Spending money

<p>I know this is a common topic, but I've done a few searches but keep finding people talking about how much spending money a student needs in NYC, in Boston, with a car, including books, etc. Or someone says they spend a $1000 a month and my eyes roll so hard it hurt.</p>

<p>I am trying to figure out now how much monthly misc. money my daughter will need starting next fall. She has resisted getting a job and we are now turning the screws, basically, not giving her money for extras if she refuses to earn any on her own. And of course, now that she is applying, most other kids her age already have experience and she isn't getting any interviews. Which is exactly what we said would happen. But why should she listen to us, we're just the stupid parents.</p>

<p>But I digress.</p>

<p>Next fall, we will want her to get a job on campus - working at the dining hall would be fine. I won't expect her to earn all her spending money. But I'm trying to get an idea of what a reasonable amount per month would be. When she has money (birthdays, babysitting or petsitting) she spends it like it's going out of style - well fine, then she'll have to earn money to do that. So I want to provide her with a reasonable amount for her necessities, and then it's up to her to earn the rest. I want her to know now that she better get going saving some money and give her a tangible idea of what she'll need.</p>

<p>So not including books, no car, she'll be in a dorm with a meal plan. She'll be in a small town - I assume the opportunities to spend money will come down to snacks, toiletries, tickets for events, laundry, perhaps some gas money if a friend takes her somewhere. Please tell me if I'm forgetting something. We're middle class - not poor but definitely not extravagant. </p>

<p>What would a reasonable monthly amount be?</p>

<p>Do you know which college? My d. attended Barnard & I never sent her a dime in spending money – she had work study and various jobs. I don’t know how much she actually spent – it really is an individualized thing I do know that she sometimes performed services for other students for pay – such as cleaning their rooms for them. There were enough over-privileged kids from wealthy families living in the dorm that it was easy money for my daughter. </p>

<p>Most places around here that hire teenagers don’t require any experience. Is she applying at fast food type places or retail stores? I see a lot of help wanted signs at our local mall, Panera, etc.</p>

<p>I didn’t give my kids allowances at school, they spent out of their savings from summer jobs, etc, but for them no more than $20 a week I would guess. It will vary a lot between schools and the opportunities to spend there, plus who her friends are at school and how they spend.</p>

<p>Our kids get no extra money for entertainment. We sent them off with lots of toiletries and clothing, but expected them to cover laundry, snacks, meals out. We do let D1 spend about $50/month on food at the grocery store because she is a vegetarian and sometimes it is hard to get enough variety in the cafeteria.</p>

<p>When no money comes from the parent, kids figure out how to earn it. There are lots of job opportunities on campus. S had jobs from day one, but he likes to spend, so he worked about 10 hours a week at college. D1 earned enough for freshman year, but has had to work during the school years; she makes about $50/week as a chem asst and grader. Her expenses are less than her brother.</p>

<p>We give $80/month allowance to our son to help out with extras which we consider to be dining outside the meal plan, entertainment, clothing, gas for the car, or additional toiletries. But he did work in the summer so is mostly using earnings. I try to give something to make life enjoyable, but not so much that he won’t be motivated to find a summer job. </p>

<p>She’ll be going to a state school in PA - either Kutztown, Shippensburg or Bloomsburg. They are all in small towns. </p>

<p>About the jobs - she walked into one or two places and they told her to apply online, so that’s what she’s been doing. But when you do that with no experience, why would they pick up your app compared to the many others who do have experience? She’s applied to Panera, several stores in the mall, CVS, Starbucks, etc. At this time of year, you’d think they’d be hiring. </p>

<p>If you’re paying for her books, I don’t think you need to give her any spending money if you don’t want to. Let her earn it. Minimum wage is >7 bucks an hour. With her food already paid for, how much money could she possibly need? In any case, she won’t starve and it might be a good time for her to learn the value of a dollar.</p>

<p>Maybe I’m a big meanie, but I have no intention of giving our D spending money. I feel like paying for her books, room, and board is plenty. Right now, as a senior in high school, D has her part time job and she babysits - if she blows through all that money before her freshman year is out, she can get a job in the dining hall.</p>

<p>She may try Macy’s and other retailers. With no experience, I’d think she needs to cast a very wide net. Maybe groceries as well. The grocery stores in our area are always looking for help wanted. Does she have computer skills? Perhaps she could help teach seniors how to use computers? Design & maintain websites? Tutor? Babysitting? </p>

<p>If you want her to learn not to spend your money, I’d ask HER to come up with a budget as to what she believes she needs that you should fund, which you and your spouse can approve or veto–no budget, no money. As a practical matter, I believe our S spent substantially less than $1000 per semester for all expenses. For food, we gave him and D the equivalent of the lowest price meal plan at their U when they were no longer on the meal plan. It was for them to figure out how to make the funds last for food and anything else they wanted/needed to spend money on (gifts, going out, etc.)</p>

