Brooklyn Flea to Run Indoor Holiday Market

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It’s no secret that we here at LifeStyler are thrift store junkies, searching fervently for our next bargain fix. That’s why we sing the praises of the beloved Brooklyn Flea Market. We’ve found many a great item there. So when we heard about the indoor holiday mart across the street, produced by the same guys at the Brooklyn Flea, we were pretty psyched. Read more

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LifeStyler Tip: Don’t Be A Gift-Giving Dunce

Love ‘em or hate ‘em the holidays are here, and with it comes the gift giving season. Although we’ve all endured the “it’s the thought that counts” life lessons from parents, teachers, and other important folk, one craptacular present is all it takes to make you realize the gift itself is of utmost importance.

With that in mind, we at Lifestyler HQ have gathered around the ol’ fireplace, complete with soy nogs in hand, to relate to you horrible tales of gift giving in the holiday seasons and how they could’ve been avoided (which boils down to: know the person that you’re shopping for).

Jeffrey Wilson, Associate Editor
WHAT I GOT
Picture a young Jeffrey Wilson circa winter ‘85 wiping the sleep from his eye and scurrying to the base of the family Christmas tree to unwrap what he was sure was going to be something so grand that he’ll never beg for a toy again–at least ’til his next birthday. Instead, the 11-year old rips open the package to find an uber-tight, sky blue sweater with white snowflakes and reindeer decorating the back and torso.

WHY IT SUCKED
It was an uber-tight,sky blue sweater with white snowflakes and reindeer decorating the back and torso. I was a child of the ’80s who was raised on a steady diet of G.I. Joe, A-Team, and He-Man. If a present didn’t explode, rattle off machine gun noises, or allowed me to slay imaginary enemies, it didn’t count. Besides, when I donned the wretched piece of cloth, I looked so, so gay. Being called a “homo” by classmates pretty much confirmed my initial reaction.

WHAT I WOULD’VE PREFERRED
A Transformer, a trip to the movie theater, anything besides that repugnant sweater. As an adult, I understand Mama Wilson’s desire to keep Jack Frost from nipping at me, but back then I would’ve gladly traded it in for the flu.

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Lauren Fairbanks, Editor
WHAT I GOT
One product of growing up with a penny-saving father is that you often get useful, practical gifts during the holiday seasons. This means oftentimes I would get a practice checking account kit in lieu of the Hot Wheels Car Wash that I really wanted. But when I was 12 years old, on the brink of my teenage years, my father decided to bypass the fun and games for an altogether overly sensible gift. As my sister and I were greedily ripping through our presents, I grabbed a small box from my dad and pulled it open to reveal what would become the butt of family jokes to come for the next decade: a brown, plastic hairbrush.

WHY IT SUCKED
A few reasons come to mind, but 1) I already had a hairbrush, 2) Beauty accessories do not count as presents. They are essentials and rank right up there with shampoo from a drugstore. And while I guess you could count a fancy brush, comb, and mirror set gilded in silver and passed down from generation to generation a gift. However, this was no heirloom, and after scouting it out in Wal-Mart, I found it in the make-up aisle with a $3.99 price tag.

WHAT I WOULD’VE PREFERRED
I was a simple kid. I didn’t need a big, shiny contraption to capture my attention. In fact, a bucket and shovel would most likely have sufficed. But what I really wanted was a Hot Wheels Car Wash set, which I’m pretty sure at the time would have rung up with a price tag less than $10.

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Regina Roberts, Contributor
WHAT I GOT
Luckily, my early childhood was one of great Christmases. I honestly can’t complain much about that time. And while I can’t remember any truly heinous presents, there were a few moments where I was utterly confused by a present. One such moment was when I received a yellow, water filled, flexible tube. I can’t remember its name, and I never fully figured out what it was or how excitement was supposed to be elicited from it. Nevertheless, I tossed it around with my brother until one day it landed on the floor during a game of catch and broke. I won’t lie and say that I was upset at the loss, but I did try to make somewhat good use out of it while I had it.

