Parents of the High School Class of 2017/College 2021

So sorry about the scary stuff happening, Sabeking! I know DD has said some of the apartments around her don't lock their doors.

@dreamin_disney We saw DD last night and she said she spends about $80 a month on groceries. Of course, that is with me providing most of the meat and several frozen items a month. She can be a pretty big eater, too.
 
Well we thought the sophomore experience was a dorm but its not so the only things available even with early registration is apartment with kitchens. She was hoping for one without kitchen. I took her prep meals this past weekend and she got excited. She said maybe having a kitchen isn't so bad-lol! This summer I will teach her easy meals , easy prep meals and some frozen pizza and burritos. She's kinda excited about it.

Just curious whats the average students in apartment spend on groceries. is it best to budget weekly or monthly? My DD isn't a big eater. I know I read somewhere that having students share grocery bill between room mates is more expensive. DD is planning on having her own food. Plus she doesn't drink milk, eat eggs, certain meats etc. I keep saying this semester is going to fly by!! I'm hoping it still comes out cheaper than having a meal plan. I'm glad no meal plan is needed with apartment with kitchen. If she gets RA position then she gets free housing and meal plan and can be put in a dorm or an apartment. We are just planning ahead

I am SO hoping my daughter gets into an apartment with a kitchen, even if she doesn't cook meals at least she can make a pop tart in the morning! I am so tired of this meal plan I have to pay for and she doesn't even use! Its 6,100 for the year for 10 meal swipes a week, of which she typically has 4-5 a week left over! She was done with the choices of food by the second week of the school year LOL. Plus there is NO WAY my daughter eats 6,100 work of food in one school year. There is only 30 weeks in the school year there and that is over 200 a week in food-I don't even spend that on a family of 3 for the week!
 
I am SO hoping my daughter gets into an apartment with a kitchen, even if she doesn't cook meals at least she can make a pop tart in the morning! I am so tired of this meal plan I have to pay for and she doesn't even use! Its 6,100 for the year for 10 meal swipes a week, of which she typically has 4-5 a week left over! She was done with the choices of food by the second week of the school year LOL. Plus there is NO WAY my daughter eats 6,100 work of food in one school year. There is only 30 weeks in the school year there and that is over 200 a week in food-I don't even spend that on a family of 3 for the week!
The universities don't expect her to eat $6100 worth of food. I bet 2/3 of that cost is overhead, salaries, etc. - not actual food costs. DD's university breaks her bill down, so we see exactly what the fixed costs are and how much actually goes toward food. It is shocking how high the overhead costs are!
 
I’m not sure that the police are not involved. Unfortunately, I am only giving the information that I know.My dd is getting pieces and parts from those who live around her and have shared. She is not very close with this neighbor. As I get more I will share; believe me as a parent I keep asking questions!
prayers for the girls and every single girl that's goes to college. This is so scary. I hope all of our daughters will be safe as they go through this journey
What, you don't think his dance skills would land him a nice catch? :laughing:

@dreamin_disney We saw DD last night and she said she spends about $80 a month on groceries. Of course, that is with me providing most of the meat and several frozen items a month. She can be a pretty big eater, too.
Thank you

I am SO hoping my daughter gets into an apartment with a kitchen, even if she doesn't cook meals at least she can make a pop tart in the morning! I am so tired of this meal plan I have to pay for and she doesn't even use! Its 6,100 for the year for 10 meal swipes a week, of which she typically has 4-5 a week left over! She was done with the choices of food by the second week of the school year LOL. Plus there is NO WAY my daughter eats 6,100 work of food in one school year. There is only 30 weeks in the school year there and that is over 200 a week in food-I don't even spend that on a family of 3 for the week!
I thought our cost was high. our DD's in an apartment sounds a lot cheaper. Your DD sounds like mine. She's on the 10 swipes and last year she would have 4-5 left over. This year she gets down there even less. I'm a planner so I like to plan ahead and crunch numbers. This summer dd and I will cook together and I'll know then if she will go with fresh meals or frozen-lol!
 


Being the planner that I am..... I was watching meal prep video for myself(I'm trying to eat healthier and hopefully lose some weight) and I found a bunch of easy meals. I'm totally going to do this with my DD over summer and show her ideas on meal prepping and do some easy recipes. I think it is also helping me figure out a budget for groceries for her and also for my household. I've been spending less and fewer trips to the grocery store.

so its hard to know what the other room mates will be like. Hopefully they all get along. My question is those that have kids in apartments with room mates is there ever any issues about the food each individual buys? Do they mark their food, put their names on it or everyone just respects each others food? Before dd started college I read people would lock up their personal fridges because the room mate would eat or steal their food etc.

DD went for her RA interview so if she gets it she will be in a suite by herself not sure if she gets her own apartment as a RA plus free meal plan.
 
