Burnout from NYC? Take this New Yorker’s Advice and Get a Fresh Perspective

After living in New York City for four years, I was experiencing major burnout.  The city felt too expensive, too crowded, and too competitive.  The economy was going through a downturn, but my apartment management company was still raising the rent.  Although I did love aspects of the city, I needed a break.  I decided it was time to do something I had wanted to do for a long time, and signed up to volunteer abroad. Read more

A Perfect Day for Freebies: Museum Mile

Looking for something to do to while away the dreariness that is today’s weather?  Head over to the Museum Mile after work today to get into many of  NYC’s museums on the 5th Avenue strip for free.  Note: This is a perfect time to check out the Guggenheim and the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum for nothing without having to go at awkward times or pay upwards of $15 for a ticket.  Read more

The Ice Cream and Fro-Yo Guide

As a girl who’s a slave to my sweet tooth, my year is split into two foodie seasons:  cupcakes in the winter and ice cream in the summer. Since Mother Nature jumped from cool April showers to sweltering 90 degree summer days, I’ve shifted the gears in favor of some ice cream. Read more

Monthly Mashup: April Edition

With summer on the upswing, New Yorkers are preparing themselves for weekends full of lazy outdoor afternoons, trips to the parks and beaches, intramural sports and hopefully some summer Fridays (crossed fingers).  But the most important thing about summertime is that it’s the best season to save money since free things like outdoor concerts and street festivals pop up almost every weekend.  Ah, New York in the summertime.

With the rainy days of April hopefully behind us, we’re taking a retrospective look back at our favorite and most popular stories from LifeStyler and the rest of the webs.

Is it Possible to Live Below your Means in NYC? – New York is a place of unparalleled expenses.  For the vast majority of us making under six figures a year, it can be one of continual financial stress having to live paycheck to paycheck.  We asked our writers to come up with some ways that help them live below their means in the big city and threw it all together to make a list of the ways we cut corners to keep some money in the bank.

The Best 15 Financial iPhone Apps – David at Money Under 30 sifts through the vast wasteland of iPhone apps to find the best iPhone apps for your money — management, that is.  Our favorite?  The ATM Hunter.

How Far is Too Far in the Quest for Employment? – How far are some people willing to go to make a living if unemployment strikes?  We spoke to a few readers to find out where they draw the line.

Being Frugal on Groceries Doesn’t Mean Starvation – The guys over at Thrive (an free online personal finance management program) discuss how to be a frugal grocery shopper without starving in the process.

Sell Junk for Cash and Free Your Soul – Cleaning out the apartment can not only be beneficial to your wallet, it can be emotionally cathartic too.  Our associate editor, Jeffrey Wilson, explores the benefits of cleaning house and selling off old nostalgia.

Budget Decorating Guide – New York Magazine can sometimes overshoot the budget shopping guides, featuring a $250 summer dress as a “steal” when most of us would have to choose between that purchase and rent. But they finally hit the nail on the head with their latest budget decorating guide, focusing on budget shopping hot spots like Pearl River Mart, National Wholesale Liquidators and Bowery Kitchen Supplies.

Confessions of a Habitual Job Hopper – We’re all aware of negative outlook associated with job hopping, but as a happy job hopper myself, I wanted to point out the positive aspects of the “sport” and take a look at how Gen Yers, with all their saavy web 2.0 know how, are indeed a generation of job hoppers and how they’re out to change the current work landscape.

Free Comic Book Day Tomorrow!

Any geeks in the house? Tomorrow, May 2nd,  is Free Comic Book Day. Head over to your local participating comic shops to get free issues, attend creator signings, and snag all sorts of discounts on graphic novels and other goodies. Read more

Best Buy’s Huge $10 Videogame Blowout

Remember a time when videogaming was a hobby regulated to snot-nosed little brothers who congregated in basements with his nerdy buddies to blow hour upon hour on Halo? With the rise of the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii, the hobby has crossed virtually every demographic and has solidified itself as a true mainstream past time. Read more

Sell Junk for Cash and Free Your Soul

Your home is a goldmine.  I’m not referring to property value; I’m speaking of the loads of useless crap about the home (unused books, movies, videogames, clothing, and other miscellaneous items) that potential buyers are more than willing to drop a few bucks on–if you’re willing to part with it. Read more

Free Healthcare to Jobless and Uninsured at Walgreens

Jobless and uninsured after March 31, 2009?  A little bit of luck is coming your way.  Walgreens will be offering free treatment for certain types of illness: “respiratory problems, allergies, infections and skin conditions, among other ailments” to be exact.  Read more

Monthly Mashup: March Edition

Spring has finally sprung.  Well, almost.  And to kick it off, we’ve once again picked out our favorite and most popular posts from LifeStyler and some other intriguing blogs and websites  ’round the web for our March Monthly Mashup.  Keep reading for a compilation of interesting shiz from the past month.

Also worth noting, we’ll be having a contest on the website soon.  So keep coming back for a chance to win a pretty freakin’ awesome prize.  We’ll be revealing it soon.

Are Young People Afraid to Invest? – Young people in recent history have shown a disproportionate lack of ability in managing their money.  We took a look into the issue to see if attitudes towards saving for retirement and frugality have changed due to the current economic climate.

