How much allowance money do you send your kid each week/month at college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP but if parents are covering tuition, housing, food, phone, other technology, and clothing/shoes, I'm not sure why people think that money earned over the summer and winter breaks wouldn't be enough for other incidentals? What are your kids buying that costs so much money?

Waiting for someone to answer this question.

We were hoping you were smart enough to figure it out. Apparently you aren't, which explains a lot about your responses here.

Anyway, here is a list of expenses our kids have during the school year: books, clothes, food outside of the meal plan, snacks, coffee, sundries, decorations for their rooms/suites/apartments, gas for the car, printer cartridges, beer, fun activities, entrance fees, whatever. I mean, what do you really expect? These are pretty normal expenses. Nothing weird or atypical.

If our kids had jobs during the summer, then we ask them to put that money into savings and keep it there. It is our job to provide for them while they are living under our roof and we are not expecting them to have to pay for things out of their own money. We don't want them to work while at school because their focus should be on their academics and we want their free time to be free.

If you feel differently for your kids then ... whatever. You do you while we do us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kudos to those parents that give their kids some cash. And I've never seen so many smug cheap-ass "no spending money" parents in one forum at one time. How hard is it to throw your kids some dough every month to have some enjoyment beyond studying their ass off? My son knows the value of money, already has had several jobs, but I'm not going to use the 1950's tough-love hyperbole during one of the best times of his life. He can have a couple hundred bucks when he needs it. What do you parents need it for, one more set of D-bag golf clubs or extra bespoke seat heaters for your latest Range Rover Double Supreme?

So does mine. That's why he uses his own money, not mommy's, for beer and concerts.

Expected response. Amusing how you expect your kid to be a hedonist. Reference my "cheap-ass" comment.

you're the one who brought up enjoyment and "the best times of his life."

See previous comment where I said "I don't assume it's for heroin, pot, snuff films, grain alcohol". It's for dinner with friends, movies, clothing, Starbucks, etc. Amazing how you immediately think your kid is gonna splurge your rich-person cash on illegal or immoral gratification. What kind of parent are you?

ok, mama bear.

And this is the point where you have admitted defeat, with an insult. Go drive in your Range Rover El Jefe 1000 to make yourself feel better. Maybe polish your latest J. Jill collection. You'll feel better in the morning.

The chip on your shoulder is so big that it must be hard for you to carry around your arm. You might want to think about what your resentment says about you.

DP.

[Anonymous]

No plans to give an allowance. My kids have seen me be very frugal their whole lives so we could save for college. They will definitely not expect me to pay for anything they don’t need.

[Anonymous]

Another 500 per month - this is once they are in an apartment and does not include rent. When in dorms it was more like 400 a month for spending money.

[Anonymous]

We pay for tuition and room and board. He gets $15 per week. Earns spending money on breaks. Plays college sport so no time for job during school year.

[Anonymous]

DC had the choice of accepting full scholarship at school A, or full pay at one of a couple other schools. We said if DC went with school A, DC would get more flexibility for spending $, taking Uber when needed, getting the occasional Uber eats and flying home mid semester if needed. DC went with school A, which DC likes regardless. This seems to have given DC flexibility to focus on classes and not sweat the details.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid works during the summer, but no way do those earnings last longer than a couple of months in college. We absolutely send our kids spending money every month - usually between $100-200. The last thing we want is for them to constantly be worrying about money.

$200/month is less than $2,000 a year. Your child didn't earn that working over the summer? Mine made somewhere between 4-5 thousand at their summer job, and that does not include the babysitting cash.

We cover tuition, room and board, books, cell phone and sent our child with enough basics (laundry detergent, shampoo, deodorant, cleaning supplies, etc.) that we can restock over breaks if need be. We don't send cash during the year - that's what the summer job money is for

[Anonymous]

1k a month

[Anonymous]

Eh, we just give them a credit card and they charge what they want but they’re all reasonable and don’t go crazy.

[Anonymous]

$0.

He also pays a portion of his tuition/room/board. Works all summer and year-round, as well.

