Local Travel: Doin’ Philly, Baltimore and DC on the Cheap

New York’s a microcosm of the whole world, right?  Well, sort of.  Sure, the city has it all, but sometimes a change of scenery just does a body good.  Like milk.  What’s more, is that Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington – the three major cities to the south – often get overlooked when compared to big, bad New York.  And that’s a shame.  It’s also what we seek to remedy.  So let’s head out of town and explore Philly, Baltimore and DC – on the cheap. Read more

5 Daily Ways to Save (Part II)

Everyone’s pinching extra pennies right now.  Whether you’re frugally furnishing your apartment with vintage pieces, stashing for a quick budget staycation or filling up that emergency cash stash, saving a few coins here and there is now a necessity.  Following up on our last Daily Ways to Save, here are five more tips to saving some extra coin.

1. Buy Your Morning Joe on the Block. Resist the urge to buy those pretty little lattes with their tantalizing foam, cream and drizzles of caramel.   Treating yourself to one of these might be ok once in a while but it can easily become a habit.  Stop before the addiction manifests and your wallet feels the crunch.  On your way to work, grab a cup of coffee at your local bodega before hopping on the subway — rarely will it cost more than a buck.  You’ll be supporting local small business and saving some change in the process.  If tea is more your bag, that’s great; carry a couple of teabags with you in your wallet or purse.  You can always score a cup of hot water free of charge at a local cafe, deli or fast food restaurant.

2.  Grab Breakfast – Not Lunch. Waking up early enough to eat breakfast and get out of the house on time for work is not always an easy task.  Some commuters often skip breakfast and hold off for lunch.  But why skip the most important meal of the day?  Doing this can cause you to spend more at lunch, since you’ll be starving by noon.  As someone who works in midtown surrounded by overpriced lunch spots, I ‘ve found that I save quite a bit of money each week by buying breakfast in lieu of lunch.  For instance, the local deli I go to in the mornings during the week sells “eggs all the way” with two eggs, home fries and toast for $2.75 plus tax.   The same deli sells sandwiches during lunch time for around $7.  Throw in a bag of chips or a salad, and you’ve easily topped $10.  If you grab coffee on the way to work and stop by a deli and pick up a breakfast special, you could have a full meal that will stave off hunger until the afternoon for less than $5.  Or pair that breakfast with a brown bag lunch from home and save considerable cash.

3.  Buy Snacks at the Supermarket. It’s very easy to pick up a danish at the cafe or buy a granola bar at the newsstand that you pass everyday on the way to the office.  Instead of spending extra cash picking up these items individually, purchase a box of your favorite snack at the supermarket.  If you don’t have a supermarket savings club card by now, get one.  Savings cards always help you save a little here and there. A  good idea is to keep some of these snacks at the job so that you resist pillaging at home on your days off.

4. Make Simple but Pricey Treats at Home. Most people, at some point in time, have bought a parfait, yogurt cup, or fruit salad and griped about how expensive a simple treat was.  Buying this food in bulk and storing it at the office can cut the costs.  I’m a big fan of DIY yogurt cups.  Instead of picking up overpriced yogurt at the store that can cost as much as $5 for a pack of four, buy a large sized tub of plain yogurt and mix in some fruit with your blender.  You can find in-season fruit for cheap at your local supermarket and make flavored yogurt that will last longer than four days.  If you don’t already have some Tupperware, a quick trip to the Dollar will solve that problem, and you’ll be good to go.

5. Grab a Free Paper. In this day and age of the Internet, many people are opting to read the news online.  (How eco-friendly and thrifty!)  But if you still need the feel of paper, resist the urge to buy a daily and grab a free one instead.  Here in New York, you can easily scope out a corner with a Metro or an amNew York distributor is handing out free copies.  Plus, the Post and the Daily News can usually be had for free in the late afternoon or early evening.

Staycation: Vacation Fun Without Leaving the State

With the dark cloud of recession hanging over us, you have probably already begun cutting back on everyday expenses. For instance, you may have started brown bagging your lunch during the work week instead of lunching out and cut out expensive morning lattes.