WHY IT SUCKED
Generally gifts that don’t even register a name in the memory are not all that great. And gifts that don’t have a specialized purpose rate even lower. I can’t say that it completely sucked, as I did throw it around in an attempt to play with it, similar to the way you’d play with sticks and rocks while pretending you were wielding a sword and stealing gold coins.

WHAT I WOULD’VE PREFERRED
What I would have really liked was a brand new shiny BMX bike with the pegs on the front and back so that I could attempt to do tricks and occasionally let a friend hitch a ride. That would have been the ultimate present and would have brought me closer to my childhood dream of riding professionally (or so I thought), but hey, you win some.

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MTA Proposed Fare Hike (AGAIN)

Get ready to be bludgeoned once again with a ridiculous increase in public transportation costs. It looks highly likely that the MTA will once again be digging deep into the pockets of New Yorker’s to fill their ever-increasing budget gaps. The Daily News speculated that the MTA will likely increase the base fare from $2.00 to $2.50 or $3.00, all the while cutting evening service down and possibly nixing Z,G, and M service. Read more

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LifeStyler’s Top 10 Picks for Black Friday

Like all good lifestyle sites, it just wouldn’t be the holidays if we didn’t cover some Black Friday specials. So for all of you sale searching holiday shoppers out there, we’ve put together our Top 10 picks from the holiday circulars floating around the web.

On a side note, you may be wondering, after browsing through the list, why the all-time Black Friday favorite Wal-Mart isn’t listed with the Top 10. That would be because Wal-Mart just released some of their holiday deals, so instead of re-formulating our list, we’ve added an Update at the bottom that lists our top favorites from Wal-Mart. Because let’s be real: Wal-Mart is in a category all to itself.

1. DVD’s

K-Mart is offering a nice selection of their dvd collections for $3.99. But don’t be fooled, these aren’t a bunch of 1980’s pseudo-action reject flicks. They’re ponying up some pretty decent titles like Wedding Crashers, Aviator, and Smokin’ Aces.

2. iConcept iSpeakers

K-Mart is offering a pretty sweet deal on the iConcept iSpeakers and offering shoppers a Buy One Get One Free when they pick up the speakers for $9.99 – that’s right, $5 for each pair. Now to be fair, they’re probably not anything incredible, but they’d make a good present for a kid with an iPod.

3. DVD Box Sets

There’s little that I pine for, but a Seinfeld DVD box set is one of them. Luckily, Best Buy is offering that show and more for $14.99/set (limit 5 per store). This includes Seinfeld, Weeds, The Office, House, Family Guy and The Simpsons.

4. 30 Piece Glassware Set

In need of some glassware, but don’t want to spend a bundle? JC Penny has you covered. For a mere $19.88, you get a 30 piece glassware set including 10 coolers, 10 double old-fashioned, and 10 juice glasses.

5. First Act Discover Electronic Tabletop Drum

This looks like a pretty kick ass way to spend $20 bucks, and I reckon most kids would be thrilled with it — especially if the little tykes are into music. K-Mart has the First Act Discover Electronic Tabletop Drum for an affordable $19.99.

6. Wool pea coats

Burlington Coat Factory is offering a sale on their wool blend pea coats. And at $39.99 (almost half the price of others), you can afford to buy a couple of ‘em to keep you warm through these upcoming, bitterly cold months.

7. 7″ Curtis portable DVD player

Anyone who travels a lot or has a small child knows the value that those portable DVD players can provide. But who wants to drop a couple of hundred bucks on something you probably won’t use on a daily basis? Ace Hardware will be selling the Curtis portable dvd player for a sweet $79.99 this Friday.

8. MALM queen bed frame

No holiday shopping list is complete without the mother of all discount furniture and housewares (and our personal favorite for home decor items). For $99 (a $100 savings) you can pick up their MALM queen bed frame - that’s the Asian-inspired platform bed with sleek lines and a minimal design. Also worth noting is that they will be giving away FREE breakfast until 10:30 am.

