How Much Do College Students Spend On Entertainment?

Attending college is not a cheap exercise for anybody. It is highly expensive and whoever wants to attend has to be prepared. While you can find information regarding the cost of your schooling on the school’s website or in their catalogs, the amount of money a college student spends in school might not be easy to determine.

Correctly predicting the amount of money a student spends on any activity depends on different factors which include what you consider as spending money, the activity involved, and the location where the college is situated.

This is what a college student budget would look like;

Activity Cost
Clothing $450-$750
Food (assuming you eat most of your meals on campus) $3,500- $7,500
On Campus Activities $400-$1,200
Entertainment $1,300
Electronics $200-$1,200
Cell Phone $150-$800
Gas/Car Insurance $1,000-$5,000
School Supplies and Books $600-$1,200
Gifts $600-$1,100
Travel (Based on how far you’re traveling) $300-$1,000

 

If you’re being conservative about your expenses, even with college essay writers for hire, you’re bound to spend at least $8,500, while the people who don’t mind their expenses can spend up to $21,050/year.

There will be a majority of students who fall somewhere between these two categories. The average college student earns $195 per week or $10,000 if they work part-time year-round, so they should not need financial help.

Calculating Needs

One reason why it may be hard to determine the cost of entertainment for college students is that different people consider different things as paid for with spending money. It is common for some people to factor in the costs of textbooks and parking on campus into their school costs. This yearly amount is used to calculate loans. Most parents, however, view things like books as things that students need to spend money on during college.

Getting new textbooks can be highly expensive because new textbooks can range from $80 to $100 while the used versions can cost $50 which can amount to the student spending within $200 to $500 per semester.

There are also hidden costs associated with college parking, which range from $400 to $2,000 per year. It may not seem necessary to have a car to some people, but it may be essential to some college students. For accurate spending money calculations, it is necessary to agree on the difference between purchases that are considered spending money and those that are simply college expenses.

Fun Activities for College Students

There are different entertainment activities for college students to partake in. The amount a student spends on entertainment in college might not be quantifiable because there are different activities students indulge in for entertainment. Here are a few ideas students like to practice with or without a budget;

Shopping

Many people might be wondering why a college student needs to go shopping, but the truth is that college students would need to acquire a few things that they need in school, from outfits to shoes to books to academic equipment to edibles. So, whatever they are buying, going shopping is a way for students to entertain themselves, and it requires spending money.

Alcohol

This is mostly for those students old enough to drink legally. It was found that college students spend $5.5 billion yearly drinking alcohol. This is another form of entertainment for students and those who can afford it do participate.

Live streaming/gaming

This is another form of entertainment for college students. Due to the evolution of technology, students now invest time and money in watching their favorite shows and events online. They also spend money on hardware they need to play games online or watch their Livestream.

Solo vegging/group hangout

The college student population spends around $2.4 billion on entertainment each year, whether they are vegging out alone after a long day of studying or hanging out with roommates. Downloaded music, live music streaming, movie tickets, and DVD rentals are all part of the activity that feature in this category.

These are the very few notable activities students indulge in to entertain themselves. However, as a parent, you can help your child start earning and saving money for some of their extracurricular activities that you cannot fund. But how do you define those extra activities? Let us show you.

How to Plan for Entertainment for Your College Students

Have a conversation with them

The first step is to discuss this part of their college expenses with them. Aside from what they will need for their study, how do they plan to afford their entertainment? You should discuss their other expenses plan with them and both of you can agree on what each other will pay for.

Summer before college plan

After having that discussion with them, you can help them start working towards their goal of affording their side of the deal during the summer before they enter college. You can help them get jobs and help them manage their earnings during the summer before they get into college.

You can discuss the benefits of maintaining savings throughout college as your student evaluates their savings/checking accounts. In addition, they should aim to graduate with a healthy balance in their account, so they are prepared in case of unexpected expenses. If your student is working at a part-time job on- or off-campus, winter and spring breaks can be great opportunities for them to earn money.

Give them allowances and supervise their spending

While you help them hold their end of the bargain, you have to hold your end by giving them a monthly allowance. After their first year, if they’re making good money through their summer employment, the allowance will no longer be necessary.

While giving them this allowance, you can help them manage their earnings by taking charge of their earnings and giving it to them monthly as an allowance. This way they can manage their income throughout their stay in college.

While we cannot certainly say how much a student spends on entertainment in college, a breakdown of the activities they do can point us in that direction. If you find out that your student’s entertainment expenses are exceeding their earnings, you can help them manage their incomes, so they would have enough money saved for when they finish college.

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