Recently, my spouse and I set off on a delightful sojourn to New York City, discovering along the way essential pointers to help reel in spending during the trip. Although we dedicated four months to specifically planning and saving for this particular journey, it would be more accurate to say that our preparation began a full two years back. Here are the tricks we unearthed to maintain a healthy budget while savoring the Big Apple:
Fly for Free:
As California residents, one of the heftiest expenses we encountered was the cross-country airfare. New York had been on our travel bucket list, especially since my husband hadn’t visited before. A couple of years ago, we both enrolled for Jet Blue American Express cards, amassing points over this period. We patiently kept our eyes peeled for a sweet deal that cost 10,000 points per flight, furnishing the 40k points necessary for both of us. As we put all our grocery, utility, and grad school expenses on our cards, we were soon rewarded with enough points to redeem. The result – our flights cost a mere $10.
Hotel Hunting:
Accommodation is typically the second major expenditure during any trip. Employing myriad sources such as Travel Zoo, Groupon, and Priceline, we endeavored to secure a bargain. A persistent obstacle lay in the 20% room tax in New York City, and none of the options presented fell within our budget. We had reservations about opting for a hostel, and eventually found the perfect solution through the NewYork50 website. After carefully considering reviews, we decided on the Larchmont Hotel in West Village, away from traditional touristic spots but ideally situated for us. The hotel surpassed our expectations, and we managed to bag a Queen Room with a stunning view of the New World Trade Center for a reasonable $857 for five nights.
Discover Street Fare:
Our hotel’s modest continental breakfast sufficed to keep us nourished until lunchtime. Each day saw us sampling various street vendors, delighting in their assortment of tantalizing offerings. Between gyros, Halal food, hot dogs, burgers, and bagels, our lunch was flavorful, filling, and affordable, averaging around $5-7 per person. This allowed us a little extravagance for dinner.
Embrace the Subway:
One subway trip costs just $2.50, while a week-long unlimited pass is priced at $30 (including a $1 new Metro card activation fee). We opted for the week-long pass and found ourselves utilizing it extensively, saving a significant amount compared to individual trip fares. We took one solitary cab ride, due to accompanying luggage, but even commuted from the airport using the AirTrain.
