Freshman "Funds"

[Green Tea]

What, in your opinion, is an adequate amount of money for a college freshman to be given each month if they do NOT have a college meal plan and will be cooking or eating out?

How much do you think you spend on food for one person in a month?

 

[Tinkerdreams]

My son is attending SU and over the past year, he spends approximately $600 month for food. He will eat a late breakfast (about 10 a.m.) and then around 5 - 6 p.m. will grab something for dinner. Since he's in an apartment, I outfit him with snacks, drinks and such once every 2 months and that runs a couple hundred.

This year is his last year and I can't wait for the Bank of Mom to close!!

 

[marmalade]

I would guess at least $500 a month.

 

[Green Tea]

Okay, I guess my husband is not high in his estimates!

 

[Hannathy]

Remember that most kids can't get to a decent grocery store from campus, so food is expensive and very lacking in availability. They are stuck shopping at 7-11's or Walgreens, or small food stores close to campus, so food costs a lot more.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

It depends on the city as to whether or not a real grocery store is nearby...

 

[Christine]

My DD was living off campus last year. I gave her roughly $100 a week just for food. She was going in together with 3 other roommates so the pooled their funds for milk, juice, meats, etc.

The $100 a week did not count the extra money I had to send for when she needed to grab something at the food court. As the year wore on, they became less enthralled with cooking so I think she was spending more on prepared foods.

I think they could do a lot better if they all had more cooking skills and ideas about how to be frugal. They seem to try but not enough for my taste!

 

[tvguy]

Wow. We spend $400 a month for food for 4 of us now that both kids are home. When my son had his own apartment we got $200 a month from us for food, last year which I thought was generous. $500 to $600 seems very very very generous. We did battle over WHAT he was buiying.......didn't go over well when he would call home talking about how good the steaks that he grilled were when his mom and I were dining on Macaroni and Cheese.

 

[ksjayhawks]

No way would I spend $600 a month on food for my ds, especially if he is in an apartment! I would look into an off campus meal plan or give hiim
$150 a month and let him figure it out.

 

[Janepod]

$500 a month sounds about right for where I went to school. No real grocery stores (only bodega-type places) nearby. It adds up fast.

However, why no meal plan for a freshman? Our dining hall was such an important part of social lives - getting meals and snacks together, stopping in for a soda after class, late night cereal runs - that I would be afraid he's missing out.

 

[Robinrs]

My son's school's meal plans are required if you stay on campus and they're $1300 for the entire semester for unlimited meals plus $100 for visitors. Wow, they're not as bad as I thought now!!

The food at his school is aMAzing, though, better than what I remember back in the stone age!

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I know this sound crazy but I was thinking 200 dollars it gives him 50 dollars a week for food and that is what DH and I spend a person.

 

[scrapquitler]

I know this sound crazy but I was thinking 200 dollars it gives him 50 dollars a week for food and that is what DH and I spend a person.

yes, it might seem reasonable, but does your son have the knowledge and skills and foresight to plan meals ahead the way you do and cook them efficiently? Does he have access to all the necessary kitchen equipment in the apartment where he will be? How much freezer/fridge space will he have?

When my DH shared an apartment with 3 other guys, the fridge/freezer space was always an issue. Each of them prepared their own meals and did their own shopping. That mean there were 4 gallons of milk, 4 bottles of juice, 4 bottles of ketchup, etc in the fridge. Each bought their own bag of frozen fries, etc. So the freezer space didn't always work so well. That made it hard for my Dh to plan meals ahead, cook and freeze things, etc becaue there just wasn't room to do it efficiently. That might contribute to him needing to shop more frequently, not buy in bulk, not be able to save leftovers, etc, all of which will cause him to have to shop more frequently or buy things at a higher price (ie whatever price chicken is this week, he pays because he can't buy several weeks worth at the sale price).

And he might not have an easy time getting to a good grocery store. At homme, you might shop several stores to get various sale items. A male college student isn't going to have the time or conveience of doing that.

I think you need to figure closer to $100 a week, and should consider putting SOME money on a dining account at the school, there are going to be a lot of times that he is jammed up with work and not going to have the time or energy to cook.

 

[Jennasis]

None. I had a job (as did both of my sisters).

