Budgeting tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the past few years.
Living in New York City is expensive, but I think it can be manageable if you learn how to effectively budget. Obviously, everyone makes different amounts of money, so it is important to do what works for you! I wanted to highlight some ways I’ve learned how to save money, but still live an active and fun lifestyle in NYC.
Limit ordering from food delivery services.
This is a rule I’ve always lived by because I think it is pretty easily avoidable, especially if you live in New York. The only reason I order food delivery is if I’m sick and physically can’t leave the house. These services charge so much extra money for something that you could have walked and gotten for 30% less.
Make a list of meals you want to eat throughout the week and create a grocery list before you go to the grocery store.
One of my favorite ways to save money is to write out every meal I’m going to eat for the week. I have started looking forward to this part of the week because it gets me excited about finding new recipes to try out. This process has helped me reduce food waste and made me think about how I’m going to use up all the ingredients I have. It’s also a nice way to look at your week and see how much you are eating out.
Take public transport everywhere that you possibly can.
In New York, you can take the subway or the bus almost anywhere. I tend to only take uber/lyft/taxi if it is super late at night and if I’m sharing with friends. The subway and bus is wonderful and it is what makes New York such a great city.
Organize social activities that don’t revolve around drinking & eating all the time.
This is probably the toughest out of all the budgeting tips I have for you. I’ve found that this is the most expensive part of living in such a big city with so many people. I highly recommend finding a good happy hour deal if you are in the mood for drinks. If not, an outdoor picnic with takeout and wine is always a vibe. I also really try to pick restaurants to eat out at that I’m really excited to try with my friends.
Shop secondhand for furniture and clothes!
There are so many fun thrift and vintage stores in New York. I’m a big secondhand online shopper (Poshmark, DePop, ThredUp). I’ve found that you can generally get a pretty good deal on things that are brand new secondhand. We are living in a very trendy clothing era, and I love being able to save a couple of bucks buying something secondhand that may go out of style in a couple of months.
Make coffee at home (lol).
This might be a no brainer but coffee is simply too expensive outside of my house. As someone who works from home, it is very hard for me to justify getting coffee out unless it is on a weekend or for a fun occasion. I love trying a new coffee shop but to be honest, I prefer the taste of my Nespresso.
Live with roommates if you can.
Another toughie but this is probably going to drive down your overall yearly cost of living by a LOT. Finding roommates is the best way to get that budget down.
Ask for student discounts using your student email (even if you are out of college).
My last tip is to ask for student discounts everywhere. I use them at museums, clothing stores, restaurants. My New York Public Library card also gets me into a lot of museums for free or close to free. These kinds of things add up and it never hurts to ask for a better deal!
Hopefully some of these tips are useful for all of you. Saving money can be difficult, but ultimately it allows me to prioritize my interests and gives me the freedom to spend money on things that I really care about and want to participate in while I’m living in such a wonderful city.
