Anonymous
09/21/2025 23:10
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
Anonymous wrote:We give DD who attends college in Boston $1500 a month to cover food (outside of the
meal plan), transportation, and her extras like clothing, hair & nails, entertainment, etc. We fund everything else. So far, since August she’s spent all of it each month and doesn’t have anymore left by the end of the month. Our older kids, all boys, got the same amount of money, but there was always a lot left over every month. To me, $1500 is more than enough so, I believe she’s overspending. How much is your DD getting per month?
That is insane. Our DD in Boston had tuition, books, room and board paid by us, and the rest is on here to be paid for from her summer job.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 22:57
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
$200/month on top of rent and meal plan. If I’m being honest- I’d like to give more but my husband says she can spend her own money she made over the summer. I know he is right but she is so good, diligent and such a hard worker I do like to do nice things. So sometimes I just Venmo her $50 as a treat and of course buy whatever dress/ clothing thing is needed last minute for whatever event that occasionally pops up.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 22:34
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
Anonymous wrote:$80 per month. We pay direct cost of attendance (tuition, dorms, meal plan), as well as necessities (school supplies, medicine, laundry detergent). She works an on-campus job and uses summer internship savings for anything else she'd like.
+1 I think this is the norm. They have everything they need and pay for what they want from money they earn over the summer.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 22:30
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:All these posters are judgmental in ways that are unhelpful.
Yes, $1500 per month is a lot of money. But let's imagine she spends $250 per week on food (door dash or takeaway once per day, after tax and tip).
Then, it's $500 per month left: that's one set of highlights OR one pair of designer jeans, plus concession money at football games and ubers home from off campus parties.
So, OP, have a conversation with her about her budget. My guess is that she is going to spend every cent you give her. If you expect her to save/ have money for emergencies, discuss where she can reduce her spending.
This is a great comment because I genuinely can't tell if it's real.
PP: to be clear, I think it's crazy for a college student to be spending $350 per week on food. But some of them -- including many of the rich ones -- do. I think $200 jeans are not a necessity but many 20 years olds disagree. If OP's kid is hanging out with friends who have NO budget and can spend whatever they want each month, the DD needs to be made aware of her own family's situation and limits.
I don't have girls so I'm clueless about this, but do they really buy a new pair of $200 jeans every month?
Anonymous
09/21/2025 22:26
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
$80 per month. We pay direct cost of attendance (tuition, dorms, meal plan), as well as necessities (school supplies, medicine, laundry detergent). She works an on-campus job and uses summer internship savings for anything else she'd like.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 22:20
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
Oof OP, you need to up your game. my friend whose kid is at Cornell gives her $2500/month. She was worried it might be too little. I couldn’t help her because my daughter gets $0 from us! Just offered to buy her a Canada Goose jacket for her 21st birthday and she declined as it’ll make her a target. I secretly think she does not want us spending $$$ on her.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 22:10
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
they do a little work for my business and make about 6k a year, although that may dry up this year. not sure they can keep working from afar
they also make their own money babysitting and working a job during summer (before college) (these are twins who are currently freshman in college)
but anyway, they have about 10k in their accounts and I'm fully expecting that will keep them this year. They also expect to babysit a lot over breaks.
they also make their own money babysitting and working a job during summer (before college) (these are twins who are currently freshman in college)
but anyway, they have about 10k in their accounts and I'm fully expecting that will keep them this year. They also expect to babysit a lot over breaks.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 21:54
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
$50-$100 a week to cover dining out and Uber. With the understanding the eating out and Uber-use should not be unlimited/abused. Kid attend school in/near a large city
Anonymous
09/21/2025 21:50
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:All these posters are judgmental in ways that are unhelpful.
Yes, $1500 per month is a lot of money. But let's imagine she spends $250 per week on food (door dash or takeaway once per day, after tax and tip).
Then, it's $500 per month left: that's one set of highlights OR one pair of designer jeans, plus concession money at football games and ubers home from off campus parties.
So, OP, have a conversation with her about her budget. My guess is that she is going to spend every cent you give her. If you expect her to save/ have money for emergencies, discuss where she can reduce her spending.
This is a great comment because I genuinely can't tell if it's real.
PP: to be clear, I think it's crazy for a college student to be spending $350 per week on food. But some of them -- including many of the rich ones -- do. I think $200 jeans are not a necessity but many 20 years olds disagree. If OP's kid is hanging out with friends who have NO budget and can spend whatever they want each month, the DD needs to be made aware of her own family's situation and limits.
But the response to that is more judgement, not less. She's being ridiculous. There need to be consequences. If my kid spent like that she wouldn't see a cent from me again. She's not going to starve and I'd rather her not have rich friends like that. If she wants that life she can get a job.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 21:34
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
$0. We cover dining plan and flex dollars to be used at campus Starbucks etc.
She uses our credit card for necessary toiletries - shampoo, deodorant etc and snacks for her room.
Going out, nails etc needs to be all funded from the money she earned working over the summer.
She uses our credit card for necessary toiletries - shampoo, deodorant etc and snacks for her room.
Going out, nails etc needs to be all funded from the money she earned working over the summer.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 21:21
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
Anonymous wrote:That’s $50 a day every single day—if she also has a meal plan, that’s an absurd amount of money. What happens when her first job out of college doesn’t pay much? Will you cover her manicures then? I think you’re setting her up to be poor later in life if you’re not giving her a chance to figure out how to “live lean” now.
Need to separate fun money from "catch a rich man" money.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 21:19
Subject: Re:How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
Anonymous wrote:My dd doesn't really have a budget. Yes, I pay for hair, nails, clothes, concerts, food, travel. Flame away, but I don't really keep track. She works hard, has her own money from jobs & internships, and saves/invests it all. She already has a very well-paying job secured (she's a senior). I plan on paying for pricey things as gifts after graduation. The DC area is filled with people who are loaded. I'm surprised this type of spending is shocking to anyone. OUr entire social circle continues to pay for everything for college kids and heavily subsidizes young adults
I don't endorse that lifestyle choice, but you do you, and you aren't pathetically asking for approval from strangers for your life choices. OP is.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 21:18
Subject: Re:How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
That's half of what I pay monthly for tuition//room/board. That's absurd. Will you continue to pay that after your child graduates? After they get a job? After they get married? When does it end? My kid would be embarrassed as hell if I offered him any money in addition to what I am paying for school. He has a summer job and then will drive for DoorDash for extra money.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 21:16
Subject: How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
Uh, $0.
I let the kid spend their job income.
I let the kid spend their job income.
Anonymous
09/21/2025 20:18
Subject: Re:How much do you give your freshmen DD in allowance per month?
1500? That is excessive and might lead to bad habits.