Like most New Yorkers, I pay a FORTUNE for the gym. But I have accepted that I need it to lose weight and I enjoy it. And $76 a month isn't going to KILL me, but I better be making the most out of it. That's why I got at least 3 times a week, and at least two of those are with a trainer. And ONE of those I'm getting some free shampoo and condition (we've all been there.)
But this article caught my eye, it's 65 cheap and free health/workout apps. I haven't tried any yet, but will report back.
In the meanwhile, here's the link.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Cheap and Healthy Date with Yourself
I just got linked to this article all about how to have a healthy night in. I LOVE this, especially on a Friday or Saturday night. While I love going out, in the city you can kill $100 in no time AND eat a ton of rich food and load up on booze. And nothing wrong with that, but can't do it every weekend. So I've come to live having a date night in. A glass of wine, make a special dinner just for me, take a bath, do a mask, light some candles and OD on HBO Go. This article had a lot of great ideas.
The Cupboard Chef
I love to cook and I love to eat. And I do both of those things as healthfully as I can. But all of that can be pricey, so I've been more conscientious about the products I buy. Also, I have lately been on this trip to clean out my cupboards. I've been eating my way through all those things that manage to sink back on the shelves and just take up space. This has been a little hard for me because I love to cook and I especially love to follow recipes. But I've found a way to be creative about it.
- 1 regular sized can of chickpeas
Oh! One last plug! The bread I used was this amazing lemon rosemary loaf I got when in Freeport, Maine last week from Flying Pig Bakery. I am going to have to come up with a few ways to eat it, though toasted with butter is doing just fine also :)
Now, the last few weeks I've been eating my way through pasta and frozen veggies. I was away for a few days this week, so I couldn't remember what I had left. Luckily I have several things to get me through the next paycheck or so.
Tonight for dinner I had something I've made before:
Chickpea Salad
Here's what you need, but you can make all kinds of alterations based on what you have and/or flavors you like:
- 1 regular sized can of chickpeas
- Lemon juice
- 2 ribs of celery
- Tomato
- Red onion
- Olive oil
- Mayo
- Parsley
- Salt and Pepper
- Bread
- Arugala
Now, you are going to do some easy prep work. Mash up the drained can of chick peas with a fork. Chop up a 1/4th cup onion, celery, tomato, and a few table spoons of parsley.
Next you are going to mix in your wet stuff; lemon juice (I used a lot), 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of low fat mayo, lots of salt and pepper. Then I scrounged my spice rack and threw in some rosemary, crushed red pepper, and basil (just for fun). I tasted the whole way to make sure it didn't get gross.
Then jar it up (I've been saving old jars, cleaning and ripping labels off. I think it encourages me to eat what I put inside, it just looks pretty. Tip: getting the labels off can be tricky, but if you rub some olive oil on a paper towel it helps.)
Now, let it chill for an hour or so and all the flavors will soak up. In the meanwhile, toast up some bread and toss some arugula on top. When your chickpea salad is nice and cold, scoop a good hunk on top. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top if you want. Voi la!
Oh! One last plug! The bread I used was this amazing lemon rosemary loaf I got when in Freeport, Maine last week from Flying Pig Bakery. I am going to have to come up with a few ways to eat it, though toasted with butter is doing just fine also :)
Some Staple Sites
Here are some of my quick and easy sites/apps to help get you started:
- BROKE-MUST-HAVE: Mint.com is both a website and an app for you smartphones. It really is magical. It looks at your accounts and spending and allows you to set up custom budgets for yourself. It then provides several breakdowns so you can see how you are spending your money and know when you are getting too close in a certain category. It is pretty smart and can usually tell based on the company how to categorize it, though every now and then you need to specify for it.
- FOR THE FRUGAL FASHIONISTA: Vinted.com is a site I wish I had come up with years ago. I lost a lot of weight the last few years, and bought/sold clothes mostly through thrift stores. I tried to get a few swap sites up and going, but never put enough effort into it. Good thing the folks at Vinted did it for me! Both an app and a website, you can sell or buy clothes. I used it once so far for a jean skirt and I loved it. Prices are all great, it alerts you if things you like drop in price, and all the sellers are just broke gals like us! They have all kinds of clothes and accessories and I have nothing but nice things to say about it. While you're there, look at my slowly growing shop.
