Spending money for New York

[PrettyinBlue72]

Any ideas on spending money needed for a 17 year old girl who is going on a 5 day trip to New York next month (with school)? Trips included in cost of holiday but she’ll need money for food, subway and spending. I’ve worked out what she needs for food and transport but no idea what she’ll need for spending. Is £50 a day enough or does she need more? Has anyone else has a child go on a school trip to New York? Never been myself!

How much did you work out for food?
It is super expensive there now

My ds (now 22) went in February 2020 with sixth form when he was almost 17. Included was breakfast in the hotel, a Broadway show and trips but he needed money for everything else and it is super expensive in NYC. I have been myself many years ago so couldn’t really compare and I did Camp America over there so it wasn’t the same.

I think he took £100 a day and it was a 4 day trip. He bought himself absolutely nothing but bought us all souvenirs and came back with a few quid. The cost seemed to be the attractions like The Empire State Building/ice skating in Central Park and food!! He walked miles every day and was exhausted when he got home! She will absolutely love it.

£100 per day as an absolute minimum. Food is very expensive and remember the price on the menu is not the price you pay. You need to factor in sales tax and tip.

If you can afford it and DC is sensible just send them with a Chase card with, say, £500 on it that you can transfer money into if it runs low. No need to convert into dollars and no FX transaction fees. Plus maybe $100 cash in small notes for tips / food carts, etc.

Also just noticed you said it's next month - it will be absolutely freezing so cheaper options like a sandwich in the park are out. She will likely be eating in indoor, sit-down places with service = more expensive.

Also make sure all hotel taxes have been factored in to the price you have paid for accommodation. A 'resort tax' or similar is common but it's not always made obvious on the booking and is a nice shock when you check out and they ask you to pay an extra $200 for absolutely nothing.

She might get a sandwich for that.

Think it was $285 (I have it written down at home). This was based on the top end prices the teachers recommended (who go every year on the same trip). She doesn’t eat a lot tbh.

Food is out of a separate budget.

Honestly she needs a £100 a day minimum

On top of food money?

Drinks , travel, snacks it all adds up
plus it’s going to be cold!
I was shocked at how expensive it was

What is the school suggesting they bring with them them?

My DD went last Jan, 6 day trip. Breakfast in a diner was provided plus pizza on the first night. School suggested 350 dollars to cover additional food plus any extras not included, but it didn't seem enough. DD took 500 plus some cash dollars we had in the drawer and spent all of it. Some kids were having snacks from 7 11 for dinner as they'd run out.

It varies depending on where they are.

Food money, I mean.

I’ve emailed them to ask about spending money.

You can get cheaper food in NY, pizza and sandwiches can be a few dollars, but they won’t want that every day and it’s knowing where to find them.

I’d do what one PP suggested and get a card which you can add money to, and top up if needed.
When I’ve been the hotel didn’t include breakfast, does this one?, because if not you need to allow for that on top of lunch, dinner, drinks and possibly snacks. I got a pastry and hot drink from a street seller (on a lot of street corners) way cheaper than Starbucks (& often way better quality).
NY, like any city isn’t cheap, and as pp have said, you need to allow for tips also.

It doesn't matter how.much she eats. The price of an item she orders is the same whether she eats two bites of it or the whole thing, and she shouldn't feel that she needs to choose between ordering a sandwich or having money to spend on a sweatshirt or whatever. Best not to be the kid sitting on her hands while everyone else tucks in.

Presumably she won't be able to head off on her own to buy a bag of Doritos for lunch while the rest of the group are at a Subway, so I'd say she needs to have $100 a day. That would be a limit, not a spending target though.

Prices in NY re eye watering. We stopped, just at Bryant Park for food one day when DS had enough of walking. We had 2 fish and chips, one BLT, two cokes and 3 beers and the bill was just under $300. That was lunch time.

No

Where on earth were you eating? I go to NYC loads and could have eaten someone were spectacular for that. You were daylight robbed.

personally I think £100 per day including all food and transport is reasonable and they can use the leftovers for souvenirs

Bryant Park. Yes we know we could have eaten elsewhere. I think it just shows that by the time you add on taxes and tips, the price increases a lot.

I'd probably be budgeting £150 a day for food, spends and subway.
I was there recently - breakfast of a coffee and muffin from a chain of cafes was about £20, lunch of bagel and juice another £25, dinner of pasta etc £40/50. Add in hot drinks, snacks it adds up really quickly.