# Spending Money



## swift (Dec 9, 2014)

Hi Tuggers it has been awhile 

My 16 year old son has an opportunity to go visit some friends in Germany. The friends are there for 2 years for business and they have offered for my son to come visit during Spring Break. We would cover the airfare and they would cover most everything else. Obviously I don't want to send him penniless. How much should I budget for him? It is not like he will be going to expensive dinners but I am sure they will be doing stuff and he will need pocket money.


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## vacationhopeful (Dec 9, 2014)

Hard one ... so many variables.

How long have they been in Europe? Your son and this friend - as best buddies been keeping in touch via the internet? Or only a little? Where they best of friends before the move?

Do you know the parents like a sibling? Is your son even able to pick out the various countries in Europe. Does he know anything about Europe? Can your son speak any German?

You have a lot of work to do before committing him to fly off. 

My sister's oldest child decided as a senior in HS to go to Great Britain for his Spring Break with a HS club. The teacher for this club started off with a written set of monthly evening meetings (which included the parent(s) and an assignment on the topic --- foods, money, cities, customs of the area, history. The kids were 9th-12th grades. By the time the trip flew away, the teacher (and his wife, I believe) had a real good idea as to who the kids were and the parents has a full picture of everything. My sister had been to Europe several times as a teenager (and on the HS German language trip for a week and a family 2 week tour) .... she learned things from these monthly meetings. He truly enjoyed his HS trip ... he was prepared for it. I know if he would NOT have been as happy if he had NO knowledge of the language and customs.

As for money, find out how much a McDonald's meal would cost and triple it. That should get him a snack in most local sandwich shops & some silly money for tee-shirts or entrance fees for clubs.


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## Passepartout (Dec 9, 2014)

It really depends on too many variables to give an accurate estimate. Germany is expensive. A 'Denny's' type lunch can be €20 pp. Dinner €30+. Is he a cheapskate or is he inclined to splurge? I think I would load about $50- a little under €40 per day he will be on the ground there on a debit account, and give him the card. If you and he can Skype, and he needs more, you can load it from home. There is no rule that he needs to spend it all. Tell him this is NOT a shopping trip and that consumer goods are far less expensive at home. It will be a great experience, and he'll come home a different kid.

Jim


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## elaine (Dec 10, 2014)

I agree with PP, about $50 a day and send him with a debit card--just link it to an account that does not have a lot of $$ in it, in case of theft or cloning of card in Europe. However, he should take out more than 50euros at a time, as he will likely have a 5+ eruo fee for each withdrawal, so tell him to get 100 euros a pop.  Also, send him with 100 euros in  cash, so he doesn't have to find a bank right away, has money for the airport, etc. I found the best exchange rate for small amounts was at the mall--go figure!


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## Ken555 (Dec 10, 2014)

While Germany may be expensive, it does depend where in Germany he will be spending his time. Do his friends live in Berlin, Munich or another large city, or a smaller town? Location impacts daily costs. Of course, tourist type activities may cost entrance fees, so you may want to consider that possibility as well in terms of overall budget. There's much to see that is no or low cost, but I expect his friends family would be deciding much about what to see, so I'd suggest you ask them what they plan on doing while he's visiting (tho you mention they would be covering most everything else). Even so, it sounds like a generous opportunity and that he would not need much... 


Sent from my iPad


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## Pompey Family (Dec 10, 2014)

elaine said:


> I agree with PP, about $50 a day and send him with a debit card--just link it to an account that does not have a lot of $$ in it, in case of theft or cloning of card in Europe. However, he should take out more than 50euros at a time, as he will likely have a 5+ eruo fee for each withdrawal, so tell him to get 100 euros a pop.  Also, send him with 100 euros in  cash, so he doesn't have to find a bank right away, has money for the airport, etc. I found the best exchange rate for small amounts was at the mall--go figure!



$50 a day is quite a lot and I'd suggest he could live on half that. I don't believe the fee for withdrawing money would be that high either, typically I'm charged £1 per ATM withdrawal.

I've just come back from a weekend in Berlin and for a Western capital city it is cheaper than comparable cities, you can have quite a decent meal for about 15 euro's and that's in Potsdamer Platz so if you go outside of the main centre then the prices drop plus there's always currywurst and a beer for 5 euro's.

Of course, if he's going to spend every night in the pub then $50 or more would be more appropriate.


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## pwrshift (Dec 12, 2014)

Be careful...If you don't personally know his friends and their personal situations, I think 16 is too young for such a trip.  JMHO


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## LLW (Dec 13, 2014)

swift said:


> Hi Tuggers it has been awhile
> 
> My 16 year old son has an opportunity to go visit some friends in Germany. *The friends are there for 2 years for business *and they have offered for my son to come visit during Spring Break. We would cover the airfare and *they would cover most everything else*. Obviously I don't want to send him penniless. How much should I budget for him? It is not like he will be going to expensive dinners but I am sure they will be doing stuff and he will need pocket money.





pwrshift said:


> Be careful...If you don't personally know his friends and their personal situations, I think 16 is too young for such a trip.  JMHO



I was guessing these friends are the parents' friends.


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## Talent312 (Jan 28, 2015)

Wells Fargo Online has a relatively reasonable foreign currency service.
Go to: https://www.foreignexchangeservices.com
Load him down with 100-200 Euros so he can hit the ground running.

I see suggestions for a debit card linked to an account with limited $$.
If you opt for that, be sure the account doesn't have overdraft protection.

But I suggest giving him a CC from a bank w-no foreign transaction fees
(i.e. Capital One).  A CC in the wrong hands can't empty out an account.
You can dispute charges b4 they are paid, rather than try to get $$ back.
.


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## Luanne (Jan 28, 2015)

Talent312 said:


> But I suggest giving him a CC from a bank w-no foreign transaction fees
> (i.e. Capital One).  A CC in the wrong hands can't empty out an account.
> You can dispute charges b4 they are paid, rather than try to get $$ back.
> .



We did this when younger dd was doing some traveling outside the U.S.  I opened the Capitol One account, one with no fees.  The account is in my name, but we had a card issued to my daughter with her name on it.


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## swift (Apr 7, 2015)

Just wanted to say thank you. Plans fell through so he will not be going this year.  Just a side note these were neighborhood friends that my son grew up with. We knew the parents and their son practically lived at our house every weekend and summer growing up. ☺


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