Danger in the Coop
"I went crazy in the Coop once," says Jason J. Evans '98. "I went to buy a sweater and ended up spending $200...It's dangerous to go in the Coop."
Some students have avoided the temptations of New York or the Coop by passing up credit cards all together. "I don't believe in spending money you don't have," says Susannah D. Barbee '97.
Undergraduates say they are more likely to use cash when paying to resist the urge to spend more. Credit cards are the second choice, while few students seem to rely on checks.
"I get Mileage Plus [frequent flier miles] using my credit card," says Adri M. Herrera '95. "I buy food and everything with it."
Some students visit ATM machines twice a day, while others say they draw funds only three times a year. But most say they hit the machines about once a week.
Students who have jobs during the year say that their incomes often just cover their expenditures. "I have an idea of how much I earn every week, and I hate spending more," says Cindy C. Hayne '95.
Students say they tend to spend the most money each month paying their phone bills, with entertainment, food and music close behind.
The cost of keeping in touch is even more formidable for international students.
Sifiso G. Z. Ngwenya '97 pays two dollars a minute to call his home in South Africa. Because of an emergency at home, he currently owes $1200 for the last two phone bills.
"When I call [the phone company], they say, `Oh, Sifiso!'" Ngwenya says. But he insists, "it's not going to happen again. I can't afford it."
Most students seem to lack a clear knowledge of how much they spend in an average week.
"I've tried to figure this out so I can do something about it," Siniscalco says. "Honestly, I don't think $100 a week would be too far off. I average $400 a month, which I don't have."
Nearly everyone says spending is erratic. "When I buy, I buy a lot," says Hilary K. Snow '97. "I just don't buy a lot regularly."
Most students estimate either $10 or $50 spent each week, although answers range widely.
Ngwenya says he spends money only when the bills come through. "The creditors I avoided all summer because they didn't know where I was, now know. It's crunch time!"