City living and saving money

[pisces2473]

Post your tips here if you live in a big city, especially if you don't have transportation to get out to the burbs where the big box shopping is...

[jrwilheim]

Best I can think of:

Buy monthly passes on mass transit instead of paying for each ride as you go. Better still, if your employer participates in a program like TransitChek or Wage Works, get that month pass that way and you can pay for it with pre-tax money, which saves you 25% (if that's your tax bracket).

[winneythepooh7]

I have cut eating out down A LOT. I was spending on average $10 a day between breakfast and lunch. Now I usually only take out $20-$30 for the week and that's that.

I have a car but I take public transportation during the week. I buy the monthly metrocard.

I have also cut back on clothing shopping immensely. I have so many clothes already, and no room for them all.

When I do buy clothes, I try not to buy trendy things, but stick to basics/classics that will not go out of style.

I paid off all my credit cards and do not use them anymore unless it is an emergency. An emergency is not shopping at the mall.

I mentioned I really don't have a savings now, but that is because I am focusing on paying off all my debts completely. The only major debt I have left is my car. I am hoping to pay that off completely in the next 6 months.

I just got my insurance reduced immensely. I was paying $263.00 per month for 6 months (last year it was $317 per month). I got it cut down to $127a month for 6 months. (actually that is 4 months cuz I just paid the down payment of $178). But that is also because I am not in a high risk pool anymore, probably because of the change in my age, and also I have a no-frillls car (a Focus) and I don't live in Brooklyn (highest car theft zone). I choose to have a car because I like to have it to get out of here on the weekends, plus I live in Queens where there is a lot of public transportation, but not like Manhattan.

My advice though is if you do not absolutely need a car, do not get one in the city.

[dengeist]

They have a great book called "Cheap Bastard's Guide to New York." It tells you how to get alot of free stuff.

I stopped buying lunch too and I stopped smoking last year. Eating out and smoking are killers on the wallet.

[winneythepooh7]

The bartender thing is an awesome suggestion. I also try to avoid trendy Manhattan places like the plague. $12.00 drinks are not worth it to me. I would rather go to the fun Irish pubs in my neighborhood where they have $3.00 and $4.00 pints and the second or third drinks usually end up being a buy-back. In general, I don't eat out/drink in Manhattan much anymore. I found that most of the boros have great ethnic neighborhoods where the food is just as great, if not better, than Manhattan, and much cheaper. They strive harder in the boros because they try to attract a following. Manhattan is just random people all the time for the most part, so they don't have to keep up with a following.

[red]

i totally agree about bartenders. i go to the same places a lot of the time and if they know you are a regular, you are much more likely to get the buybacks.

a lot of the places in manhattan (and even trendy parts of bklyn) are overrated and overpriced. in queens we can get great food for not a lot of $$.

[lilyflower]

- Take public transit when at all feasible (unfortuantely that doesn't include my trip to work in the morning)

- If you drive a certain road a lot look into discount EZ-Pass programs - I know there's some discount on the turnpike and tunnels - there isn't one for the Parkway sadly

- Never get gas in the rich burbs - I've discovered that gas is at least $.20 cheaper in Newark than it is in my neighborhood

- Look for drink specials - most places have them

[wordsmith]

From when I lived in a large city on an $85 a month personal stipend (plus room/board), stuff I and my roommates did:

*walk, bike, or public trans it everywhere humanly possible. Not only does it prevent you from going broke at the gas pumps, walking and biking done regularly can alleviate the need for a gym membership. Do without a car unless you are forced to have one.

*Related, use the YMCA instead of a pricey gym.

*Don't go out anywhere "trendy," learn to love hole in the wall places, they're cheaper and you can find "hidden treasures."

*When you do eat out, take half home for the next meal. Portions are typically too big, anyway.

*Research, research, research free and cheap events...you can have a great time. My housemates and I did this all the time. You can find a lot of fun, awesome things to do. I saw Blue Man Group for free a ton of times, because they took volunteer ushers, and when you were done seating people, you got to watch the show for free from down front. Everytime someone came to town to visit we did that. We also did a lot with citywide volunteer networks, and met lots of people that way.

[lilyflower]

*Related, use the YMCA instead of a pricey gym.

Related: If you're a student or alumni of any nearby school you can usually use the fitness center (almost every school has one and they have all the basic equipment) for either free or a really really cheap rate.

[MetFanL]

*Related, use the YMCA instead of a pricey gym.


Around here, the YMCA is more expensive than the private gyms.

The bartender thing is great advice. It also works w/ bouncers. I haven't paid a cover charge at my favorite place in like 5 years... If I'm meeting people there, they always wait for me outside -- I can't imagine why. ;)

[wordsmith]

In Chicago, they had a sliding scale according to your income (I paid $5 a month).

[Kitty]

Don't eat out if it can be avoided.

