Hey everyone! I am currently in St. Thomas (WOOHOO!) and have some wonderful posts lined up for while I’m gone. I always love finding new blogs, so I hope you enjoy these great writers who were actually willing to guest post for me 😛 Don’t forget to read Emily’s post yesterday on Why She Loves Her Budget.
You read that right, I’m giving you tips on how to see the Big Apple (and the whole apple, not just a bite-sized portion) on the cheap!
NYC is a city that you can do as much, or as little as you want. We wanted to eat up as much of the Big Apple as our budgets possibly would allow and so we I neurotically started looking for deals and ways to save costs in as many areas as possible. Here are areas I was able to find substantial savings:
Flights
Already being on the east cost (of Canada, mind you) it helped when it came time to fly (crossing many time zones gets more expensive). I scoured flight sales like it was my job and we finally settled on open-jaw return flights.
Flying open-jaw (into one airport but out of another) can save money. We decided to fly into NJ (Newark) and out of NYC (JFK). For our flights, it was $50.00 less/ticket to do it this way rather than in and out of the same port. I understand that this isn’t always an option, but in NYC you have three airports to choose from.
Transportation
I think it goes without saying that if you’re going to Manhattan, you can probably do without a car rental, unless you have a death wish or are a thrill seeker. We arranged a pick-up from Newark airport from the place we were staying for $25.00. All I did was simply ask. We also saved money by taking the subway or cabbing it when the distance was too far to walk.
We also managed to score a sweet limo ride for the same rate as a cab. Cab drivers, although they have rates and regulations to abide by, were more than willing to negotiate flat rates with us.
Lodging
This is the area we saved the most money. With the power of Google I was able to rent an apartment for a week (6 nights, 7 days) for $900.00 total. That’s $150.00/night divided by two couples. We had a renovated two bedroom apartment on the upper east side with full kitchen/bathroom/living room/TV/Internet.
Given that we had a kitchen we saved a ton on food as well because we bought a few groceries, ate breakfast every morning and had snacks with us when we were touring the city. We also saved because internet/tv was included, something a lot of midtown apartments/hotels will charge a fee for. We were two blocks from the subway or a $10.00 cab ride into Times Square.
It was also really nice because as much as I love the beat of the city, it was nice to get away from the noise at the end of the day and retire to our little home for the week. It was through this apartment rental that the owner arranged for his brother to pick us up from the airport for $25.00. When renting apartments online, make sure they’re a legit organization before sending any deposits and if you get a bad feeling- go with your gut!
Sightseeing/Events
The weeks leading up to the trip we got together and made lists of ”must-see places” as well as other ”would be nice to see” lists. Given that we were travelling with like-minded people we agreed on all points for our must-do’s making it much easier. We ended up buying a ”GO NYC city pass” which is basically a card that gains you entrance to many tourist attractions for one low price. I had previously purchased one for a trip to Boston and was happy with it. Check their site out to get a better idea (note: there is no affiliation here, I just think it’s a great product!).
We used stubhub for sporting events (NFL and NHL games) and saved a ton of money vs. using direct ticket sales. If you’ve never been to NYC, you may not know that you can get discounted Broadway tickets in the center of times square at a kiosk, you may have to wait in line for a while but the shows are often 40-60% off! We also got a discount on seeing the Rockettes Christmas Special by signing up for their e-mail newsletter and being one of the first people to buy tickets to their season opener.
Food
As previously mentioned we saved a great deal by eating every breakfast in our little apartment. Along with the GoNYC city pass, we were offered discounts to a few restuants which we used any time we could. We also had the famous NYC ”street meat”, a great cheap (not-so-calorie-friendly) lunch. There were a few places we weren’t willing to compromise including a trip to the famous Lombardi’s Pizza in Little Italy, a MUST stop if you go to NYC (America’s first pizzeria). Although we did plan a few nice dinners out, we saved money by going to some of the more expensive places for lunch rather than supper.
It was a great trip and I can’t wait to go back! This time I need to convince my hubby to see the Bodies exhibit with me though….
Catherine is a wife, momma and dental professional by day. She’s also the voice behind her blog Plunged in Debt where she chronicles her and her husbands journey to debt freedom. You can read her full debt story here or follow her on Twitter.
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Glen @ MPB says
I've always wanted to visit NY, although i'm glad you said not to hire a car, as we normally do that whenever we go away somewhere. Surely it can't be that bad?
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leslie says
Driving in nyc is fine once you realize that normal laws of the road don't apply. It is organized chaos but everyone knows what they're doing. But you absolutely don't need a car to get around (especially in Manhattan) and often times it will take you longer in a car than by subway or even on foot sometimes. The public transportation really is that good and an experience if you've never taken it before.
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@PlungedinDebt says
Agreed you do not need a car you can walk everywhere or take the subway/cabs- and yes Glen it really is insane!
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sam says
Ohhh I so want to go to NYC!
John S @ Frugal Rules says
Good post Catherine! It's been a while since I've been to NYC, but it's a great point not to get a car. My wife says I'd probably get us shot! It's so much easier to get around with cabs/subway. Sounds like you scored a pretty nice deal with the apartment, I bet that saved you a good chunk of money.
@PlungedinDebt says
Thanks John, we did get a great deal- it helped that we traveled on the 'off season'' too…perfect for us Canadians though we got hockey AND football, perfect season for us 🙂
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leslie says
I am curious if the cabs you negotiated with were Yellow cabs or Black car services? I don't know how negotiation with Yellow cabs work since they're owned by the city but I know for the black car services, those are private and you can negotiate with them. Another cab tip, get in the cab first, then tell them where you are going. By law, Yellow cabs have to take you anywhere within the five boroughs. They cannot refuse to take you though a lot will try to.
