College kids and eating expenses

[mickeysgal]

DS is a junior in college, in an apartment this year, and not on a meal plan. For any of you whose son or daughter are in the same situation this year, what do you budget for food expenses? I want to be fair, but not excessive. I know that food prices vary regionally, so I'm looking for ballpark numbers.

 

[mamacatnv]

Last year, I stocked DS's pantry at the beginning of the year - that ran me about $200 - it included just about anything we could all think of including things like paper towels, garbage bags etc.
Then he spent $50 - 75 a week to keep it replenished.

This year, DS wanted to lose a few pounds which he has done and now he is really trying to avoid any junk or filler food and pretty much only eats protein, vegetables, fruit, nuts and dairy. This has increased his grocery bill to closer to $75 -100 a week on average but he only eats out once a week, takes his lunch to work etc. He is also very athletic, active and he is huge, 6'4"

I go to Costco about once a month and stock him up on chicken, turkey, pork and eggs.

 

[DawnCt1]

DS is a junior in college, in an apartment this year, and not on a meal plan. For any of you whose son or daughter are in the same situation this year, what do you budget for food expenses? I want to be fair, but not excessive. I know that food prices vary regionally, so I'm looking for ballpark numbers.

DS is sharing an off campus apartment with with 3 guys. The freezer is so small that stocking up on groceries isn't very practical. When he comes home, we usually stop and Costco, buy bottled water, some frozen items, milk, bagels, cream cheese,etc. He is as close to campus as many of the dorms are. That said, he doesn't have a car there so grocery shopping isn't realistic either. Their apartment is on the bus route and I was giving him $15 per day for spending food, etc. That is $105 per week. When I looked at the meal plan he was on last year however, the cost of that was $156 per week, so I am going to increase his food budget. I gave him $150 this week because he has something extra going on but I am thinking in between $125 to $150. I use the USAA card so I can see where he spends it.

 

[ICF]

When i was in college, I bought my own food once I was out of the dorms.

 

[golfgal]

DS is sharing an office campus apartment with with 3 guys. The freezer is so small that stocking up on groceries isn't very practical. When he comes home, we usually stop and Costco, buy bottled water, some frozen items, milk, bagels, cream cheese,etc. He is as close to campus as many of the dorms are. That said, he doesn't have a car there so grocery shopping isn't realistic either. Their apartment is on the bus route and I was giving him $15 per day for spending food, etc. That is $105 per week. When I looked at the meal plan he was on last year however, the cost of that was $156 per week, so I am going to increase his food budget. I gave him $150 this week because he has something extra going on but I am thinking in between $125 to $150. I use the USAA card so I can see where he spends it.

I don't think I spend this a week on our whole FAMILY. I was going to tell the OP about $25-30/week-I guess I am not even close.

OP, can you take her shopping once, get her basics for a week and see what it costs? Add in extras for cleaning supplies, etc but they won't go through those all that fast.

 

[DawnCt1]

I don't think I spend this a week on our whole FAMILY. I was going to tell the OP about $25-30/week-I guess I am not even close.

OP, can you take her shopping once, get her basics for a week and see what it costs? Add in extras for cleaning supplies, etc but they won't go through those all that fast.

I probably don't either, but getting enough food to last more than a week or so isn't practical when sharing a fridge with three other people. The apartment sucks but he likes it and it is less than a dorm room would be and I have been giving him less $$$ than a meal plan would be. I send him back with cleaning supplies, get them on sale, etc. On the plus side, since he has the apartment year round and moved in last summer, he took summer courses.

 

[disfan07]

I am in college and in a townhome with 3 other girls. I spend probably about $115/week. I eat all meals except for maybe 2 per week at home. so just lunch and dinner alone, that is 12 meals. I do one big shopping trip during the week that includes:
meats (usually chicken and beef)
fruit
veggies
bread
coldcuts
cheese
juice
water

and i usually go back once during the week for more fruits and veggies.

I cook a lot. Usually:
baked ziti
pasta w/ meat sauce
pizza
fajitas
tacos
pasta w/ veggies
paninis (ham and cheese, veggie, turkey, etc)

plus lots of fruit salads, and fresh veggies

 

[Callie]

I'm in college and my mom gives me about $100 a month for Groceries. Granted I live just down the street, but I still eat mostly on my own. I end up spending about $150 a month including going out to eat times.

 

[Abbie]

DD is a senior this year and in an on-campus apartment so we dropped the meal plan. I give her $160/month for groceries, so $40/week. Seems to be enough. I did buy a lot of the staples when she moved in, so she is mainly buying salads, chicken, pasta, etc. I've also put $50 on her flex card so she can grab a sub here and there and have told her I'll add to it as needed. Still cheaper than the meal plan where she always had a TON of unused meals!

 

[mamacatnv]

My DS has 2 roomies - they all have their own 4.4 cu fridges from their dorm days plus the main fridge in their kitchen. One of his roomies is going to switch her fridge for a small chest freezer, her parents are much further away, she does not have a car and it makes more sense for her to have a freezer instead of a fridge. A lot of the kids that live off campus here have small chests freezers.

DS does have a car and does his own grocery shopping although he has roomies who don't have cars and they carpool to Wal-Mart, Winco etc. Kids are pretty resourceful and certainly will not starve.
We happen to live in the same town DS goes to school in, we wanted him to "go away" to college even if it is only 8 miles down the road We did 1 year in a dorm complete with an all you can eat meal plan. Year 2 was in off campus student apartment with shared kitchen but they all had their own locked pantries. This is year 3 and he rented a house with 2 girls he met in the dorms his freshman year. The house is closer to the student union than the dorms are. The kids love it.

