New York - November 10, 2008

Live Cheap Without Giving Up Much

Drink only at dives: annual savings = $3,467
-Nancy Whiskey, Lucy's, Port 41, Alibi Club

Get a $14 haircut: annual savings = $540
-Neighborhood Barbers

Swap clothes: annual savings = $1,000
-hold a clothing swap at home

Clear your bookshelves: annual savings = $299.40
-read every volume that's currently collecting dust on your shelves before you buy a new book

Slash your bills: annual savings = $416
-cell phone (find a lower-price plan given minutes needed), cable/internet/home phone, electric (ESCO instead of ConEd).

Public schools for kids: annual savings = $23,625
-Insideschools.org

Repair, don't replace: annual savings = $1,229
-restore a dresser at All Furniture Services, rewire an old lamp at Lexington Hardware and Electric, de-stain a rug at Flat Rate Carpet, fix a digital camera at Marty's Camera Repair, make boots look new at Cesar's Shoe Repair, replace coat linings at Nelson Tailor Shop, repaire a snagged dress at Orchard Express

Surf the first wave of panic-selling: total savings = $394,463
-property markdowns at streeteasy.com or trulia.com

Recycle your romances: annual savings = $2,400
-bootycalling an ex you're on good terms with is a low-rish, high-yield investment

Cancel DVDs by mail: annual savings = $204
-use the public library's DVD stack instead

Go generic: annual savings: $92.16
-ShopRite Ibuprofen instead of Advil, CVS anti-itch cream instead of Cortaid itch cream, Bravo market's Krasdale Ultra laundry detergent instead of double-strength Tide, Hanes boxer shorts instead of Gap boxers, Duane Reade Nourishing formula nail-polish remover and cotton balls instead of Cutex nail-polish remover and Johnson & Johnson cotton balls, and Duane Reade Naproxen Sodium instead of Aleve

Kick your cab habit: annual savings = $5,000
-take the subway

Paint your own damn nails: annual savings = $2,000
-forget expensive hand and foot creams. Body moisturizers or anti-aging lotions are plenty good for hands and feet.
-nail files and buffing blocks can be bought in bulk at a beauty supply store like Sally's. Better yet, cut the files in half and the blocs in quarters to make them last longer.
-the proper way to file is at a 45 degree angle underneath the nail. If your nails are weak, gently file in one direction.
-don't overcolor. Wipe polish off one side of the brush, put one dot in the middle of the nail, and fan out until the polish reaches your cuticles.
-be patient when drying, 15 minutes minimum. To speed up drying time, go for a walk in the cold air. It shrinks the molecules in the lacquer.

Become your own super: annual savings = $1,200
-take care of the trash, the boiler, the keys and the lightbulbs for less rent

Caffeinate efficiently: annual savings = $1,565
-switch from Starbucks to Dunkin Donuts
-brew it yourself

Take the free water taxi to the Red Hook Ikea: annual savings = $48

Negotiate everything: annual savings = $2,028
-queen-size Simmons Hamlet pillow-top mattress at Sleepy's (method: War of Attrition, lie down on a bed, get up, say nothing until salesman blew up, "Are you going to buy a bed or just play with me?"), Ermenegildo Zegna suede-and-calf sneakers at Saks Fifth Avenue (method: Soft Plea, "Are they going to be on sale shortly? If no, are there any other discounts that would apply?"), all-access membership at Union Square Equinox fitness club (method: Growing Uninterest, super-eager during the tour but testy once fees brought up, "It doesn't seem worth it"), mint-condition Door Store dining table off Craigslist (method: To and Fro, start low, meet somewhere in the middle), basic Time Warner cable (method: Cable Guy, wait until cable guys was installing Internet, asked him "Any chance you can hook me up with free cable? Twenty dollars okay?"), Eaemes lounge chair and ottoman by Herman Miller at Design Within Reach (method: Team Player, appeared with notebook, asked lots of questions, appear like their dream customer, only ask about the price at the end, "Is there something we can do about the price?"), street knish at 5th Ave and 54th St. (method: You Can't Do Any Better For That Knish?, "I'll give you X. C'mon, man, tough times.")

