<p>EAO–Our school has all kids take the PSAT also. </p>
<p>DS1 isn’t spending much money either. He has a full meal plan, and I don’t think he’s eaten much off campus. No flex bucks because he says he doesn’t need them! He’s very frugal with his money. We’ve put money in his account, but if it’s in his account he doesn’t want to spend it (he’s happy to talk us into spending money on him, though). He’s already talking about a summer course that is extra $$$ but says he’ll be able to pay it out of his funds (though we will help him, just haven’t told him that yet).</p>
<p>I’m sure that he’ll spend more as time goes on, but so far so good!</p>
<p>On spending: D is spending some money, but really very little. She only has 12 meals a week - a good choice for her, and lower cost, of course. So we’ve supplemented for groceries and a meal out once in a while. She’s also discovering the used book stores in NYC; she had very low book cost, maybe $100 for “official” books, but she does want/need to amass a collection of plays, so is ordering them online and buying ones she can find. All used - and cheap, as plays usually are.</p>
<p>I think what kids often blow a lot of money on in college is lots of evenings out, and neither of my girls are big on parties, clubbing, etc. And they like CHEAP clothes, vintage, clearance, etc. </p>
<p>The biggest expense for both of them is travel - there are some trips that they end up paying for themselves, ones focused on seeing the BF, for example, or to see friends. But even with that they are careful. </p>
<p>I’m big on having ceilings - they both have always known what they have to spend, and they plan accordingly. Sometimes they get goodies, especially if they’re responsible, and they are very appreciative.</p>
<p>D2 is sending me lists of plays … she’s so excited about my visiting next weekend. Me, too!</p>
<p>I have no clue, really, of what my d has been spending. I have only sent her $40 this fall (as a gift, she was not expecting it) and she has ask for nothing else. Well, she TOLD me she charged her required flu shot to her student account for me to pay, and I thought that was a small price to pay to make sure she got the shot.</p>
<p>I am a joint person on her bank accounts, but do not have her passwords to look at the account online. I am sort of curious, now, though, and may ask for a balance when I go in on Friday to deposit my pay check.</p>
<p>My daughter is blowing through money rather quickly. The cafe at school is not good, bad food and bad hours, so she doesn’t eat there that much. She is terrible at planning ahead to cook dinner and she really doesn’t have much time in the evenings anyway. So she has run out to grab food-pizza or whatever- fairly often.</p>
<p>But her real downfall is being so close to Broadway. Getting student rush tickets, and being able to walk there, in her mind, she is saving so much over how it was when she lived at home, higher priced tickets and had to take the train into NY. </p>
<p>But, she worked for two years, saved her money, and has a work/study job now, so it’s hers to spend.</p>
<p>Good morning - D2 also took the PSATs yesterday and we are about half way done visiting schools. Both DH and I were thinking small LAC for her but she is gravitating to large D1 schools…go figure. I am showing her everything but if that ends up being the case, the college process should be easy for her.</p>
<p>D1 is spending on budget…more than we had hoped but definitely on budget. She definitely isn’t eating to the recommended freshman meal plan…next semester we will select 10 meals per week and bump up the flex spending.</p>
<p>I also want to thank everyone for your kind comments on D1’s transition. I think AK said it best - she does have the wind back in her sails and she is sailing. I am not sure the direction she is taking but she is up and running…her academics are on track, her sorority has been unbelievably supportive and the social aspect of that starts this weekend, and she seems to have come to the understanding that she is not alone. I think that has been the biggest revelation for her…she is not alone and many others are feeling the same unrest.</p>
<p>D is spending money, lots of money*- pretty much all on food. When she came home last weekend with a friend (just as little as she) that was a recurring topic of conversation. (The friend concurred that the food was sometimes ok, but often really bad and she lives on ice cream/desserts, which D can’t do because of long term stomach issues.) D is buying relatively healthy stuff, with some convenience foods thrown in, at the local produce/specialty store that she can walk to and others at a “steals and deals” place that she has to bus to. H and I decided that if this is what it takes to make her happy, then ok. She is not spending on entertainment-going out etc. She is also using her W/S money in addition to our supplement, so we think this is what we all have to live with. </p>