Being the planner that I am..... I was watching meal prep video for myself(I'm trying to eat healthier and hopefully lose some weight) and I found a bunch of easy meals. I'm totally going to do this with my DD over summer and show her ideas on meal prepping and do some easy recipes. I think it is also helping me figure out a budget for groceries for her and also for my household. I've been spending less and fewer trips to the grocery store.

so its hard to know what the other room mates will be like. Hopefully they all get along. My question is those that have kids in apartments with room mates is there ever any issues about the food each individual buys? Do they mark their food, put their names on it or everyone just respects each others food? Before dd started college I read people would lock up their personal fridges because the room mate would eat or steal their food etc.

DD went for her RA interview so if she gets it she will be in a suite by herself not sure if she gets her own apartment as a RA plus free meal plan.


Ds is in an apartment with 2 other guys. They each have a shelf in the kitchen fridge and we bought him a mini fridge for his room. They all respect each other's shelf stable items and do their own cooking.

Ds has had some medical issues this week-flu and another concern. I do think his diet and getting used to being responsible for his meals has played into it.

I hope to spend time with him this summer working on meal preparation.

Next year, he and his brother will share a 2 bedroom apartment. So meal preparation should be less awkward and I hope they will work together to make healthyish meals they both are used to eating at home.

He says he spends about $50 on his food for the month and cooks a couple of meals twice a week to eat several times that week.
 
DD and her roommates have two full size fridges and a pantry. So they split the space. The freezer is harder without shelves and once or twice DD has been unsure if something was hers so she waited and asked her fridge mate. They all get along and wouldn’t have a problem sharing as long as no one abuses it which they don’t.
 


The universities don't expect her to eat $6100 worth of food. I bet 2/3 of that cost is overhead, salaries, etc. - not actual food costs. DD's university breaks her bill down, so we see exactly what the fixed costs are and how much actually goes toward food. It is shocking how high the overhead costs are!

I realize that but I am spending 6100 a year for her meal plan, which is still over 200 a week- doesn't matter if its food labor etc, its still 200 and if she didn't have to have a meal plan then she would not be spending 200 a week on food- doing the numbers she can get a single room in an apartment style dorm and buy her own food and it will be cheaper in the long run than the tiny double and meal plan she has now.
 
Are any of your kids doing anything interesting for Spring Break? My daughter is going to Key West for the week with her boyfriend and all of his room mates and their girlfriends. One of his rooms mates families has a house there and they are all crashing there for the week. Found out this week that his parents are actually going to be there that week as well which I was happy to hear LOL. The boys mother sent an itinerary to them with day to day plans, jet skiing, water skiing, snorkeling- sound like a fun trip. She is really looking forward to going after this whole week of cramming for next weeks mid terms! I am going to go to Boston to visit her March 16th just for one day- taking grandma because she wants to meet the boyfriend LOL.
 
Are any of your kids doing anything interesting for Spring Break? My daughter is going to Key West for the week with her boyfriend and all of his room mates and their girlfriends. One of his rooms mates families has a house there and they are all crashing there for the week. Found out this week that his parents are actually going to be there that week as well which I was happy to hear LOL. The boys mother sent an itinerary to them with day to day plans, jet skiing, water skiing, snorkeling- sound like a fun trip. She is really looking forward to going after this whole week of cramming for next weeks mid terms! I am going to go to Boston to visit her March 16th just for one day- taking grandma because she wants to meet the boyfriend LOL.
Nothing exciting here just catching up on her dental, allergy appts and lab work. Not sure if she has plans with friends. I asked her a month ago and she said she just wants to relax which means staying home up all night and sleeping in.
 
DD asked me if she should ask off from work for spring break, or ask for more hours and just stay and work. I said it was up to her, we would be at work and DD16 at school that week. She talked about visiting BFF at her college, or going somewhere nearby with a roommate. I mentioned if she didn't work she could spend a couple days going somewhere and a few days at home. I don't know if she's decided yet.
 
My DD has no current plans for Spring Break. Her BF goes to a University of Wisconsin school in a different town and his spring break is a different week. My guess is that she'll just go and hang out with him (he lives alone in his family's cabin) and that he'll come to Madison and hang with her. I guess it makes it cheap, LOL.
 
We are going to Punta Cana and it cannot come soon enough, lol!

We are lucky...DD is still willing to hang with us. We are going with extended family and have several rooms reserved.
DD, DH and one grandpa will golf. All of us will go on a day long snorkel, lunch, sunset catamaran tour. The resort also offers a variety of activities, as its brand new.
 
DS has no plans. I'm sure it will be like every other break. He will be home but we will barely see him.
 
I'm usually not a Nervous Nelly, but I would think twice if your kids are thinking about going to an all-inclusive in Mexico for spring break. There was another report of a drugging at a Mexico resort yesterday: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news...hers-nightmare-daughter-disappears/355233002/ . It took place over Christmas break 2-3 months after the first reports were made of tainted and drugged alcohol. The scam on the drugged alcohol is that the resort employees are in cahoots with local "doctors" and they prey on young people. The employees drug you and then take you to a specific "emergency room" where a doctor treats you and you are given a huge bill that can only be paid in cash. Tainted alchohol has also led to deaths :(.
 