9. Patio gas heater

Anyone who enjoys grilling outdoors or just enjoying an afternoon out on the balcony/patio with friends will get good use out of this. The patio gas heater is a tall, lamp looking device that generates heat and is perfect for spending time outdoors in the winter months. Home Depot is selling these at a budget friendly $99.

10. Xbox 360 and 2 games

It wouldn’t be the holidays if we didn’t include some sort of gaming device, and the talk of the Black Friday message boards. Out of all of the Friday specials that are including the Xbox 360, Dell is by far offering the best savings at $255 and including 2 games - Kung Fu Panda and Lego Indiana Jones - to go along with the deal. The purchase price is $300, but comes with a $50 coupon.

UPDATE: Wal-Mart is posted. Items of note are:

* Garmin nuvi 200 portable GPS unit for $97
* Samsung 10.2MP Digital Camera for $69
* Xbox 360 Arcade console with Guitar Hero III and wireless guitar for $199

*Disclaimer: All information posted in this post is from third party websites, and as such, not all pdf’s and deals may be accurate and valid.

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5 Quick and Easy Thanksgiving-Worthy Recipes

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and with all of the dinner invites and family gatherings, you’ve got to come up with a quick and easy dish to bring over because you can’t show up empty handed. So for those of you who are a bit domestically challenged, like us, we’ve got you covered with some simple and inexpensive Thanksgiving worthy side dishes. Keep on reading for our Top 5 sure-to-please recipes. Read more

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How To Save on Transportation Costs in NYC

I heard recently that the MTA is set to start increasing their advertising revenues even more with the emergence of new ad covered trains, neighborhood-targeted video ads on buses, and wrapped ads around some of the turnstiles (which I’ve already seen in the 42nd St Q station). With the talks of hiking the MetroCard up EVEN MORE, alternative transportation has been on my mind a lot lately. Since lowering the fares (or at least keeping them frozen) is most likely not an option, here are four ways to save some of your cash from being wasted on transportation.

1. Always buy monthly Metro cards. If you work a full-time job and you take the train or the bus every day, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be buying monthly Metrocards, instead of the assortment of other options. This card is by far the bigger savings. I plead my case to everyone I see purchasing weekly or per ride cards, and the biggest perpetrator is our own Jeffrey Wilson. I am forever trying to persuade him to buy the $81 cards, but he insists on paying $24 for a Weekly pass. He could save an additional $15 a month if he’d only plan ahead and buy the monthly card in advance.

2. Car Pool. This doesn’t resonate with every New Yorker, but out in the bowels of Brooklyn, lots of people drive. I suppose it’s the same for the other boroughs too. When you live in such close proximity to your neighbors, have kids that go to the same schools, and work close to each other, it doesn’t make sense to drive individual vehicles to work and back. Check with your neighbors and start a neighborhood car pool by getting together people who work near you and whose schedules are similar. You’ll save a ton on gas, and you’ll have extra time when you aren’t driving to focus on something other than traffic on your commute.

3. Walk instead of taking cabs. We all wish that we had the sort of disposable income that allows one to hail cabs to dinner three nights a week with friends or home from work, but the reality is that cabs are freakin’ expensive. And, are a good majority of the time, unnecessary. But what about when you’re running late, you may ask. Well, if you’re running late to something ten or fifteen blocks away, and it’s between the hours of 5pm and 8pm, chances are you’re going to be late either way. And walking may even get you there more quickly. I’m always surprised at how fast I can trek from 42nd to 14th Street (and trust I am no athlete).

4. Bike. This is everyone’s favorite — and my least favorite. I haven’t straddled a bike seat in a good decade, so the chances of me forging onward with this one are pretty minimal. It does, however, have its perks. If you live in a borough, you get to bike over one of the bridges in the morning. I can only imagine how breathtaking and beautiful a way that must be to start your day. If you’re located in the city, you’re pretty much guaranteed a swift commute home, away from the annoying quirks of buses and trains. And, you’re also out in the brisk air, getting exercise — and for New Yorkers, that’s some serious multi-tasking.

