Digital Decluttering Helps Reduce Spending Triggers

leslie April 02, 2012 Expenses 2 Comments

Spending triggers like clearance sales, groupons, promotional discounts and coupons can often cause you to spend more money than you would otherwise.

Nowadays, news of sales & promotions comes to us digitally. Between mailing lists in our email, RT’s on twitter, and flashing banners on websites, we are continuously inundated by messages telling us to “spend spend spend” under the guise of cheaper prices. Remember, cheaper prices does not necessarily equate to saving money.

How many groupons have you purchased “just to try” something? How many have went unused then expired? How many extra items have you bought to save another buck?

By decluttering your digital influx you can cut out quite a bit of unnecessary spending.

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Yelp Drinks Week 2012 – Half-off drink specials in NYC!

leslie February 24, 2012 Entertainment, Weekend No Comments

Yelp 2012 Drinks Week Map Color Coded by Borough

Over 50 bars in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey are participating in Yelp Drinks Week 2012.

Each bar has 3 half-off drink specials!

This runs from Monday February 27 – Sunday March 4 without limited hours!

You can view all the lists on Yelp or check out my Google Map with all locations & deals color-coded by borough!

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I’ve Spent How Much on Clothes?!!?

leslie February 22, 2012 Expenses 9 Comments

Clothes shopping is interesting. It’s not quite like shopping for new tech/gadgets. With tech purchases, replacement items are often improvements and offer a full replacement of the old item. When you buy a new tv, you get rid of the old one; when you buy a new phone, you don’t use both! But clothes don’t work this way. You are not buying a new skirt to replace an old one and the new one isn’t any “better” than the old one. You keep both because they look different although the function is the same.

Aside from … Continue reading »

Paying for Pain: Mud Races

leslie December 11, 2011 Expenses 4 Comments

So far in my life I have ran several 5k’s, 10k’s, 15k’s, 1 half marathon and 2 mud race obstacle courses; Warrior Dash (3 miles) & Tough Mudder (12 mles).

All of these things cost money. Half/Marathons and the mud races all cost ~$100, for an experience of course. Paying for competition. Paying for a challenge. Often times because we need that to push ourselves, for additional motivation. Or because it is a challenge we, ourselves, cannot recreate.

Warrior Dash

Simply put, the Warrior Dash, a 3 mile long obstacle course, is a party. … Continue reading »

Independent Movie Theaters in NYC

leslie November 25, 2011 Entertainment No Comments

I have long been a supporter of using Netflix or your local library to watch movies instead of paying full admission for a movie ticket. However, I will cough up the $13 here in NYC to see an indie or previously released film at one of the independent theaters.

Many theaters will do series over the course of a few months highlighting a director, composer, genre or theme. IFC Center offers late-night favorites, screening movies like Alien, Jaws and more at midnight on weekends.

If you go to a particular theater often, you can become a paying member to receive an admission discount (and feel good about supporting small theaters!)

Here is my hand-crafted list of independent theaters in NYC. It is by no means complete and I have not been to all of these, yet.

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Free Things: Brooklyn Book Festival – 9/18/11

leslie September 15, 2011 Expenses No Comments

The Brooklyn Book Festival takes place this Sunday the 18th in downtown Brooklyn around Borough Hall. All events are free, some require (free) tickets, and this all takes place from 10a-6p.

Just a few of the plethora of events:

  • The Phantom Tollbooth at 50: From the fantastic imagination of Norton Juster and the unforgettable sketch of Jules Feiffer, the classic children’s story The Phantom Tollbooth was created 50 years ago in Brooklyn Heights. Join the famed author/ illustrator pair in a conversation with Leonard Marcus.12p. – St. Francis Auditorium (180 Remsen Street) (tickets required)
  • Comedy in Comics: Join and laugh with four artists of comics that are surreal, political, and hilarious: Eisner-nominated and cult-favorite Michael Kupperman (Mark Twain’s Autobiography: 1910-2010); Harvey, Glyph, and Inkpot Award-winning Keith Knight (The Knight Life: Chivalry Ain’t Dead); web-comics phenomenon Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant); and newcomer Jennifer Hayden (Underwire). Moderated by Heidi MacDonald of The Beat and Publishers Weekly Comics World.1p – St. Francis Screening Room (180 Remsen Street)
  • Moving Pictures: From B Movies to the Art House, film is possibly the most powerful broadcast medium of the past century—taking us on flights of fancy as often as it brings us face-to-face with the more unpleasant nature of the contemporary world. J. Hoberman (Army of Phantoms), Jason Zinoman (Shock Value), and Roberta Seret (World Affairs in Foreign Films) discuss the role of movies in understanding our world and ourselves. Moderated by film critic and Light Industry founder, Ed Halter. 5p – St. Francis Screening Room (180 Remsen Street)

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Friday Flicks: Leslie’s Netflix Instant Picks (Aug 19-21)

leslie August 19, 2011 Entertainment, Netflix No Comments

Every Friday I will list personal recommendations of movies that are available on Netflix Instant Watch so you can enjoy a frugal weekend instead of buying that stupidly expensive movie ticket.

Weekend Picks: August 19-21 – Classic Early 90’s Edition


Reality Bites
Genre: Comedy, Coming of age
Mood: 90’s
94 mins; 1994
Leslie Rating: 4/5
Summary: 90’s love story involving post-grads trying to figure out what to do with themselves.

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Friday Flicks: Leslie’s Netflix Instant Picks (Aug 12-14)

leslie August 12, 2011 Entertainment, Netflix No Comments

Every Friday I will list personal recommendations of movies that are available on Netflix Instant Watch so you can enjoy a frugal weekend instead of buying that stupidly expensive movie ticket.

