Running out of allowance before the end of the month is one of the most common stresses UST students face — especially in the first semester, when the real cost of Manila living becomes clear for the first time. The problem is rarely that the allowance is too small. It is usually that the spending was not planned. Money disappears into daily Grab rides, fast food meals, convenience store snacks, and spontaneous purchases that each felt small but added up to more than expected