City Savvy: Money Saving Tips for Living in NY

Moving to New York was one of the most exciting yet financially-devastating things I've ever done in my life. Having been here a year, I've come up with a lot of creative ways to save money. Sometimes that means sacrificing a weeknight happy hour and having all the FOMO, but in the end I know that I'll feel better having skipped that $14 froze when my credit card bill comes around! Keep reading for my top money saving tips for living in NYC.

1. Cartwheel by Target

Honestly, just shopping at Target in general is a huge game changer, especially for groceries. If you download the Target App you can use their Cartwheel feature which allows you to save even more money on certain products. This is great, especially because it beats clipping coupons! I've learned that bread, dairy, and staple pantry items are significantly cheaper at Target than my neighborhood grocery store, and saving on top of that with Cartwheel is an even better perk. You just add whatever coupons you want to your "cart" and scan at checkout and BOOM savings!

2. Wait for Holiday Sales for Furniture

I bought my mattress during a Memorial Day sale and my couch on a Labor Day sale! When I moved into my first apartment I just wanted to buy everything right away, but I soon realized that if I took my time designing my space I could save a lot more money, especially when I bought around holidays. It's so tempting to just buy everything you need right away, but that's definitely not fun for your wallet (and your credit card bill the next month). Plan out the big piece items you want to buy and then wait for a good deal before you click "purchase." Usually you can save over 25% off the regular price if you just wait for a big sale. It may suck that your space feels "empty" for a bit, but isn't it worth it for your financial state of mind to wait just a little? With Labor Day coming up I'm personally checking out Wayfair or Overstock for a bar cart, hopefully saving a good chunk of change in the process!

3. Download Honey

I don't remember how exactly I stumbled across Honey but I'm assuming God opened up the clouds and blessed me with it. Honey is an extension you can add to your Google Chrome browser that will run thousands of codes to get you deals when you shop online. Every time you check out from a website, Honey will either find you a promo code for money off or you will earn Honey "gold" back on your purchase. Once you collect enough gold, you can redeem it for gift cards to your favorite retailer! That's a sweet deal (I hate myself).

4. Don't Be Afraid to Buy Things Used

As nice as it is to open something fresh out of the box, there is absolutely no shame in buying used furniture/clothing/accessories! Hell, I've even been tempted to pick up furniture I've found on the curb (then think of all the dogs who've probably peed on it and keep walking)! Recently, I discovered Facebook Marketplace for decorating my apartment and so far I'm in love. I was able to get some cute framed art pieces for a steal from a girl moving out of the city, but there also a ton of other things you can buy from people, too! Then there are websites like The Real Real or Poshmark where you can find some amazing pieces to add to your wardrobe with friendlier price tags. Buying things new is so 2014. We are all about those deals now, girl!

5. Utilize Gilt City for New Experiences

I can't remember how I discovered Gilt City but now I can't imagine a life without it. Through Gilt I've booked facials, floatation therapy sessions, and other cool NYC experiences at an awesome discount. I check the website weekly to see what's new and book anything that I think is worthwhile. They also have products you can buy below MSRP from top brands like BCBG and Oscar de la Renta! I was actually just browsing and saw a deal for Alice's Tea Cup so excuse me while I purchase the Wonderland fantasy of my dreams...







What are some of your money saving tips? Let me know in the comments below!