Monday, September 29, 2008
Ok, so daily updates was a bit... zealous.
So I have decided to become "fiscally responsible" this year and hopefully the rest of my life. I sat down the other day and actually tally'd up where my cash went. I waste a lot of money. In particular I waste a lot of money on eating out and just random crap. Therefore I imposed a new 100 dollar per week limit on EVERYTHING. Food, clothing, games, transportation. Everything. With that much cash I should be able to manage, but more importantly it will make me more aware of where my cash goes. The rest? Paying off loans and save, SAVE, SAVE.
You would be surprised at how much money you can blow here in NYC on food and random stuff. Get a parking ticket? Thats a cool 120 bucks out of your pocket. Say you want to eat at Dallas BBQ and order a standard combo and drinks. That will set ya back about 15 bucks. So heres some useful tips from the cheapskate himself....
- Never buy anything from Penn Station/Madison Square Garden. They operate as a completely seperate entity from the rest of NYC. Example: You can step outside of Penn station and buy a fresh bananna from a fruit vendor on 33rd street for 30 cents. That same bananna in Penn station will cost you 1 dollar. We are talking over a 100% surcharge for a walk that would take you about 45 seconds. The thinking and pricing though is for good reason. Penn station is a hub. If you want something to eat quickly, you cant stray too far from the train station for fear of missing your train. Therefore, if you want something, your going to have to pony up some extra cash for it.
- Stay away from tourist venues. They usually jack up the price for anything that has to do with tourists.
- Street vendors are your friends... sort of. The cheapest food you will get is from the Hallal carts and other assorted food vendors. You can get a good meal for 5 bucks or less easily (includes drink). Now keep in mind I am talking about the actual food cart vendors. The other ones you need to stay away from. I think it was "Ask Howard" special on the news that tested the central cart vendors and found that over 80% of them were overcharging customers on purpose. Which leads me to my next point....
- Be sure on the price. Somebody is always trying to rip you off in this city, and its your responsibility to make sure it doesnt happen. Before money exchanges hands, always quote the price and make sure you are getting what you should be. Always count your change as well. There are a LOT of dis-honest vendors in the city and it will save to make sure you were charged the right amount. I honestly didnt think this was a big deal since I had spent 6 years of my life in central Illinois where being scammed does not happen frequently. Coming back to NYC though gave me a harsh reality check.
- If you work in the city like I do, bring lunch from home and plan ahead. If its not feasible, then look for other cheap alternatives such as chinese food lunch specials/ 5 dollar subway footlong sandwhiches.
- Only carry a certain amount of cash. I usually withdraw about 100 every week and leave 80 on my dresser. The most cash I will carry on me now is anywhere from 20-40 dollars. I make sure not to do any ATM withdrawals during the week to limit myself. You think differently when you have a self imposed cap on how much money you will spend.
My presidential philosophy up next! Stay tuned!
1 Comment:
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September 29, 2008 at 10:43 AM
good tips!!!
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