Budget for college girl

[punkin]

It's certainly not "necessary" but some people make different choices than you do. I'd have hated to send my daughter away to school with only room, board, tuition and a meal plan. I think that would have been a miserable experience for a college freshman. Just my choice...not right or wrong.

I wanted my daughter to be able to join a sorority, drive off campus, shop for clothes at the nearby outlet mall, go out for pizza off campus, etc. I was perfectly willing to pay for all that. I saw that as part of my obligation.

Any money she earned with school year and summer jobs was put into a savings account. She had a nice nest egg when she graduated. That was my choice. Again, not right or wrong.

That's certainly true. I did not mean to imply my choice was better, but it was the right choice for us, given our limited funds.

 

[CTcruiser]

I'm a current college student, in a sorority, and go to school in Boston.

My parents do not give me spending money, I pay for part of my school, and my sorority dues. I'm entirely fine with that as they pay the majority of my private school education My parents do pay for the majority of my toiletries and clothing (my mom and I go shopping seasonally)

However, I do think it's totally fine that you want to give your daughter some spending money. This is around what I spend per semester:

Sorority: My dues are about $300 (no houses allowed in MA) but I have friends who live in houses and pay upwards or $1000. I also have extras of clothing, events, etc. of around $150.
Food: When I didn't have a car $50-75 depending how much I ate out in the city. Now that I have a car, probably $200-250 or so.
Clothing: Not much, probably about $100 max. I prefer my mom coming up to visit or me going home to shop with her It's a great way of catching up!
Gas: When I had to go home to work every weekend, $80 a week. When I didn't, probably $80 every 2-3 weeks. Gas is pricey up here but my school provides a shuttle so I tried to take advantage of that!
Extras/Other: $75-100

I LOVED when my mom sent me care packages my freshman year. It allowed me to spend more time with friends or do homework instead of having to worry about making time to run to the grocery store, etc. She also would include fun little things for the holidays like window jelly clings or little kids crafts that were themed for an upcoming holiday (childish but it made me laugh!)

Hope this helps! :

 

[DisneyEater]

I would provide the nessesities, and let my daughter get a job or work-study to provide the income for any additonal she wants to spend. I probably wouldn't give cash. (Well, I probably would, but it would always be a surprise and not something she can rely on getting regularly).

 

[ctinct]

I'm a current college student, in a sorority, and go to school in Boston.

My parents do not give me spending money, I pay for part of my school, and my sorority dues. I'm entirely fine with that as they pay the majority of my private school education My parents do pay for the majority of my toiletries and clothing (my mom and I go shopping seasonally)

However, I do think it's totally fine that you want to give your daughter some spending money. This is around what I spend per semester:

Sorority: My dues are about $300 (no houses allowed in MA) but I have friends who live in houses and pay upwards or $1000. I also have extras of clothing, events, etc. of around $150.
Food: When I didn't have a car $50-75 depending how much I ate out in the city. Now that I have a car, probably $200-250 or so.
Clothing: Not much, probably about $100 max. I prefer my mom coming up to visit or me going home to shop with her It's a great way of catching up!
Gas: When I had to go home to work every weekend, $80 a week. When I didn't, probably $80 every 2-3 weeks. Gas is pricey up here but my school provides a shuttle so I tried to take advantage of that!
Extras/Other: $75-100

I LOVED when my mom sent me care packages my freshman year. It allowed me to spend more time with friends or do homework instead of having to worry about making time to run to the grocery store, etc. She also would include fun little things for the holidays like window jelly clings or little kids crafts that were themed for an upcoming holiday (childish but it made me laugh!)

Hope this helps! :

Off topic--I find it amusing that MA also does not allow sorority houses. My dd goes to school in PA. They also cannot have sorority houses because apparently there is some arcane law(so she's been told; I can't vouch for the truthfulness) that says more than a certain number of females living in a house together is considered a brothel. However, the guys are allowed to have frat houses.

I also sent my daughter themed decorations in her monthly care boxes.

Back on topic. OP, if your daughter was awarded work-study, that will probably be sufficient for her spending money. Just make sure she works on snagging a job right away. Often there are not enough jobs to go around. Even if she does not have work-study, she may still be able to land an on-campus job. That's what my daughter did, and because she earned more money than I had given to her as an allowance in high school, we agreed to discontinue her allowance. However, when she moved into her dorm, I set her up with enough toiletries to get her through most of the term. She only ran out of conditioner. Boy, that girl uses a LOT of conditioner. I also sent goodies like microwave popcorn, 100-calorie packs of snacks, instant oatmeal, Poptarts, crackers, etc. from time to time. I suppose a lot of spending will have to do with the opportunities around her. My d goes to school in a pretty quiet small town, so not a lot of extra stuff to spend money on.

