Tips For Living In New York City

New York City is one of the greatest cities in the world, and it is one that should be on everybody’s bucket list to visit. In fact, if you can manage it, it is even a place that you should go to live for a while. However, going to the big apple can be difficult, with large crowds, an overwhelming amount of places to go and things to do, and some of the highest prices in the world. 

If you go to New York, you should have a solid plan, and you should also have plenty of strategies in mind for how you will get the most out of your time there without spending a fortune. Read on for four valuable tips for living in the city that will help you save money in addition to making your life easier and more relaxed.

Get An Unlimited MetroCard

In New York, you must embrace public transportation, as driving yourself will just drive you mad, and taxis are more of special occasion luxury than something you can afford daily. Ideally you will live in a neighborhood where most places you want to go are within walking distance, but most people in the city will spend many hours of their lives on the subways and other public transport systems. 

Though this may not be the right solution for everybody, if you commute for work it is a good idea to get an Unlimited MetroCard. Rather than paying $2.75 every time you ride, you can pay $127 for a 30 day pass. Assuming you use it twice a day on every work day, you’ll be using it 40 times a month, which would come to $110. If you were to go out on weekends, too, the total would come to roughly $165 a month, and even if you want to take any additional trips by going out to lunch from work or going out in the evening, you’ll rack up even higher bills, potentially getting you to over $200 a month. So the monthly pass could be a great way for you to save, and you can even get weekly passes for $33 in case you will only be traveling a lot for a week or two.

Get An App To Find Bathrooms

Charmin has a very helpful app called Sit or Squat which will show you where the closest public bathroom is, which if you spend enough time in New York is a more useful tool than it may sound like to outsiders. The app comes at the very low cost of being free, and it will be a lifesaver when you are running around the enormous city and going from train to train.

While commuting you also want to plan ahead when it comes to beverages. Bringing a reusable water bottle will save you plenty of money from having to buy bottles or soft drinks, and if you want something heavier duty, look for the coffee carts where you can get a perfectly acceptable brew for just a dollar, compared to the higher priced chains and chic places where you’ll cut deep into your paycheck just to get your buzz.

Shop Around To Avoid High Taxes

Manhattan prices are some of the world’s highest, but if you are willing to trek to Brooklyn, Queens, or the Bronx, you will find things there are much more affordable. This applies to both basic groceries as well as services, and you can get to them. These places have lower taxes as well as lower costs of living, and whatever you want will come at a much lower cost than in the heart of the city. It is worth taking some trips down there to go shopping, or even to New Jersey where the tax rates are much lower.

You can get to Jersey City or Hoboken from Manhattan for just $5.50 on PATH, and you will make that up purchasing just a handful of things. On big shopping trips, you won’t even notice the relatively tiny commuting cost. Ultimately, there are plenty of arbitrage opportunities right in front of you when you live in New York, you just have to put in a little effort to take advantage of them.

Know How To Economize For Space In Your Small Apartment

Even if you make a pretty good living, chances are your apartment in New York will be smaller than the average closet in an American suburb. Okay, exaggerations aside, New York apartments are still tiny, and they require everyone to get creative to find space for all of their stuff that still allows them to live and move around. Use the space under the beds and tables to store things, and if your tables are glass then put drapes to cover that there are storage containers below them.

You can get clever by putting furniture in the corner of the room and then putting boxes behind the furniture, hidden away from all except those who choose to look in corners behind the furniture. Utilizing chests is also a good idea because they can act as tables and counters while also storing things inside of them, and they tend to look great as well.