$10 a Day

Ok, so I started getting New York Magazine when Variety offered me such a good deal that I didn't want to turn it down...and I love to read about New York since I live there, so I got it. In general, I liked it...but this weeks' theme of "bargain shopping/saving money" really irritated me. This woman (see link) decided to live on $10 a day. Ok. Fine. But the things she did with those $10 were ridiculous. The ideas of where to get good, cheap food were interesting but why couldn't she cook her own food? Why did she absolutely have to take cabs? It doesn't make any sense? And doesn't she have a job? What was she doing all day? It made no sense to me.

Then it seemed like she was being noble because she spent $10 day and no more. That's not noble and it's not special. It's life. I know a lot of people in NYC who watch their money and they don't do such idiotic things with it. Why doesn't that warrant an article? I know I keep my student ID in my wallet that expired 3 years ago because I still look the same and I can get into museums for student rates. My friends send out emails with links to discounted movie tickets. We avoid places with $10 mixed drinks like the plague...unless there's a Happy Hour special. We buy clothes on sale or off-season when they're cheaper. We cook our own food. We share when we go out. This isn't hard, people. Seriously.

Other things you can do to save money: seek out free events, sign up for email lists and pick out the free/cheap things to do. Get a monthly Metrocard; it averages out to be less than $4 a round trip that way. Plan things out. If you have $10 to spend on food, get a salad at Hale and Hearty and don't add anything extra to it. Drink the coffee at the office instead of spending $3 on it at Starbucks. Comparison shop. If there's a DVD that you want, check out how much it is at Best Buy, FYE, Amazon and Target before buying it. Work the system. If you have something to return, return it so you can save money on your next purchase at the store. Bring your lunch to work with you. This saves and unbelievable amount of money...the cost of a loaf of bread and fixin's is much preferable.

I don't know why that story in New York Magazine came across as so patronizing to me. Maybe they think only rich people read it and are trying to expand their horizons. I don't know. But I do know that in order to have enough money to cover my rent, I can't really spend any cash in the next two weeks. Sometimes, even $10 a day is too much.