Seminary spending money

amother

Sun, Aug 30 2020, 9:22 pm

How much $ do you give your dd ? How much of her own does she spend? My dd gets all meals provided for by seminary. I’m clueless what she’ll need and what’s reasonable. Any idea? And how do you work it: credit card, debit card?

amother

Seashell

Sun, Aug 30 2020, 9:36 pm

My dd has over $5000 saved between working the past few summers and babysitting. Thats going to be her spending money. I highly doubt she'll use more than a couple thousand over the year, shes not a big spender.

We switched her savings account into a checking account and shes going to use her debit card.

amother

Dodgerblue

Sun, Aug 30 2020, 9:40 pm

$200 a month after buying seforim and basics. My daughter needed extra money for midwinter vacation.

We sent her with a debit card. Dd was responsible to keep track of the balance and let us know when she needed more money. The first transfer took a long time, but with the next ones the money showed up almost instantly.

amother

Aqua

Sun, Aug 30 2020, 9:51 pm

depends which seminary. I ate out only 2-3 times the whole year- and it was for pizza. we were centrally located so I walked everywhere. I really did not use a lot of spending $

amother

Saddlebrown

Sun, Aug 30 2020, 9:56 pm

I didn't go that long ago. Seminary provided all the meals and I took buses. My parents deposited $200 a month into my account plus extra for yontif and vacations and I used my debit card. I spent very little beyond that but many spent way more.

Elfrida

Mon, Aug 31 2020, 12:47 am

Two big expenses for seminary girls are eating out and buying Shabbos gifts. They can still order pizza, but those expenses are going to be much lower this year. (At least at the beginning of the year.)

As things are, they'll have very little opportunity to get off campus and spend money, and we don't know how long that will last. Probably some shops will come to them. But this might be the one area where you can actually save a small amount this year.

amother

Apricot

Mon, Aug 31 2020, 12:49 am

Bus transportation is also a big one. Which may be less this year.

Elfrida

Mon, Aug 31 2020, 1:18 am

amother [ Apricot ] wrote:

Bus transportation is also a big one. Which may be less this year.

Even when they are allowed off campus, public transport might remain off limits. It could mean going back to the way it was during the intifada, and the seminaries requiring the girls to take taxis instead of buses. For now though, that is another saving.

chanchy123

Mon, Aug 31 2020, 1:26 am

amother [ Apricot ] wrote:

But taxis aren't really a savings....

I don’t think they will be using taxis just yet either. I’m pretty sure they’re going to be stuck in the seminary and only showed out to specific places like doctor’s appointment and maybe the local makolet.

Elfrida

Mon, Aug 31 2020, 2:06 am

amother [ Apricot ] wrote:

But taxis aren't really a savings....

That's what I meant. For now they won't be spending money on transport so it is a saving. Once they are allowed out, they might have to use taxis rather than buses, which would be a significant expense. (Though when three or four girls share a taxi, that isn't too expensive for any of them.)

amother

Papaya

Mon, Aug 31 2020, 8:54 am

The seminary my daughter was supposed to go to isn't allowing the girls out on their own for the foreseeable future. So I can't imagine spending money will be needed at all. Maybe in a few months if/when things settle down?

amother

Indigo

Mon, Aug 31 2020, 9:01 am

amother [ Papaya ] wrote:

They will still need toiletries and snacks, (which people not in bidud will buy for them, or which they will get delivered) and will probably start ordering food to the dorm at some point. So they will still need money.

Elfrida

Mon, Aug 31 2020, 9:34 am

The shops will come to them. They'll probably set up mini mall evenings every few weeks. Sefarim, cosmetics, jewelry, food, and so on. And they can order in food, and other products. The opportunities to spend will be more limited than than normal, but they will exist.

amother

Apricot

Mon, Aug 31 2020, 11:32 am

Elfrida wrote:

True, there will probably be extra peer pressure to spend money actually. Especially if the girls are bored.