<p>How much money does an average kid need for extras in NYC such as entertainment, between meal food/munchies or other stuff. I realize every kid is different but what is a typical allowance.</p>
<p>scrowman, where ya from? the cost of living in NYC can be close to 3x what it is in other parts of the country. If you dorm, many suggest to get the smallest meal plan they allow, there are TOOOOOOONS of places to eat in the city. some places even accept your NYUcard and declining dollars.</p>
<p>entertainment: what do you like? theres, again, TONS to do/watch in NYC. theatre: join theatre development fund (TDF) to discounts on shows on or off broadway. the Metropolitan museum of art, and i think MoMA also reduce rates for students (just show ID). generally speaking, any bigger institutions/places of business/etc seem to mimic this trend.</p>
<p>transportation: Metrocards are going to be your new currency. if an NYU bus can't get you there, youre strapped for cash and cant get a cab, and it takes too long to walk, then bus/subway is how youve got to do it. i think they have a policy, depending on how much you spend, you get a certain rebate. you can put as much money as you want onto a card, but if you spend 100 bucks on it, you had sure as hell better not lose it. (cost of train/subway/bus s $2.00; you get a free transfer good for 2 hours after your last swipe. express bus is $5.00)</p>
<p>thanks for the response matt- I am a parent. we are in CT and are quite familiar with NYC - I am just trying to get an idea of a range of what my son is gonna need on a weekly/monthly basis.</p>
<p>NYU says personal expenses amount to about $1000/year. Kinda doubt that, but I guess it's doable.</p>
<p>$20/wk seems too low for a school in the middle of nowhere let alone one in NYC.</p>
<p>CT should be a close representation of NYC's expenses (my relatives in the midwest wonder how i can buy a burger for $3). once you factor in the close to 12K for dorming, i'd say another $50 or less a week if your son leads an active lifestyle. those transportation tabs can add up.</p>
<p>your best bet is to stock him up on stuff that you can get in the city but is cheaper elsewhere. ie: clothes!!!, non-perishable food, laundry necessities, school supplies. shopping in the city really has no happy medium: either overpriced at franchises, or underpriced at mom and pop stores.</p>
<p>yea, I know this is kind of different, but I spent a month this summer at Columbia's Summer Program and I ended up spending about $100/week AT THE LEAST. I know some weeks I spent more.</p>
<p>by looking at older posts with input from curretn students, the consensus was about $125.</p>
<p>a really interesting thread: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=60748%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=60748</a></p>
<p>I'm a current NYU student. I spend about $200-$250 a month. However, I:</p>
<ul>
<li>rarely buy Metrocards</li>
<li>I don't clothes or shoe shop</li>
<li>I don't see a lot of shows or movies</li>
<li>I don't go out clubbing or drinking</li>
<li>I don't eat out much</li>
<li>and I don't have a meal plan. I buy my own food.</li>
</ul>
<p>There are a lot of free and cheap things to do in the city - $1000 a semester is definitely doable, but don't expect a lot of frills.</p>
<p>(Out of curiosity, for the people who spend $125 a week, what are you spending the money on?)</p>
<p>hey shades what do you spend your money on?</p>
<p>My spending ranges from $75-$125 a week most months. If you want to take advantage of the things that the city has to offer, eat out a couple of times (even inexpensively), pay for transportation (you can't walk everywhere), get a haircut, see an NYU show, go to a concert occasionally, buy personal items, and have somewhat of a social life, you won't be doing it for less than that. $75 is pretty much the absolute minimum, most weeks I'm closer to $125 and some weeks higher than that. Keep in mind that a LOT of kids spend more than that.</p>
<p>
[quote]
NYU says personal expenses amount to about $1000/year. Kinda doubt that, but I guess it's doable.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>lol that kid ain't gonna be having fun...
I spend around 300 dollars a month, and I like never shop.</p>
<p>Do you guys spend a lot of money on alcohol or something?</p>
<p>I don't plan on drinking. Maybe this is just wishful thinking :P</p>
<p>UT BHP is looking a lot more affordable on so many different levels right about now</p>
<p>
[quote]
Do you guys spend a lot of money on alcohol or something?</p>
<p>I don't plan on drinking. Maybe this is just wishful thinking :P
[/quote]
Well I eat out quite a bit... and alcohol is usually involved.</p>
<p>I totally forgot about the money on my NYUCard that I use to pay for lunch and laundry. I keep a log of all my expenses paid with cash, and that doesn't factor in the NYUCard stuff. So, my monthly total should be more like $325.</p>
<p>As for the money breakdown in March, 2006:</p>
<p>$90.72 for food, paid with cash
$55 and change for a Greyhound ticket and food to go home for spring break
$8.75 for things like paper towels and shampoo, etc.
$39.98 for unnecessaries like a new T-shirt, books from the Strand, etc.
$85 and change for lunches paid with Campus Cash
$12 for laundry
$15 for things I forgot to account for (happens to me all the time when I don't get receipts from street vendors)</p>
<p>I should also add that I've been eating cereal for breakfast that I brought from home. This probably saves me another $20.</p>
<p>In short, bring what you can from home (within reason, of course!) and eat generic-brand food from the grocery store. I assure you, with a few exceptions, it tastes just like name-brands. :D</p>
<p>so basically nyu comes out to be 50k a year...</p>
<p>$44-$46. $50 if you want to be extravagant and stay in the best dorm.</p>
<p>i'm definately getting a job when i get to NYU... Even if its Mcdonalds. I just feel better spending my own money rather than my parents... especially when i go to bars and stuff.</p>
<p>I concur. Besides, when you work for the money, you know its value and you'll be reasonable.</p>