5 Tips On How To Save Money While Living In NYC

Even if you’re new to the city, you’ve probably already worked out that living in NYC is no child’s play. Like every big metropolis, New York demands some lifestyle alterations and BIG budgeting. The good news is that with smart financing and budgeting tips, you can save money while living in NYC – and enjoy yourself along the way!

1. Set a weekly budget

Allow yourself a weekly allowance and monitor it closely. This weekly budget should include your everyday transport, grocery, and food expenses and be separate from your rent and bills. The secret weapon to this tip is cash! Cards might be convenient, but they make it easy to overspend.

Using cash, on the other hand, helps to prioritize expenditure. Say you’re on a $100/week budget while living in NYC, you’re less likely to splash out $25 on lunch each day when you can actually see the cash being emptied from your wallet.

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2. Subway vs. cabs

Speaking of cards, this type of card is actually going to help you save tons of money while living in NYC. We’re talking about the MetroCard, of course. All New Yorkers will admit that taking a subway is the fastest and the cheapest way to get anywhere in New York. While movies might have us believe that cabs are great transport, they usually fail to mention how crazy the cab fair and traffic really are!

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3. Get a roomi

The sky-high cost to rent a room in NYC is no secret, and the best way to save money and budget in New York is by securing one or several roomis! Never lived with a roomi before? The thought of sharing your space with a stranger could feel weird, but trust us when we say that living with roomis could bring some of the most fun days of your life!

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4. Cooking at home

This is probably the most important tip in our lesson on how to budget in New York! The city that never sleeps is infamously full of residents that are always on the move, so ordering from Seamless is the most convenient option – but eating out all the time gets expensive.

So, if you’re planning to save and budget in New York, you must get used to making your own coffee and cooking at home. This doesn’t mean that you need to deprive yourself entirely. Plan a nice outing now and then with all the money you save from these cool tips, because there are soo many food spots to explore.

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5. Bonus tips on how to save money

You can cut corners and save tons of money while budgeting in New York with these extra quick tips:

Get Amazon Prime: Make the most of exciting daily deals and bulk orders. Your daily commodities might be cheaper on Amazon than in your local drug store.
Track your expenses: This step will help you to analyze where most of your money goes, and may further help to make necessary reductions.
Savings account: Get your rainy-day funds started! Save 10-20% of your paycheck and anything leftover from your previous month’s balance. A separate account will help curb the urge to spend your savings. You may not see this now, but years down the line you’ll realize what a good thing you’ve done!

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