demeter

While surfing the parents' forum, I came across a thread about spending money. I know a lot of factors contribute to this, but one of those factors is what kind of school it is (location, campus life, etc). So, for you current students and recent graduates out there, how much money do/did you spend per month on average?

My parents are willing to give me spending money, but I'd like to avoid that, so I'm trying to calculate how much money I should have saved up before starting college next year.

(Also, do you suggest getting a subway pass at the beginning of the year? And how much do those cost anyway?)

biggyboy

spending money would probably be around $150 a month...despite what some people say..you can easily get around that whole rumor of "nyc is too expensive."

no point of getting a year-long subway pass. a metrocard (which is what youll need for the subway) is $2 a swipe. you can get unlimited ones per week or month, which can save you money if you use the train a lot but you run the risk of losing it. 6-ride cards are $10(my best choice, and i use the subway everyday..commuter), 12-ride cards are $20. you won't be spending that much time outside of campus most likely and the subway will pretty much take you anywhere for $2..so don't worry about it.

Skraylor

i agree, you wont have the time to make use of an unlimited subway pass. a 10$ one tends to last a weekend which is all you really need.

extra money is a tough one. i know people who, every weekend, go and shop on 5th ave, So.Ho., and other expensive places...they can blow upwards of 2000$/month. i also know other people who, besides a subway card, spend next to nothing.

really, spending money depends on the kind of person you are. if you are someone who is gonna go clubbing 3+ nights every week, you could easily spend 200$/week. if you dont go out that often then all you'll really need is money for food/booze.

Shraf

NYC is very expensive compared to other areas...its hard to realize if you live there or around there your whole life and it is also hard to grasp if you are commuting. It is very different living on campus vs. living at home since you have to buy food etc and convenience usually forces you to buy prepared food which is more expensive of course.

they also dont exist....the longest unlimited ride metrocard is the monthly card for like $76

though you have a nice (though incomplete) summary of public transportation there it is the last thing that students living on campus (at columbia and elsewhere) think about.

When college students think about finances they usually think about food and alcohol, both of which are not cheap. For me, i tend to spend anywhere from 400-600 bucks a month depending of course on how much i go out and how much work i have. Everyone's situation is different though and you'll find that your situation is different at different times in ur college career. For example, this year i'm saving alot of money by cooking which i had a harder time doing before when i lived in a hallway style dorm. Also, since my parents live in the city, i tend to get meat etc from my mom which saves money. I tend not to go out that much so i dont spend nearly as much as i could on expensive drinks at bars. Also, having a gf runs up your expenses...or even going on dates.....while there is some really good food in nyc restaurants tend to be expensive, especially if you are paying for two.

In my case, I have gotten an allowance from my parents since freshman year...$400 a month and i have also worked since freshman year....i used to make about $400 a month but now i make about $700....i find that its very manageable and i still actually save money despite being in college....but as i said everyone's situation is different. Let me know if you want any further clarification.

Denzera

While a freshman with a meal plan, my cash burn rate was about $200-300/month. With an occasional-use mealplan sophomore and junior years, it was more like $300-400.

Included with that is:

- transportation (you won't use the subway often enough to justify an unlimited pass, but I usually fill it in $40 increments)
- maybe a movie
- two or three local dinners out (or one *nice* dinner out, say a date or something)
- snacks during the day or late at night
- supermarket runs for food i cook or eat myself
- the occasional book or household item purchase
- alcohol every now and then (moreso senior year, obviously)
- once in a blue moon, something special like theater tickets or amtrak/bus fare to another city (like going home to see my parents)
- fees for activities, like club sports dues, non-funded expenses for a musical group or cultural organization, etc.
- christmas presents

and so on. by and large I was frugal, except for things like my girlfriend's birthday, or amtrak going home for thanksgiving, etc.

hope that helps.

demeter

Thank you. Everything so far has been very helpful. (:

Columbia2002

NYC is expensive in many ways that don't really affect you as a student. You're in Columbia housing that is significantly below market real estate. And you're not going to be dining at $40/entree restaurants as a student anyway. Many Columbia students spend the majority of their time on campus and in morningside, which is hardly "NYC living." That you can live cheaply as a student at CU doesn't mean that NYC isn't expensive.

karot

That was a big help denzera.

biggyboy

yes, thats what i meant c2002...99% of freshman live on campus, with meal plans. many don't go out EVERY weekend and $pend on pricey restaurants/clubs/etc. unless you like to shop a lot, i would think youd be able to have your share of fun with $150-200 a month. and even with shopping, nyc is full of places where youd get things a lot less than they are at other stores.

columbia2007

I've managed to survive on the roughly $500 a semester my parents have allotted me- which includes the cost of books. Some students learn how to economize...making liberal use of the library/cheaper onli`ne book retailers, shopping at lower cost supermarkets (Fairway), etc. The rest, well, there is a certain contingent that takes cabs everywhere and dropps hundreds in one night out...

Changeling

$500 a semester is $100 a month, or $25 a week...even the highest meal plan only provides 14 meals a day, leaving another 7, 3.5 just barely covers this and that's not including the books (which columbia suggests 1000-2000 for. which is more thna you have. How do you manage on 500 a semester?

Denzera

i imagine he cooks, eats some ramen, and doesn't include textbooks in his $500 per semester

columbia2007

Cooking helps a lot, as does strategic shopping. Buying a $3 wine at Trader Joe's downtown vs. a $17 one at International Liquors in Morningside, for example. The farmer's market outside Columbia on Thursdays and Sundays is a nice resource. Once West Side Market reopens, it will be a boon to cheap(er) grocery shopping in the neighborhood.

As a humanities student, I don't have to deal with textbooks, and most readings are on reserve. Borrowing or buying used books helps a lot too. I bought most of the Core books plus a few mainstays like Said and Foucault but I don't think I'll really be that nostalgic for an anthropology monograph of southeastern Malaysia very far down the road.

It is true that I've become a bit more of a flagrant spender the longer I've spent here...recalcitrance in this department doesn't help your social life (what was more or less a largely bar-oriented scene the first two years of college for me correlates to a lot more nightlife money being necessary than at a school like Dartmouth).

dpa38d2u

Honestly the biggest cost will be food (though if you have a meal plan you are fine), and the MTA (2 dollars a ride or 4 back and forth). The MTA can drill a hole in your wallet if you go out a lot, but these choices are totally up to you.

I have just been reloading Metro cards in $20 increments, and because I work several days a week, the fees are somewhat hurting.

edit: oh yea... 10 dollars + 2 bonus = 12 so 6 rides . but that's stretching it since its only 3 rides back and forth.

keepmesane

demeter, I commend you for wanting to handle all the expenses yourself but adjusting to college freshman year without the added burden of a very strict budget to follow is hard enough. Since your parents are willing to help, after you have figured out how much you feel you can get by on, why not let your parents help in very specific ways the first year? For instance, suggest that they provide xxx for transportation a month and you handle the rest? Or, you handle 2/3 of the budget and ask them to handle 1/3? If you find you don't really need that help, spring semester you can adjust.