Parked in Seacacus, NJ fo
r all of $.25 an hour. Because we went later in the day we only had to pay $2 total since the meter only counted until 6 PM. Then we took the bus in to the city. Actually we took the wrong "bus" and ended up on a shuttle which in the end made us grateful we both speak Spanish. The nice bus would have cost us $5.10 and the shuttle was only $5 so technically we saved $.10 and got to listen to Shakira on the way to Manhattan... another bonus! We also made sure to bring along our Metro card because we were using the subway rather than taxis. We were happy to find the card hadn't expired and had $2.05 still on it.
r all of $.25 an hour. Because we went later in the day we only had to pay $2 total since the meter only counted until 6 PM. Then we took the bus in to the city. Actually we took the wrong "bus" and ended up on a shuttle which in the end made us grateful we both speak Spanish. The nice bus would have cost us $5.10 and the shuttle was only $5 so technically we saved $.10 and got to listen to Shakira on the way to Manhattan... another bonus! We also made sure to bring along our Metro card because we were using the subway rather than taxis. We were happy to find the card hadn't expired and had $2.05 still on it. Savings: approximately $25
Eating in NYC can chew a hole in your wallet pretty fast if you don't know where to go. Normally we would have gone to one of our favorite sushi restaurants near Times Square called Haru but we were doing things cheap. I've been wanting to try out a Gray's Papaya hot do
g ever since I've heard it mentioned on movies and tv shows like Fools Rush In and Sex and the City. Brent got the Recession Special for $4.45 and I requested two chili dogs (like the ones shown on Fools Rush In) and found out they don't HAVE chili dogs. They came to $3. We got to stand at a thin metal counter while we ate and immediately agreed we'd have to go somewhere for dessert and perhaps fries. They were good hot dogs, but we were starving and it didn't quite do it for us. Still, if we'd never gone I would have always wondered and now I know what Gray's Papaya is all about.
g ever since I've heard it mentioned on movies and tv shows like Fools Rush In and Sex and the City. Brent got the Recession Special for $4.45 and I requested two chili dogs (like the ones shown on Fools Rush In) and found out they don't HAVE chili dogs. They came to $3. We got to stand at a thin metal counter while we ate and immediately agreed we'd have to go somewhere for dessert and perhaps fries. They were good hot dogs, but we were starving and it didn't quite do it for us. Still, if we'd never gone I would have always wondered and now I know what Gray's Papaya is all about.Savings: approximately $40
Brent and I have seen most of the major Manhattan must-sees like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building
, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, Museum of Fine Arts, Central Park (including Strawberry Fields and the Zoo), etc. What I haven't seen with Brent I've seen with my sisters or on business trips so we were starting to scrape bottom for something we could do that was new and essentially free. We settled on the Museum of Natural History which ended up being so much fun! Whenever you enter a museum in NYC and the price says, "Suggested Donation" that means it's technically free. Well the suggested donation was $15 and it was closing in 2 hours. I felt no shame when I told the cashier we'd be paying $4 for the both of us. Of course we weren't able to see the entire museum but we hit the Hayden Planetarium which was amazing, the African animals (Brent would like to have an antelope for a pet), the Minerals wing and animals from Mexico and Central America. It was indoors (read WARM) and knowing we couldn't catch everything meant we didn't feel rushed to get through it all.
, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, Museum of Fine Arts, Central Park (including Strawberry Fields and the Zoo), etc. What I haven't seen with Brent I've seen with my sisters or on business trips so we were starting to scrape bottom for something we could do that was new and essentially free. We settled on the Museum of Natural History which ended up being so much fun! Whenever you enter a museum in NYC and the price says, "Suggested Donation" that means it's technically free. Well the suggested donation was $15 and it was closing in 2 hours. I felt no shame when I told the cashier we'd be paying $4 for the both of us. Of course we weren't able to see the entire museum but we hit the Hayden Planetarium which was amazing, the African animals (Brent would like to have an antelope for a pet), the Minerals wing and animals from Mexico and Central America. It was indoors (read WARM) and knowing we couldn't catch everything meant we didn't feel rushed to get through it all. Savings: $26
Our one splurge was to finish the day having dessert at The Stardust Diner. W
e were still hungry from the Gray's Papaya letdown and we've always enjoyed ourselves at this place. All the waiters are aspiring Broadway actors so they sing. The food is good to if you're looking for All-American fare. Some things have changed and we found they sang songs one after another whereas before they'd give you a break. It was incredibly loud... so loud in fact that I couldn't even hear Brent when he told the waiter what he wanted to order. The waiters no longer brought the food or cleaned up the plates. We still had a good time (and some much needed calories), but I plan to write a letter to the owner to let him know about my disappointment in our recent dining experience. Writing a letter is something I do on occasion and I've NEVER not received something for it. Companies spend millions of dollars trying to get consumer feedback so when someone of their own volition puts a stamp on it and sends it to your doorstep they tend to oblige. I'm confident we'll get some sort of voucher or coupon or gift card.
e were still hungry from the Gray's Papaya letdown and we've always enjoyed ourselves at this place. All the waiters are aspiring Broadway actors so they sing. The food is good to if you're looking for All-American fare. Some things have changed and we found they sang songs one after another whereas before they'd give you a break. It was incredibly loud... so loud in fact that I couldn't even hear Brent when he told the waiter what he wanted to order. The waiters no longer brought the food or cleaned up the plates. We still had a good time (and some much needed calories), but I plan to write a letter to the owner to let him know about my disappointment in our recent dining experience. Writing a letter is something I do on occasion and I've NEVER not received something for it. Companies spend millions of dollars trying to get consumer feedback so when someone of their own volition puts a stamp on it and sends it to your doorstep they tend to oblige. I'm confident we'll get some sort of voucher or coupon or gift card.Savings: stay tuned...
Total Savings: $91+
3 comments:
Oh my gosh — you crack me up. Glad you had such a good time in New York!
We're inspired by your cash-saving efforts and are trying to buckle down ourselves! One of Shawna's good friends from work has a blog dedicated to saving money with tips and coupon info etc. Check it out....
(http://wantitall4free.blogspot.com/)
Ah, my old stomping grounds (sort of)!
Next time you head to the AMNH, let me know and I'll hook you up - my mom's an interpreter there and she gets free vouchers to stuff - including other museums. Savings: $$ AND the guilt of not contributing the "suggested donation". Also, the MET does a suggested donation - and it's cheaper than the AMNH. :)
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