New York: The big apple. A city never sleeps, where you find statues of liberty, Museums, education, and art. It is also the city known to be cruel, uncivil, and ruthless. There is no one word to describe the city. I did not grow up in the city but always wanted to go. I went there as a child on a school trip and fell in love right away.
The skyscrapers in Manhattan, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, and the empire state building, I am counting what I saw on my school trip, but the city is much more than big erect structures. Life is here.
I was determined to move here. I had a poster of Times Square in my bedroom. When the moment arrived to approach for college, my first choice was New York University.
The day is still in my memory when I received my approval letter. I could not believe my eyes. I was so happy. I packed my bags and moved o the city of my dreams.
The first thing that I realized was it is not just expensive. It is ridiculously costly. I understood if I wanted the city to accept me, I had to be smart. I started to find ways to live in New York at a reasonable price.
A simple meal in the most inexpensive restaurant will cost $20 – 25. No wonder it is one of the most costly places in the world. The majority of students like me can get benefit if we choose to become more fiscally prudent.
Is it that simple, though? When I planned to shift from my dorm to the city, I calculated all the expenses; a major part of it was going in rent. The thing I could do was save some money and shift into a small but kickass apartment.
Oh! The mistakes young people make. My financial mismanagement made me behind my rent in the first month itself so much that I had to get emergency payday loan with no credit direct lender.
I promised myself to manage my finances better. I sat down with paper and pen, made a budget, shifted some expenses, and managed to fit my lifestyle with moderate fun and yet enjoy everything that the city offers.
If you dream of becoming a New Yorker, you need to understand this city. Come dive in!
The New York City
Did you know more than 200 languages are spoken in the city alone? Did it blow my mind right away? The city has the diversity in its nature than it seems. New York City can be divided into five sections: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Well, we all know Staten Island is no New York but let that slide for a minute.
New York is the country’s most ethnically diverse, religiously diversified, commercially oriented, and notoriously crowded. Yet the city is the most attractive urban centre, can you believe it? Despite all of that and so many other negative aspects, New York has something for everyone.
Everyone is someone important here. They cuss. They can be cruel, yet you become a New Yorker when you manage to find a place for yourself. Once you move here, learn to ride in subways! Trust me, and you will learn more about the city that way. I had memorized the subway map and timetable, Geek much!
About the Rent
There is no reason why you cannot live in New York if you rummage and do a little bit of adjusting to your spending habits. The living cost of any region is largely affected by the rent, food prices, and connectivity. The following are the top three most inexpensive areas:
1. Bronx: Bedford
Bedford Park is placed at the vicinity in the Bronx. The Bronx is one of New York City’s most soulful and interesting neighbourhoods with its musical history. You can stay here with convenient access to Manhattan.
It’s the cradle of hip-hop and a wonderful blend of city and suburbia life. You can get a two-bedroom home in the Bronx for much less money than in Manhattan, especially if you reside in the Bedford Park area. If you are a sports enthusiast, the Bronx Zoo and Yankee Stadium are both worth seeing.
2. Queens, Sunnyside
As the name suggests, Sunnyside is a predominantly family-oriented neighbourhood with a lot of warmth. It is up and coming neighbourhood with a large number of low-rise flats and row homes at affordable prices. This locality is home to a mixed ethnic community, so the place gets colourful.
There are places like Queens Boulevard where food from practically every ethnicity can be found. The place gives you homely vibes, and you would want to live here with your family someday. The place enjoys the greater connectivity with the city.
The trains are usually crowded, but hey, that is what we want here, trying to fit in and be part of the crowd.
3. Brooklyn: Bay Ridge
Bay Ridge is in Brooklyn’s southwest corner. I understand if you are hesitating to shift here. But this place is one of the most underrated areas nestled between Sunset Park and the Verrazano Bridge. It has an excellent schooling system and a very friendly environment.
The best part of this neighbourhood is larger square footage at low cost, which means big space at a low price. In addition, it has accessibility to the freeway. Nice, cheap, cosy, and connectivity, what else do you want?
There are many nice places around this area to explore. It is one of the safest places with a very low crime rate.
Survival in the New York
Once rent is settled, now it’s time to discuss other issues. By now, it must be clear that you’ll have to adjust your lifestyle and spending habits. There is always a rainy day coming. Saving and financial adjustment are very important. For the emergencies, many lenders provide bad credit payday loans on guaranteed approval if you ever need them.
Rent
Rent gets very important as long as you don’t want to be referred to as B&T (bridge and Tunnel) people. The rent is an obvious expense in your budget. Go rummaging and find an affordable place yet closer to the place of your work if you are employed.
You wouldn’t want travel expenses surpassing rent, right! So, look around, go online, social media, and find the best one for you. You can always rent a place with roommates; it is the best in my opinion. If you can find a good roommate, it will allow you to adjust your finances and save some money so you can use it for other stuff.
A very important suggestion, which I learned the hard way, is never to fall behind on your rent. You can live with street food without clubbing or liquor, but you can’t live without a roof over your head.
Food
Who doesn’t love fine dining? However, when you are trying to survive, give your taste buds a rest and find places with inexpensive food near your place. Make sure they are safe o eat. Instead of the restaurant, prefer food stands. New York is famous for its street food. Try these. They are easy on the pocket and taste good.
Another thing you can do is grocery shopping. Buy kinds of stuff and try cooking at home. If you have never cooked before, there is a first time for everything, right? If you start cooking and eating at home, you can save a lot of your fooding expanse.
The home-cooked meal will be healthier and easy on the pocket. Soon you will learn the basics of cooking and become a pro at survival cooking.
Hey! I am not saying cut outing altogether. You can always go out every once in a while. You can also use take-out services, which deliver extra left-over food from good restaurants at much lower prices.
Budget Shopping
Suppose you took my suggestion and decided on cooking at home, bravo! Now, where and how to shop! Prepare a list of entire things you may need. As per your preferences, milk cereals, juice, chips, packed food, vegetables, oil, butter cheese, and other things.
Now look for some coupons if you can find them in newspapers or online. Buy your stuff in bulk at a supermarket on the weekend. They always have some deals which will lead to big savings. It will keep your house stashed with food, and food at home helps with midnight cravings which I always have.
Travel Smartly
Last but not least. Explore the city and find the easiest and cheapest way to reach your work. Learn the subway and bus map. They will save you big bucks. If you are a little health conscious, cycling is the best option.
Gear up and paddle your way to financial stability. You can carpool, you can use some walk. I have walked a lot in the city. Is there any better way to know and explore a city?
Conclusion
The bottom line is, if you want to live in London, you must survive at the terms of the city. Find a cheaper locality. The list is given above. Have a roommate to share the rent. You can always use same day loans for unemployedif required. It is time to learn financial management. Make a budget, instead of buying, prepare food at home. Buy groceries in the supermarket and bulk, and travel using public transportation. Save the money wherever you can.