Knock off your favorite suit: annual savings = $2,594
-Biemonte Wong's Tailor, from Hong Kong, camps at the Hilton New York in midtown, make an appointment to drop off your favorite pieces and choose from their wide range of materials. The clothes will be made in Hong Kong and shipped in 3 weeks.

Eat like a prince at pauper's prices: annual savings = $605
-Chicken for two: Pio Pio, Peruvian chicken specialist, $30 for whole rotisserie chicken, rice, beans, tostones, avocado salad, and fries and sliced hot dog.
-Bowl of pasta: Pepe Rosso to Go, hole in the wall hits the spot with $6.95 spaghetti with tomato and basil.
-The fancy lunch: Jean Georges, two-course lunch that some consider the best $28 you can spend on food today.
-Peking duck: Corner 28, steamed bun stuffed with roast duck goes for $1 and is delivered from a takeout window.
-Regular slice: 99cent Fresh Pizza, quick and satisfying lunch.
-Indian feast: Chennai Garden, $14.95 Gujarathi combo dinner arrives on a round tray containing kachori (dal fritter), batata vada (spicy potato fritters), kadi (chickpea flour and yogurt soup), a vegetable curry, rice pilaf, poori, date chutney, and sweetened cheese dessert called rasmali.
-The brush with three-Michelin-star greatness: Benoit, nibble on $1 "egg mayo", a fancy Frenchified take on a deviled egg, served with toasted length of ficelle and springy leaf of lettuce.
-Steak for two: General Greene, Niman Ranch flap steak (remarkably beefy, seldom seen but up-and-coming cut) for $12.
-Ice-cream cone: Dessert Club, ChikaLicious, vanilla-bean soft-serve for $2.90.

De-stress for less: annual savings = $780
-Keisy Oriental Nature Center, 60-minute shiatsu and acupressure massage for $45.

Trade babysitting: annual savings = $3,120

Whittle down your mortgage: annual savings = $9,086
-refinance into a new 30-year-fixed, take on an adjustable rate, or make a thirteenth payment every year

Embrace low fashion: annual savings = $1,462 for women, $2,193 for men
-women: vintage frames at Fabulous Fanny's, cashmere at J. Crew, lingerie at Macy's, party shoes at Guess by Marciano, date dresses at Forever 21, parkas at Uniqlo
-men: winter boots at Eddie Bauer, denim at Levi's, work shoes at Florsheim, button-downs at H&M, peacoats at American Eagle, business suits at DKNY (at Rothman's)

Drink good cheap wine: annual savings = $2,205
-instead of Krug Brut Champagne Collection 1985, try Gruet Brut
-instead of Terlano Chardonnay 1995, try Lamoreaux Landing Chardonnay 2006
-instead of Braida Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone 2004, try Daniel Bouland Morgon Vielles Vignes 2007

Be your own restaurant: annual savings = $1,248

Dodge the (rental) broker's fee: annual savings = $6,597
-work the streets: chat up every doorman and buzz every super in the area you want to live
-tell everyone your sob story
-dig deeper into the web: craigslist, streeteasy.com, online Times and Voice classifieds, RDNY, and listingsquare.com
-go straight to the source: management companies usually only charge for background checks. Try Stonehenge Management, Jakobson Properties, Solow Leasing, Glenwood, Rudin Management, and Rose Associates
-call a broker: ask for an agent that handles OP (owner pays) listings

Go to museums only on Friday nights: annual savings = $79
-MoMA, free 4 to 8
-Bronx Museum of the Arts, free all day
-Guggenheim, pay what you wish 5:45 to 7:45
-Morgan Library, free 7 to 9
-American Folk Art Museum, free 5:30 to 7:30
-New York Historical Society, free 6 to 8

Rent a dress: annual savings = $5,580
-Ilus, a "luxury for lease" boutique that offers 3-day rentals for $60 to $400