Weekend Picks: August 12-14 – Goofy Movie Edition


Wet Hot American Summer
Genre: Teen Comedy
Mood: Goofy
97mins; 2001
Leslie Rating: 4/5
Summary: Hilarious summer camp comedy that balances perfectly between silly & stupid.

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Grocery Shopping in NYC is Depressing

leslie August 08, 2011 Expenses, Food 12 Comments

I knew that groceries would be expensive in Manhattan. They were expensive in NJ so thought the difference would be negligible. It was not.

Here’s my first shopping trip on the upper west side:

Grated parm: $3.91
Grapes @ $2.69/lb: $5.33
100% whole grain bread: $3.99
Jarred Pesto: $3.59
Unsalted butter: $4.39
Cottage Cheese: $3.79
Strawberries: $3.99
Nellie’s Natural Eggs: $2.69
Chicken breasts: $6.01

Now, let’s compare this to the prices of some of these at a central New Jersey Wegman’s super market:

Cottage Cheese: $2.99
Unsalted Butter: $2.79
Strawberries: $2.49
Eggs: $3.69
Grapes @ $2.49/lb
Pesto: $2.49
Bread: $2.69

Shopping Around

Now, I am sure that the prices are cheaper in the outer boroughs and plan … Continue reading »

Friday Flicks: Leslie’s Netflix Instant Picks (Aug 5-7)

leslie August 05, 2011 Entertainment, Netflix 1 Comment

Every Friday I will list personal recommendations of movies that are available on Netflix Instant Watch so you can enjoy a frugal weekend instead of buying that stupidly expensive movie ticket.

Weekend Picks: August 5-7


The Fighter
Genre: Sports, Drama
Mood: Inspiring
115 mins; 2010
Leslie Rating: n/a
Summary: Heard it’s about boxing…

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Relatively Frugal

leslie August 02, 2011 Expenses 8 Comments

I have been living in Manhattan for officially a month now and have been out of the frugal loop lately. Every time I catch up on fellow frugal blogs and articles, I just don’t find anything I can relate to.

Urban Living

I no longer have a car so I don’t need gas saving tips. I have no storage space, so I can’t buy in bulk. I have access to a plethora of free events, so I don’t need ideas on cheap dates. I rent an apartment, so I don’t need homeowner’s tips. I live with roommates, so I don’t need information on co-habitation budgets. I have to carry my groceries home, so I can’t stock up on sale items. I don’t do my own laundry, so I don’t need homemade detergent. Groceries are exorbitantly expensive and eating out can be really really cheap.

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Strawberry Pasta Sauce is Delicious

leslie July 11, 2011 Food 2 Comments

I was looking through a friend’s pasta cookbook when I saw a recipe that used strawberries, balsamic vinegar & canned tomatoes to make a pasta sauce. I had never thought of strawberries being used in that way and was immediately intrigued.

Fast forward to several months later, I stumbled upon this article about the strawberry pasta sauce. After just buying some strawberries recently, I decided to have a kitchen experiment of my own and give it a shot.

Honestly, I had my doubts, but the result turned out much better than I expected!

Note: I didn’t measure … Continue reading »

Friday Flicks: Leslie’s Netflix Instant Picks (July 8-10)

leslie July 08, 2011 Entertainment, Netflix 4 Comments

Every Friday I will list personal recommendations of movies that are available on Netflix Instant Watch so you can enjoy a frugal weekend instead of buying that $10 movie ticket.

Weekend Picks: July 8-10 (Last Year’s Movies edition)


Let Me In
Genre: Horror, Vampire
Mood: Suspense, Dark
116 mins; 2010
Leslie Rating: 4/5
Summary: Surprisingly good remake of a coming-of-age tale about a young girl who struggles with being a vampire.

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This Weekend: Free in NYC (5/26-5/29)

leslie May 26, 2011 Expenses 1 Comment

With summer closing in, weekends are full of free events in NYC. Here are a few fun things to do this weekend, without spending a dime!

Free Cab Ride

Thursday May 26, 4p-6p
To celebrate some show moving to a new time, all cabs with a Dr. Oz promo on top will be free! These cabs will begin at major Manhattan destinations (Grand Central, Penn Station, etc) but once they drop off their initial passengers, they are free to anyone until 6p!

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Monthly Budget Recap: April ‘11

leslie May 15, 2011 Budget, Monthly Expenses 2 Comments

Since incomes are relative, my recaps are in percentages instead of dollar amounts.

April 2011 budget recap

Income

I received an income tax refund but also had to pay some taxes, however the refund did make for some nice extra income this month. This is fortunate since I forgot to factor it into April’s budget.

Fixed Expenses

I am still adjusting to the new apartment utility expenses which are, thankfully, much cheaper than at the last apartment.

Total April Fixed Expenses: Budgeted – 44%; Actual – 35%

Variable Expenses

I became a bit too excited about updating my summer wardrobe and spent far too much on clothes. Also, I did my annual hair highlights and should have factored that into my budget from the beginning. Thankfully my tax refund helped to balance out this over spending.

This was the first month I tracked my alcohol expenses individually. My estimate wasn’t too far off but I was surprised by just how much I spent on alcohol alone. Really, it is more the cost of socializing with friends, but I would like to cut this down next month.

This was also my first full month of commuting from Jersey City into Manhattan. The commute was far less than I expected with a total of $63 for the entire month! I separate MTA (nyc subway) because that is for my own leisure purposes and is not related to my commute.

Total April Variable Expenses: Budgeted – 32%; Actual – 22%

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