DC pays for his own with his campus job but says he spends about 300/month on groceries. He eats well like seafood/steak dinners but packs his own lunch, rarely eats out and doesn't drink.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:rent plus 400 a month for food. they make good money in summer.

+1.

Oops, sorry, plus the commuter meal plan (I think it's 10 meals/week).

Anonymous wrote:rent plus 400 a month for food. they make good money in summer.

+1.

College Board's site Big Future, section per college, on expenses. We found it to be spot-on

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid in Boston, and we give the amount that we would have spent on the meal plan. The rest they can fund from their summer job. Not expecting them to eat sushi or door dash meals, expect them to grocery shop and cook amd fund their own fun. They also have a hand-me-down car, that they pay gas and insurance for.

Boston also, and meal plan is about $3600 per semester. So that sounds about what we do too.

They put groceries on our credit card. No budget but they have never seemed excessive. The rest is on them

I have a kid in Boston, and we give the amount that we would have spent on the meal plan. The rest they can fund from their summer job. Not expecting them to eat sushi or door dash meals, expect them to grocery shop and cook amd fund their own fun. They also have a hand-me-down car, that they pay gas and insurance for.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1000 per month in addition to housing/utilities? Thats crazy.
$400-500 a month for food/toiletries/misc in addition to rent/utilities, if there is no partial food plan pre-paid to the college. Depends on cost of food at local store. Depends if they have a car and need gas$ too

It’s not crazy if your child is in NYC. I’m not organized enough to send a set amount but about $1,000 month sounds right.

+2 I think it varies from $1,000 to $1,200 a month for both of my kids that live in expensive cities. This is on top of rent and utilities.

Anonymous wrote:1000 per month in addition to housing/utilities? Thats crazy.
$400-500 a month for food/toiletries/misc in addition to rent/utilities, if there is no partial food plan pre-paid to the college. Depends on cost of food at local store. Depends if they have a car and need gas$ too

It’s not crazy if your child is in NYC. I’m not organized enough to send a set amount but about $1,000 month sounds right.

They get lump sum at beginning of semester that is equal to cost of on campus housing and food. It’s then up to them on how to make that work for rent and food for the semester

Anonymous wrote:Rent+commuter meal plan+$100/mo (maybe). Kid had a summer job.

That’s what we do also. I’d like to give a little more, but he understands it’s tight as it is and he has money from summer job.

In my kids rich HS the kids get $750 a week allowance. So I wonder what they get in college?

$75/ week to purchase food and entertainment. Has 7 day a week, 1 meal a day school dining plan that they are expected to use.

We pay rent and utilities, and then give them about $100 per week for groceries. Entertainment and other expenses are on them.

DC is on a modest meal plan and learned to cook as a sophomore. Meal plan is mostly for lunches on campus.

DC gets rent + $300 for everything else. It is basically a straight wash over the 10 months (some months, utilities are more, others they are less). She understands I'm not going to fund dinner outs, shopping at the mall, or beer runs. She has become a great at checking the budget.


Figure out what internet costs are, ask parents how electric usually runs. Estimate a fair budget for meals (e.g., are you going to fund sushi 3 times a week???). Throw in a bit for fun and maybe gas if you feel like it. I believe if she's going to have a car there (that I paid for and also pick up insurance), then she needs to pay for most of the gas.

And there have been dozens of threads here and Money forum.