[steph78]

Related: If you're a student or alumni of any nearby school you can usually use the fitness center (almost every school has one and they have all the basic equipment) for either free or a really really cheap rate.
Related yet again - if you are the SPOUSE or CHILD of someone connected to a school you can often use the school's facilities for free or really really cheap as well. I grew up in a university town (25,000+ students) and used to mooch off my dad's faculty ID all the time - as the child of a professor I got free access to pretty much everything the full-time students did! Now my husband is in grad school and I used to get to use the gym there for free but they did an insanely huge and expensive renovation of the gym last year (it's seriously one of the nicest gyms in the country, it was given all these awards) and for unlimited use of this gym now I have to pay a whopping $10/month as the spouse of a student. I think I'm going to cry when he graduates next year and I have to join a regular gym.

[wordsmith]

Some public schools also open their workout facilities to area neighborhoods as a public service. It's worth checking around.

[winneythepooh7]

Another piece of advice:

Don't go to super expensive parties for friends you hardly know!

I just got an Evite for a 30th birthday party at a bar in Manhattan for someone that my boyfriend used to live with in the past, who he now sees on rare occasions. Anyways, it is FIFTY BUCKS per person to attend this event. What happened to the days of the classic house party, or just everyone going out and paying for whatever they decide to eat/drink?????!!!!!!

[lilyflower]

Another piece of advice:

Don't go to super expensive parties for friends you hardly know!

I just got an Evite for a 30th birthday party at a bar in Manhattan for someone that my boyfriend used to live with in the past, who he now sees on rare occasions. Anyways, it is FIFTY BUCKS per person to attend this event. What happened to the days of the classic house party, or just everyone going out and paying for whatever they decide to eat/drink?????!!!!!!

WHAAAT? Fifty bucks just to go? Are they freaking KIDDING? That's insane

[ebruening]

WHAAAT? Fifty bucks just to go? Are they freaking KIDDING? That's insane

Well, he must be really proud to reach the age of 30 :D

[winneythepooh7]

I think that is pretty ridiculous, just for the chance to have appetizers and "top shelf" liquor. It is also 9PM on a Friday. On the rare chance that I decide to go out this late on a Friday after working all week, I sure as hell am not going to be eating/drinking fifty bucks worth of food and booze. Wait tell I tell my boyfriend, he is going to hit the roof ;).

[jrwilheim]

I think that is pretty ridiculous, just for the chance to have appetizers and "top shelf" liquor. It is also 9PM on a Friday. On the rare chance that I decide to go out this late on a Friday after working all week, I sure as hell am not going to be eating/drinking fifty bucks worth of food and booze. Wait tell I tell my boyfriend, he is going to hit the roof ;).

Sheesh! I'm not sure I'd continue to be friends with someone who wanted to charge me to go to his birthday party...

Come on people! I can't think of anything ruder than charging people to go your party. A benefit for charity is one thing, but a birthday/wedding/anniversary party? Give me a break.

[LakeJay]

I know I'm going to get shredded for this but I don't see why $50 was so bad for this party. The way I see it, it's the guy's 30th birthday. Pretty big milestone. It is a NYC bar, I assume. $50 would be about 5-6 drinks usually. But it sounds like there are appetizers and Top shelf liquor...is this an all-you-can-drink deal as well? I wasn't sure if it was. Chances are the party will also be "roped off" and have it's own bartenders and waitresses so there is a trade off for the money. Don't get me wrong...if you're trying to save money, definitely don't go but for a friend's 30th and the extras that you're getting, I didn't think it's such a bad deal.

[wordsmith]

I honestly can't think of a single friend I have who would pay $50 to come party with me. I guess I should be more depressed about that. But, then, I don't think I'D pay $50 to party with me! :neutral:

[LakeJay]

I guess it's a different mindset. I wouldn't think of it so much as "pay $50 to party with me." It would be more of a "hey I set up a all-you can-drink deal where you just have to pay $50." I know it sounds insane. Regardless I don't mean to threadjack. When saving is a top priority, spending $50 on a night of drinking probably isn't the best usage of money.

[shimmer728]

I spent between $50 and $60 when my sister and I went out for her 21st birthday. I don't think $50 is an insane amount, as long as it's a once-in-a-while, special-event kinda thing.

[winneythepooh7]

My whole point is this is more of an aquaintance. Plus, I am not a big drinker. Especially on a Friday night. My boyfriend and I were discussing it last night, and we probably are not going to go, especially because $50.00 is the average we spend on each other together for a night out. If it was a close family member, or a close friend, and maybe a Saturday night instead of a Friday at 9PM that would be totally different. Plus, others coming from different, higher paying career backgrounds living in NYC may think this is a deal, but for MY graduation party at a local bar in my Queens neighborhood, the bartender only charged $60.00 for all my friends and myself to drink (I ended up giving him a $40.00 tip though............). There were about 20 people there, and on average, everyone had at least 2 drinks............I might also get flamed for saying this, however, I don't see the point of getting totally shit-faced anymore after college. I think having a couple of drinks and getting a little buzzed is more appropriate, especially at 30 and beyond.............But maybe I feel this way because I don't live this lifestyle anymore.........I guess what I am trying to say is that I for one don't really care about getting a "deal" to go out and drink anymore. If it creeps up on me, it creeps up on me. Plus, this would end up costing a whole lot more than that too, if you figure in a gift/cab ride home/etc. I guess I am getting annoyed too with the whole stupid NYC scene..........