I'm usually not a Nervous Nelly, but I would think twice if your kids are thinking about going to an all-inclusive in Mexico for spring break. There was another report of a drugging at a Mexico resort yesterday: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news...hers-nightmare-daughter-disappears/355233002/ . It took place over Christmas break 2-3 months after the first reports were made of tainted and drugged alcohol. The scam on the drugged alcohol is that the resort employees are in cahoots with local "doctors" and they prey on young people. The employees drug you and then take you to a specific "emergency room" where a doctor treats you and you are given a huge bill that can only be paid in cash. Tainted alchohol has also led to deaths :(.
Several of DS’s fraternity brothers are going to an all inclusive in Cancun. DS got in on the deal a little late and there is no room at the resort for him. Part of me is bummed he won’t get to go with his friends, but the other part of me is relieved because of all the problems in Mexico. Last year a bunch went to Punta Cana (not DS), and couple of boys in the group got terribly sick and could not come home with the group. They had to stay in PC by themselves until they recovered. Wonder how much extra that cost! As far as I know he is coming home. DH and he may go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio and will definitely go to a Flyers game in Philly. DD is going to NYC for a few days with a group of friends. They are taking the train up and back.
 
Several of DS’s fraternity brothers are going to an all inclusive in Cancun. DS got in on the deal a little late and there is no room at the resort for him. Part of me is bummed he won’t get to go with his friends, but the other part of me is relieved because of all the problems in Mexico. Last year a bunch went to Punta Cana (not DS), and couple of boys in the group got terribly sick and could not come home with the group. They had to stay in PC by themselves until they recovered. Wonder how much extra that cost! As far as I know he is coming home. DH and he may go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio and will definitely go to a Flyers game in Philly. DD is going to NYC for a few days with a group of friends. They are taking the train up and back.
I hope that his fraternity brothers have a safe and fun spring break! I think the drugging is usually young women, who are also often raped in the process. The tainted "moonshine" type of alcohol is another matter.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/trav...ps-avoiding-tainted-alcohol-mexico/518368001/

This story is about Cancun:
http://www.wfaa.com/news/business-o...inted-alcohol-is-an-ongoing-problem/497599122
 
I'm usually not a Nervous Nelly, but I would think twice if your kids are thinking about going to an all-inclusive in Mexico for spring break. There was another report of a drugging at a Mexico resort yesterday: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news...hers-nightmare-daughter-disappears/355233002/ . It took place over Christmas break 2-3 months after the first reports were made of tainted and drugged alcohol. The scam on the drugged alcohol is that the resort employees are in cahoots with local "doctors" and they prey on young people. The employees drug you and then take you to a specific "emergency room" where a doctor treats you and you are given a huge bill that can only be paid in cash. Tainted alchohol has also led to deaths :(.

I would not be ok with her going to Mexico that's for sure! Key West I am ok with- last year she went to Disney with just her and 2 of her girlfriends and I was ok with that too- mexico not so much!!
 
We are going to Punta Cana and it cannot come soon enough, lol!

We are lucky...DD is still willing to hang with us. .

I am picking her up from school on April 27th (her last final is April 25) and then she and I are leaving on a 2 week road trip together around Utah and Arizona- that will give me more than my fill of time with her LOL- we get home on May 12 and then she leaves for Paris on May 21st- so the 2 weeks together in a car will tide me over for the month she is away LOL
 
My question is those that have kids in apartments with room mates is there ever any issues about the food each individual buys? Do they mark their food, put their names on it or everyone just respects each others food? Before dd started college I read people would lock up their personal fridges because the room mate would eat or steal their food etc.

DD went for her RA interview so if she gets it she will be in a suite by herself not sure if she gets her own apartment as a RA plus free meal plan.

I hope your DD gets the RA position. I know you mentioned you felt it would be a really good fit for her.

I think the food thing very much depends on the specific personalities involved.

DD is in a 3 person apt and in the fall the girls decided to pool money for grocery and household shopping and share. It actually ended up being the mom of one of DD's roommates buying almost all food, cleaning supplies, etc because she was local, was an empty nester with deep pockets, and she loved popping by and dropping things off for the girls. That worked out great for us! Unfortunately both those roommates left on a study abroad program.

Things have not gone quite as smoothly with the new roommates. They decided to keep everything separate, and with only 3 girls in the apt they have plenty of space for individual shelves in the fridge, pantry, bathroom, laundry room, etc, but sadly DD has had some of her things go missing.

Thankfully DD has a daily allowance to use in the cafeteria, as well as access to a lounge with healthy snacks, as part of her student athlete package. Since she doesn't really need much food at the apt she's started keeping her shelves there pretty bare so she doesn't have to worry about roommates snitching stuff. She did tell me she's keeping her girl scout cookies tucked away in her bedroom. LOL
 

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