Because of our proximity he can come home and grab things out of my freezer which he does do. My DD will announce, "Brother is here grocery shopping!" He was here last night picking up his Costco haul and added some ziplock bags, TP, papertowels, garbage bags etc.......

 

[horseshowmom]

we wanted him to "go away" to college even if it is only 8 miles down the road

I know for a fact that you didn't mean that the way it sounded!


DD always got by on $50 a week for all of her expenses (gas, food, eating out, etc.). She budgeted very carefully and generally even saved some of that. She was at school through last May (is doing her rotations now so she doesn't live away now). Of course, she's not a growing boy like mamacatnv's son!

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I'd say about $100 a week.

 

[powellrj]

I am going to say DS spends about $50 a week. I am in his town every couple of weeks and will take him to the store and stock him up and usually spend around $50-75 doing it. He does cook, he called yesterday and was frying eggs and making toast. I know he makes chili and spaghetti and I sometimes bring over things I have frozen for him.

 

[mickeysgal]

Thanks for all the replies. He is currently spending about 165/month on groceries. That doesn't seem bad to me. What is happening is that he is still continuing to eat out a lot and I'm seeing approx $90/month on the cc for fast food and I haven't even looked at his debit card purchases. He's coming home this weekend, so we'll sit down and talk again. If he can't get it under control, then back to the meal plan as much as he hates it.

We also have a DD at college this year as well (freshman). She is on a wonderful meal plan that covers every day except Sunday evenings. We're trying to come up with a reasonable amount of money to give as an allowance to cover that Sunday meal, toothpaste, shampoo, and anything else that pops up.

 

[DawnCt1]

Thanks for all the replies. He is currently spending about 165/month on groceries. That doesn't seem bad to me. What is happening is that he is still continuing to eat out a lot and I'm seeing approx $90/month on the cc for fast food and I haven't even looked at his debit card purchases. He's coming home this weekend, so we'll sit down and talk again. If he can't get it under control, then back to the meal plan as much as he hates it.

We also have a DD at college this year as well (freshman). She is on a wonderful meal plan that covers every day except Sunday evenings. We're trying to come up with a reasonable amount of money to give as an allowance to cover that Sunday meal, toothpaste, shampoo, and anything else that pops up.

Its a coincidence that you posted this, because DS told me yesterday that he needed more money for food. I looked at the meal plan that he was on last semester. It was the one with the most food and flexibility. The cost of that was $158 per week divided by 16 weeks. The value meal plan averaged $152 a week. He is on the same campus, eating the same food but tends to get coffee and a bagel in the morning, Subway for lunch, etc. Clearly I have been giving him far less than what he had last semester so I have to increased his food allowance too.

 

[phred52]

I have 2 dd's living off campus. Each gets $100/week which is used for utilities, food & whatever. I don't keep track of how its spent. They know to let me know if more $ is needed, but in 5 years, that phone call hasn't come.

 

[ElGravy]

$100 a week? When I was living on my own in college I survived on $40 a month lol I survived on rice and beef stew for dinner, and pancakes for breakfast. Just make sure you tell him how lucky he is to have parents to help him out with groceries. When I was on my own I was on my own. I mean I know that if I was really desperate my parents would have got me food, but it was my responsibility to survive.

 

[DawnCt1]

$100 a week? When I was living on my own in college I survived on $40 a month lol I survived on rice and beef stew for dinner, and pancakes for breakfast. Just make sure you tell him how lucky he is to have parents to help him out with groceries. When I was on my own I was on my own. I mean I know that if I was really desperate my parents would have got me food, but it was my responsibility to survive.

I don't consider DS on his own any more than if he were living in a dorm on campus. It actually cheaper with his current living arrangement. We pay his his tuition, room and board like we did for all of the others...to a point. When DS#1 decided to return to college for another career, that was on his own dime. He took the student loans and drew down his 401K. It was a demanding program so I paid for health insurance Cobra so he wouldn't be without coverage.
We are grateful that DH was able to transfer his post 9/11 GI bill benefits to DS#4. His two 5 month tours in Iraq enabled him to receive 50% of the benefits, which means the VA pays half of his tuition, half of his books and he gets half of the BAH allowance which pays for his most his food and all of rent.

 

[shortbun]

I'm reading this thread with curiosity because I'm going to be doing this in a few years. I can not imagine expecting a college student to make $40 or $50 a week last for healthy food. I mean, they are really at a high level learning place in their lives and they need to be eating fresh food- fruits and veggies, lean meats and complex carbs. $7 a day for three meals and snacks is so little. I have a friend/God daughter who is on a meal plan and gets $20 a week to supplement that. The meal plan covers pizza, Taco Bell and Wendy's that are in her student union as well as the dining hall.

 

[ElGravy]

I don't consider DS on his own any more than if he were living in a dorm on campus. It actually cheaper with his current living arrangement. We pay his his tuition, room and board like we did for all of the others...to a point. When DS#1 decided to return to college for another career, that was on his own dime. He took the student loans and drew down his 401K. It was a demanding program so I paid for health insurance Cobra so he wouldn't be without coverage.
We are grateful that DH was able to transfer his post 9/11 GI bill benefits to DS#4. His two 5 month tours in Iraq enabled him to receive 50% of the benefits, which means the VA pays half of his tuition, half of his books and he gets half of the BAH allowance which pays for his most his food and all of rent.

I understand I wasn't trying to put you down or anything. I just come from a very poor background and when I was out of college couldn't imagine spending $100 a week on food. Hes very lucky to have a parent like you. Also, please thank your son for me for serving our country.