mgg234 wrote:
$8-10k per year is realistic. Here's a hypothetical Kellogg budget:
Y1
$3500 for Kwest
$2000-3000 for spring break ($6000 if GIM)
$2000 for Skii trip
$1000-2000 for small trips, treks, etc
Not everyone goes on Skii trip, but most do (I had to skip this year). Almost everyone goes on Spring Break and Kwest. Small trips and treks vary - I went on no treks, but did go back to NY, and there's occasional weekend trips to Cali or whatever (there's a lot of these smaller trips if you really want to go, like theres a $1000 weekend get away to napa valley coming up, and a bunch of people went to Mardi Gras).
At most schools, I'd say there are 2 or 3 majors trip per year you need to go to, or you're really going to feel like you're missing out. The rest are fun, but not really necessary. Also, people's spending habits start to change drastically once people get internships and full-time offers, so people stop caring about budgets (You'll get a ton of money from your tax return probably in February, and then you'll get $20k-$30k from your internship you probably didn't even consider in your budget, and then another $25k-50k signing bonus, etc)
THANK YOU! This was so helpful & specific. I definitely feel like I have a better idea of what to expect and budget. Thanks so much!