.</p>
<p>for most freshman the mealplan sucks and its terrible that we are forced into it. that being said, i play on a team and its convenient for me to eat at the dining hall right after practice so i'll probably continue to have a watered down version of it throughout my years at penn. but the best thing to do as a nonathlete freshman is to minimize the number of meals and maximize your dining dollars.</p>