`I have to be wise in spending my allowance'

Students are ready for the end of the academic year and their long holiday, which is to start this month. Some have planned various activities, such as hanging out in shopping malls, going out of town, camping and the like. They want to make their one- month holiday useful and fun, despite their limited allowances. The Jakarta Post talked with several students about their anticipated and well-deserved school holiday.

Natalia, 18, is a second-year student at a private high school in Tangerang, Banten. She lives in Gading Serpong, Tangerang, with her family:

I plan to go to Malang, East Java, for about nine days with my classmates and some new friends.

A Christian youth organization has organized a retreat, with a number of activities.

Religious introspection, reflection and spiritual sharing with new friends, and singing in a choir will surely help me grow. I am looking forward to going there soon. It'll be cool, I'm sure.

I believe the activities will help my spiritual development. In this way, it's worth my money. This program, including accommodation, will cost me around Rp 450,000.

Of course, I also need pocket money if I want to take a city tour with my friends. But I don't dare ask my mother for more money!

Although...if she could spare another Rp 100,000, I would be very grateful. Then, I could have some fun with my friends during the retreat.

After the retreat, I will probably just stay at home spending the rest of my holiday reading novels, comics and other things.

Tari, 18, is in her final year at a private high school on Jl. Poltangan, South Jakarta. She lives nearby with her family:

I don't have any plans to go anywhere during the long holiday. Besides, it's not really a holiday for me, because I have to prepare for university.

I will be busy doing that, since I haven't been accepted at any university yet. To tell you the truth, I'm worried about it, especially because we're not that well-off.

Why should I go out of town just to have fun, while my mother struggles hard to save money for my school tuition?

If I need to go somewhere, I'll just go window shopping at malls in the city with friends. This way, I can save my allowance. My mother gives me about Rp 5,000 a day, which I usually spend on clothes or makeup.

It would be better for me to help my mother with her rujak (a traditional fruit salad with peanut sauce) business.

Besides, I need a lot of money for my university enrollment fee, which is so expensive now. It will cost me millions of rupiah.

Icha, 14, is a second-year student at a private middle school in Pluit, North Jakarta. She lives in Tangerang with her family:

I don't have any specific plans to go out of town during the long holiday, but my parents want me to join them at a company outing in Puncak.

My father and his colleagues are planning to rent bungalows for a couple of days to hold an internal party with their families.

I guess it'll be cool, as we will have a barbecue, grilling fish and chicken, drinking the whole night through, and talking until dawn.

I think I'll go with them. It's better to have fun with them, rather than being home alone without anything to do.

I'll also spend my holiday playing Play Station with my father at home, or hanging out in shopping centers once in a while with my friends to catch up on some window shopping.

I don't have that much money for shopping, since I have to manage the allowance my mother gives me, which is only about Rp 100,000 a month. I have to be wise in spending it, so that I can still have fun every month, even with a limited allowance.

-- Leo Wahyudi S