 

[ashleyasiegel]

I wish I had all of you guys for parents when I went to college

I was in college 2002 to 2006 - and I paid for almost everything myself. My mom did take me to Walmart every time I moved in and bought what I needed to get started. My grandparents did send me $50 every few months so I could do something but otherwise everything else was up to me.

I paid for my tuition, room and board, books and anything else I needed/wanted. I think learning the cost of everything and how to budget my money was the most valuable lesson that I learned in college. Yes I had to take out student loans but that isn't the end of the world. Yes I would have loved to have my college paid for by my mom and have spending money sent to me monthly but I think by not having it easy made me a much more responsible adult.

I am sure that if I was in a bind my mom would have given me money but I was never in a situation that I needed to be bailed out.

So IMHO I think the less you give her the better espcially since you are paying for her college.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

She is going to have to pay for her whatnots while she is in school. We are already paying for school, a full meal plan, and I spent almost $500 at Target getting a huge stash of razors, shampoo, etc, etc, etc. It costs about $450 each time we bring her home (Christmas, summer). Mommy is all tapped out.

 

[nsmith]

This will be my first child to go to college, so I am in no way an expert. But I do consider myself an expert budgeter!!

We are paying for 1/2 of DD college expenses. She is taking the 2 Stafford loans available, paying the rest from her part time job money. We have our portion already in the budget. So this is my plan:

We will take over her cell phone payment ($30 a month MetroPCS), she has been paying it for 2 years.

We will send her with and pay for all toiletries, dorm snacks, school supplies and medicine cabinet items. Any heavy winter clothing she needs we will purchase.

We plan to give her approx. $25 per week spending money. Not sure if we will give it in one lump or weekly.

She will be expected to pick up shifts at her job when she comes home on Christmas and Summer breaks.

I am hoping this plan works. She already understands the value of money and budgeting so this is just reinforcement.

 

[punkin]

She is going to have to pay for her whatnots while she is in school. We are already paying for school, a full meal plan, and I spent almost $500 at Target getting a huge stash of razors, shampoo, etc, etc, etc. It costs about $450 each time we bring her home (Christmas, summer). Mommy is all tapped out.

I hear that!

 

[njcarita]

I wish I had all of you guys for parents when I went to college

I was in college 2002 to 2006 - and I paid for almost everything myself. My mom did take me to Walmart every time I moved in and bought what I needed to get started. My grandparents did send me $50 every few months so I could do something but otherwise everything else was up to me.

I paid for my tuition, room and board, books and anything else I needed/wanted. I think learning the cost of everything and how to budget my money was the most valuable lesson that I learned in college. Yes I had to take out student loans but that isn't the end of the world. Yes I would have loved to have my college paid for by my mom and have spending money sent to me monthly but I think by not having it easy made me a much more responsible adult.

I am sure that if I was in a bind my mom would have given me money but I was never in a situation that I needed to be bailed out.

So IMHO I think the less you give her the better espcially since you are paying for her college.

i was just thinking gosh I wish u were all my parents too...lol......both my sister and I worked our way thru college and took care of all our own expenses...... gosh I cant remember asking my parents for clothes money or anything after i started my part time jobs at 16............. i had 2 my senior year of HS............and mainatined one all thru my college years.....

 

[drinkme]

i was just thinking gosh I wish u were all my parents too...lol......both my sister and I worked our way thru college and took care of all our own expenses...... gosh I cant remember asking my parents for clothes money or anything after i started my part time jobs at 16............. i had 2 my senior year of HS............and mainatined one all thru my college years.....

Same here. I paid for 100% of my college tuition, my apartment, and essentials. I worked full-time for a couple of years after high school and saved my money. I also worked during school, and had a great job on campus that paid for most of my tuition.

Just like someone else posted on this thread, the best thing I learned in college was how to make it on my own and not ask my parents for anything. It never crossed my mind to even ask them for money. I was 20 when I first went to college, which is an adult in my mind.

 

[CTcruiser]

Off topic--I find it amusing that MA also does not allow sorority houses. My dd goes to school in PA. They also cannot have sorority houses because apparently there is some arcane law(so she's been told; I can't vouch for the truthfulness) that says more than a certain number of females living in a house together is considered a brothel. However, the guys are allowed to have frat houses.

I also sent my daughter themed decorations in her monthly care boxes.

That's the rule in MA too... hahaha I find it absolutely absurd.

 

[crisi]

That's certainly true. I did not mean to imply my choice was better, but it was the right choice for us, given our limited funds.

And maybe that is the answer. What can the OP afford to budget for her daughter? If you send off the shampoo and tampons and pay the cell phone bill, and they have a meal plan and live in a dorm, its likely nothing else is a "need" - but there are lots of wants - from cars, gas, clothes and sorority dues - to being able to chip in for pizza. My cousin was a sorority girl with a shoe addiction - and a spoiled only child - I'm sure she went through a TON of money. My sisters and I had Mom and Dad pay our tuition, books, room and board - but pizza and movies we paid for with summer jobs or part time jobs during school.

