After moving to New York City four years ago, I fell into the common trap of feeling like I could participate in the city’s extravagance the way the rich and the coddled enjoy the city. Like many others that have traveled the road before me, I had to learn the hard way that I, unlike the numerous trust fund babies and bankers, did not have a Get Free pass into the city’s limitless playground for the wealthy. Once that realization sank in and I stopped feeling sorry for myself, I was able to settle in and enjoy the real New York City. That is, the one without all the flavor of the month restaurants with their $20 cocktails and over-obsessed neophytes.
There are plenty of ways to take in all this great city has to offer without overextending yourself and putting too much strain on your finances. But, in a city where it isn’t unusual to allocate 50% of your salary towards housing, is it really possible for New Yorkers to live below their means?
Anything is possible, but if there ever was a city to test this notice, New York is it. We won’t say yes or no, since each person’s finances are different and there are far too many variables to crunch, but there are definite ways to cut costs in the city without sacrificing too much convenience or some semblance of a social life. Here are a few ways to try.
1. Check for a local CSA or Food Co-op in your neighborhood. There’s a comprehensive list here which details all of the CSA’s in each borough. Most of them usually amount to around $20 a week of food, and you’ll be eating healthy and in season while saving cash on store bought goods.
2. Hang Local. Make friends in your neighborhood and check out local watering holes. So much money is spent on overpriced meals, drinks and cabs. Curtail some of that spending by hitting up local establishments. You’ll meet local people, help out local business and save money. If; however, pricey Manhattan is your game (or your borough), find activities that’ll provide low cost fun.
3. Start shopping for Dollar Store wares. The Dollar Store has absolutely everything — well, most things. If I’m ever in need of a new toothbrush, cosmetics, linens — even some cheap food, it’s sure to come in under $5 and usually under $2. There’s rarely something that I need that I can’t find at the Dollar Store or a comparable knock-off, and I’ve practically furnished my entire kitchen for less than a hundred bucks soley from D.S. and Bobby’s Department Store in Brooklyn.
4. Take Advantage of Free Events. There are quite a surprisingly quite a few events in the city that are free of charge — music concerts, outdoor dance festivals, art exhibits, comedy shows, museums. There’s no reason to pay top dollar for events when you can still experience the city’s vast array of cultural activities for nothing. A good resource for more stuff is FreeNYC — check it out.
Life in NY can still be had when you make pointedly less than six figures. It may beg for more creative solutions, but the point is that those activities still exist. With a little thought and imagination, you can create a rich city life just like the other guys.
Photo by NightLord
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The food co-op in Park Slope has no limit, although you have to work 2.75 hours a month to shop there. It’s well worth it– I imagine I save at least $150 a month in groceries.
I just signed up for the Ditmas Park CSA — $334 for 5 months of weekly vegetable/egg/flower deliveries. I think I have to put in a 2 hours of volunteer time too, but it’s still really worth it.