This is why you are broke: You live in Brooklyn, so how do you make ends meet?

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This is why you are broke: You live in Brooklyn, so how do you make ends meet?

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The Psycho-ologist
big A little a Bouncing B the system may have got you but it won't get me.
Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 439

I recently read this on Gothamist:Brooklyn is the second most expensive place to live in the nation

I was reading this of course, over my Labor Day weekend "staycation", because I am too inundated with bills, student loans etc, to actually *GO* anywhere.

I know I am not the only one, who wishes I scratched off a winning Lotto ticket so that I don't have to eat Ramen 2 days before payday, or use dish washing detergent to hand wash my clothes, during tight weeks.

So folks, my question to you fellow Brooklynites is:

What do you do to cut corners, stretch your dollars, and make ends meet? All tips tricks and funny stories welcome.

a teaspoon of kisses and a drop of glee

# Posted 8 mos ago
tateinbk
above average
Joined: Jun '11
Posts: 498

Good Topic I'm curious about what others do too. Here are my cleaning related saving moments.

1) I rarely ever buy paper towels. When clothes become too stained, ripped or stretched out I cut them into strips and keep them in a bag in a closet. When something needs cleaning or wiping I use them. If what I wipe is fine i.e. dust, I throw the used rags into the laundry and then put it back into the bag. If what I cleaned up is gross I throw out the rag, which is what would have happened anyway with the clothes. I will save all napkins that I get in any kind of take-out and use cloth napkins if I have people over.

2)I don't like the chemicals in so many cleaning products but "green" cleaners tend to be expensive. Besides dish and laundry detergent my only cleaning product are: White vinegar, baking soda, and bleach. I use the last very sparingly for really gross things. I make a solution of vinegar and water and keep a spray bottle around for anything that needs surface cleaning.

3)I'm currently using cloth diapers for my offspring. My one expense was a wonder washer type thing that uses very little water. I fill the bucket with diapers during the day and wash at night and hang dry. I do an occasional bleach wash, but not often. So for a lifetime of diapers I was gifted some covers and a lot of diapers for the baby shower and paid for the mini washer and that is all I will spend on diapering my offspring unless we are on vacation. It beats the min. $15 a week spent on disposable diapers. If I ever need more diapers I'll make them.

# Posted 8 mos ago
jarvis
getting it
Joined: Aug '05
Posts: 172

This is a conversation that I don't think people have often enough! I used to make more money than I do now so I switched my thinking on things in the last couple years. I don't have a family to support right now, so my corner cutting is pretty simple and prob. only relevant to those without kids/other responsibilities. The most basic things that I do to cut out extraneous costs are:

1. Not have TV/cable (internet, yes of course)

2. Don't buy coffee out anymore. This seems trivial, but yesterday I got a regular iced coffee at the truck at the farmers market and it was $4! That cray.

3. Rarely have drinks out. I used to drink out all the time but it really adds up (I like cocktails, not beer).

4. The single biggest money saver I implemented was switching where I buy groceries. I used to just shop at KeyFood or wherever was convenient. I started doing big shops less often and going to either Trader Joes or Fairway about once a month. I easily cut what I spend on food in half.. I'm not really a strict budget kind of person, but I know that makes a huge difference.

5. Do my own laundry (often by hand) rather than send out.

6. I don't buy unlimited metrocards all the time, but only for weeks when I know they'll pay for themselves.

7. Use cash/debit rather than CCs. Obvious, but I used to stick so much more stuff on a credit card. Interest payments are a silent killer. Especially if you already have to pay interest on student loans every month.

I like to walk, so I walk *a lot*. I'm lucky to have friends who like to just walk around NY at night, so that's pretty much what we do. On Fri night we walked from Grand Army to Coney Island and ate pizza and watched fireworks. It was great and basically free.

That being said, I have my own extravagances and I travel, so my money goes to plane tickets, etc.. but I don't take cars to the airport, I don't buy airport food or even water and I don't pay to check bags. When I get where I'm going, I basically just repeat the above list.