<p>Both our kids had full access to their savings and funds from birthdays, holidays, graduation gifts, so they COULD have dipped into those resources but I’m pretty sure they never did. S got himself a part-time job from sophomore year and D got herself a part-time job the 2nd day she arrived on campus at her U. They kept track of their earnings, so I have no idea how much they saved/spent of that.</p>

<p>Your daughter is learning her lesson the hard way. You told her to get a job and now she cant. I too have one that spends all of her Christmas/bday etc money. However, we were very clear. If we pay your tution, room, board, plane tix home, YOU are responsible for working during the summers and earning spending money. I wouldnt send her any more than 40/month if you must. My kid tried to spend all of her summer money in high school, and she blew through the first check in a couple of days. The next check that came home, I politely confiscated, and gave her a hundred bucks and afterwards made her deposit all but 100 bucks each time she got paid. She was pissed, but now she thanks me.</p>

<p>Really we haven’t given much of anything. Our son seems to have what he needs at school. The only things I can think of would be money for entertainment outside the college like movies or bowling etc.<br>
He works during the summer and during breaks. </p>

<p>We make sure he isn’t spending his graduation money. He was told that money was for books at least for a year or 1 1/2.</p>

<p>I throw a ten dollar bill in a card once or twice a semester. One kid is a on a reduced meal plan and finds free meals at meetings and events quite frequently. I do get them toiletries at the beginning of the semester, and have made sure they have decent boots/winter gear.</p>

<p>Yes, when we visit, we go to Costco and let them load the cart with whatever they will be consuming–toiletries, as well as sports drinks, granola bars, trail mix, and some healthy food items. It generally runs about $100 or slightly more. We also take them and a friend or more (if they like) out to a meal or two while we’re in town.</p>

<p>She’ll spend what she has. If she doesn’t have it, she won’t spend it. One of my kids probably has every cent she had in her account when she left for college, the other is probably more than half way through hers, yet has more than half the school year left to go. Hope she makes it!</p>

<p>They are mostly spending their money on food, clothes, concerts, entertainment. None of it necessary, but makes their lives more enjoyable.</p>

<p>Just be clear with your daughter what you will pay for and what you won’t. Sorority dues? Books? Haircuts and shampoo? Travel back and forth to home? Cell phone? Supplies and groceries for the dorm (even though there is a perfectly good dining hall (you can tell where I land on THAT one)?</p>

<p>OH, my daughter got her first job by being a good customer! She applied at Moe’s and was in there quite a bit, always smiled at all the workers, and the manager said to her one day “Didn’t you put in an application? come for an interview on Friday” and that was it. Her friend got the job at the grocery store by filling out the online app, but checking in with the manager OFTEN to see if there were any openings. It was a great job for him as the corporation gave out college scholarships, and it was across the street so he could be at work in minutes.</p>

<p>Dining commons at colleges are usually a good place to find a job. </p>

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<p>It may be easier to find a job in college because there’s more flexibility in her schedule and there are many opportunities on campus that hire exclusively students. I got my first job in college with no previous work experience. At jobs that hire a lot of students, schedule and availability usually matters a lot more than experience.</p>

<p>Really stress that she should find a job NOW and not count on getting one at the college campus. If you don’t qualify for work study there is a good chance NO jobs will be found. My daughter at a UC applied to dozens and she was told they were only for work study kids. Finally, after a whole year, she found a small job that is about 5-7 hours a week. My other daughter at a LAC found nothing. The only jobs available were for work study kids. They could have found jobs off campus, but we were not providing a car (that would take all the earnings in parking fees and gas) and both schools were not in walking distance to jobs. So, they work a lot in the summer and spread those earnings out over the next school year. We were surprised that with the dining hall, bookstore, campus center and all the eateries on a big UC campus that there weren’t jobs for any kid who wanted one.</p>

<p>You guys are tough. I never had a job before the summer internship in after junior year in college. Got all my spending money from my parents.</p>

<p>That’s good to know about work study. I don’t want her to wait until college either. Heck, I wanted her to get a job last year. I am willing to pay for her books, phone, and a base amount for extras. In other words, she can get occasional snacks or toiletries, but anything else is up to her. If she wants to indulge her Starbucks habit with $5 frappacinos or buy Uggs or expensive makeup - then she can pay for it. So I’m trying to figure out how much that base amount is.</p>

<p>@User51969 - how did you get your internship with no work experience? That was something else I was concerned about.</p>