It's so strange to me that some of you assume that everyone else can afford to not only pay tuition, room, and board, but also phones, clothing, etc etc etc -- and if they don't pay that they're being "cheap."

Maybe it's not in the budget? LIke, you know, for most American families?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another 500 per month - this is once they are in an apartment and does not include rent. When in dorms it was more like 400 a month for spending money.

We send $250 every two weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid works during the summer, but no way do those earnings last longer than a couple of months in college. We absolutely send our kids spending money every month - usually between $100-200. The last thing we want is for them to constantly be worrying about money.

$200/month is less than $2,000 a year. Your child didn't earn that working over the summer? Mine made somewhere between 4-5 thousand at their summer job, and that does not include the babysitting cash.

We cover tuition, room and board, books, cell phone and sent our child with enough basics (laundry detergent, shampoo, deodorant, cleaning supplies, etc.) that we can restock over breaks if need be. We don't send cash during the year - that's what the summer job money is for

I didn't allow my kids to work during the pandemic. They don't need the abuse or the exposure to the virus. They will both work this summer, though, after having a booster.

[Anonymous]

I think the replies here are a self-selecting group. Everyone I know gives their kids spending $$, both when I was in college and now. And I grew up middle class (real middle class, not DCUM middle class). We had summer jobs, but it was not intended to cover all of our spending money at school.

It is amusing to see all of the “I’ll pay $80k a year for school, but I’m not going to give my kid $100 a month for pizza” types on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP but if parents are covering tuition, housing, food, phone, other technology, and clothing/shoes, I'm not sure why people think that money earned over the summer and winter breaks wouldn't be enough for other incidentals? What are your kids buying that costs so much money?

Waiting for someone to answer this question.

We were hoping you were smart enough to figure it out. Apparently you aren't, which explains a lot about your responses here.

Anyway, here is a list of expenses our kids have during the school year: books, clothes, food outside of the meal plan, snacks, coffee, sundries, decorations for their rooms/suites/apartments, gas for the car, printer cartridges, beer, fun activities, entrance fees, whatever. I mean, what do you really expect? These are pretty normal expenses. Nothing weird or atypical.

If our kids had jobs during the summer, then we ask them to put that money into savings and keep it there. It is our job to provide for them while they are living under our roof and we are not expecting them to have to pay for things out of their own money. We don't want them to work while at school because their focus should be on their academics and we want their free time to be free.

If you feel differently for your kids then ... whatever. You do you while we do us.

NP but of the things you listed, I bolded the things that I help my kids pay for. But we also make them work in the summer and budget to spend that money throughout the year because that is an important life skill. I assume you do the same for yours. My kids don't have a car but if they did we would pay for their insurance, but not gas (they fill up our cars with their own money when they are using them, which is very kind of them).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP but if parents are covering tuition, housing, food, phone, other technology, and clothing/shoes, I'm not sure why people think that money earned over the summer and winter breaks wouldn't be enough for other incidentals? What are your kids buying that costs so much money?

Waiting for someone to answer this question.

We were hoping you were smart enough to figure it out. Apparently you aren't, which explains a lot about your responses here.

Anyway, here is a list of expenses our kids have during the school year: books, clothes, food outside of the meal plan, snacks, coffee, sundries, decorations for their rooms/suites/apartments, gas for the car, printer cartridges, beer, fun activities, entrance fees, whatever. I mean, what do you really expect? These are pretty normal expenses. Nothing weird or atypical.

If our kids had jobs during the summer, then we ask them to put that money into savings and keep it there. It is our job to provide for them while they are living under our roof and we are not expecting them to have to pay for things out of their own money. We don't want them to work while at school because their focus should be on their academics and we want their free time to be free.

If you feel differently for your kids then ... whatever. You do you while we do us.

NP but of the things you listed, I bolded the things that I help my kids pay for. But we also make them work in the summer and budget to spend that money throughout the year because that is an important life skill. I assume you do the same for yours. My kids don't have a car but if they did we would pay for their insurance, but not gas (they fill up our cars with their own money when they are using them, which is very kind of them).

Also, the other way we differ is that college does not mean "living under my roof" in our family.