# Posted 8 mos ago
The Psycho-ologist
big A little a Bouncing B the system may have got you but it won't get me.
Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 439

jarvis said:
This is a conversation that I don't think people have often enough! I used to make more money than I do now so I switched my thinking on things in the last couple years. I don't have a family to support right now, so my corner cutting is pretty simple and prob. only relevant to those without kids/other responsibilities. The most basic things that I do to cut out extraneous costs are:

1. Not have TV/cable (internet, yes of course)

2. Don't buy coffee out anymore. This seems trivial, but yesterday I got a regular iced coffee at the truck at the farmers market and it was $4! That cray.

3. Rarely have drinks out. I used to drink out all the time but it really adds up (I like cocktails, not beer).

4. The single biggest money saver I implemented was switching where I buy groceries. I used to just shop at KeyFood or wherever was convenient. I started doing big shops less often and going to either Trader Joes or Fairway about once a month. I easily cut what I spend on food in half.. I'm not really a strict budget kind of person, but I know that makes a huge difference.

5. Do my own laundry (often by hand) rather than send out.

6. I don't buy unlimited metrocards all the time, but only for weeks when I know they'll pay for themselves.

7. Use cash/debit rather than CCs. Obvious, but I used to stick so much more stuff on a credit card. Interest payments are a silent killer. Especially if you already have to pay interest on student loans every month.

I like to walk, so I walk *a lot*. I'm lucky to have friends who like to just walk around NY at night, so that's pretty much what we do. On Fri night we walked from Grand Army to Coney Island and ate pizza and watched fireworks. It was great and basically free.

That being said, I have my own extravagances and I travel, so my money goes to plane tickets, etc.. but I don't take cars to the airport, I don't buy airport food or even water and I don't pay to check bags. When I get where I'm going, I basically just repeat the above list.

Hi Jarvis:

I am stealing #6 from you. I just always buy an unlimited "just in case" but I find that I have whole weeks where I don't really need it.

A lot of my savers are similar to yours:
1) I don't have cable
2) I make my own coffee every morning
3) I bag my lunch
4) I am a lush and really drink at home

I also do the following:

1)I grocery shop for can goods at 99c stores or in low income neighborhoods. I find staples like beans, rice, tuna etc are so much cheaper in the Bronx. If you find yourself in the Bronx, bring a book-bag and go shopping!

2)I save my old laundry detergent bottles and replace said detergent with watered down dish detergent at 99c. It works great but you want to water it down to avoid laundry flooding

3)If you have some extra space get a small freezer and buy costco/bj's meat in bulk. My freezer enabled me to buy bulk meat at less than 40c a pound.

4) ceiling fans, with windows open and shades closed, have saved me so much on my light bill. I also have everything on power strips and unplug them before I go to work.

5)I buy real leather shoes and have them resoled, or fixed, rather than buying new shoes all the time. I also own like 5 pairs of shoes.

a teaspoon of kisses and a drop of glee

# Posted 8 mos ago
xlizellx
rocking it
Joined: Jul '08
Posts: 1,579

1. Bulk grocery shop at cheaper places as much as possible.

2. "Subscribe" to certain items on Amazon -- we subscribe to paper towels, toilet paper, coffee, and tissues. They're cheaper than buying in Brooklyn, have free shipping, and get you a % off as a subscriber rather than just buying.

3. Trash picking! I love to do it - it's a ton of fun, and one man's trash is another man's treasure.

4. Plan meals ahead -- i can't believe how much food we used to let go to waste because we didn't plan out our meals!

5. Go to the suburbs for certain items. This always sounds insane, but my parents live in PA - a 90 minute, $22 bus ride away. When we wanted to rent a car for a vacation, I took the bus there, rented a car at a rate of $30 per day, and came back to pick up our stuff and my husband. We saved almost a thousand dollars for our week long vacation. I'll go to the big box store, buy a lot of cheap stuff, put it under the bus, and take it back with me to PABT and then home. I also do most of my craigslising (both selling and buying) in suburban PA and then have my parents help out with their car -- people sell for cheaper and buy for higher out there. Plus, in the suburbs people will buy upholstered things and beds more often than in the city.

6. Only take a car or cab if it's an unusual situation or if it's being split by a bunch of people. If it's just me and my husband, one of us better be sick or it's our anniversary.

# Posted 8 mos ago
The Psycho-ologist
big A little a Bouncing B the system may have got you but it won't get me.
Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 439

xlizellx said:
1. Bulk grocery shop at cheaper places as much as possible.