If you're in nyc during nice weather, I definitely recommend renting a bicycle. There is Bike & Roll around but most bike shops will let you rent one of their bikes for a few hours. It is a great way to see a lot of the city in quick amount of time. That is the unfortunate thing about the subway (mostly in Manhattan) that you don't get to see what you're traveling through.
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@PlungedinDebt says
We rode in both yellow and black- and were able to negotiate with both. For instance when we got into a cab by our apt we'd ask how much to times square and he'd say 10 bucks- even if the fare said 12+ he'd only charge us the 10…the black cabs we took were much cheaper- so much competition. This was our experience at least.
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[email protected] Adult Money says
$900 seems like a steal! I have not been to NYC, but one day hope to visit there. I am a bit deterred because of all the stories of it being a pretty expensive place to visit, but it looks like you found a way to do it for relatively cheap. Thanks for sharing Catherine!
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@PlungedinDebt says
NYC can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want it to be. You really can have a great time for not a whole lot of money but you can blow a few thousand as well easily.
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missamanda101 says
My sister and I went to NYC in early June and did it fairly cheap. Ironically, I followed most of your advice, too.
We also used the NY Pass – it was amazing – and signed up for newsletters like crazy when I knew the trip was happening, and scored a few discount/promo codes for theatre and cirque du soleil.
We didn't look into renting an apartment, though. We stayed at a hostel/hotel, which was affordable, but we probably could have done better.
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@PlungedinDebt says
Hostels are always a great cheap option too!
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Joanna @ OFB says
I'm curious as to what service you used for your apartment rental… was it airbnb? My husband have considered trying that out. Great tips! Aside from spending money on food, you can do most things so cheap in NYC! My husband and I lived in the UES for a while, and this post has me hankering to return!
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@PlungedinDebt says
Nope it wasn't airbnb…it's totally left my brain right now….I'll message you on twitter when I remember the exact name when I stop thinking about it haha.
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@Lbeemoneytree says
Ah! You are making me miss NYC–traveling there can be cheap, but living there surely isn't. 🙂
[email protected]&More says
Another tip is getting tickets for broadway shows at TKTS. We got a good deal and if you don't HAVE to go to a certain performance you can save a lot of money.
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@PlungedinDebt says
yeah I mentioned that I just forgot the name of it and called it a kiosk…I agree, unless you're dead set on a show- i mean they're all good!- it's totally worth it!
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Budget & the Beach says
I would also add that you can attempt the lottery system for broadway shows. Yes you may not get in, but fortunately my friend and I did for Newsies and Book of Mormon for 35 and 35 dollars respectively. I would also recommend buying a metro pass instead of individually, and just walking a lot to take in the city. Also check out neighborhood markets. And half the time the street food is just as awesome as restaurants!
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CrazyTragicAlmostMagic says
As someone who lives here can actually vouch for all these tips. Renting an apartment for a week is a much cheaper option that staying in one of the hotels. Obviously they're geared towards insane mark-ups for tourits. Food is the one thing that people under-budget for. The prices at the Applebee's or TGI Fridays are amost double what they are in NJ.
Great tips!
@PlungedinDebt says
Other than Olive Garden we stayed away from 'chains' for the most part- although we did have a super cheap lunch at TGIFridays one day (although the service was terrible).
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Veronica says
Wow, $900 seems low for NY. I'm curious which websites you used to find the deal. Was it airbnb?
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@PlungedinDebt says
As per the other comment, I'm having a brainfart right now and I can't remember the name of the agency-I'll look it up in a bit and get back to you and get Michelle to update the post w/ the info.
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The Blonde says
i can`t wait for the day when I can finally afford visiting NYC and the US. though it`s still some far way into the future. crossing the atlantic aint cheap!
@PlungedinDebt says
Fly into Halifax- we'll treat you well 🙂 Then drive/fly from here!
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Kyle James says
Great tips! At first I thought flying open-jaw meant you flew with your head out of the airplane. Ya know, with the wind opening your mouth wide. Terrible joke, sorry.
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@PlungedinDebt says
haha I don't think I'd recommend that!
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The Baby Is Fine says
great post, I love NYC! what site did you rent the apartment through? that is a really great idea!
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@PlungedinDebt says
I rented through sublet4u.com
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LivingDFRocks! says
I now live in NY and would agree with this post especially about not renting a hotel room and trying to eat your breakfast where you're staying and keep snacks handy. I own a car and we do our best not to drive into Manhattan and will take the metro instead. Much cheaper. The last time I drove into Manhattan I paid nearly $24 for one hour of parking…enough said!
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@PlungedinDebt says
HOLY cow. yeah I didn't even think about parking!
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Pauline says
I love NY! You tip about hosting is great, it saves a lot to look for short term rentals. There are also plenty of free things to do, like museums have a free day or afternoon per week (MOMA is about $20 so big savings), or free art shows and exhibitions. We used to go to Julliard for free concerts at lunch time, it was great!
fifighterx says
I haven't been to NY yet, but thanks for the tips. I'll keep this handy since I'm planning on visiting sometime next year!
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@PlungedinDebt says
glad I could help!
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[email protected] says
That is a great idea to rent an apartment. I've only been to NYC once when I was 18. I would love to experience it as a grown up.
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@PlungedinDebt says
Now that I've experianced it as an adult I can't wait to take my daughter, it'll be so different!
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DNN says
Hey Michelle,
Feel free to shoutout Drewry News Network next time you’re in New York City. You know I’m Flatbush Brooklyn born and raised. Perhaps when Bloomberg Television on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan comes calling you for an interview, you’ll think of DNN. 🙂