<p>*Ok maybe I exaggerate. $130/mo. from us plus her own $. Seems like a lot to me when she already has full room and board.</p>
<p>Off to Parents/Family weekend tomorrow. I asked D if she really wanted us to come and she was really clear that she wants to show us around the campus now that she has been there and has favorite places/experiences that she wants to share. Ok then…</p>
<p>MOB - I feel such empathy for you and for your D! And while I had been hoping that we, too, were undergoing the “6-8 week adjustment period that turns around” it is very soothing when it really DOES turn around. The not feeling alone has been an enormous help, absolutely.</p>
<p>I also think that kids who are studying things that have very different measures of success and a wholly different mindset to what they did in HS need some time to feel like they are successfully on their way. Looking back: I began college with mono, and had to play it safe my first quarter - great classes, but well within my comfort zone, and a reduced load, too (and socially I had no expectations because I slept 12 hours a day!). D1 couldn’t get into the hard science classes she wanted and so she also ended up taking some important but basic stuff that didn’t knock her socks off. </p>
<p>My H, on the other hand, found himself neck-deep in core classes that didn’t resemble what he’d done in HS in the slightest, and he was completely blown over. D has no idea how you are “graded” or even assessed in her arts program; I know she is doing her best, but there’s a lot of personal redefinition going on. As she says about her current voice lessons, she’s “re-techniquing.”</p>
<p>kinderny - How lovely that your D is ready to make the shift to YOUR visiting HER! That is wonderful. </p>
<p>And when we had to make adjustments with D and her food plan - she also hasn’t found the food services are appropriate for her dietary needs and is cooking for for herself - she felt so “guilty,” that she was “wasting” our money. We were lucky we could drop her to a pretty low level, but I told her freshman food plans are pretty much all designed as a rip-off (unless you’re a boy and eat a ton, right shawbridge?), and not to sweat it. I’m guessing next year your D can change to one that makes more sense? Our D has to have some kind of meal plan as long as she lives on-campus, but starting next year it could be as little as something like $1000/semester in flex dollars, which includes the on-campus market.</p>
<p>My son has spent very little money so far, at least according to him. He has his own bank account which we don’t have access to and his paycheck from his campus job is directly deposited there. I think he said that he has spent all of $17 and $10 of that was a donation to a charity! He seems to like the food on campus and was quite excited the other day when they served pierogies at lunch - one of his very favorite foods. His freshman meal plan is also a one size fits all, but is just 14 meals a week, which is perfect. Maybe it’s because they have no athletics at his school that they don’t have the big-eater-freshman plan that is so common.</p>
<p>I went to NYC yesterday with three friends to watch a taping of The View. It was fun and instead of the annoying Elizabeth Hasselbeck, Barbara Walters was there. We got coupons for 24 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats and Whoppi’s new book. This was not a live show, which is kind of nice because I can watch it when it airs tomorrow morning. We were seated in the back row and I don’t think a camera ever panned up there although I did try to look interested the whole time, just in case! Next month I have tickets for The Daily Show, which is much more my taste.</p>
<p>Trying to catch up after a few days off is hard. I can’t image how new people, or casual posters keep up. I guess you just have to be okay not knowing/reading everything. That would drive me nuts…but then I feel invested in everyone’s kids so it matters to me, kwim?</p>
<p>Anyhoo, I did catch onto the PSAT’s…Bluejrjr did take them as a soph yesterday. In his pretest he was very concerned with his initial scores until I told him that he hadn’t had Alg2 yet so his math would go up, his Eng teacher is a grammar guru and his written will skyrocket (Bluejr’s class had 50% in the 70’s!) and his CR was already awesome…frankly kids go to college with scores right where he is so no need to worry. Of course I got the whining “not the school I want to go to…” Don’t worry about it now!!! :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Regarding spending money, I think Bluejr is under $100 since August so he seems to be at a lull. Granted WE have done all of the buying of necessary items and replacing on visits so his spending would be purely discretionary. There is now a young lady in the picture and dates that don’t include the dining hall can be a bit of an expense (as they should be in moderation if he wants to date), so this may change. ;)</p>