 

[shortbun]

Wow. We spend $400 a month for food for 4 of us now that both kids are home. When my son had his own apartment we got $200 a month from us for food, last year which I thought was generous. $500 to $600 seems very very very generous. We did battle over WHAT he was buiying.......didn't go over well when he would call home talking about how good the steaks that he grilled were when his mom and I were dining on Macaroni and Cheese.

$400 a month for two people is really cheap. Kids in college don't have good access to budget places to shop nor do they have the time. Personally, I wouldn't want my son 'dining' on mac n cheese regularly as it is white flour and high fat-no fiber, no lean protein and certainly not brain food. Eh, you cruise, your son eats steak. Kids with developing brains-up to age 25-need really healthy, high fiber, low fat, nutrition. After that, unless we really can not afford it, we all need to be eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, whole grain meals. A good diet is NOT cheap. College students rarely grow gardens or have time to travel from store to store for the best buy.

OP, my friends with kids in college start with a sum agreed on by both then make adjustments after a few months. A few are lucky to have children close enough to make at least one grocery run with them a month, thus controlling what they get and how much it costs for paper products, cosmetics, cleaning supplies. One very smart friend is teaching her son to cook(again) this summer. He's making dinner twice a week and on Sunday, after church, they make a grocery list and clip coupons. She's also got him doing their laundry. He leaves in two weeks and she's going to miss him so much for obvious reasons but also because she's got to do her own laundry and make dinner every night.

 

[MoonFaerie]

Wow. We spend $400 a month for food for 4 of us now that both kids are home. When my son had his own apartment we got $200 a month from us for food, last year which I thought was generous. $500 to $600 seems very very very generous. We did battle over WHAT he was buiying.......didn't go over well when he would call home talking about how good the steaks that he grilled were when his mom and I were dining on Macaroni and Cheese.

Part of that is space and facilities. At home, I can buy staple items in bulk and store them in my pantry. I have a full kitchen with all the pots, pans, utensils, spices, etc. I need.

In a dorm, you have a mini fridge, a microwave, a small area in which to store food, and maybe a community kitchen with a crappy stove. No freezer.

I definitely spent more on food when I lived in a dorm. I can and do buy stuff when it's on sale. Every now and then, the boneless skinless chicken breasts get crazy cheap. I buy a ton and store it in my deep freezer. When I was in a dorm, that wasn't an option. Even buying enough for one week and cramming it in the mini fridge was a hassle. And if you're sharing the room and fridge with a roommate, I have no clue how you'd do it.

 

[sandramaac]

No way would I spend $600 a month on food for my ds, especially if he is in an apartment! I would look into an off campus meal plan or give hiim
$150 a month and let him figure it out.

............why not throw em' a few bones, and dish for water and call it a day too!!!

 

[nchulka]

None. I had a job (as did both of my sisters).

These are adults not pre-schoolers! As an adult the first thing they need to learn is you don't work, you don't eat! I would never consider giving my adult children monthly money for food. As far as some of these amounts they are outrageous! I feed a family of 4 for under 350.00 per month! After learning don't work, don't eat, the next lesson is how to budget and plan, and they will it alot faster with a hungry belly! No real reason to learn how to spend money wisely when mom's handing out 600 bucks a month in food money!

 

[tvguy]

$400 a month for two people is really cheap.

That's for 4 adults. Actually, you can eat pretty cheaply and healthy if you cruise the various farmers markets around the area, and buy groceries based on what is on sale.

 

[scrapquitler]

These are adults not pre-schoolers! As an adult the first thing they need to learn is you don't work, you don't eat! I would never consider giving my adult children monthly money for food. As far as some of these amounts they are outrageous! I feed a family of 4 for under 350.00 per month! After learning don't work, don't eat, the next lesson is how to budget and plan, and they will it alot faster with a hungry belly! No real reason to learn how to spend money wisely when mom's handing out 600 bucks a month in food money!

On the other hand, College is VERY expensive. I would rather have my college age daughter studying and concentrating on her studies rather than working a minimum wage job and having that take up her time when she could be studying.

If I am paying for tuition, I'm going to pay for food. She can work in the summer, but during the semester, studying is the #1 priority.

I could never feed a family of 4 for under $350 a month. But I live in a high cost of living area.