What spending limit should I set per day for DS1, Y7 in Sept?

[ampere]

They have a finger print recognition system in place. I preload his account and can set a daily expenditure limit (which I assume I can change when necessary.)

He's not a big eater- I'm thinking £4 a day? What do you think?

[aseriouslyblondemoment]

have you taken a look at what meals are on offer?
from what i can gather that is the usual sum mooted but i'm unsure whether this is taking drinks etc into consideration
hopefully somebody in the know will come along and advise us!

[admission]

At our school a full meal (2 course) is £2.20 and that will also buy a sandwich, filled pannini or a salad as well. So i would say that £4 was excessive. But the school should be able to give you the current prices (it may well be on their website) and that is the better guide to how much to give your son

[3plusbump]

I asked in the canteen at the open day last week as our school has a preload system too (although uses a card rather than finger prints!) They told me that you can buy a main and pudding or main and drink for £2.00 so she thought that £2.50 / £3.00 would be more than enough.

[titchy]

I'm giving dd £2.50 a day on her card. However I'm also increasing her pocket money by £1.50 a week and told her she must use the extra pocket money for mobile top-ups (I currently pay) and any extra above the £2.50 she pays for her lunch. As a comparison those on free school meals get £2.05 put on their cards each day - that's enough to get a hot meal, a yoghurt and a drink.

[mumeeee]

DD3 is 18 and at colege I Usualy give her £3 sometimes £3.50 when she is going to buy lunch ( she makes packed lunches on some days). When she was at School the most she had was £2.50. $4 is way to much.

[mumeeee]

Sorry £4 not dollors!

[compo]

You have to give an 18 year old lunch money?!?

[ampere]

OK, maybe I'll set a daily limit of £3 then see how much he spends (and on WHAT!)

Many thanks for the input!

[roisin]

ds1 gets £10 per week (cash - wish we had a cashless system). But it's up to him to manage his money. Sometimes he chooses to have a cheap meal - grabs a baguette cos he's in a rush. Othertimes he really splashed out and buys a 'luxury' meal with extras and dessert.

I like the fact that he has autonomy and control over this.

So personally I would set him a budget and stick to it. (If you offer more, he'll spend more. £2 per day is plenty at our school). But give him quite a bit of flexibility on the daily amount.

[mattellie]

My two have to take packed lunches 3-4 times a week, the other day I give them money to buy something like a pannini, cookie and small carton of OJ, for which they need about £2.60.

[roisin]

IMO if they spend it all at breaktime, that's a lesson learned! If they've gorged on bacon butties at breaktime, they won't starve if they have nothing left for lunchtime.

[sharbie]

mine manage on £2 per day

[gramercy]

Hi ampere, I asked this very question last year!

I send ds (yes, and it's to Thornden!) with a cheque made payable to the canteen people for £20 every so often. He spends £2 a day or less. Apparently the cashless canteen system doesn't allow any child to just pick puddings/snacks and I think we are due a print-out of what our dcs are buying.

Ds gives high praise to the "meal deal" which is £2 every day and is a main course, flapjack/brownie etc and a drink.

Ds was rather apprehensive of the canteen before he started, but in five minutes it became the highlight of his day. Also he says the cashless system has really cut down on the queueing.

[PestoEatsPasties]

My year 8 dd was getting £2.00 a day to spend in the school canteen, but I found out she was spending it all on junk in Tescos Express on her way to school. She is now having packed lunches.

[sinpan]

My kids' school has same system. I send them in with a cheque every half term worked out as £3 per day multiplied by the number of days. They never quite spend it all

[mumeeee]

compo. My 18 year old is dyspraxic and has some other slight special needs. She has tried very hard to get a part time job but is finding it difficult. She works as hard as she can at college and as we are just over the limit she is not entitled to any EMA.So we need to give her money otherwise she would not have any at all. She doesn't like taking money from us and always says it's not fair that we have to give it to her.
She only has lunch money once a week when she is doing sports as she has to carry her kit. She often makes her own packed lunches.

[inthesticks]

Our school has a maximum spend of £3.50 a day, not sure why, perhaps so they don't buy their friend lunch as well?
Anyway it's plenty. DS in Y7 usually spends about £2.20 to £2.50

[hippipotamiHasLost92lbs]

I was thinking around £2.50 MAX a day for ds who starts Y7 in Sept. Cashless system with thumbprint here too.

[ageing5yearseachyear]

dd gets £2.50 per day- no cashless system here- have to find the money every day- used to give her a tenner on a monday - until she lost it twice- it fell out of her pocket apparently- and she is 15!!!!!

[ampere]

gramercy!! - a fellow mum!

How is your DC finding the whole Thornden thing? Which primary are you from? We're KW and live in KW.

To an extent we're playing it down a bit as DS is a worrier but the fact remains I have no idea how he's going to get home!

I am told about buses BUT on Induction Day last week, I picked DS up from the front of Reception (bit of a scrum!) at 2.45pm-ish, then the bell went and 1200 kids surrounded us, but not a sign of a bus, any bus, outside or inside the school grounds!

I will phone Velvet (and fear 'the Saturday Girl' who will have No Idea!) but I am actually planning on hanging around the school next week to see what happens at home time

[gramercy]

I just asked ds about the bus. He walks home, as we live quite near the school.

He says you get it right outside the school and costs £1 or £2. I think the information is on the school website. I'm sure all your ds has to do is just follow all the other KW children - the bus is always packed when I see it zooming along the road.

Normally parents can't pick up from the school premises (chased off by angry caretaker!) but those who drive skulk in Malibres Road (off Hiltingbury Road; nearest road to Winchester Road).

Ds has really enjoyed Year 7. He has made some nice friends in his tutor group, and joined a lot of societies (including Science & Engineering !!!???!!!)

[ampere]

lol Science and Engineering! I'd LOVE DS to join that! I am ashamed to say that I am prepared to bribe DS into joining a musical group- possibly singing as his instrument is the piano... as I think he'd get so much out of it, too!

What language does your DS do? My DH was very keen for Spanish which is what we got..

Regarding getting home, I fully intend DS to catch the bus so following the crowd might be his best option!

Thanks for your info. I may well pick your brains some more!