- FOR THE HOARDER: This one is a "duh" --> Ebay.com and Half.com. Let's talk about how much money I've made selling things on these sites. Sure, they collect a commission. But how much was that Human Psychology book I bought in college getting me on my book shelf? I have sold just about every textbook I bought for college (sometimes for more than I paid for it!). Not to mention DVDs and other various collectibles I had around the house that I just don't need anymore.
- ATTENTION ALL CHEFS: Huffington Post has some GREAT recipe collections. They curate a week worth of dinners, price them out, and make sure you use every bit of what you buy. This is a great collection they have.
- COKE DRINKERS, UNITE: How many caps with numbers have you thrown away? Thousands? What are you doing?! Save those caps and enter them into My Coke Rewards. Not only have I done this for years, I've gotten all kinds of people to give me their caps. I have gotten pans, christmas presents, magazines, gift cards, and more just from these points. You are going to get the Coke any ways. Might as well save up the points! Or you know, just send them to me :)
- And lastly: search for Focus Groups in your area! A lot you have to find on your own or get an invite to, but I make about $100 cash a month from them.
This list is of course going to keep growing, I'm going to create a resource page for it soon.
- BROKE-MUST-HAVE: Mint.com is both a website and an app for you smartphones. It really is magical. It looks at your accounts and spending and allows you to set up custom budgets for yourself. It then provides several breakdowns so you can see how you are spending your money and know when you are getting too close in a certain category. It is pretty smart and can usually tell based on the company how to categorize it, though every now and then you need to specify for it.
- FOR THE FRUGAL FASHIONISTA: Vinted.com is a site I wish I had come up with years ago. I lost a lot of weight the last few years, and bought/sold clothes mostly through thrift stores. I tried to get a few swap sites up and going, but never put enough effort into it. Good thing the folks at Vinted did it for me! Both an app and a website, you can sell or buy clothes. I used it once so far for a jean skirt and I loved it. Prices are all great, it alerts you if things you like drop in price, and all the sellers are just broke gals like us! They have all kinds of clothes and accessories and I have nothing but nice things to say about it. While you're there, look at my slowly growing shop.
- FOR THE HOARDER: This one is a "duh" --> Ebay.com and Half.com. Let's talk about how much money I've made selling things on these sites. Sure, they collect a commission. But how much was that Human Psychology book I bought in college getting me on my book shelf? I have sold just about every textbook I bought for college (sometimes for more than I paid for it!). Not to mention DVDs and other various collectibles I had around the house that I just don't need anymore.
- ATTENTION ALL CHEFS: Huffington Post has some GREAT recipe collections. They curate a week worth of dinners, price them out, and make sure you use every bit of what you buy. This is a great collection they have.
- COKE DRINKERS, UNITE: How many caps with numbers have you thrown away? Thousands? What are you doing?! Save those caps and enter them into My Coke Rewards. Not only have I done this for years, I've gotten all kinds of people to give me their caps. I have gotten pans, christmas presents, magazines, gift cards, and more just from these points. You are going to get the Coke any ways. Might as well save up the points! Or you know, just send them to me :)
- And lastly: search for Focus Groups in your area! A lot you have to find on your own or get an invite to, but I make about $100 cash a month from them.
This list is of course going to keep growing, I'm going to create a resource page for it soon.
Introductions
Introductions. Often the first and last post of bloggers-come-lately. But I am determined to make this one work. I am your average 20-something-girl-in-the-big-city. I work in an office in the industry I love, but can't get over the career hump that separates "barely getting by" and "going away for the weekend because I can". I have been a hustler my entire life. I moved to NYC in 2005 as a 19 year old baby from a suburban midwest town. New York 9 years ago was a different city. We didn't make much more, but you could afford a life in the outer boroughs.