One major change that’s been on many NYC resident’s cut-back list is their annual vacation. Many people, including myself, have wondered what happened to long anticipated trips this year, and the logical answer to that is rising gas prices and inflation. However, with plane tickets sky high, now is the ideal time to take advantage of nearby places that you may have taken for granted or never even knew existed. If you live in a large, metropolitan area like New York City, there’s really no excuse for not being able to have a great staycation. In the first installment of a three part series, we’ll focus on one of the most overlooked boroughs in NY: the Bronx.

One of my favorite getaways is a quaint little place called City Island. This great little maritime community is only a short drive away from most boroughs and Westchester. With the waterfront close by, great restaurants, and a host of relaxing activities, you’ll wonder why you never made it out here before.

After crossing the City Island Bridge you may see people sitting on the benches enjoying the crisp sea breezes in the small park located to the right after you enter the island, with many people fishing in the local waters. Try your hand at catching your own supper by renting some fishing gear and a boat for minimal costs. Look up Jack’s Bait and Tackle. At Jack’s, a valid driver’s license and credit card gets you a boat for the day for $50 during the week and $60 on the weekend. The earlier the better, as it’s first come first serve. The boats are available 5am til 5pm.

If catching your own meals isn’t your thing, hop on over to City Island Avenue where you’ll find a seemingly endless string of restaurants. There’s an excellent selection of seafood at local eateries. Some favorites include: Sammy’s Fish Box, Lobster Box Restaurant and Johnny’s Reef Restaurant – where you can get a large helping of shrimp complete with fries, coleslaw and a Pina Colada for a nice $15.

If you’re into antique shopping, there are several shops on City Island Avenue with everything from collectible dolls to 19th century furniture. But it doesn’t stop there. Nearby you check out miniature golf at Turtle Cove Golf or even go horseback riding at Bronx Equestrian Center. The Bronx Equestrian Center is open everyday year around from 9am until dusk. It’s located in Pelham Bay Park and offers horse rides through trails in the woods of the park for $35 an hour. The rides are 1 or 2 hours and no appointment is necessary.

Desiring more than just a one day getaway? Make it a proper staycation with an overnight stay at LeRefuge Inn Bed and Breakfast. This 19th Century Victorian mansion offers 7 rooms for boarders and was once a sea captain’s home. The rate for double occupancy is $145 per night (tax inclusive) with continental breakfast. Adding a third person with roll-a-way cot will cost an additional $20. So for $72.50 (2 people) or $55 (3 people) per person you can enjoy a restful stay at City Island’s only B&B.

So, grab some friends and head north. With a staycation you’ll not only save some dough, but you’ll have a chance to explore and discover that this borough has a lot more to offer than just Yankee games

Check out some great Flickr photo streams of City Island from jag9889, ~stefan~, and Reversible Skirt.

DIRECTIONS:

From New England Thruway/I-95
Take Exit for City Island. Drive east through park (1/8 mile) and make right at light. Continue down City Island Road, past the miniature golf/driving range to the circle and take the second exit at the sign for City Island. Cross City Island Bridge to City Island Avenue.

From Lower Westchester
Take Hutchinson River Parkway South to the Orchard Beach / City Island Exit. Make a right at stop sign after exit, follow sign for City Island, pass the horse stable, make a left a light, at traffic circle take second right to the City Island Bridge. Cross City Island Bridge to City Island Avenue.

City Island can also be reached by taking the 6 train to the last stop, Pelham Bay Park, and then taking the Bx29 bus to the island. If you prefer the express bus take the BxM7B.

ACCOMMODATIONS:
LeRefuge Inn Bed and Breakfast
586 City Island Avenue
City Island, Bronx, New York
718-885-2478
lerefugeinn.com

FOOD:
Sammy’s Fish Box
41 City Island Avenue
Bronx, NY 10464
718-885-0920
sammysfishbox.com

Lobster Box Restaurant
34 City Island Ave.
718-885-1952
www.lobsterboxrestaurant.com

Johnny’s Reef Restaurant
2 City Island Ave, Bronx, NY 10464
718-885-2086

ACTIVITIES:
Turtle Cove Golf
1 City Island Road
Bronx, New York 10464
(718) 885-2646

Bronx Equestrian Center
9 Shore Road
Bronx, NY 10464
(718) 885-055
www.bronxequestriancenter.com

Jack’s Bait and Tackle (Boat Rental)
551 City Island Avenue
City Island, Bronx NY 10464
(718) 885-2042
jacksbaitandtackle.com