2. "Subscribe" to certain items on Amazon -- we subscribe to paper towels, toilet paper, coffee, and tissues. They're cheaper than buying in Brooklyn, have free shipping, and get you a % off as a subscriber rather than just buying.

3. Trash picking! I love to do it - it's a ton of fun, and one man's trash is another man's treasure.

4. Plan meals ahead -- i can't believe how much food we used to let go to waste because we didn't plan out our meals!

5. Go to the suburbs for certain items. This always sounds insane, but my parents live in PA - a 90 minute, $22 bus ride away. When we wanted to rent a car for a vacation, I took the bus there, rented a car at a rate of $30 per day, and came back to pick up our stuff and my husband. We saved almost a thousand dollars for our week long vacation. I'll go to the big box store, buy a lot of cheap stuff, put it under the bus, and take it back with me to PABT and then home. I also do most of my craigslising (both selling and buying) in suburban PA and then have my parents help out with their car -- people sell for cheaper and buy for higher out there. Plus, in the suburbs people will buy upholstered things and beds more often than in the city.

6. Only take a car or cab if it's an unusual situation or if it's being split by a bunch of people. If it's just me and my husband, one of us better be sick or it's our anniversary.

Wow! I totally did not know that about Amazon. Thank you for the tip! Huh do others grocery shop on Amazon?

a teaspoon of kisses and a drop of glee

# Posted 8 mos ago
reader
getting it
Joined: May '07
Posts: 187

Every one has had great ideas, one of the lessons I learned is to eat the food you buy. I've read estimates that people throw out about 1/3 of perishables like
meat, dairy and produce. If you live alone you are not saving money buying a gallon of milk if it turns and you throw 1/2 of it out. Likewise, in theory, I know I should be eating lots of veggies and fruit and shop with good intentions, but too often, my lettuce is slime and the celery is limp. So be realistic not optimistic when you shop.

Also look outside the grocery store for betteer pricing.
I never buy cereal, peanut butter, tea or coffee in the grocery store, I buy them in CVS when they are sale, Same for the few cleaning supplies I use, like Shout. I try to eliminate as many paper towels from my life as possible, but when I buy them they must be on sale. If you have the patience, CVS, RiteAid and Walgreens all have club cards wherein you get "preferred pricing" There are web sites devoted to working their systems and getting really great deals if you have the time to clip coupoons and work on it. I don't do that but CVS has a deal where you buy a "green bag tag" of $.99 and everytime you shop if you use it and your own bag with your club card, you get back a credit for $.25, so every four uses I get back $1.00 in CVS money for my next shopping trip.

I am a big believer in vinegar (even use it in my dishwasher in place of the liquid rinse aid)

# Posted 8 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,032

In addition to saving money, I suspect a lot of people work more than one job in order to increase their income.

Odd jobs, "hustles", you name it....

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 8 mos ago
PragmaticGuy
above average
Joined: Apr '11
Posts: 391

I find it interesting that most people on here don't mention the use of coupons. I can easily make the equivalent of $20 to $30 an hour just by clipping and using them for what I'd normally buy. And as for the use of credit cards, well, with the right ones you get good cash back. With my BoA card I get 2% back on groceries, 3% on gas and 1% on everything else. I think I end up with about $30 or so every three months. And, if you have the money credited towards a BoA bank account they thrown in another 10% on top of that so $50 becomes $55. Since I pay in full every month I'm not paying interest.

# Posted 8 mos ago
tateinbk
above average
Joined: Jun '11
Posts: 498

My problem is in-store impulse buys so to combat that I often shop on-line. I'll find free shipping codes and there tends to be bigger deals on-line. Best of all, I do it through american airlines shopping program so I get free miles for it too. I'm a little more than 3/4 through a round trip ticket by now.

I also buy dog food in the biggest bags available. When ordering from Acme Petfoods they deliver for free at that amount so it works out to be the most cost effective.

# Posted 8 mos ago
PragmaticGuy
above average
Joined: Apr '11
Posts: 391

Not having a pet saves even more money and I don't have to worry about taking said dog out in the winter when it's cold. Been there, done that.

# Posted 8 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,032

true. I spend about $1k a year on my dog.

