We know of plenty of major fields of study: Psychology, Philosophy, Anthropology. But there’s one study I wish they would have taught me more about in college:  Broke-ology-the study of being broke.  It comes from the great mind of Ennis King, played by Francois Battiste, in the aptly-titled production now playing at the Lincoln Center Theater.

“Broke-ology,” written by Nathan Louis Jackson, chronicle’s the lives of the King family as they deal with the absence of wife and mother, Sonia, played by Crystal A. Dickinson, and decay of the family’s patriarch, William, played by Wendell Pierce. As Ennis’ younger brother, Malcolm, Alano Miller holds the role of the younger brother who returns from college, faced with the difficult decision of whether to remain with his father, who is suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, or return to Connecticut for a well-paying job. As Ennis, Battiste played a man who has a baby on the way, a job he hates and the difficult task of making ends meet. “Broke-ology” was thought-provoking and brimming with emotion. It was about being “stuck” and wanting better from life; about the power of love and what it can lead one to do.

Chicago native Francois Battiste knows a lot about the study he so proudly announced he invented as Ennis King — that of being broke.  After  professionally acting in Chicago for 3 years at places like Victory Gardens, Lookingglass Theatre and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Battiste made the move to New York in 2002 to attend Julliard. Since graduation, he’s had roles in “Prelude to a Kiss,” “Ten Things to do Before I Die,” and “The Good Negro.” Even with such roles under his belt, Battiste says, “I am an actor. In New York City. I’m fully aware of trying to make ends meet.”

Aside from acting, Battiste works with Covenant House, a non-profit organization that sponsors abused and homeless children. As a Trainer for the Tele-Fundraising Division, Battiste says “it’s a job that’s very demanding. However, it allows me the flexibility one must have facing the demands of being an actor in this city.”

New York is expensive and you have to “cut down everywhere you can. I used to joke that you had to pay for oxygen in this city,” Battiste said. Carrying your own lunch, making your own coffee, reading your news online instead of print and skipping the restaurant and getting a great, affordable meal in your own kitchen are all ways to save, he suggests.

And on the rare occasion that Battiste does have free time, his recreational outlets are still budget-friendly. When “the weather agrees, I love to play catch with my wife, perhaps in the park. Or play her in dominoes, or my favorite: Scrabble.” Naturally, Battiste will also try to get to a good theater now and then with the help of the Theatre Development Fund (TDF). Other favorites include the Whitney Museum or museums that have a suggested donation like the MET and Museum of Natural History. And there’s always community service. Helping out, like at a soup kitchen, “is always a way to get outside of yourself, which can transcend your enjoyment in another way, without economic weight,” Battiste said.

Despite the expenses of living in the city, there are still ways to enjoy yourself without blowing all your cash. “NYC is its own planet,” Battiste said. “There’s no other place on earth that forces you onward and upward like the perpetual forward momentum of the rotten apple.”

“Broke-ology” is playing at Lincoln Center Theater through November 22. Tickets can be purchased at half price by phone at (212) 947-8844 or online at www.broadwayoffers.com using the code BOBLOG1. Or you can just click here.

Don’t have the cash to go yourself?  No problem.  Just leave a comment in the comments section with one way you save cash in the Big Apple, and you can win 2 tickets to see Broke-ology, courtesy of us and the nice people over at Lincoln Center.

Note: Limit 6 tickets per purchase.  Subject to availability.  Offer may be revoked at any time.  No retroactive discounts.  Regular service charges apply.

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