How much $$ does a college student need each month

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my Ivy I'd estimate that 30% of my graduating class (2009) carried the family Amex. My freshman roommate had her father's black card number memorized and he couldn't care less. How do you think these kids afford lavish spring breaks and random trips to music festivals. For the amount of money that gets talked about on this forum, people sure don't seem to have a clue how those who make that kind of money live.

Newsflash, we're not talking about stockbrokers that clear $10 million a year plus bonuses. If you're living in fucking Mclean and struggling to pay a $850,000 mortgage you can tell your spoiled brats to pay their own expenses.

Only on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my Ivy I'd estimate that 30% of my graduating class (2009) carried the family Amex. My freshman roommate had her father's black card number memorized and he couldn't care less. How do you think these kids afford lavish spring breaks and random trips to music festivals. For the amount of money that gets talked about on this forum, people sure don't seem to have a clue how those who make that kind of money live.

Believe me, most of us have a clue. We just have absolutely no desire whatsoever to raise our kids that way.

More like you absolutely don't have the money to raise your kids that way. Enough with the moralizing.

Oh, darn. I'm only upper-middle class instead of insanely wealthy. The horror! Thank you for waking me to the tragedy that is my unfortunate financial existence. If only I had been born into a wealthy family that handed me an unchecked AmEx black card as a teenager, my life would have purpose, my parents could have bought a building to ensure my Ivy League acceptance, and my poor children could have their lives fully subsidized without fear of having to get a job or, worse, go without anything in which they had a passing interest. Hopefully, they'll find a good therapist and come to terms with their failure to be born into a 1% family.

I'm so sorry we'll never rub ski boots in the Alps, you sound just delightful.

[Anonymous]

We are paying tuition, room and board. DC has a summer job and pt job during the school year for pocket money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my Ivy I'd estimate that 30% of my graduating class (2009) carried the family Amex. My freshman roommate had her father's black card number memorized and he couldn't care less. How do you think these kids afford lavish spring breaks and random trips to music festivals. For the amount of money that gets talked about on this forum, people sure don't seem to have a clue how those who make that kind of money live.

Believe me, most of us have a clue. We just have absolutely no desire whatsoever to raise our kids that way.

More like you absolutely don't have the money to raise your kids that way. Enough with the moralizing.

Oh, darn. I'm only upper-middle class instead of insanely wealthy. The horror! Thank you for waking me to the tragedy that is my unfortunate financial existence. If only I had been born into a wealthy family that handed me an unchecked AmEx black card as a teenager, my life would have purpose, my parents could have bought a building to ensure my Ivy League acceptance, and my poor children could have their lives fully subsidized without fear of having to get a job or, worse, go without anything in which they had a passing interest. Hopefully, they'll find a good therapist and come to terms with their failure to be born into a 1% family.

I'm so sorry we'll never rub ski boots in the Alps, you sound just delightful.

Lol, the irony. No need to be so defensive.

[Anonymous]

Our oldest is also starting college this summer, and we are thinking $150 a month. My parents didn't give me a dime and I missed out on a lot, so I want to help, but modestly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest is also starting college this summer, and we are thinking $150 a month. My parents didn't give me a dime and I missed out on a lot, so I want to help, but modestly.

$150/month can be earned by working like 20 hours/week in the summer or 5 hours/week during the school year. Honestly, if that caused my child to "miss out on a lot"...I'd be very, very concerned about their time management skills.

[Anonymous]

Living expenses at NYU are vastly different than living expenses at Miami of OH. Pepperdine is not Tulane.

[Anonymous]

$2500 plus a loaded Starbucks card. We pay tuition, room and board, 2 trips a year with school friends/sorority sisters (usually international spring break and somewhere over Xmas), but the rest has to come out of that $2500. She's learning budgeting and financial responsibility by having to limit herself to the $2500/mo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest is also starting college this summer, and we are thinking $150 a month. My parents didn't give me a dime and I missed out on a lot, so I want to help, but modestly.

$150/month can be earned by working like 20 hours/week in the summer or 5 hours/week during the school year. Honestly, if that caused my child to "miss out on a lot"...I'd be very, very concerned about their time management skills.

You read my post wrong. I missed out on a lot because I was always working for my basic expenses and couldn't afford to join a sorority or go on trips with my friends. My son is working this summer. Read more slowly before you rush to criticize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$2500 plus a loaded Starbucks card. We pay tuition, room and board, 2 trips a year with school friends/sorority sisters (usually international spring break and somewhere over Xmas), but the rest has to come out of that $2500. She's learning budgeting and financial responsibility by having to limit herself to the $2500/mo.

Honestly, now I see why that Biden wife was furious when her STBEX cut off her $17,000 monthly allowance. I really did wonder what she was using that much money for...assuming her mortgage was $6,000/mo. Now I know. Giving her kids the rest as an allowance. Good grief.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$2500 plus a loaded Starbucks card. We pay tuition, room and board, 2 trips a year with school friends/sorority sisters (usually international spring break and somewhere over Xmas), but the rest has to come out of that $2500. She's learning budgeting and financial responsibility by having to limit herself to the $2500/mo.

That seems reasonable as long as it doesn't include clothes and she isn't living off campus so won't need a house cleaning person, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$2500 plus a loaded Starbucks card. We pay tuition, room and board, 2 trips a year with school friends/sorority sisters (usually international spring break and somewhere over Xmas), but the rest has to come out of that $2500. She's learning budgeting and financial responsibility by having to limit herself to the $2500/mo.

That seems reasonable as long as it doesn't include clothes and she isn't living off campus so won't need a house cleaning person, etc.

+1. That would have to be on top of clothes to work for DD. It seems like every month there is a formal or something that we're buying a dress and shoes for. She could blow through that on the outfit alone, but we're taking a bit of a stand and trying to force her to stick to Nordstrom instead of the expensive places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$2500 plus a loaded Starbucks card. We pay tuition, room and board, 2 trips a year with school friends/sorority sisters (usually international spring break and somewhere over Xmas), but the rest has to come out of that $2500. She's learning budgeting and financial responsibility by having to limit herself to the $2500/mo.

That seems reasonable as long as it doesn't include clothes and she isn't living off campus so won't need a house cleaning person, etc.

A college student can't buy clothes for $2500/month?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$2500 plus a loaded Starbucks card. We pay tuition, room and board, 2 trips a year with school friends/sorority sisters (usually international spring break and somewhere over Xmas), but the rest has to come out of that $2500. She's learning budgeting and financial responsibility by having to limit herself to the $2500/mo.

That seems reasonable as long as it doesn't include clothes and she isn't living off campus so won't need a house cleaning person, etc.

A college student can't buy clothes for $2500/month?

Fairly certain that poster is poking some fun at everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$2500 plus a loaded Starbucks card. We pay tuition, room and board, 2 trips a year with school friends/sorority sisters (usually international spring break and somewhere over Xmas), but the rest has to come out of that $2500. She's learning budgeting and financial responsibility by having to limit herself to the $2500/mo.

That seems reasonable as long as it doesn't include clothes and she isn't living off campus so won't need a house cleaning person, etc.

+1. That would have to be on top of clothes to work for DD. It seems like every month there is a formal or something that we're buying a dress and shoes for. She could blow through that on the outfit alone, but we're taking a bit of a stand and trying to force her to stick to Nordstrom instead of the expensive places.

She needs to look into Rent the Runway. DD did that for sorority formals in college.