<p>I don’t have any idea how much $ D has been spending, either. She has her own bank account with money saved from gifts, babysitting, etc., and hasn’t asked us for anything (except reimbursement for a textbook she bought directly from another student for cash, much less than she would have paid at the bookstore). We are giving her a $100/mo. stipend plus book money for now, but have agreed to reassess if needed at Thanksgiving. The food in the dining hall is not great but not bad - and sometimes wonderful! Her last FB post was all about the fabulous Sunday brunch. So I doubt she is eating off-campus much, except for social reasons. On the other hand, her a capella group travels a lot, so there are probably extra costs there even if the U pays for transportation and lodging. We’ll see.</p>
<p>Hi all! Kathiep - Hope you saw my post and hit up a Crumbs on your way out of NYC.<br>
I have no idea how ds’ spending is going. DH keeps asking me “does he have enough?” but he has a nice dining plan with lots of campus brand-name kiosk options and that should cover the food aspect mostly (except if there is a girl involved which thankfully there is not - yet). When he runs out (and is sitting on a dryer which needs funding) I am sure he won’t be shy about asking for it! Like I said to DH, with the decrease in car insurance, and gas $ and incidental “Mom, can I have $20?” which would normally happen here, and costly saxophone repairs - we are better off with him away. I gave him $200 for laundry and sundries for (what I said) “the year” - knowing full well, that would be more like till Thanksgiving. He spent too much time socializing this summer so his bank acct is tiny but he does have that. He did buy tickets to a concert, got alot of smoothies (not on the campus so not part of the dining dollars or whatever it’s called) and went to an amusement park fright night…so I am thinking his phone call home will be imminent. Knowing him, he will hold off if possible till when he can see us at Thanksgiving. He’s a “face-to-face” type beggar.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure my DS is getting his money’s worth. He’s skinny as a rail, and not an athlete, but still growing and thus eating the way that teenaged boys are known to eat ;-)</p>
<p>I’m glad someone’s son is getting their money’s worth at the dining halls!! Bluejr just looks way too skinny to me. He say’s he’s eating. The dining halls are not known for their outstanding food however he’s not terribly picky either. I think it’s just time management to actually get there. He has the option to drop to a more flexible plan next semester which hopefully will help.</p>
<p>kathiep, jealous about the Daily Show taping. :)</p>
<p>LeftyLou, my sympathies are with the kid wanting to do broadway shows using student rush. Such an incredible opportunity. </p>
<p>D1 is selectively and strategically ditching classes today to go to what should be an excellent guest speaker. No idea about her money spending habits. She has a credit card linked to my main card, but she always asks first before using it. Nothing outrageous that I can see. Yet.</p>
<p>EmmyBet and mathmomvt, you are right. ShawSon is 6’4" or 6’5" (he says 6’3" but no one else thinks so) with a big frame. When he is home, our food bill doubles. [This is not an exaggeration]. If you don’t have a son, it is hard to imagine the quantities of food that disappear. We were definitely getting our money’s worth with the food plan. For the last two years, he would augment this by purchasing a 10 PM dinner. Now he’s on a high protein, no starch/no sugar diet, he’ll go through six heads of romaine lettuce and a pack of 12 organic chicken breasts from Costco in two or three days. Plus prodigious of fruit, sausages, etc… This diet actually makes you want to eat more protein (since he’s not loading up on pasta or pizza or bread or dessert). I’m sure that this is more expensive for the cafeteria – “Hi, can I have two more chicken breasts or three more pieces of fish?”</p>
<p>He says there is no good fruit in the cafeteria and the vegetables are so-so but there is a respectable salad bar.</p>
<p>DS has his own account made up primarily of birthday gifts through the years; this is for all his ‘incidental’ expenses and we have no access so no idea. We do cover bookstore (last bill was $5.25!) and gave him $100 for laundry. On full meal plan which he told us is just right. Hope to learn more when we see him at T-giving.</p>
<p>Yup, the dining halls make up on girls what they lose on boys! I just figure it’s a necessary evil, at least for the first year. D1 had to have 20 meals a week - we could have fed her on 1/3 of the cost. I’m just glad D2’s school has a lower minimum for freshmen.</p>
He’s very frugal with his money. We’ve put money in his account, but if it’s in his account he doesn’t want to spend it (he’s happy to talk us into spending money on him, though). He’s already talking about a summer course that is extra $$$ but says he’ll be able to pay it out of his funds (though we will help him, just haven’t told him that yet).</p>