However, my pet prevents me from having to spend thousands on my own mental health care.

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 8 mos ago
homeowner
mod
Joined: Jan '06
Posts: 3,003

I use bundle my coupons with big box shopping trips. So twice a year I do things like laundry detergent, soap, paper goods, cat litter, garbage bags, and anything else that can be stored without perishing. Between the volume discount of the big box, and the use of the store coupons plus my own, I find I can save about 30% on my total bill. I also get every discount/frequent shoper/customer rewards keyfob that I can.

I used to also be a big fan of places like Syms, Filene's, Daffy's, Century 21, etc. for clothing but more and more those places are going out of business. But they used to be great for things like socks, underwear, and kids clothes.

# Posted 8 mos ago
PragmaticGuy
above average
Joined: Apr '11
Posts: 391

Mental health isn't all it's cracked up to be.

# Posted 8 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,032

Whenever I travel (even to vacation destinations) I find that people are upset over how much things cost.

As a result of how expensive things are in Brooklyn, I think things are somewhat affordable.

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 8 mos ago
PragmaticGuy
above average
Joined: Apr '11
Posts: 391

Apparently you've never been to a theme park. Only joking. In any event, I wonder if Brooklyn is more expensive because it's desirable to live/work here or because there's more crime/risk to living/working here and that in itself drives up prices. I know as an insurance broker Brooklyn has the highest auto liability rates in the country because it's the smallest borough with the most amount of people and cars but that's only one facet.

# Posted 8 mos ago
steveo
getting it
Joined: Dec '05
Posts: 199

Brooklyn is expensive because of the huge economic opportunity (jobs) in NYC combined with desirability (urban amenities, but more down-to-earth than Manhattan).

# Posted 8 mos ago
armchair_warrior
retsop cixelsyd
Joined: Dec '05
Posts: 7,946

My secret to my success is I live with my parents. Saves me tons of money.

One huge drawback though NO dates ever! I mean ever never!!

Fight white guilt and injustice by smoking tax free guilt free Reservation Smokes or go gamble in a Native Casino.
I like to stick it to The Man, The Man happens to be Liberal in NYC(power Structure).

# Posted 6 mos ago
prodigalson
above average
Joined: Feb '07
Posts: 330

We can all use a few hints as to how to save $$$. Here are a couple of sites that may provide some good clues:

http://frugalliving.about.com/

http://www.stretcher.com/

As for me, I eat lots of rice or pasta, recycle aluminum paper & paper towels, go to the library for my reading materials (we also have a small library in our community room downstairs in our high rise building where people drop off magazines & books after they finish reading them), attend free high school and local college games for sports entertainment, and watch free movies online. As for food, I find that Target has lower prices and the food quality is better than at our local super market. And yes, do use coupons when they are available.

Sadly, we don't have a Prospect Park type place here in St Paul, MN like you do there. Back in the day I loved to walk around, climb hills, and listen to the birds singing - that was very entertaining and it was always for FREE! That's the thing I miss the most about Brooklyn. Yes, the best things in life are often for free.

Brooklyn Is God's Country!

# Posted 6 mos ago
Cool The Kid
We out this mother effer
Joined: Jan '07
Posts: 1,385

I moved out of BK. My apt in the UES was a better deal all things considered. Enabled me to sell my car which was huge.

Dont sleep on scooters. I have a motorcycle now which is a bit of an indulgence. But I seriously think a scooter could work. You get one for $1000-1500, they get like 100 MPG and you can ditch your Metrocard. It would prob pay for itself in ~2 or so years. If not that then a bicycle. If you stay off main thoroughfares (you always hear about people getting killed on streets like Flatbush and Atlantic) you should be OK and that of course will pay back faster. If your job lets you come in sweaty. Planet Fitness has $10/mo memberships which you can use for a post-ride shower

No cable is another good one

I shop at the big complex on 117th and the East River. They have a Costco, Target and Aldis. Their prices on pretty much everything are 50-100% lower than local grocers. If you do 1 trip a month, even if you do a cab back to BK (would prob be about $30-40) it could be worth it.

Cook as much as possible obviously. I can have a decent meal for ~$3.

Etc. etc.

[
Mamacita said:
I <3 CTK

# Posted 6 mos ago