New York can be expensive, but if you’re willing, you can do it right.

As someone who doesn’t live in New York City, I end up going there an insane amount of times in a year. My work is based there, and because I went to college in the city, I am grateful to have the connections I have and am able to sleep on people’s couches because they have the room.

This is an insane privilege for someone like me, and I am acknowledging this plays a huge role in how I am able to save money. I am also able to catch the Megabus where I live, and since my trips to New York are usually predetermined way in advance, I am able to get the $1 fares to and from New York.

Despite that, over the years I’ve managed a strict budget when it comes to the city and what I’m spending money on. I know some people like to go all out when they’re in the city and don’t care about money, but people have to remember, especially if they’re budget conscious, that this is a city that if you step outside, the odds of you spending money on something are very high.

There’s too many incentives and things to do, so you can easily lose control of your budget if you’re not paying attention.

These are my tips and tricks I’ve honed throughout the years to save money.

Find high quality, cheap eats.

One of the incredible things I’ve managed to do in New York is somehow find the places that are delicious and fill you up for cheap. And I’m not talking halal carts. This is a city where there’s a ton of international cuisines and hidden pockets where you can get an entire meal or two for about $15.

For example, one of my favorite spots ever, since I started going there in college, is Woorijip in Koreatown. They sell Korean bento boxes, soups, kimchi, rice, and it’s a no frills place. When I was last in the city I brought cash with me there, which gets you a discount, and I ended up picking lunch for two days for a grand total of $13.

I spend more than that on a single meal from a restaurant these days!

Or in the Times Square area, there’s a place called Kashmir 9 near where I work. If you bring cash, they sell chai for only $2 a cup. You literally cannot beat that deal, but this proves that in many neighborhoods, if you do your research, you can find food that’s really good and not spend a ton of money in the process.

For about two weeks, in order to feed myself, I never spend more than $300. I also don’t eat all of my meals because it’s too much food most of the time, so the other half is breakfast or lunch the next day.

When I also don’t have a water on me, I ask for a free iced water at Starbucks. It’s technically illegal for them to say no, and I’ve never had a problem with any cashier denying me access to water.

If it’s less than a thirty minute subway ride and it’s nice out, go ahead and walk.

I’ve stumbled upon some of my favorite places in the city by just walking to places instead of the subway. Granted, when the weather is awful out, you’re not going to want to walk, nor do I suggest taking the cheap way out here. But sometimes you’ll notice the subway is also literally the same amount of time as walking, and that’s also when you’re going to want to just go ahead and walk instead.

I end up at Lincoln Center quite a few times through my trips, and my workplace is more in midtown. It’s about a twenty-five minute walk straight up pretty much, so I end up taking the walk those days to get the exercise and take in the views around Columbus Circle and Central Park.

This way, you also end up stumbling upon really nice hidden gems. I’ve found quite a few parks I never knew existed scattered throughout the city, or spotted restaurants I’ve wanted to eat at for a hot minute. There’s always an adventure when you head out into the city, and I think walking is one of the most intimate ways to get to know a city.

If you’re a student, take advantage of student admission to places.

As a former New York college student, I still use my college ID to get discounts at some of the museums. Granted, for like MoMA I ended up buying a membership and go to the museum that way, but for others I flash my Smithsonian internship email or my college ID to get in for free.

I took my sister to the Rubin Museum when she came up one time for free because I was able to get us in due to my work at the Smithsonian. But despite that, student tickets can be a lot cheaper or even pay-as-you-wish.

Use TKTS for Broadway, rush, buy from the box office, or consider cheaper seats.

I rarely pay full price for a Broadway ticket, which means I see a ton of shows for the equivalent of $200 or $300 at the end of the trip. There are a wide variety of ways to get Broadway tickets for cheap these days, but I recommend if you’re into a popular show and know you 100% want to see it, then outright buy the ticket in advance.

Here are my biggest tips as a highly experienced theater geek:

The cheaper seats aren’t bad at all most of the time. Most Broadway theaters are pretty small and intimate than what people think, so when I buy a back row ticket on the balcony, I’ve literally never had a problem seeing anything—except at the Lyceum Theater. Avoid the balcony there if you can. When I saw Parade I even bought a cheaper partial view seat in fourth row orchestra and saw everything except the projections—which I didn’t care about anyways. When considering a seat for a theater, always Google the view from your seat (there’s a website called that) + the theater name to adequately gauge if you’ll be happy. Some seats (i.e. the Harry Potter theater’s balcony in the far right and left are extremely undesirable) are not worth it. If I pay full price, it’s for a balcony seat usually.
TKTS has locations in Times Square and Lincoln Center (LC is much quieter) where you can buy discount tickets the day of. Try to see what shows are available that day and plan a backup or two if you’re not super passionate about seeing one show.
If you’re a freelancer, artist, or student, consider a TDF membership. It’s $40 a year, but you’d have to pry this subscription out of my cold, dead hands. It’s how I see most of my shows. Basically, they end up selling the not sold seats, the best that day, to TDF members. I’ve only ever had a “bad” seat once (it was Shucked), and even that seat was still worth like $150. Sometimes I’ve gotten front row or premium seats for the $60 fee they charge for Broadway musicals.
Buy directly from the box office. This cuts down on fees because they sell the tickets at face value. Sometimes if you go right before a show the box office person will cut you a deal.
Also buy from official ticket sellers. Broadway.com charges insane fees. I purchase through the show’s website if I am buying tickets directly and at full price.

For those under thirty, certain theaters also have programs that offer much cheaper seats. Roundabout has their Hiptix program, which means if you are under thirty, you can see shows for $30. I saw 1776 through that program and they gave me really nice orchestra seats, although they do check your ID when you purchase tickets through the program.

I believe Lincoln Center also runs a similar program, although I’ve never used it—Lincoln Center typically has cheaper tickets for theater shows in general, so I tend to buy them outright for a night out.

Finally: there are many free things to do.

Enjoy one of the many outdoor parks scattered in the city, or people watch. Find a free concert in Bryant Park, or look up events happening that day. One of the remarkable things about New York is you step outside and there’s an insane amount to do, and if you wander and know where to look, you’ll always find something.

I met a woman at work once who told me that, and I’ve started to realize it’s true. Every time I go out, I find something completely new to do and I absolutely love it. And I don’t spend a ton of money in the process!

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