Geez, I got no extra cash and was fine! I lived on campus with a meal plan, so my only expenses really were cvs runs. $50/month or so was plenty, which I had in my savings from birthdays/chores/etc growing up.

I can't imagine needing hundreds unless I lived off campus with a car and had to grocery shop and pay for gas/parking/insurance.

My parents paid tuition, room, and meal plan, health costs, and books. They then gave me five hundred a semester for extras. I went to school in the middle of nowhere where the only thing that cost money was like two dollars for a campus movie. They adamantly did not want me to work during the school year so I was pretty broke but it was fine.

My boyfriend got the same above paid for but got six hundred a month in spending cash which meant he was pretty flush and supplemented me some.

Anonymous wrote:Jesus christ. I did not know it was a thing to send your college aged children (who by the way, are ADULTS) pocket money. This generation is screwed.

I went to college beginning in 1994, and my parents sent me money each month. They did not want me to work during my freshman year of college. I had worked 19 -24 hours a week since I was 14 and during summers would work a full time job during the day and a part time job at night and on weekends. They just recognized that going to college was a big change and wanted me to focus on that.

Jesus christ. I did not know it was a thing to send your college aged children (who by the way, are ADULTS) pocket money. This generation is screwed.

Back in the nineties I got 1500 a month including housing.

DD is a rising senior in LA and is on the college dance team. We send $400 per month for weekend recreation including movies/meals/food deliveries and it also covers two bi-weekly visits to the hair salon plus pop ups for dance supplies. She uses her summer intern salary for fun, books, clothes and a spring break trip. Our other DD (rising soph) is in a small college town and spends 25.00 per weekend plus money for two bi-weekly salon visits. She is a D-1 athlete and has little free time. She does not have a summer job. We purchase all her clothes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one at Stanford and one at Berkeley. They each get $250 a month. We pay tuition, books, room & board, and meal plan. We will pay to fly them home & back. That $250 is for everything else. We ask no questions about how it's spent. The youngest is a junior - neither have ever asked for more.

This budget works only if they don't have cars. Are you also taking them shopping when they're home for clothes and shoes? What about visits to the Dr?

Neither of them have cars. One dog-sits for extra cash and one tutors. They pay for clothes with that money. My DD often goes "shopping" in my closet. They have health insurance through us.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one at Stanford and one at Berkeley. They each get $250 a month. We pay tuition, books, room & board, and meal plan. We will pay to fly them home & back. That $250 is for everything else. We ask no questions about how it's spent. The youngest is a junior - neither have ever asked for more.

This budget works only if they don't have cars. Are you also taking them shopping when they're home for clothes and shoes? What about visits to the Dr?

Are you seriously suggesting that $250/month is not enough for clothes and shoes, if you are already paying for room, board, and a meal plan? That shoukd be more than plenty! And if you have insurance, they can't come up with $20 for the occasional co-pay? Plus most schools have a health center that is free for students.

0. He is an adult. He should be working this summer to save spending money.

Anonymous wrote:I have one at Stanford and one at Berkeley. They each get $250 a month. We pay tuition, books, room & board, and meal plan. We will pay to fly them home & back. That $250 is for everything else. We ask no questions about how it's spent. The youngest is a junior - neither have ever asked for more.

This budget works only if they don't have cars. Are you also taking them shopping when they're home for clothes and shoes? What about visits to the Dr?

Anonymous wrote:$0. They are responsible for their personal expenses. We pay for tuition, R&B and books.

+1. DC is actually fine with getting summer jobs and managing her own expenses. We pay for the meal plan, but if DC wants to go out for pizza or sushi, that's on her.

$0. They are responsible for their personal expenses. We pay for tuition, R&B and books.

I have one at Stanford and one at Berkeley. They each get $250 a month. We pay tuition, books, room & board, and meal plan. We will pay to fly them home & back. That $250 is for everything else. We ask no questions about how it's spent. The youngest is a junior - neither have ever asked for more.

We do $1000/semester which works out to $200/month. Bookstore charges are separate. DC also milks our visits (eg, parents werkend) for major Target runs.

DC will be freshman on west coast in the fall.

I'm deciding how much he should be given each month.