 

[TLuvsD]

I'm sending a full stock of incidentials, with one set of replacements. That really hould get her through most of the semester, if not we can restock at Thanksgiving. We will pay for college expenses, including books and football tickets.
Spending money is her responsibility. She has saved part of her earnings for the past year or so, so that will help.

I don't want her to broke too participate in the social aspects of college. I also don't want to be too broke to pay the bills.

 

[pintamino]

That's the rule in MA too... hahaha I find it absolutely absurd.

Not actually the rule in PA - this was a rumor at my school too:

http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/myths.html
http://www.snopes.com/college/halls/brothel.asp

Or MA from what I see online

 

[PattiPB]

I don't want her to broke too participate in the social aspects of college. I also don't want to be too broke to pay the bills.

That's it in a nutshell!

Our oldest leaves to go across the country as a freshman next month. She knew making this choice that she will only be home Christmas and Summer. If we can make Thanksgiving and Spring Break work, I'll be thrilled---but no guarantees.

We'll get her there and get her set up. After that she'll rely on her savings and on-campus job. Her account is still linked with mine, so I'll keep an eye on spending and make sure she is covered. BUT---if things go south there will be a conversation. Not necessarily a "bail-out", but a conversation.

This has been a roller coaster---but I still prefer Disney rides. And, like many of you, we get to buckle up again in two years...then two more years... I remember choosing to have them two years apart, but we should have factored in COLLEGE COSTS!!

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

DD just finished freshman year.

I'd say she spent around $100/month, maybe a little more.

$ was from a combination of places.

It was spent on food (they don't eat at the dining halls - don't bother with the cadillac plan!!), supplies, trips for walmart for snacks for dorm and cold medicine, bathroom stuff, etc.

$100 doesn't go very far - think of what you spend when you go into Target for toilet paper (it's always $100 for me!)

 

[Maggie Lizer]

On my campus 15 years ago, all freshmen had to live on campus, were not allowed cars and had to buy the full meal plan. The combination of those three factors resulted in a lot of us just doing the free or relatively cheap things on campus rather than heading out to eat or to the movies. I really don't recall spending much money for diversions the first year of school.

By senior year, though, I spent much more. Meals out, shopping trips, gas for friends' cars, and hitting the bars a couple of nights a week.

 

[leahjade]

We paid for our kids' tuition and room and boards so it was up to them to work to get their fun money! They spend it much more carefully when they have to work for it.

 

[SnowWhite2]

Thanks for all of the replies.

We are paying all of DD's tuition, room and board. They are required to live on campus and have an unlimited meal plan with additional money for extras like the Starbucks on campus (which apparently is the busiest Starbucks on any campus - this is a private school not a state school).

They have a free bus that takes them into town to visit the Wegmans and Target.

I don't want DD to work on campus this year as I want her to get adjusted. We didn't qualify for work/study. She is taking a hard major and is playing lacrosse. I am also not sure how much the lacrosse team is going to cost me. I'm sure I'm going to have to pay for tee shirts and jackets along with the equipment maintenance/replacements.

She will be home for Christmas and summer. We'll visit her in October for a weekend and possibly in the spring to watch a few of her games (if she starts).

Younger DD thought it was crazy to spend so much for a college and said she would go somewhere less expensive. Now that she is looking for colleges, she is also looking at expensive schools. She is also playing lacrosse but it will be D1 so there should be some tuition money coming with that and they will provide equipment (they are goalies so equipment can get expensive).

It will be an interesting road for the next 6 years with both of them.


I want to make sure I don't end up in the poor house when they are both in school.

 

[cruisnfamily]

My DD just finished her freshman year, here's what we did:

We paid for: Gas, Cell Phone, Car Insurance, Tuition, Housing, Books, Meal Plan, Laundry, sorority dues, plus $20 per week spending money.

Then we gave her a credit card which was to be used for parent approved purchases (fancy calculator needed at the last minute, toiletries, etc). She'd call and ask before making a purchase with the card.

The $20 per week was purely "fun money" as all her needs were covered. It wasn't nearly enough...most of her friends had way more money to play with and were eating out and shopping and such ALL the time. But $20 per week was all we would do, and we didn't allow her to work freshman year.

Now this year, her sophmore year, it will be a little different. We'll pay all the most of the same things except she will be in an apartment instead of the dorm so she'll use the credit card for her food purchases to cook at home. Any meals out will be on her. We'll put some money on the school meal plan too so she can have lunch on campus.

We're not giving her any spending money at all this year and she's already got a job lined up for 20 hours per week so that ought to cover things.