How To Live the Good Life As A NYC Millennial
High five鉁嬸煆糱uddy! You鈥檙e living in one of the world鈥檚 most exciting cities: New York!
Want to know how to live the good life on a budget as a true New Yorker?
It鈥檚 a great place to enjoy your young millennial life 馃槉 You can get coffee at every corner, munch on a Whopper 馃崝 from Burger King at 3 am or just ride the subway馃殕 home after a crazy night out with your friends – this is the city that never sleeps馃帀馃帀馃帀.
If you鈥檙e new to the Big Apple, initially, you may be slightly intimidated – but you鈥檒l love the head-rush at the unlimited number of opportunities available.
Take a look at how you can maximize your budget to live it up in this amazing city!
Let鈥檚 find home sweet home!
Apart from finding roommates馃懐 to call your best mates and share the costs with, you鈥檒l consider the size, location and the price of the apartment before deciding to rent it.
If you鈥檙e a bit claustrophobic馃檰馃徎and need your space, then look beyond 34th Street and downtown Manhattan. The properties here tend to be a wee bit small in size (also a wee bit expensive!) and may not appeal to you.
Location a priority? Then my friend, you鈥檒l have to choose a trade-off between size, price and location. Sure, as a millennial, you鈥檒l aspire to live downtown where the action soars high馃嵐馃嵒 馃帀- as do the rental prices.
Want to save some bucks 馃挼? Then, take your search outside central Manhattan to nearby, more affordable neighborhoods where you can still live the good New York life.
Here are our top 3 neighborhoods for budding NYC millennials, such as yourselves.
Little tip: be ready to pounce on the apartment of your dreams as soon as you see it as they go quickly under a New York minute.
Travel in true NYC style
Okay great, your apartment is sorted, it鈥檚 time to explore the big City!
Own a car? Whew, those insurance premiums, parking fees and fuel costs are going to make a hefty dent in your wallet.
Use the subway and whizz around the Big Apple like a native鈿★笍鈿★笍.
You never know what you’ll see on the subway!
This vital means of transportation runs 24/7 and is super cheap! Invest in a monthly Metrocard to get the most out of your dollars. Smile bud, this little wonder card is going to get you on those famous NYC buses as well.
Painting the town of New York red 馃惥on your first Saturday night and gotten a bit tipsy馃嵎? No worries, just order an Uber or a Lyft. However, it is recommended to save these little luxuries of transport for the weekend as it鈥檒l be too expensive to use on a daily basis.
Sharpen your cooking skills
Living away from home for the first time and only know how to boil pasta? Don鈥檛 fret as that鈥檚 an excellent start! Cooking at home is the best way to enjoy a delicious meal 馃嵅 whilst saving your precious, hard-earned cents. After all, this is how you live it up 馃挅馃挅.
First things first- before you get cracking in the kitchen, you need to stock up on your groceries. With a bodega present at every street corner, you鈥檒l always have access to groceries. Hit the cheapest grocery stores in New York and save a few dollars.
Put your leftover change and coins in a little piggy bank and hear their jingling grow melodiously louder as the end of the month draws close.
Got your pantry fully equipped? Great! Now, it鈥檚 time to roll up your sleeves and to develop those hidden culinary talents of yours馃嵁馃嵆馃嵈.
Don鈥檛 be afraid to fire up the stove. Remember, it takes time to get the most basic dish, such as boiling rice 馃崥, just right.
Enjoying that cooking process? It鈥檚 a sign you鈥檙e meant to be a chef.
Mobile apps to save your moolah
Here鈥檚 a quick list of top NYC apps that will help you stay within your budget
- Clarity Money: Got a number of subscriptions you鈥檙e unaware off and don鈥檛 need? This brilliant app will cancel them for you and notify you if you鈥檙e spending beyond your means.
- Mint: This app will take your budget, pay your bills and analyze your financial data. It鈥檒l keep you in fiscal check as it centralize all your payments.
- JOB TODAY: Of course, this app is a must-have! Whether you want to find your perfect summer job or want a job that requires no experience, you can find work (both part-time & full-time) on this app within 24 hours and ping employers directly as well.
- Akorn: When your piggy bank is full, break it and insert the amount in your Akorn app. It鈥檒l round up your change in savings and invest it in stocks and bonds for you. Retirement, here we come!
- Mealpal: No time to cook? Download this app and enjoy $6 lunches all over the city!
- MoviePass: Sure, we all love Netflix! However, the latest Avengers movie is a must- see with all your friends posting spoilers all over social media. Pay $9.99/month and see any movie anywhere in the country at any time!
- CitiBike: Zip around the Big Apple on two wheels with this bike-sharing app that will point you towards the nearest docking station, save your riding numbers and let you buy a day pass even.
Take in free sights
New York 馃寚 may be an expensive city but you can still enjoy some of its sights and sounds – for absolutely nothing! Here鈥檚 a quick list:
Take a dip
Get your laps 馃強馃徎 in any of New York鈥檚 several free outdoor pools. With quite a few of them opening at the end of this month for the summer, our favourite is the Olympic sized baby at Astoria Park. Laze around under the sun in this pool with your favourite drink馃嵐and soak in spectacular sights of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.
Hit the waves
Venture to Coney island via train and wade your feet in the waters of the Atlantic. After spending the day frolicking in the sand and sunbathing, combine a beer馃嵑from the local Brewery with a famous Nathan鈥檚 hot dog.
Fire up the grill
Get your friends together and grab a free grilling spot at one of the many public parks near you. Capture a perfect Instagrammable view of Lower Manhattan, enjoy the breeze and good food right by Pier 5 at the Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Stroll through Central Park
Relish a rainbow 馃寛 sprinkled cream cheese bagel at Tomkins Square Bagels and choose a bench to watch East Villagers at their best.
Outdoor concerts/movies
Take a cosy blanket, make some cheese sandwiches and grab a crate of beer to take to an open air concert or an outdoor movie – which is for free! They take place all over the city – so, chances are high that you won鈥檛 be wandering too far from home.
Free drinks app
With apps such as Hooch, Bar Roulette and Happy to point you towards free drinks, you can party all night long without breaking the bank.
The trick to knowing how to live the good life in Fun City is to pace yourself and your budget. Save where you can and feel free to splurge once in a while to treat yourself. You got your whole life ahead of you to experience all the dynamic happenings here. Take it slow and enjoy each moment. You鈥檝e earned it!
Ready to roll out to New York? Download the JOB TODAY app now and check out the latest job ads:
