Is this a normal amount of spending money for lsrael?

amother

Coffee

Sat, Sep 09 2017, 9:36 pm

My son is learning in Beis Medresh in Israel in an American Yeshiva. We gave our son a budget on a debit card. The first nine days he used all $200.00 we put on card plus some cash we gave him. This month he already spent $150.00 on the debit card and its only September 9th. Is this normal??

doctorima

Sat, Sep 09 2017, 9:44 pm

Hard to say, did you ask him what he's spending it on? There may be a number of things he needs to buy just to get started out, such as books or other items for his room, or he could just be going out to dinner every night. Also, does he travel by bus or taxi (and which do you prefer)? It also depends where he is, and what his friends there are doing as well.

amother

Sapphire

Sat, Sep 09 2017, 9:45 pm

Ask him what he bought. Normal spending varies by family...

Is he buying school supplies? Food?

seeker

Sat, Sep 09 2017, 9:56 pm

It's been a long time since I did this myself so I don't know what the COL is these days. But I would definitely expect a lot more expenses in the first month or two as they need to get themselves set up.

amother

Magenta

Sat, Sep 09 2017, 10:09 pm

It also depends on what is and isn't covered by the yeshiva.

It doesn't seem outrageous.

That's what I was getting 15 years ago, and I was on the lower end of my seminary, and just got by.

amother

Coffee

Sat, Sep 09 2017, 10:15 pm

The Yeshiva is giving theee meals a day. On Friday I saw he went to a restaurant and spent close to $30.00
He needs to take busses to get around.

amother

Coffee

Sat, Sep 09 2017, 10:23 pm

He definitely did not take takeout from this restaurant. Yeshiva was giving food shabbos.

water_bear88

Sat, Sep 09 2017, 10:52 pm

Books and other school supplies can cost a fair amount in the first month. If they don't give them a real lunch on Friday, I can see going out to eat, but clarify with him that he needs to find cheaper food options. Boys shouldn't need to spend as much as girls- we only got lunch and dinner from school and neither on Friday and had to fend for ourselves otherwise.

FraydaSue

Sat, Sep 09 2017, 10:57 pm

I live in Israel and give my sons 300nis a month spending money which I believe should be more than enough given that they have all meals taken care of. Occasionally they don't like supper and buy a schwarma, but even so. In addition, it pays for bus fare when needed, laundry and personal items. Should be enough. If on a rare occasion they need more, for example if there is a sale of clothes before Chagim, they ask for more.

amother

Hotpink

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 12:03 am

I would suggest you have him keep receipts and a small notebook of every last shekel he spends, its what many have done. it helps keep a chashbon and then you can see or ask what was spent. Remember the dollar is low and things add up but you gota be on the same page so he doesn't feel pressured and can enjoy his time and succeed. Did he have to pay his rent, utilities right when he came? did his apartment set up a food fund that all had to chip into? Did he buy alcohol for himself for shabbos or for somewhere he went to? lost of expenses these guys have!

amother

Burlywood

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 4:16 am

I think $200 was pretty standard when I was in seminary 9 years ago. But your first step should probably be to ask him what he's spending on and if he realizes that he spent his whole "allowance" the first week of the month.

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 4:52 am

If you saw that he spent $30 on friday, cant you see what else he is spending on? I know when I was in sem 20 years ago that was perfect. I would think 200 dollars would be more than enough, but if he is eating out a lot, that will do it. And you can just tell him what he is allowed and what he is not allowed.
I know that there is also some sort of app that will enable you or him as well, to be able to know how much he has left on the card. Would that be something that would be helpful for your son? So he knows at all times, whenever he pays for something, how much he has left?

simcha2

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 6:08 am

This is a good lesson for life. He'll learn to budget. If after a couple of months he sees that all his money for the month is gone halfway through each month because he chose to get a $30 meal rather than a $5 schwarma he'll learn not to. I think that it's important not to bail him out. I also think that if he is old enough to go to Israel for the year, he is old enough to manage his own finances for the year without being micro-managed. If he comes to you for more money, that is the time to have a conversation about making good choices with his money (not a lecture). What conversations did you have with him about money before he left?

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 6:55 am

$200 a month should be enough. I had friends who were on a $1,000 budget for the whole year. They managed.

Last edited by amother on Thu, Jul 11 2019, 7:33 am; edited 1 time in total

tichellady

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 9:29 am

You need to communicate better about expectations rather than analyze his spending. Tell him what you will give him for the year and then he needs to make his own budget. This conversation should have happened before he left.

amother

Coffee

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 4:36 pm

Thank you all for your replies. We gave him a budget of $250.00 a month plus $200.00 for the first week and some extra cash. We spoke to him several times about going out for steak dinners and that it's costly.
I can't see exactly what he is spending because he takes out shekalim on the debit card. I was able to recognize on Friday where he spent the money in the restaurant.
He has no rent because we paid all his dorm fees which is part of the tuition. We ordered him his blanket, linen etc.
He took pens and notebooks with him. He had to buy seforim.
I am just wondering what the norm is to give an American boy today to feel comfortable but not with an endless budget.

Cookiegirl

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 4:55 pm

My son has been in yeshiva in Yerushalayim since after Pesach. He is not a big spender, and he has been averaging between $175 and $250 per month on his credit card. He usually buys something small for breakfast and/or lunch and eats 1-2 meals a day in yeshiva. He also has bought sefarim here and there and usually buys food for Shalosh Seudos for his dirah of 9 guys. He mostly walks when he needs to go somewhere, but he does take buses as needed.

The above is in addition to his rent. Hope this helps give you an idea...I think $200 a month is doable, especially if all meals are technically covered by the school.

tichellady

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 4:57 pm

I had to make my own meals and I think I spent about $200 a month but that was a bunch of years ago