My "stipend" from 96 to 02 was $1200/m from my parents. Out of that came my rent (always split with a roommate or two in a ratty apartment in walking distance from school). Utilities came out of that, whatever the power and cable bill was, trash and water was always included in rent. My groceries came out of that. Any clothes I wanted to buy came out of that, blah blah blah.

My share of rent plus utilities was usually around 400/m. I ate super cheap, usual weekly grocery run was about $25 of chicken pot pies, pizza, and frozen chicken tenders and a bottle of 99 cent Kraft BBQ sauce. And Immodium AD, and ibuprofen. Sometimes toilet paper. Paper towels.

I also had a shitty beater chevy that would stall on right turns if you didn't gun it. So any gas, oil, basic maintenance came out of my stipend as well. Any larger repairs were taken care of separately, not out of my stipend.

So I ended up with about 200 a month in "spending money" if I wanted to buy drugs or take a girl on a date or buy new shoes or a CD or anything that wasn't necessary. For Spring Break every year, I'd save from Janurary and scrimp and save for 3 months so I could go down to PC or Destin with $500.

So the point is that I had 200 a month, or about 50 a week, in play money. About 2400 a year.

These football players who get to have 4600 of play Pell money (taxpayer money by the way) are kids I don't feel sorry for. They have twice as much play money as I did through college at UGA.