How much do you spend in a month going to school?

On top of paying for your college classes, you’re also expected to pay for your commute.

Not only that, if your situation requires you to dorm, which is conveniently located near Baruch and NYU but nowhere in sight of Hunter, you are expected to pay for your dorm AND a metro-card.

This also excludes the fact Hunter is located in an upper-class neighborhood, which means food isn’t cheap. In addition to the textbooks and various expenses required of a typical college student, money can become an overwhelming factor.

Yet, here you are… How do you do it?

Surit Mishra, 21, Religion/Philosophy

“I spend about $400 on food and transportation per month. However, it’s a lot easier for me than most because I receive full financial aid on top of an extra $5,000 a year. I’m also a recipient of the Mother’s Day Scholarship, which helps me a lot more. Because I come from a lower-class background, I understand the struggle to pay rent so this money is a big help.”

May Wong, 22, Computer Science

“I spend about $120-$140 a month buying food and I also buy an unlimited metro-card every month.”

Phil Soto, 22, Nutrition

“On top of food and transportation, which comes out to A LOT, I also have to pay for my own cell-phone, rent, and tuition. Yet, by setting a budget that revolves around days when I have to pay for these factors, they become things that I can control.”

Mariana Goycoechea, 30, (PhD Candidate, Hunter adjunct)

“I allocate about $150 every week towards food, predominantly groceries, and buy unlimited weekly metro-cards. It’s expensive to be poor. I can’t afford to take out $120 in one payment so I go by the week.”

Brian Kim, 20, Accounting and Gabriela Carela, 20, Psychology

Brian: “I spend about $260 a month when it comes to eating and transportation. Because I don’t have class everyday, a monthly metro-card is not necessary, which means I spend less on transportation per month. I would say that my greatest challenge with budgeting is reserving and allocating my money wisely.”

Gabriela: “I eat at home, or bring food from home, so I spend about $100 a month on food. However, my job requires me to travel by cab, which means that I end up spending about $200 a month on transportation alone. With good administration, and by itemizing my necessities, my money is able to trickle down into savings and personal usage.”

Stephanie Lim, 19, Undeclared

“I spend about $150 on food, $120 on transportation, and $200 on going out a month. A budget is hard to maintain personally. Once I have the money, it’s tempting to go out and do what I want to do, which means that I’m usually waiting for my next paycheck.”

Kezia Roberts, 21, English Creative Writing

“My dad pays for my transportation, which leaves me $200 a month for food, and about $150 in going out. Because I’ve accrued credit card debt, all my entire paychecks revolve around paying as much as I can in order to lower the interest rate. In an ideal budget, I would be saving 20 percent of my paycheck into a savings account. What kind of advice would you give someone who also has credit card issues? Use it like a debit card. If you don’t have the money in the bank, don’t put it on your card.”

Alexandra Motoc, 32, Spanish

“I spend about $400 a month for food, and $120 a month for transportation. I spend a lot on food because I’m buying for two people. But this is a lot easier for me because I’m able to split financial expenses with my partner.”

Michael Rowe, 18, Undeclared

“Aside from buying weekly metro-cards, I just bring food from home. Yet my greatest challenge right now is finding a job to help me get through the month. I don’t want my mom to keep giving me money all the time.”