Allowance in College

unsoccer-mom
Fri, 30 Dec 2005 08:38:07 +0000

$100-$150 is not enough. My daughter’s allowance need is higher because she is responsible for all meals and art supplies. Catherine’s daughter is responsible for 6 meals. I’d say (conservatively) that equals 6 times $5 or $30 per week. The subway is $2 per ride or $4 round trip. If she takes it three times a week that would be $12. That alone is $42 or $128 per month. There is no room in a tight budget like that for any shopping or entertainment. I would not recommend a job the first semester. College is a big adjustment and NYC is a major adjustment. NYU is much more a “city” school than Barnard which is much closer to a traditional campus college. I remember one budget buster was a $30 dinner for a birthday celebration for one of her roommates. My daughter, also, has a $5 dollar a day Starbucks habit. I asked to try and eliminate that and was told that it is the only way the can get through her 6 hour long studio classes.

You just really have to sit down and decide where the money will go, in order, to plan a budget.