These days, even the newspapers are talking about what we all saw coming: Manhattan is cheaper than Brooklyn! I've gotten myself priced in and around and eventually out of Astoria, The rise of a combo of wealthier professionals seeking studio and one bedrooms combined with the yuppies still getting mommy and daddy money while they intern for pennies (and will eventually be able to surpass the rest of us smucks in clerical and administrative positions who couldn't afford such a hit) are ruining the entire financial structure. But look: that ain't gonna change. It's the way the city is going. So we now have to adapt.
The city can be a cruel bitch. It will break your heart and taunt you with places and things you can't afford. After graduating night school (from a city university, no less. Not NYU or Columbia. Just a 4 year CUNY education in theatre) I realized just how much those loans I signed each year were amounting to. I had never really watched my money before. I don't live an extravagant life and spent most of my free time in class and writing papers. Having more free time in the city somehow instantly became more eating out, more theatre, more shopping. MORE CREDIT DEBT. When I realized I was charging roughly each month what I spent on my student loans, I realized something had to change. I don't make enough money to live as I had been and cover my living costs. And I do have one of the greatest luxuries you can have in the city: my own apartment.
My 400 square foot studio in Woodside, Queens might not seem like a big deal to out of towners or people not in such situations, but I'll lay it down like this: For 2 paychecks a month, I get my OWN apartment. I have a FULL kitchen, 3 closets, a 25 minute commute, facing a park, and am 6 blocks from the train. My previous studio in Astoria was $925, had zero closets, no sink in the bathroom, and the kitchen was in the living room space. It was 300 square feet. So while times are tough, I have peace and quiet.
So I am now paying back Bank of Mommy who graciously loaned me money to pay off my credit card, in exchange for me promising to not carry a balance. This has proved harder than I had hoped for, but it just has to be so. NY is a city where you live and die by credit. But I've been 4 months balance free.
This blog is going to be my struggles, triumphs, suggestions, and victories of living in New York (and enjoying it!) on a budget.
These days, even the newspapers are talking about what we all saw coming: Manhattan is cheaper than Brooklyn! I've gotten myself priced in and around and eventually out of Astoria, The rise of a combo of wealthier professionals seeking studio and one bedrooms combined with the yuppies still getting mommy and daddy money while they intern for pennies (and will eventually be able to surpass the rest of us smucks in clerical and administrative positions who couldn't afford such a hit) are ruining the entire financial structure. But look: that ain't gonna change. It's the way the city is going. So we now have to adapt.
The city can be a cruel bitch. It will break your heart and taunt you with places and things you can't afford. After graduating night school (from a city university, no less. Not NYU or Columbia. Just a 4 year CUNY education in theatre) I realized just how much those loans I signed each year were amounting to. I had never really watched my money before. I don't live an extravagant life and spent most of my free time in class and writing papers. Having more free time in the city somehow instantly became more eating out, more theatre, more shopping. MORE CREDIT DEBT. When I realized I was charging roughly each month what I spent on my student loans, I realized something had to change. I don't make enough money to live as I had been and cover my living costs. And I do have one of the greatest luxuries you can have in the city: my own apartment.
My 400 square foot studio in Woodside, Queens might not seem like a big deal to out of towners or people not in such situations, but I'll lay it down like this: For 2 paychecks a month, I get my OWN apartment. I have a FULL kitchen, 3 closets, a 25 minute commute, facing a park, and am 6 blocks from the train. My previous studio in Astoria was $925, had zero closets, no sink in the bathroom, and the kitchen was in the living room space. It was 300 square feet. So while times are tough, I have peace and quiet.
So I am now paying back Bank of Mommy who graciously loaned me money to pay off my credit card, in exchange for me promising to not carry a balance. This has proved harder than I had hoped for, but it just has to be so. NY is a city where you live and die by credit. But I've been 4 months balance free.
This blog is going to be my struggles, triumphs, suggestions, and victories of living in New York (and enjoying it!) on a budget.
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