Anonymous wrote:When you graduate from college you get a job and are on your own. I do not want my kid to have to work during the school year. Most career oriented summer jobs these days have become unpaid internships (a very disturbing trend that I hear about from most college going parents).

Are there actually any parents with kids in college reading this thread? What are you doing?

Our kids were part of the unpaid internship group, one at a large accounting firm the other at an investment bank. I don't think waiting tables would have helped them land great jobs after college - in fact the kids I know who did that are back waiting tables or unemployed.

We gave them $400 a month spending money, the youngest graduated in may.

Yeah, these fri****king kids don't deserve a dime. they should work!!! Never mind that they are there to get an education!!

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Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your reply. DH thinks that there are some expenses that can only be paid with a credit card. Have you found this to be true? Does your son call you for permission for those items?

Nope. Can't imagine what this would be. Anything at school can be paid for by his school card...we put a certain amount of money on it and he can use that for things like books or a meal out at the campus restaurant. I take him to target at the beginning of the year for school/dorm room supplies and then I replenish at winter break.

I agree with this but not sure if DD has a "school card". What about a clothing allowace? I told her we could just get these things before and at thanksgiving. Is this reasonable? DH suggests an additional $50 per month for clothes.

For what? More shirts, pants? I don't get it. $50 a month won't buy you much.

He can get some stuff from second hand stores or places like Marshalls or TJ Maxx. He's in college so it's not like he has to show up in an expensive business suit.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your reply. DH thinks that there are some expenses that can only be paid with a credit card. Have you found this to be true? Does your son call you for permission for those items?

Nope. Can't imagine what this would be. Anything at school can be paid for by his school card...we put a certain amount of money on it and he can use that for things like books or a meal out at the campus restaurant. I take him to target at the beginning of the year for school/dorm room supplies and then I replenish at winter break.

I agree with this but not sure if DD has a "school card". What about a clothing allowace? I told her we could just get these things before and at thanksgiving. Is this reasonable? DH suggests an additional $50 per month for clothes.

For what? More shirts, pants? I don't get it. $50 a month won't buy you much.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your reply. DH thinks that there are some expenses that can only be paid with a credit card. Have you found this to be true? Does your son call you for permission for those items?

My DD has her debit card which is where her allowance and summer earnings go. We can deposit money for prescriptions (hers are super expensive), etc. We have a few things we will pay for outside of allowance. No other credit card. She does access our Netflix account from school. Doesn't seen to be a problem.

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Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your reply. DH thinks that there are some expenses that can only be paid with a credit card. Have you found this to be true? Does your son call you for permission for those items?

Nope. Can't imagine what this would be. Anything at school can be paid for by his school card...we put a certain amount of money on it and he can use that for things like books or a meal out at the campus restaurant. I take him to target at the beginning of the year for school/dorm room supplies and then I replenish at winter break.

I agree with this but not sure if DD has a "school card". What about a clothing allowace? I told her we could just get these things before and at thanksgiving. Is this reasonable? DH suggests an additional $50 per month for clothes.

Our kids get credit cards when they start driving. It started out for gas and emergencies. But then out of convenience I allowed them to use it for approved "essentials" inluding CVS/Target personal items, basic clothes and shoes and reasonable amount of food. Remarkably, only once have I made a fuss about an item that was purchased. My kids know our login info for Amazon Prime and Verizon Fios and they can get some video streaming that way. I wouldn't object to Netflix. But they have to keep up their grades, find internships, etc. and if they relax while watching Breaking Bad, that's fine with me.

Anonymous wrote:On another note, does your college kid have a Netflix account linked to this credit card? May seem like a ridiculous question, but DH thinks Netflix is reasonable to have in college and I'm fishing here for confirmation that it's not!

Not that I'm aware of. He may have his own credit card that this is linked to but it's not on mine. I have to agree with you...Netflix is not something a college kid has to have. In this case, if my son wanted it, he would have to pay for it on his own.