Paparazzi iPhone App Turns You Into Julia Allison – Looking for that big break?  Want internet fame and fortune — or at least Facebook fame?  Check out the Paparazzi iPhone app game.  It brings a whole new meaning to the concept of popularity.

Think Networking Gets You Ahead? Not How You’re Doing It – Our friends over at Money Under 30 got it right.  Lots of young adults miss many of the crucial aspects of networking.  David explains what the Do’s and Dont’s of effective networking are and how to make sure you’re doing it right.

Cold Cash in the Name of Science? – Part-time jobs are ok, but quite a few people are looking into more unconventional ways to earn a buck or two.  One of those ways is by volunteering for medical research.  We spoke to a former medical research assistant to find out what’s involved with one of these studies, how much you can expect to make, and what to be prepared for.

The 5 Best Free iPhone and iPod Touch Apps: Part Deux – Our obsession with all things iPhone related continues with our second edition of the five best free iPhone apps.  We take a look at our second round of favorite applications that do everything from watching your stocks to browsing locales and planning your next vacation.

Wise Buys: Experts Share Tips for Saving on Clothes, Gadgets, and Groceries – The NY Daily News talks to NYC residents about how they save some green on everything from clothing, gadgets and groceries.  Because, really, who has the ins on ways to save in this great city of ours better than the villagers themselves?

Acer Aspire One: A Wallet-Friendly Netbook for the Budget Conscious – Thinking of downgrading that thousand dollar computer for a cheaper model?  We took a hard look at Acer’s new $350 netbook to find out if it’s worth ditching the full-size versions and taking advantage of the huge cost difference.  Read on for our thoughts on the tiny machine.

Neighborhood Watch: Astoria – The LifeStyler crew took to the streets of Astoria and spoke to long-time resident, Brian Heater to find out the inside scoop on his Queens hood.

.

Photo credit: katmere

5 Tips for Hardcore Haggling

As someone who’s been on both sides of the haggling scene, I’ve seen some hardcore hagglers stand firm and score some pretty sweet deals.  On the other hand, I’ve seen the novice haggler walk away intimidated and empty handed.  If done right and used in the appropriate places, haggling should increase your chances of getting a few dollars shaved off the bottom line of a price tag.  The idea is to adopt the tried and true methods that have been proven to work.  Keep reading for 5 tips on shoring up your haggling skills.  And once you’re done?  Take a trip to the flea market and see if you can’t put some of those skills to work.

1. Research your prices.

Haggling is not about getting something at half the price.  You’re trying to get a better deal by having the shipping charges nixed or getting a 10% discount.  In order to avoid offending the seller and ruining your chances of ever getting the item, do your research.  Know what people are paying for this item brand new in the packaging and what the slightly used versions are going for.  This way, you can throw in some hard facts into your conversation that will give you some backing in your offer.

Example: “Hi, I noticed the used “House” first season box set you listed on Craigslist for $40.  I’ve been looking for a good deal on the first season, since it’s my favorite show.  I’ve seen a few listings for used sets in the $30 range — would you be willing to accept $35? (I’d rather buy from someone local so that I don’t have to wait for shipping).

.

2.  Make an Offer

Whatever you do, never ask the question “How low would you be willing to go on this?”  No  seller would ever give you this information when there’s the possibility that you would be willing to settle for a price that’s higher than their bottom line.  It also makes you look like an amateur.  You’ve already done your research on comparable prices, so be confident and make an offer — but don’t lowball.  That can be insulting and can make a seller far less willing to agree on a mutually acceptable price.

Example: “Hi there.  I really love this sofa.  Would you be willing to sell for $300?”

.

3. Haggle at Night

Walking into a thrift store at 10am and trying to haggle $10 off of the sticker price of a lamp will probably not get you very far.  The day is young, and the salesperson has the entire day to make a profit.  Getting a discounted price is far easier at the end of the day, when the salesperson is tired, and is generally more willing to accept a lower bid for an item.  By haggling in the evening, you’re making it easier to for the seller to finish off the day with an easy sell.

Example: SALES PERSON:  “We’ll be closing in 10 minutes”  YOU:  “Oh, no problem.  By the way, is this on sale?  Oh, it’s not?  Well, would you take $15 instead of $20?”

.

4.  Point out any Flaws in the Product

This isn’t being nit picky — this is proving why the seller should accept a lower offer from you.  If the product is used in any way, this is a good way to back up your reasons for wanting a cheaper price — ie there’s a stain, rip, or there’s been general wear and tear.  If the product is new or still in the package, however, this one is going to be tougher to pull off.

Example: “Well, since there’s a rip on the seat of the chair and I’ll have to sew that up, would you accept $60 instead of $80?”

.

5.  Offer to Pay Immediately in Cash

You’d be surprised at how often cash in hand will motivate a seller to accept an offer.  There’s something about having immediate cash that makes the quick decision between accepting or declining an offer often work in your favor.  However, this usually works better for less expensive items that are under $100.  If you see something you like, and it’s priced $5 or $10 above what you’d like to pay, offer to pay them on the spot with cash.  This works more times than not.

Example: “I’ll give you $40 cash for it right now.”

.

Photo credit: Clairity

Next Page »