When I first moved to the city I was SO broke. Like, ramen noodles 5 days in a row broke. While being poor sucks, on the bright side it teaches you to be resourceful AF. Here, a few ways to get by and have some FUN in the city on a shoestring budget:
1. Yoga to the People
A gym membership? When you are scrambling to pay rent, these kinds of luxuries just don’t fly. To still break a sweat (and keep your sanity) I recommend YTTP. All classes are “donation” based aka crumble up a dollar and run out of there
2. Trader Joes
Hi I would like to introduce you to your new best friend TJ. Cookie butter and 2 buck chuck? Just leave me here to die, thanks.
3. Invest in a flask
Have you been to a bar in NYC? Yea, good luck getting a cocktail under $18. If you don't have that kind of coin, order a club soda at the bar (usually free) and sneak into the bathroom to fill’er up.
4. Citi Bike
A citibike membership costs about $150 and pays for itself in the first month from saved Cab fare. Its also better for you, the environment and OMG I LOVE CITIBIKE SO MUCH
(Rare photo of me when NYC first launched Citibike in 2013. God I feel old @smerrill212)
5. Craigslist
I could not have survived my first year in NYC without Craigslist. No shot. You can find anything on Craigslist... a couch, a place to live... You know what, I’m going to need to do an entirely separate post about this.
6. Dollar Pizza
Embrace NYC Pizza. While you still have the metabolism.
7. Timeout NY
NYC might be one of the most expensive cities in the country, but that doesn't mean theres not a ton of free/cheap things to do. Pick up Timeout New York and hit up the Free stuff section.
8. Sephora
You don't know the struggle until you’ve filled up on Sephora samples to get you through a pay cycle. Just because you’re struggling doesn't mean your pores should have to too.
9. Date
Is it wrong to go on a date solely for a nice meal? Maybe. Will you care after a week straight of ramen and dollar pizza? No.
10. Central Park
It’s hard not to feel like a Gatsby character when you spend the day in Central Park. Even if you have to fight a homeless man for a leftover bag of Doritos some park dweller left behind (amateur). See, budget living in NYC isn't so hard after all...
SM