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What I Learned From Damon Dash’s Financial Muck Up

On Friday, the New York Daily News ran a story about Damon Dash, the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records(most famous for a little rapper you may have heard of named Jay-Z) and the accompanying Rocawear clothing line. Dash, who just a few years ago looked to be the second coming of Russell Simmons, is now in the poor house. Read more

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Free Clothes Today in Times Square!

Have a few hours to kill tomorrow morning? If you’ve got the endurance for battling it out over free duds, head over to 42nd around 10am. The clothing company, Uniqlo will be holding a major promotion in Times Square tomorrow by giving out 1,000 free one size fits all garments (no news yet on what exactly). Read more

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5 Daily Ways to Save

It’s safe to say that most people are looking for ways to alter some aspect of their routine in order to be as frugal and financially conscious as possible — especially with the holidays creeping up. Making small changes in your daily routine can be far more economical than you would think. In order to hang on to your hard earned cash, here are five easy ways to save a few pennies here and there:

1. Shoe Repair Shops- So, one of your favorite pairs of shoes started showing how much you love them. Instead of retiring them for a new pair, visit one of those handy shoemakers you see around midtown. For $20 or less you should be able to mend worn heels, color and polish scuffs or reinforce the tips of your shoes. Many people have forgotten about the art of cobbling, but it is an excellent and cost effective way to extend the life of your footwear for far less than the cost of a new pair of shoes.

2. Savings Club Cards- Have you ever went shopping at the supermarket or drugstore and been asked “Do you have a club card?” If you’ve been saying “no”, you should do a rewind. Take five minutes out of your time to fill out the savings card form. You’ll get some good discounts, and in some cases the cards will accumulate points that help you earn a coupon worth $5 or $10 bucks off. It’ll save you money on household and personal items that you’d buy anyway.

3. Skip the Beverages- When eating out, it’s often the drinks that tip your bill over your desired cost. Sometimes plain old tap water with lemon can suffice and you’ll notice a sizable difference in the bill. If you absolutely need the fizz of some soda or a bottled water, purchase a six-pack of soda at the grocer and store it at the office. You’ll end up spending half the price than that of restaurants and delis.

4. Bring Lunch to Work- One simple and common way to save is to forgo buying lunch during the work week. Stick to a simple lunch that you can carry to work or pack some leftovers from your dinner from the night before and watch the the savings add up. Another idea I find helpful is “half-brown bagging” lunch. For example, lets say you have the necessary parts for a terrific sandwich at home and you pack one for lunch but you know it won’t quite fill you up, stop at the local deli or your company’s cafeteria and pick up an economical cup of soup. You’ll then have a balanced meal that still costs half of what a usual lunch time soup and sandwich combo costs at the local cafe.

5. Be Crafty- If a staple piece in your wardrobe gets a bit worn, be crafty and look into altering it. If the elbow of a long-sleeved shirt is worn out and otherwise in good condition, do a quick cut and sew job and turn it into a short-sleeved shirt. Or, let’s say you have an old jacket that you want to spruce up a bit. Change the buttons or add other details for an inexpensive, but new, look.

By expanding on and combing these tips with others, you can save even more money. For example, try using your club card to buy a six-pack of your favorite drink to keep at work when brown bagging lunch. Making small adjustments can have a large positive impact on your overall budget, so never underestimate what the savings of a bit of pocket change.

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Mayor Bloomberg to Raise Taxes in NYC by 15%

If you’re thinking “WTF!?” right now, then you sum up our thoughts pretty well. Mayor Bloomberg’s tax increase follows the nearly 20% tax increase after 9/11, and is mirroring similar tax increases in other cities across the U.S. in an effort to close budget gaps due to the lull in the current economy. Read more

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