Ditch the Smart Phone – Get a Peek and Save a Ton of Cash

The iPhone has sold 17 million phones since its debut in 2007.  Smart phones make up 28% of all cell phone purchases.  But there are still a good chunk of people out there who don’t want to mix their phone calls and their data.  I’m one of these people.  Call me old-fashioned or behind the times — I don’t care.  Data plans are still hella expensive and I just can’t stomach a phone bill over $100. Read more

Parachute Literary and Performance Festival Brings the Arts to Coney Island

When you think of Coney Island, what immediately springs to mind? A dog at Nathan’s? Dodging the Coney Island Whitefish as you dance on the sun-warmed shore? The wacky cast of characters that make the Mermaid Parade one of the best sights in the city? Indeed, that is Coney Island, but come September 12th and 13th, it may very well adopt a new image: South Brooklyn’s artistic hub.

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Housing Works Opens Another Awesome Thrift Store in Tribeca – Woot!

Two nights ago, LifeStyler intern Francesca Antonacci and I attended the opening of the new Housing Works AIDS foundation/thrift store in Tribeca.  This one houses two floors of goods and words cannot express how much I love this organization. Read more

5 Ways to Boost Your Education for Free

If you’ve been spending most of the summer watching Michael Jackson videos and losing at online chess to a kid half your age, then you could probably afford to be doing something a little more productive. Now, while the reason for all this idleness may very well be because you’re lazy,bored, or just waited to the last minute to look for a job or internship, we would like to hope that the more likely reason is because engaging in any kind of productive/intellectual activity over the summer is super expensive.

So for those of you whose lack of monetary funds is indeed stunting your professional and intellectual growth, we’ve found 5 free resources you can use to improve your education and acquire new skills.

Free Classes at New York Public Libraries
In the midst of using our precious libraries to avoid paying for school textbooks, movies, and magazines, we tend to overlook one of its most beneficial resources–free classes.  It literally takes about 5 minutes to register online for any number of courses including (but not limited to) introductory and intermediate courses on Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word Processor, as well as resume writing. Learning how to effectively navigate your way through any one of these Microsoft programs can be an extremely valuable asset when searching for employment and is definitely something you can place under the Special Skills area of your resume. Even if you are already employed and don’t really need a resume booster, learning all the intricate functions of programs such as Excel and Word, will definitely increase your efficiency at work and impress your boss.

Free College Lectures
Did you always dream of attending MIT? Princeton? Yale? Well, thanks to the Internet, you can (kind of). You see, although they may not be able to give you a formal degree or a room on campus, these institutions and many others have posted many of their lectures and homework assignments online for the world to see. For instance, MIT Open Coursewares, a revolutionary program started in 2002 to make educational knowledge available to the public free of charge, includes free courses, lecture notes, and exams for nearly all of the institution’s course content! So whether you are looking to take some classes you may have missed in college or enhance your knowledge of a particular academic discipline, this is something you definitely need to check out.

Graduates with Benefits
Whether you’re retired, unemployed or just need a good excuse to relive the old college days you may want to consider auditing a class. Many colleges now offer former students and/or affiliates of the college to audit classes for free. If you are in the loop with your college’s alumnae network you probably know all this already, and if you’re not make sure you join it as soon as possible. The benefits of attending any particular college many times extend well beyond the moment you are handed your degree, so just make sure you’re in the know about how to take advantage of all the freebies. As a side note, many colleges also offer alumnae access to fitness and gym facilities (for free or at discount) just in case you wanted a physical education as well.

Online Courses at Hewlet Packard
Well, this is certainly news to me– HP has online classes, and they are free! The most interesting part of this whole bit is that they actually give you a certificate of completion for each course you finish. The HP Learning Center’s free online courses which range in topics from email and web browsing to Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop and Digital Photography, come complete with lessons, assignments, tests, quizzes and a message board forum, so you are able to interact with other individuals (as well as the instructor) taking the class. This is definitely a great resource for those looking to improve skills related to home offices, IT, digital photography and graphic design.

Yoga, Tai Chi, AND Capoeira
Okay, so signing up for a few exercise classes may not necessarily improve your education or increase your special skills, but it can definitely make you a more attractive job candidate. Taking advantage of New York City’s free fitness programs in Socrates Sculpture Park, taking place on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer and into the early fall, can be a great way to get back in shape and boost your confidence for that next interview. There are also free classes in the AM and PM in Bryant Park, which you can find out more about here.  Additionally with such a variety of free classes being taught (tai chi, yoga, capoeira, and pilates) you are bound to meet a lot of diverse people, which can be a great opportunity for networking. To find out more about how you can improve your health and your confidence (for free) visit http://socratessculpturepark.org/programs/fitness.php.

So whether you’re at home watching MIT lectures on nuclear science and engineering or at Socrates Park allowing your mind and body to become one, there are plenty of things you can do this summer to acquire a valuable new skill set. And, the best part is they are all free.

Good Deal Alert: Cheap Beer, Hot Wings and Free Baseball at Duke’s

I wouldn’t say that I’m the biggest sport fan, but I do love a good baseball game. The screaming crowds, the sea of jerseys, the intensity of overtime. But expensive seats, traffic jams and break-the-bank beer prices can make the experience less than stellar. Read more

The NYC Guide to Flea Markets

5 Ways a Career Mentor Can Make You a More Valuable Asset

Ever wish you had a way of seeing what your career might be like in 20 years? Yeah, me too. However, since the DeLorean was our best effort at time travel and because most us are not willing to pay $40 an hour to have someone read our future from a foggy crystal ball, your best bet might be going with a medium of foretelling that’s a little more realistic. Read more

Seinfeld 9 Season Giveaway!

Cancelled your cable to save money on cash, but now find yourself dying for some quality television content?  No worries.  The staff here at LifeStyler has your back, and we’re gonna give one lucky reader the Full 9 Seasons of Seinfeld.  But like everything in life, this beautiful DVD set, encased in faux suede and boasting a coffee table book, doesn’t come without a little bit of work. Read more

The Broke New Yorker’s Guide to (Politely) Declining a Social Invite

Every so often, amongst the stacks of bills piling up in your mailbox, you’ll spot a large envelope with a delicate cursive adorning the front. Suddenly your wallet feels hundreds of dollars lighter. An invitation to an event, whether it’s a wedding, bridal shower, baby shower or birthday party typically means you’re expected to drop some cash. Read more

Vote for our Panel at the 2010 SXSWi Festival!

Your favorite budget New Yorkers are proposed panelists during SXSW Interactive’s 2010 Festival.  The topic?  The Broke Diaries: How to use blogs and Twitter to live cheaply.  But the process is largely decided by viewers, which is why we need your vote!  Read more

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