College student moving off campus - how much money for food?

[Anonymous]

My DD is a rising junior in college and moving off campus . She says she doesn't want a meal plan of any kind.

How much should she expect to spend per month for meals? We are planning on putting that much in a debit account every month.

[Anonymous]

Please do a search - this has been asked a dozen times in the last couple of months.

[Anonymous]

I budgeted $75/week but she never spent that much. She spent probably $50 or less per week.

[Anonymous]

depends on where she lives and if she has access to a grocery store/plans to eat at home. how much was her meal plan? start with some percentage of that and then increase if needed?

[Anonymous]

A Starbucks Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte per day adds up to over $215 per month. We gave our daughter $1000 per month.

Simple math, divide the cost of a semester meal plan by the number of weeks the student will be on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please do a search - this has been asked a dozen times in the last couple of months.

Search in the college forum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A Starbucks Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte per day adds up to over $215 per month. We gave our daughter $1000 per month.

Simple math, divide the cost of a semester meal plan by the number of weeks the student will be on campus.

Depends on whether you are happy to cover Starbucks etc or just groceries. The budget is very different.

[Anonymous]

DS still gets a meal plan, the smallest since he has lunch on campus most weekdays. He also has a Costco membership. We reimburse him for groceries (Costco and grocery store). He pays for own Starbucks, beer, eating out, etc.

[Anonymous]

PP above- we don’t give him the $ he just asks for Venmo once a month

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a rising junior in college and moving off campus . She says she doesn't want a meal plan of any kind.

How much should she expect to spend per month for meals? We are planning on putting that much in a debit account every month.

Found this thread on College Forum: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1279290.page

[Anonymous]

Mine cooks most of his own food, with easy access to groceries, then ordering/dining out maybe 1-3 times a week. He's frugal and only spends about $100/week.

[Anonymous]

Our child will be doing this starting this Fall semester

As PP our child is frugal as well and will do a combo of having groceries delivered to prepare their own meals and eating out.

Probably around $100 weekly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A Starbucks Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte per day adds up to over $215 per month. We gave our daughter $1000 per month.

Simple math, divide the cost of a semester meal plan by the number of weeks the student will be on campus.

Or, when your kids are young teach them not to waste money by drinking their calories. Teach them to view Starbucks as a once in a long while thing, rather than a daily thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A Starbucks Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte per day adds up to over $215 per month. We gave our daughter $1000 per month.

Simple math, divide the cost of a semester meal plan by the number of weeks the student will be on campus.

We gave our DC similar monthly budget.

[Anonymous]

I give $125 a week, which also covers shampoo and stuff like that. It seems fine, tho my kid has a part time job in a restaurant and gets some food there as well