Unemployment has finally allowed me to “come out” as a world class cheapskate, and the recession has made my long held predilection for thrift fashionable. I have lots of company now too, and not just from fellow layoff victims and those with normally low or fixed incomes. A recent “New York Times” story, for example, highlighted upper and upper middle class employed folks who finally feel comfortable admitting their passion for penny pinching  It suggested that in 2009 “keeping up with the Jones’” may mean bargain hunting as well as your neighbors, and not driving as big a car as they do.

You’ll always see articles and advice suggesting saving by going to big box stores like Costco, but for city folks without cars or lots of storage space shopping from bulk warehouses isn’t always practical. The last time I tried to stock up at Costco the price of car service negated much of my cost saving. Here are some of my favorite pedestrian friendly destinations and brands for maximum bang for the buck; I loved many of them before I was a 405er, and my affection is only growing.

Cobble Hill Cinema (265 Court Street, Brooklyn):  This neighborhood fiveplex features first-run flicks and a mix of independent and foreign films.  It also challenges theaters offering matinee prices with its consistently low tickets.  The top adult ticket is $9.50, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays all shows are only $6.50.  On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the $6.50 ticket is available until 5pm, and on Saturday and Sunday the first show until 2pm is only $6.50 as well.  You can check out what’s playing at www.cobblehilltheatre.com

My Favorite $0.99 Stores:

99 Cent Creation (246 West 23^rd Street, Manhattan): This isn’t the biggest 99 cent store, but it’s conveniently located in the heart of Chelsea and full of useful things you can easily stock up on.  The narrow aisles feature $0.89 toilet paper rolls, 8 packs of instant oatmeal for $1.49, 15 oz shampoo bottles of V05 and Suave for $1.29, 3 pairs of tube socks for $1.49, and full size tubes of Closeup, Aim,Ultrabrite and Aquafresh for $1.29.  If you shop at the right time (11am-12pm, 2pm-5pm) you can celebrate your thriftiness by taking a friend across the street to the “Early Bird” special at Dallas BBQ.  For $9.99 you can get two ½ rotisserie chickens, two servings of soup, two potatoes or sides of yellow rice and two pieces of cornbread.

Continue Reading “My World of Cheapness” by Janet Raiffa —>

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