<p>As a freshman at W&M (obviously in a dorm, full meal plan, no car), how much spending money do you use/need/want every month?</p>
<p>Daughter is usually frugal but it seems she wants/neeeds more money than anticpated. On average, she spends about $50 a week but is involved in some IM sports, which have fees.</p>
<p>D uses flex dollars, which are part of the meal plan, for miscellaneous food on campus and a couple of off campus places. She really spends very little money otherwise on a regular basis, perhaps on a concert in CW. She has a W&M Express account and a separate debit card with her own earnings for such expenses. So far, she has waited for breaks to purchase toiletries, like contact lens solution, that also add up, and I have to admit I’ve volunteered to pay for them when she’s home…</p>
<p>My son is a sophomore and tries to get by on $75/month. Because we are paying OOS tuition, we told him he is on his own for spending money (okay, we often take him shopping when we visit and foot the bill) so he is being very frugal trying to make his savings last as long as possible. He spends a great deal of time on the Flat Hat, so that takes up any time he would have for a part-time job and we see that as an important experience for his career aspirations (journalism). Also, he hopes to get summer journalism internships, which are usually unpaid, so he might not be able to earn much in the summers. About a third of the time, though, he has to move extra money from savings to checking to get through the month.</p>
<p>Funny story in this vein from when I was a student at W&M (Class of '83): I knew one guy whose parents were from a South American country but the family had been in the U.S. his whole life as his father was some sort of a diplomat at the U.N. Anyway, when he was a freshman, his mother asked the RA what he recommended for spending money, and the RA said that he would be very comfortable with $1500. So Mom thanked him and put $1500 in her son’s checking account. The next month on the first of the month, she put another $1500 in, and the next and the next. He finally did tell his parents at Christmas break that the RA had meant $1500 for the whole year. And, of course, $1500 was extremely generous in 1979, and is still doable today.</p>
<p>–K9Leader</p>
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<p>HAHAHA I would really appreciate that RA speaking to my parents. I would be golden with 1500/month spending money!</p>
<p>K9–I hope you let the diplomat’s kid pay for the pizza deliveries… </p>
<p>New and related question: how easy/difficult is it to get an on campus or near campus part-time job?</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t know anyone who wants to work but can’t find a job. Between opportunities as research assistants, a whole plethora of jobs through the school (admissions, id office, rec center, etc), and the vast array of tourist establishments in Colonial Williamsburg, there are plenty of jobs from which to choose.</p>
<p>honestly, you don’t need to spend any money as a freshmen with a full meal plan.</p>
<p>If you want to go out to lunch/dinner, that’s $10 x however many times you want to go out each week. If you come with everything you need, you really don’t need to spend money on things. Now, obviously people do, but it’s not necessary. You can even use Flex dollars for Pizza. I’m saving the vast majority of $30 a week. However, I know people who go through significantly more than that as well.</p>
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<p>my answer is the same as inchoative… there are a lot of options through the school. Library, Rec Sports, Admissions, University Center etc… And there are tons of places within walking distance that employee students in Colonial Williamsburg. And many more places slightly further away (if it’s driving distance, you can bring a car)</p>
<p>Although there are many jobs offered on campus, you have to take into consideration that you will get paid minimum wage if you work on campus. In addition, kids that are on the work-study program get preference. Currently the minimum wage is 5.85, and unless you’re a lifeguard in the Rec Center - you are not looking at much more. Pro: On-campus jobs are typically flexible.</p>
<p>You could also drive the Steer Clear van which is the highest paying on-campus job I know, and the shifts are 9-12am, 12-3am Sat/Sun and something like 10-2 on Thursday. The hours are pretty bad, but they pay $8 and you get to drive around drunk/lost people on campus in a 12 person van that you have to get certified for (program currently being revamped).</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend a freshman getting an off-campus job their first year unless money really is an issue. You can bring a car to campus but the parking pass is still $275/Semester and Parking Services is really strict. On top of that, off-campus jobs really cut into your college experience. If you don’t really need the money, stay on campus as much as you can, join some clubs, play some sports, work on school work, because off campus jobs don’t have much sympathy for your on-campus activities/schedules/school work and hours are not that flexible.</p>
<p>Just speaking from experience.</p>
<p>I know of plenty of on-campus jobs that pay more than minimum wage; as well, research assistant jobs, which aren’t incredibly hard to come by (it might take some asking around, but I can think of 2-3 professors off the top of my head in the Government department that are looking for help) pay significantly more than minimum wage. I make 10/hr.</p>
<p>$275 a year for the parking pass, not semester… but yea, if you don’t need a job, you should heavily consider pros and cons before you start looking.</p>