College Kids -- spending money?

[mom2mikel]

Those of you with kids off in college...do you give them some spending money each month? My daughter is going to college in the Fall and I'm just trying to prepare my budget! She will be staying in the dorms and will have the unlimited meal plan. She will have her car on campus, but I don't think she'll use it often that gas will be a big issue.

I'm thinking for little odds and ends....

What would be considered reasonable? $100/month, $200/month? more/less?

TIA!

 

[Arielle22]

My DDs are sophomore and junior in college. Both were told they would need to work over the summer and save up spending money for any entertainment or food outside of the school. Both save around $1,800 each summer.

DH and I are paying for school, books and even contributed towards a car for younger DD. I am trying to have them learn how to budget their money and make decisions on what to spend it on.

 

[Darcy03231]

My kids earned their own spending money from summer and part-time jobs.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

My DDs are sophomore and junior in college. Both were told they would need to work over the summer and save up spending money for any entertainment or food outside of the school. Both save around $1,800 each summer.

DH and I are paying for school, books and even contributed towards a car for younger DD. I am trying to have them learn how to budget their money and make decisions on what to spend it on.

My kids earned their own spending money from summer and part-time jobs.

That's exactly the way my parents did it with me. I saved up my summer job money and had a very small part time job at school.

A couple years into college, I quit the meal plan and then they gave me monthly grocery money for food.

 

[SC Minnie]

DD is currently a junior in college. She worked during HS and in the summers and saved money for spending while away at school. She had a car with her as well. I would send her gas cards or fast food/restaurant gifts cards sporadically throughout the year. DD has a meal plan as well but they do like to go out sometimes. I also put $20 every other week into her checking account, not because I had to but because I wanted to. She got a job her sophomore year while at school so now has more of a cushion.

It's funny how many things aren't necessities when they are spending their hard earned money instead of yours.

 

[tnd]

I worked during the summer and had a part-time work-study job during the year for my spending money. My parents paid my tuition, room, board, and books. I felt that was a fair deal.

 

[cvjw]

DS is in his second semester at UGA this spring. He lives on campus and has the 7 day meal plan. He has his car on campus also. We give him $200 per month for extras and we pay for all of the gas for his car.

His job is to make good grades. He can pay for everything else when he graduates and "hopefully" gets a good job because of his grades.

 

[tvguy]

Depended on their living situation. The target if they were living in the dorm with a meal plan was $100 a month. When my son moved out with a room mate in an apartment, it went up to $600, $400 for rent, $100 for food, $100 for gas and other things. He had a very tough time eating on $100 a month, and didn't appreciate when I pointed out his mom and I and sister were living on $200 a month for food. But he was using Alton Brown receipes

Biggest mistake we ever made was letting him get a job during the school year. He spend all that money, and his spending of our money went up too. Only thing that went down were his grades, which meant an extra year in college at a cost to DW and I of $50,000 for tuition, rent and food. He is paying that back at a rate of $175 a month now that he is out in the working world.

 

[Gracie09]

I worked for my spending money. Summers and an on-campus job. Barring some reason why they can't, my kids will too.

We did have an agreement with my dad. He would pay tuition, books, dorm, meal plan etc but if we wasted his money (got an "F") we had to pay him back for the course. I never had to pay him back.

 

[kymom99]

When I went to school, I lived at home and paid my own tuition. My parents paid for my car expenses. It would have never occurred to me to expect spending money from them.

My step daughter decided she needed to go away to school. So we told her how much we would pay total per semester and she had to come up with the rest. We did occasionally pay for a car repair, but that was it.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Both of mine worked at school and had a summer job and saved money.

I think our smartest move was not allowing them to have a car. One goes to a large State University and one a small Private University and both were able to get hours for fun time and never needed a car.

I am not saying a car is not necessary where your child is going to school but my son in an RA. Many and I mean a lot of the problems they have are with the students with cars. From drinking, to drugs, to just being the driver for a friend and that friend does something stupid. Just make sure they realize that the car needs to be treated with absolute care. It's not like it used to be where being the designated driver was a good thing. (I am speaking only from the two Universities where mine attend, but both are seeing this problem).

 

[ICF]

I worked during HS / Summers to earn my college spending money -- I'd expect my kids to do the same.

 

[Marionnette]

The kids lived off-campus at their respective schools. No meal plans. The Money Fairy put $200 in their account every week. This was in addition to covering their rent, books, tuition and vehicle expenses.

As you can tell, it can vary widely from one family to the next.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

My parents gave me $500/month when I was in school. This was on top of my living/school costs. It was for food (after the meal plan), entertainment and additional stuff.

I'm probably unusual but it worked for my family.

I probably spent on some frivolous things and I know my mom didn't appreciate me using that money on an eyebrow piercing lol. but I was used to the allowance from high school and it carried on to college.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

If not using the car much, $100 should be plenty IMO. I always charged for rides, so gas money was pretty much covered.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

When I went to college my parents paid for the whole freshman year - food, tuition, dorm room, books etc. No spending money I had worked during High school and the summer and saved.

For my other 3 years we split the cost of college - they paid tuition and dorm room - I had to pay for everything else (including food). I did have to work during college so I had to budget my time and my money but I really learned a lot from the experience and I deeply appreciate it.

 

[Sadie22]

DS is in his second semester at UGA this spring. He lives on campus and has the 7 day meal plan. He has his car on campus also. We give him $200 per month for extras and we pay for all of the gas for his car.

His job is to make good grades. He can pay for everything else when he graduates and "hopefully" gets a good job because of his grades.

Just good grades is not enough, and waiting for graduation to think about a job is too late. My children had internships or jobs working with their professors during their college time. During the summers they had jobs or internships related to their major fields of study on campus or elsewhere. The experience and contacts made during the college years can make a big difference in winning additional merit-based financial aid, earning places in competitive internship programs, being admitted to a graduate school program of choice, and gaining the desired jobs after college and/or graduate school.

 

[a1tinkfans]

We used to deposit several hundred at first of month for ds. But found that he d charge anyway and since I pay , it was dbl dipping imho. His responsibility is to get good grades and he ll be fortunate enough to be graduating with zero debt based on that full academic scholarship he earned and our full support while he is in school.
Fortunately for him and for us, we are able to live this way and choose too. Each family is different with different expectations and abilities OP, so whatever works for you/your family is good. Best of luck to you/ yours!

 

[crbrnc]

Absolutely not. I pay for college, books, dorm/apt and food. There are plenty of opportunities to get money. She should start looking into now.

Good luck with thenewness of college!!

 

[ldadar]

My parents gave me $100/month spending money in the 80s. My sophomore year I found a job to supplement what they gave me.