How much is a normal range for college students’ monthly spending?

[Anonymous]

My DC is a freshmen. Besides tuition and fees, we pay for dorm and full meal plan on campus. In my feeling, this covers almost all of the living cost. Of course, I know they will hangout with friends sometime and have extra spending. I am just wondering what other occasions and how much this extra spending is approximately per month?

[Anonymous]

DS about $300 per month; DD way more. Both attend colleges near major cities where we want and expect them to experience and take advantage of (professional sports, concerts, art shows, festivals, great food, golfing/boating/skiing, etc)

[Anonymous]

I match whatever they earn during their summer job, that’s what they have to work with for the year. It was around 4k last summer, not sure what they made this summer. I give them their matched money after they do their taxes.

[Anonymous]

All extra spending comes from DCs’ own money from their part time job throughout high school. We’re a full pay family with tuitions? Room and board, travel and other fees breaking $100k/ year. DCs know we’re not giving them spending money on top of that.

[Anonymous]

Whatever they earn during their summer job. My freshman made 2-4k each of the past 2 summers working at restaurants, babysitting etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All extra spending comes from DCs’ own money from their part time job throughout high school. We’re a full pay family with tuitions? Room and board, travel and other fees breaking $100k/ year. DCs know we’re not giving them spending money on top of that.

Ditto. OP, has your kid not had summer jobs?

[Anonymous]

Mine uses his money from work for any of the fun extras he wants.

[Anonymous]

Anything else spent above tuition/meal plan my daughter pays herself and therefore, it amounts to very little. Probably $50-100 tops per week.

One caveat, I would pay for her books but the books are free at her school. My parents always required me to pay for my books and I remember it wiping out my earnings pretty quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS about $300 per month; DD way more. Both attend colleges near major cities where we want and expect them to experience and take advantage of (professional sports, concerts, art shows, festivals, great food, golfing/boating/skiing, etc)

I calculate about 3 pizzas a month. Golfing, boating and concerts were not on my dime.

[Anonymous]

We've told our kids since they were in HS that we would pay for college costs -- tuition, room, board, supplies, but that they would be responsible for "fun" money. Same for in HS. We had told them since MS that when they go into HS they will want to go out more with friends, and that they will need a job to pay for most of their going out money.

Both have had jobs since junior year in HS. One is in college, and they have had two paid internships so far (one paid $40/hour). My HS senior burns money, and I have told them that they need to save at least $2K for their first year in college for spending money. They are no where near that amount. I guess they will learn the hard way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine uses his money from work for any of the fun extras he wants.

+1

I don’t give spending money. They got their own credit card at 18 (not tied to me in any way) and use money from part time jobs (at college during year, home during summer).
It’s been very good, they learned to budget and make better choices about where they want to spend.

[Anonymous]

For each college, we looked at College Board, their Big Future site re: expenses. We thought it was spot-on.

[Anonymous]

I went to a SLAC in a small MN town. Didn’t spend a dime. Nothing to spend it on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Ditto. OP, has your kid not had summer jobs?

Only several hundred dollars this summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS about $300 per month; DD way more. Both attend colleges near major cities where we want and expect them to experience and take advantage of (professional sports, concerts, art shows, festivals, great food, golfing/boating/skiing, etc)

I calculate about 3 pizzas a month. Golfing, boating and concerts were not on my dime.

cool that we all have choices, right?