Categories: Literature & Arts; Eat & Drink

The (Hungry and Cultured and Well-housed) Cheapskates's Guide to New York

By aliciak
updated 13 days ago

Just because you are less than well-off in New York doesn't mean you should be eating Elio's frozen pizza and Aunt Jemima's Complete pancake mix (two of my I'm-an-impoverished-teacher staples) in your raggedy pajamas all the time. There are freebies everywhere! No, I'm not talking that bag of bagels left out for the homeless (look, I was really hungry that day!), but cultured places, museums,galleries, even grocery stores. You've probably got a pretty decent internet connection, which will help with furnishing your apartment, hunting down free junk, and much much more!

"Hunger was waging a fierce battle in me"

Knut Hamsun wrote a fantastic book called Hunger, which drew from his many impoverished years as a writer where he literally had no money to eat, day after day. Most of us in New York do not even come close to this kind of desperation, but hunger is one of the most basic needs, and failure to fulfill it makes it almost impossible to focus on anything else.

In other words, eat! Even if you don’t have money, you can eat 3 pseudo meals a day, and if you’ve got strong feet or a bike, you can save subway fare while you’re at it.

The Freebie-filled Furnished Apartment

60% of my apartment is furnished from stuff found on the street, and I’m not talking stained mattresses or rickety chairs. Nice stuff! I go for the 50’s vintage look, which is fortunate, because most Brooklyn peeps aren’t throwing away their West Elm couches or contemporary designer lamps.

When I first moved to Brooklyn, I memorized the garbage days for the wealthiest blocks and went on a hunt for the first few weeks of spring. It’s a gold mind out there. I racked up three end tables, a credenza, small shelf, foot stool, plant stands, wine glasses, and books. What are you waiting for?

Navigating the Wonderful World of Craigslist

As lame as it sounds, I owe my life in New York to craigslist. Rides, tickets, jobs, furniture, you name it, I’ve found it on craigslist. Here’s what you need if you’re a cheapskate:

Wanted: this category is misleadingly under “For Sale”, but basically it’s folks looking to buy specific things, like My Little Ponies, gas stations (not kidding!) and that one National Geographic issue from 1971.
Free: self-explanatory. This is the nicely organized way of saying, “hey, I’m putting my old futon out on the street in an hour. Here’s my address.” New Yorkers are so considerate sometimes!
Garage Sales: well, more like stoop sales, but good finds nonetheless.
Etc. Jobs: sometimes you can just can’t make ends meet. But I have found some interesting jobs in the “Etc.” category, such as mystery shopping. I have amassed stories for years to come!
Barter: if you want to go socialist, you can barter for desired wares. Kind of like a virtual flea market.
Tickets: Sometimes I buy tickets for shows I know will sell out, and re-sell them on craigslist. Uptight, law-abiding people call this “scalping” and “illegal,” but I call it resourceful, smart, and lucrative.