Seminary girl monthly expenses

amother

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 11:18 am

We are trying to budget for next year. How much approximately should we expect my DD's monthly expenses to be in BY seminary in Y-m? Also, how much is the insurance, phone, etc.?

Slightly separate question - how do the girls get cash? do they use the atm and get charged 3%, or is there another way?

peace2

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 11:21 am

For the first question, it's gonna depend on where she is- do the girls go out to eat on a regular basis or generally eat the seminary's supper? Big trips with friends over vacation or more low key?
See if your bank has a debit card with no international fee. That's what I had in seminary so I was able to take out cash. There are ATMs in yerushalayim without fees, you just have to know where to go.

amother

Snowflake

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 11:27 am

agree with other poster... it very much depends on where she is going and who her friends are.

in some seminarys the standards are unreal.
I was in sem 5 years ago so I dont have numbers to help you with but I will say that my parents gave me all my spending money in cash only - I did not have access to a cc and it made such a big diff to my year because I really learned the value of money and how to budget.

like if I spent it... it wouldnt be there.

they sent me with a lot of cash that I kept in the sem safe and would convert as needed and then as people came in through the year they sent more.

amother

RosePink

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 11:38 am

We budgeted about $400 per month or $4000 in total with $2500 coming from us and $1500 from my daughter's savings. We got her a card with no international fees. The first month was a lot of spending because she had to buy school supplies, sefarim, toiletries, and other things to get set up. Beyond that, she rarely comes close. But she is someone with good financial awareness and has also made friends who are careful with spending. Because we don't have relatives there, she also stays in for shabbos a lot and that makes a difference too. Less travel and gift expenses. She does buy takeout when the food is awful, but most of the time she eats the food in seminary. She tells me, though, that some girls eat out for every meal and the people at the bagel shop already know their order when they come in. So, you have to know your kids and they have to know what you can do.

amother

Eggplant

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 11:46 am

I can't answer for girls, but I have a son in yeshiva there now. He is in a dira, so he has rent, utilities, etc. He rarely goes out to eat and but buys some snacks and toiletries. He also buys sefarim, etc.

Every insurance is different. He has meuchedet and we pay about $40 a month. His cell is $19.99 a month with talk only.

We got a credit card that works internationally with no extra fees and an ATM card (we opened a special account so he can take out money for rent, etc) that also works internationally with no extra fees other than regular ATM fees.

He has been putting utilities (it's something like every other month) on his credit card for the whole dira and everyone pays him back. Those months, he takes less out for rent and uses that money for rent. With utilities and insurance on the credit card his bill is between $200-$300 a month. He has a tiny bit of cash on him just in case, but mostly works with the credit card (other than rent). He barely travels--so if your daughter will take buses a lot, she'll need money for travel expenses too.

amother

Lemonlime

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 12:03 pm

If you are chase private client, no fees on debit card. When we went in to set that up the banker told us she should you the chase sapphire credit card,
So, she has the credit card and the atm we put money in when she needs cash like for car service.
I told to keep a log of how she’s spending her money. Expenses, I cover. Going out for roommates birthday- her monwy

amother

Peony

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 12:06 pm

I was in seminary 14 years ago, so it may be different nowadays
I spent about $3-400 a month, but that was with REAL budgeting
I imagine with the standards these days she’ll need much more
We actually opened up an account with a bank that did not charge international fees, there are a few of them, so I did not pay the 3% every time I withdrew

amother

Amber

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 12:08 pm

It also depends on how much the seminary is providing. I almost never ate out but spent a significant amount on groceries because they pretty often ran out of supper. And supper was only available for 1.5 hr, so if you missed it you missed it.

Also factor in toiletries, washing machine fee, rav kav, gifts for shabbos hosts.

At the beginning she may need to buy school supplies, hangers etc.

amother

Teal

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 12:10 pm

amother OP wrote:

Fifteen years ago I was paying for my day to day seminary expenses from my own savings

I allocated about $100 a month for myself

BH I was mostly able to stick to that

yolo81

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 12:26 pm

my son is their we give him at least 250 wk. he does not eat in yeshiva and each boy makes supper once a wk in his dirah but the 250
includes his dry cleaning and travel like going away for shabbos etc.

amother

NeonPurple

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 12:30 pm

Wow things changed.

16 years ago I had 100 dollars a month to spend of my own money and we only got 1 meal a day from seminary. Phone and insurance were paid separately though so that wasnt on me to spend.

I never ate out, went on trips that were not school sponsored, or took cabs so I was only spending on groceries and busses.

Groceries were cheap though. Cereal and milk, some snacks, tuna, bread, hummus, cheeses, the main meal was provided by seminary. Busses were also cheap because I was under 18 and qualified most of the year for the child bus pass which had double the amount of ride punches that the adult one had.

CPenzias

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 12:57 pm

I'm following. Iyh my son is going to Israel next year. I'm not sure what the food situation will be but we bh have family all over the country so he will need to travel. I wonder how much to give him...

amother

Eggplant

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 1:49 pm

Quote:

Food is a factor. BH my son gets 3 meals a day. He does have food allergies to dairy, so he does need to supplement, but minimally.
Depending on the yeshiva will depend how often he goes away for shabbos. My son barely goes away--maybe once every 6-8 weeks.

Petra

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 2:50 pm

Mine has a CC for non expendable supplies and needs like books, clothes, etc and also her Rav Cav card.
For food she has a debit card that has $50/week allowance. She has a little cushion on the debit also before she started. She doesnt use it all.
Both are from Capital One.

CPenzias

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 4:53 pm

amother Eggplant wrote:

Quote:

Of course food is a factor I'm just not sure if they're providing him with 3 meals or what. I remember in neve we had a nice lunch but dinner was eh so I would get pizza (then wonder why I put on 50 pounds lol) so yeah, it could be a factor. Probably will be

notshanarishona

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 5:17 pm

$ really varies by the seminary. Some seminaries serve a proper 3 meals a day and some snacks, some seminaries have gross or barely edible food . It took me a good few months to get used to seminary suppers, until then I was buying food for dinner most nights.
Shabbos can also be a big expense depending if they have to make their own plans each week or just some weeks, travel, how far, taxi or bus, and of course hostess gifts .
Laundry they typically have to pay for.
Toiletries. Shampoos, soaps, tissues, pads , deodorant, etc.
Normal I would think is somewhere in the 1000 nis range a month.
That being said, there is no reason an 18 year old can’t use their own spending $. It’s a good way to start preparing for adulthood.