Spending money question for parents with kids that go to college in Boston

[Anonymous]

DS got accepted to a college in Boston and will be starting in the fall. Trying to figure out how much spending money he will need per semester for things like eating out, entertainment, the T, etc. since the cost of living in Boston is different than the DMV. He will be getting a job in the next month or two, but based on your experience what would be a good target number for him to shoot for? $1500 per semester? Thank you!

[Anonymous]

This really depends on the kid and what you can afford. I have kids in college in three different places (incl Boston) and I think $1500 is reasonable for Boston, though they would still need to budget that somewhat carefully, mainly by taking the T instead of uber (which is one of the great advantages of Boston), learning how to take advantage of free/low cost things to do in Boston, not eating out often or learning how to eat out inexpensively, etc. All these things are good lessons to learn!

First semester in Boston, some kids may go out more. Others may find themselves tire of dining hall food in later semesters and spend more then.

Be prepared to add more if it runs out. It's not that easy to predict at the outset and there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

[Anonymous]

Our DS goes to school in Boston and hasn’t needed much spending money at all. He uses the meal plan for most meals and rides his bike or the T to most places. He orders things on our Amazon when needed. His college is in the burbs, so he doesn’t go out that often in downtown Boston.

[Anonymous]

It depends on the kid. My DS hardly spends any money (maybe $40 this semester on laundry); however, my DD will likely eat out more and do more activities. Can you say what school? That might clarify things. Boston Conservatory's dining options are likely not the same as Boston University's options, so a kid at BoCo might eat out more (or not).

[Anonymous]

OP here - DS will be attending BC

[Anonymous]

OMG. $1500 a month?!?! That is beyond over the top.

Our child also attends college in Boston. We pay for tuition, room and baord, books, and things we would have paid for at home (toiletries, laundry, haircuts). All other spending money, including eating out, entertainment, the T, comes from money saved from their summer job.

We don't pay for nights out with their girlfriend when home, or a metro for them to go to DC with friends, concert tickets or other entertainment, so why would we pay for that while away at college?

[Anonymous]

We had 1 at BC. We paid 0 for spending money. That was up to them. Worked out fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG. $1500 a month?!?! That is beyond over the top.

Our child also attends college in Boston. We pay for tuition, room and baord, books, and things we would have paid for at home (toiletries, laundry, haircuts). All other spending money, including eating out, entertainment, the T, comes from money saved from their summer job.

We don't pay for nights out with their girlfriend when home, or a metro for them to go to DC with friends, concert tickets or other entertainment, so why would we pay for that while away at college?

OP said per semester, not per month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had 1 at BC. We paid 0 for spending money. That was up to them. Worked out fine.

The OP asked what was a target # for child to shoot for in terms of job/ budgeting.

Not what they were going to pay.

[Anonymous]

Your DS should probably try to earn about $1000. See how he does first semester and then can adjust accordingly. As long as he keeps the Door Dash to a minimum and sticks primarily to the meal plan, it should be doable.

[Anonymous]

My son used his own earnings as spending money. He’s had a summer job for three summers prior to college so I wasn’t going to be giving him
spending money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son used his own earnings as spending money. He’s had a summer job for three summers prior to college so I wasn’t going to be giving him
spending money.

OP here. For the last time, we are NOT giving him money. He is trying to figure out how much he needs to budget for! We are asking for help in trying to determine the amount from parents that have DC's going to school in Boston.

[Anonymous]

If he has a dining pass, how many times a week is he going out to dinner? Once, for a pizza? It's not like he is going to a Patriot football game. I would plan on $100-$125 a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS got accepted to a college in Boston and will be starting in the fall. Trying to figure out how much spending money he will need per semester for things like eating out, entertainment, the T, etc. since the cost of living in Boston is different than the DMV. He will be getting a job in the next month or two, but based on your experience what would be a good target number for him to shoot for? $1500 per semester? Thank you!

$1500 a semester seems reasonable, maybe even a bit generous given the availability of public transportation in Boston. That's about $100/week for eating out, toiletries, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS got accepted to a college in Boston and will be starting in the fall. Trying to figure out how much spending money he will need per semester for things like eating out, entertainment, the T, etc. since the cost of living in Boston is different than the DMV. He will be getting a job in the next month or two, but based on your experience what would be a good target number for him to shoot for? $1500 per semester? Thank you!

$1500 a semester seems reasonable, maybe even a bit generous given the availability of public transportation in Boston. That's about $100/week for eating out, toiletries, etc.

Agree - that’s a good way to figure it out. Guesstimate by week? Maybe 75/per and then add into the total a game at Fenway or a concert?