A mother in Beijing is planning to reduce her college freshman son’s monthly living allowance from 4,000 Chinese yuan to 2,000 yuan. Her son believes it’s not enough to cover his daily expenses, sparking controversy among netizens, with the topic quickly trending as the top search on Weibo.
According to the report by “Xiaoxiang Morning News” on October 17, Ms. Zhao stated that she initially provided her son with 4,000 yuan as his first month’s living allowance for food, drinks, while she purchased his clothing and other essentials separately.
She mentioned that her son wanted to participate in a role-playing deduction game called “Mafia” with friends, and besides the planned 1,000 yuan for the week, she gave him an extra 500 yuan. However, her son spent the extra 500 yuan within two days, leading her to believe that he lacks money management skills. She hopes that by reducing his living allowance, he would experience the tight situation.
Previously, Ms. Zhao linked her son’s living allowance to his progress in obtaining a certification. She expressed her desire for her son to quickly obtain a skills certificate. Since he has been delaying the certification process, and developing a resistance, she proposed decreasing his monthly allowance from 4,000 yuan to 2,000 yuan until he clears the certification exam, after which she would consider restoring the original amount.
As per the current plan, the 2,000 yuan living allowance will be distributed weekly. If the son obtains the certificate, he may receive a bonus ranging from 500 to 1,000 yuan. There will also be rewards for winning in game competitions. Both parties have agreed to a trial period of two months.
A 2025 consumer behavior study conducted by the mainland higher education research institution Michael’s surveyed 2,783 university students, who revealed an average monthly living allowance of 1,744 yuan. 24.9% stated that occasionally, their allowance is insufficient, while 3.4% claimed it was often inadequate.
Reports from mainland China mentioned that a female student at Beijing Jiaotong University had a monthly living allowance of 2,000 yuan, mainly spent on meals. Eating only at the cafeteria would cost around 1,000 yuan per month.
A student at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications estimated that he spends about 1,350 yuan monthly on meals alone. If one desires a more comfortable lifestyle, the total expenditure would be around 2,500 yuan.
There are disparities in families’ financial capacities. A parent interviewed mentioned that with a combined monthly income of only 6,000 yuan, with a second child at home, they could only afford to provide their university-going child with a monthly allowance of 1,000 yuan.
A Weibo user, “Che Zao-Zong Zeyuan,” believes that children should understand the hardships of earning money, as some part-time workers might not have 2,000 yuan left after deducting rent. “What mothers give is a living allowance, not a financial freedom fund for the four university years,” he remarked.
Another netizen, “Boss Yao who talks about cars,” expressed understanding towards the mother’s desire for her child to overcome procrastination and learn to plan. However, he suggested that basic living expenses and certification rewards should be kept separate to prevent the child from feeling like even eating is a reward-punishment chip.
He proposed ensuring basic expenses are met first, followed by using certification rewards to motivate the child. “Have a secure life foundation, with rewards for progress, don’t compromise on either end,” he concluded.