How much living allowance?

[Jessesbitch]

No student loan. Paying for Halls, fees etc. Halls include all bills.

How much should I give DS per week for food, social, train etc.

[Jessesbitch]

Going to give him £10/day and do a weekly standing order. I've said I will take him to supermarket for his big first shop and take it from there.

[lifeisunjust]

My son eats fruit and vegetables too. My son does not drink or smoke. I do not think you can only eat properly and go out on £125 a week and the suggestion "not proper" for those who spend less than £125 is quite offensive.

[FuckyNell]

My dd is starting 2nd year in London. She takes the fee loan and maintenance loan; the latter doesn't cover the rent of £190 a week (bills included) so I cover the extra. She's got a small job in the uni shop and I give her £50 a week.

She's managing perfectly fine.

[scaryteacher]

Life, the money isn't just for food and going out, it's for utilities, travel, books etc. I prefer that he has enough to build up a buffer for the winter gas bill, and to be able to stick money on the electricity meter when needed. He doesn't like pulses, so eats meat, and life is too short to eat bad sausages!

[lifeisunjust]

It s not you scary who said 125 a week for fodo and going out scary nor you who said that was the amount needed to eat properly.

[scaryteacher]

Life, given the panic when the gas bill arrived for the winter quarter, he needs a buffer. He and his housemates suddenly discovered the joy of thick socks, thermals and fleece blankets! Thank God for Leuven Christmas market and IKEA for the blankets!

[scaryteacher]

Coconutty I can't bear certain makes of sausages, and we live in Belgium, so have got used to ones packed with meat as opposed to anything else.

I didn't say pulses were cheap shit, but he doesn't like them, so doesn't eat them. It's the texture that he doesn't like; same with eggs...I've been trying for 20 years to get him to eat eggs, but he won't.

[scaryteacher]

Coconutty Eeugh, that would put me off too. It's why I don't eat much fish, even if it's filleted I still get bones!

You can eat cheaply, if you can cook, but I think that's the problem for some. My ds shared with three other lads. My ds cooks, as did the Bulgarian lad, but the two others lived off Fray Bentos, macaroni cheese and pizzas. Ds rang me up one night and in a horrified voice told me they don't eat anything green!! The years of conditioning and 'green is good' have evidently paid off.

That said, I would still struggle to get three meals a day for £20 per week.

[Poppledopple]

So DS going into catered halls (food only M-F) so will need to cook at weekends, local bus, socialise .... but full-time course so not much opportunity to get a term time job....

How much disposable cash will he need weekly?

[hellsbells99]

Similar situation here Popple. I was thinking £60 a week (will pay it monthly) for DD2 and see how she gets on. She has savings and I know grandparents etc will give her a bit for freshers week. She will get a basic off-peak membership for the gym included but as her course is more or less full-time then I will pay the extra for full membership.

[hellsbells99]

I forgot to say that she will get the minimum loan which will go towards her accommodation costs and we will pay the rest.

[newname99]

Did had £25 per week for food (she does know how to cook and is veggie) plus we paid rent, mobile, books and travel home.She had a gift of 4k so also used that for socialising and clothes.2nd year onwards she worked to supplement.She is now working and the budgeting has really helped her.She's motivated to earn money.I think £100 disposal income is not realistic and some working adults don't have that.The time to be feel 'poor' is when young as it gives you the confidence to cope should financial troubles hit.

I've had lean years and know I could survive if needed.I feel that new cars should be earned not given but I guess if some parents feel that hardship will never happen to them then no need to ever economise.
Dd2 will get around the same, plus choice to get the loan.Both dcs know how to budget and are grateful for financial help such as birthday money.

[madein1995]

My parents gave me £50 a week when I was in uni, but I had some of my loan left over after accomodation and worked the odd day as an ambassador too which helped. I think if he has no loan to top him up, I'd be saying between £60 and £70 a week. £50 a week is doable (as I learnt when loan run out) but not very fun, so if you can aford it, I'd give more. Not for him to be frivilous and piss it up against the wall, but for him to be comfortable and able to buy the odd luxury now and then. I will agree with a pp in that I think dc are likely to face enough penny pinching in later life and that it's miserable to do it when you don't have to - I wouldn't want my adult children to go without heating etc in uni so they'll appreciate it when they can afford it. I also agree that those on the minimum loans get less financial help even though their parents can afford it. In my experience (and I accept it isnt the same for everyone), the students who recieved the less loan got very little help from their parents while the parents themselves had plenty of luxuries. Wheras students from poorer backgrounds, their parents tended to go without so many luxuries themselves to make sure their children lived comfortably and weren't scraping by. In the case of my own parents, they didn't have much when they were younger and wanted to give me a different experience. It didn't mean I worked less hard for my own money, because I had a few different jobs through uni - but it did mean that I never worried about feeding myself.
I think tbh what you give depends on whether bills are included or not - if in uni accomodation with bills included in rent then it's unlikely they need £100 a week. If they have to pay broadband, gas, electric etc themselves then I can understand the need for more. Really don't think they need £100+ disposable income though!

Basically, massive long rambly post but I'd say give what you can afford, within reason, you know your ds and what he'll spend it on, there's so many factors to consider. Perhaps sit down and ask him how much he thinks he needs - and ask him to explain his reasoning. Provided he's decent and not taking the mick (which he probably isn't), the figure he suggests will likely be close to what he needs. Give him a trial run of buying and cooking his food for a week off the amount he's set and that can help to decide what money is actually needed - could he compromise on some brands, is some food being left uneaten, could he have really done with a few extra quid for some more yogurt eg.

[2016Blyton]

None of us can answer that. My older children got £100 a week paid weekly by standing order. One of the younger ones is currently negotiating inflation since then and we are probably agreed on £150 a week (I am paying the student fees and the rent). I can afford that - just but plenty of students have an awful lot less. You jsut have to with that works for you. That will include all their clothes, going out, takeaways etc including in holidays (I will not charge them rent when at home in holidays out of it so the idea is they save up over the holidays so they have more spare when they go to university).

My parents at some cost made up my "grant" - minimum grant in those days to the "full grant" which was very good of them and they had no obligation to do so and I am in effect doing similar for my children and they are lucky I work full time and can afford it.
My older children with the £100 a week ) at least 10 years before again had their fees paid and rent paid by me. I did not make a difference/ allowance for year 2 at university not being in halls with perhaps more bills to pay for food etc as the sum is just a rough amount that reasonably reflects living standards at home and also some of them took a summer holiday job away some of the time too - up to them and I think some had an occasional term time job.