how much is reasonable for entertainment?

hostie

Hello, you are lucky that your daughter is fitting in OK and has met people to socialise with. I would say that even 30 per week for socialising is slightly on the low side. As other people have said going for coffees and doing silly impetuous things with friends are an important part of student life. Especially at the beginning. If she has just spent 250 of her student loan then she is doing very well. Of course it might be that she has spent more and is softening the blow a bit with the numbers... most students don´t tell their parents the full extent of their debts...
I think the best thing you could do for her is not buy her clothes etc. Give her a lump sum every month and let her spend it as she sees fit. Eventually she will get the hang of it and if she needs to supplement it with a part time job then that will also help her. Having a part time job helps teach time management and other skills and will be valuable on her CV when she leaves.
Communication between both of you is the main thing so that if there are any problems then you can help her.
It is a difficult balance because giving too much money won´t help her either... Good luck!

masonsuk

I think you are being very kind with doing what you are! Paying for her books is a massive expense for students, and clothes as well is excellent!

£25 a week for food is absolutely plenty *(but surely she can make packed lunches - this is what I do and drops my weekly food budget to much less than a tenner), and £30 for fun is good too.

Just to put things in perspective, I am a third year Uni student, and have been working part time since my first year. I have never had any allowances from parents, or student loan. I am living at home so not bills there, but everything I want to spend, I earn.

It shoudl be easy for her to get a part time job and do maybe 8 hours a week (and so earning around £40). And over the Xmas, she should try and do as many hours as possible (around 20 perhaps) to really earn plenty for the upcoming term.

lellie

I think it depends where you are. In manchester the cinema is £3.50 and BOGOF for students - so that's a dirt cheap night out. Also free popcorn on wednesdays.

[Deleted User]

Makes me remember my first year.. 2 'nights out' and 2-3 nights in the pub minimum per week.. i guess i was spending 50-60 pounds a week on entertainment, maybe more... 32 weeks per academic year.. oh dear, i do hope i didn't spent 2k per term year on booze.

On the plus side, i'm now 4 years after graduating, have just bought my first home and have no student debt anymore. Yay.