@woodlandsmom my swimming, cross country running tiny little girl eats boys under the table
@VickiSoCal Whoa, that’s sounds like a challenge! I’ll pit mine against against your little one (if you pay the meal tab).
The first time I took my girl scout troop on a camping trip. We made breakfast. The other mom was all “you have too much food” and I was all “what? why?” and then we had SO MUCH food left.
It turns out average 8 year old girls do not eat 10 pancakes chased down with 4 eggs and lots of bacon. They take, like one egg, one pancake, one slice of bacon, and push some of it around their plate because they are full.
I hesitate to check my fridge right now, because I know today was a long run day.
We pay tuition, rent, books/supplies, food, car insurance. He pays gas, car repairs, personal expenses, entertainment, etc. We buy him clothes/shoes but he isn’t a clothes horse so it isn’t a big expense. Over the summer he pays for his own food.
Our son gets a 5 meals a week meal plan plus $200 per month. He likes to have the 5 meals a week plan so that he doesn’t have to scramble for lunches. He cooks the rest of his meals at his apartment. He has never complained about how much we give him but I know that he can’t afford to buy steak, fish. shellsfish and other expensive grocery items. We were in town right before his birthday last summer and I asked him if wanted anything special for his birthday and he asked for a steak dinner. He and his room mate were excited when I came back with steak and shrimp.
I found out his room mate’s parents also bought the kids a splurge type dinner (at the supermarket) when they visited. Since they were excited at expensive groceries but don’t seem to be starving to death I think they have the right amount of food money.
Also keep in mind how they are getting to the store…my DD was "oh my apartment mates will take me " but later in teh semester “i have no food because nobody will drive me”
A lot depends on cost of living and accessible grocery stores. I actually gave DD grocery “gift” cards, bought at church as fundraiser. It was just easier that way, and I knew the money was going toward food (well, possibly beer but in this state it would only be the lower alchohol beer). After she graduated, a Trader Joes came to Boulder - she would have liked that!