Free Bowling for the Month of November at Brooklyn Bowl

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Don’t get down about the cold city streets forcing your back indoors, because Brooklyn Bowl has sweet deals that will warm up your heart and not your credit card. Read more

Free After-Hour Cafe & Lecture Series at the American Museum of Natural History

For all you science and sci-fi nerds (myself included), the Museum of Natural History is starting a monthly lecture series/cafe mingling event that seems similar to Brooklyn’s Secret Science Club meetups. Read more

Free Ballet Noir Concert in East River Park

You always hear about the free concerts that pop up all over NYC’s parks, but dance concerts are less frequent.  Unless you want to fight the masses as Central Park’s Summerstage, you may not get too many other chances to see top-notch dance companies for free. Read more

Comedy Central Park: Free on Friday!

Get your dose of free laughs this Friday, June 19, in Central Park with the third annual “Comedy Central Park” show.  The free comedy show will take place at Central Park SummerStage and is headlined by Gabriel Iglesias, with special guest Pablo Francisco. Read more

Free on Thursday: In The Flesh Erotic Reading Series

Tired of the same old bar scene each Thursday night?  We know we are.  That’s why we never hesitate to jump on the more novel events the city has to offer.  And if they’re free?  Well, then, that just makes it all the more sweeter. “In The Flesh”, a monthly reading series of erotica hosted and curated by Rachel Kramer Brussel (Editor of Glamour Girls, First-Timers, The Mile High Club), is happening this Thursday and will feature readings from authors and writers around the NYC area. Read more

Koreannovation Brings South Korean Awesomeness to NYC

The Great Wall of China. Confucius. Legend of the Overfiend. The Far East is home to many mysteries and wonders that cause us Westerners to either admire proudly from afar or turn a curious brow. Fortunately, seeing such amazing items no longer require wallet-draining trips that last a fortnight; Koreannovation is bringing some of South Korea’s hottest (and oddest) products to Penn Plaza with no cost to you. Read more

Is It Possible to Live Below your Means in NYC?

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

The Secret Science Club Returns to The Bell House

Nerds, Geeks, and all manner of Curious Cats listen up: The Secret Science Club is back and serving up two heaping scoops of knowledge for you baby birds on April 1st . This week’s topic? Mars. Read more