How much money a week in NYC this summer?

hazelb · 05-12-2008, 09:18 AM

S will be in New York City for 8 weeks for a summer internship (unpaid, of course.) Housing is covered. He will have a fridge in his room and access to a communal kitchen. Supermarkets/shopping are within 2 blocks of his room.

We're negotiating living expenses - i.e. MetroCard and spending money.
Doesn't it seem reasonable for him to try and eat in/pack lunch 5 days a week and save his dining out dollars for Friday/Saturday nights?

After the convenience of college dining hall meals, he doesn't seem onboard with preparing his own meals. Yes, we want him to enjoy the city and make the most of it but if he's grabbing bagels & coffee for breakfast and sandwiches at Cosi, he'll be starting at $20 a day before he even hits the weekend social life.

Any parents with kids at NYU or Columbia who've come up with a reasonable budget? Would appreciate your comments/suggestions.

mathmom · 05-12-2008, 10:52 AM

There's no excuse for not being able to manage a decent breakfast in his room. I don't think it's unreasonable though for him to have the option of eating lunch out once or twice a week. My experience in offices is that going out for lunch with a bunch of people is often part of the entire office experience. I do think he should be able to bring a lunch most days.

franglish · 05-12-2008, 11:55 AM

Also, Hazel, there are many lunch wagons that populate the streets of Manhattan, and for a very reasonable amount he can buy interesting lunches. There are different ethnic foods, wholesome meals, tons of stuff. Probably would cost about the same as preparing a meal to take with him.

sfkef2010 · 05-12-2008, 12:02 PM

Hi there. I go to NYU. I spend $80 dollars on groceries alone per week. i also eat out some nights....I'm a petite girl. My guy friends easily eat over $100 of groceries per week. New York is more expensive than you could ever expect. He'll need $150 per week at the very least. Expect him to spend around $200 per week, if he wants to go to any shows or get coffee with friends.

sfkef2010 · 05-12-2008, 12:04 PM

I have a job to help cover my expenses...

uskoolfish · 05-12-2008, 12:04 PM

D did an unpaid internship last summer. It was the office culture for the interns to go out for lunch together or leave together and pick out something quick to take back to the office. (ie, frozen yogurt or a salad.) I would say that $7 to $10 a day more than covered that. If your son takes lunch everyday and the rest of the interns don't, he will probably feel isolated and will miss out on the opportunity to learn from the intern's experiences. Networking is invaluable. I think you need to budget for him so that he can play it by ear. You don't want to make him a lonely brown bagger.

Hunt · 05-12-2008, 12:11 PM

It's very hard to say what a reasonable budget would be without knowing what kind of resources you have, and also what kind of experience you want him to have. If you've got plenty of money, and you want him to really enjoy his New York experience, then I think what sfkef2010 has said is about right. If he really needs to economize, he can get by on less.

jerzgrlmom · 05-12-2008, 03:56 PM

My son will doing an unpaid research internship in NYC also. Commuting costs will be high, but he can eat breakfast/dinner? at our house. Lunches I imagine will be in the hospital or its surroundings. I think he'll want to have a few dinners out as well. He's planning to get a weekend job (maybe tutoring) so he can have some money to pay for those extras.

RozPal · 05-12-2008, 04:56 PM

Depending on where he lives will also impact his expenses. If he lives near 14th Street/Union Square, he can shop with the rest of the NYU students at Trader Joes. If not, most grocery stores in NYC are much more expensive than you are probably use to.

hikids · 05-12-2008, 08:47 PM

Hard to guess someone elses budget. I would take a look at some of those books on living in ny on a budget. You can then guess from those figures as to what may be appropriate.

hazelb · 05-12-2008, 09:24 PM

Thanks for the input. Dollar amounts are helpful.

S will be living in a student residence in Brooklyn Heights, taking the subway to NYU for class and working at an internship four hours a day. Don't think he'll have time to be part of the office lunch bunch. More likely, he'll be eating between work and class.

It helps to hear how expensive food is in New York. Even if he does go to the market, it's going to take $100 a week to keep him in peanut butter and cereal. He's 6'3" and can't make do with a yogurt and a power bar once a day.

But that $100 won't cover his metro card or weekend entertainment. Any other suggestions from NYC students or parents who've been down this road?

barrons · 05-12-2008, 10:15 PM

$200/week. NYC just takes money out of your pocket.

TheresaCPA · 05-13-2008, 08:52 AM

Send him $20.00 a day and a case of Ramen noodles. let him make his own decisions but give him back up with the case of Ramen. I think they are supposed to learn and not just college stuff. That way when he becomes a multimillionare he will be able to tell a tuff love tale in his TV/Web interviews.

spsdds · 05-13-2008, 09:59 AM

$20 a day for is really on the low side.I have lived in NYC my entire life. Subway costs at least $4 a day,a newspaper 50cents-$1 he can make his breakfast in but his room but remember cereal here costs between $5-$6 a box. I'm not talking about seeing a show but day to day expenses. $20 just won't cut it here.

LurkNessMonster · 05-13-2008, 10:17 AM

I agree that NYC is expensive. I can drop $50 just walking from my building to the subway! Only kidding about that, but seriously, as others are saying, you can go through money big-time here if you're not careful.

On the other hand, there are lots of ways to have fun on a budget. Time Out NY is a weekly magazine with a youthful vibe. They're always printing listings of free/cheap events. There are free concerts in Central Park, and a whole "River to River" Festival this summer that's free. The local music schools (like the Third Street Music Settlement, which is located on East 11th Street, near Union Square) have free faculty/student concerts. Also, it's a little-known fact that many of the major museums in NYC (like the Met) have a "suggested" admission fee (the signs posted in the entrance tend to obscure that policy). So he can pay whatever he likes, even a quarter, and get in and enjoy one of the world's greatest cultural institutions.

For food, he can pick up stuff at Trader Joe's on 14th Street and take it back with him to Brooklyn Heights, as a previous poster suggested. Or he can buy a falafel or two at a street cart and have that for dinner. Kids who need to economize, can. I know there are a lot of wealthy kids at NYU, but quite a few others are on a budget. As long as he stays out of "Whole Paycheck," he'll be okay (although I do love that store!) I think he'll have a wonderful and fun summer!