New York City > Reviews > New York - you CAN save money!!

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Family Friendly

Advantages:	Bargains if you know where to look
Disadvantages:	Never enough time to do everything

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The cheapest thing to do in New York is just to look at it! But you can enjoy New York on a budget. I'm sure everyone knows about the Subway passes, the great views from the free Staten Island Ferry, walking in Central Park. You can shop and eat on a budget too. Many deli's have a help-yourself section - rather like the salad bars in supermarkets. You pay by weight so you can have a little or a lot (don't go mad at first until you get an idea of what you get for your money - you can always buy more if you're still hungry!) Diners are good for breakfast - plenty of set dishes for less then 5 dollars, also better to get a burger there than in a fast food place. You'll get a fresh burger, salad, coleslaw etc and fries if you want.
We found a great place for Chinese food without going all the way to Chinatown. Pearl's is at 732 7th Avenue, between 48th and 49th Streets, a couple of minutes walk from Times Square. It's tiny but the food is very good and not expensive, four of us had food and drinks for under $100.

Good places to shop for bargains are Filene's Basement and Century 21, also TJMaxx (obviously a relative of our TKMaxx). We all bought fabulous handbags in Century 21, plenty of designer ones, one-off samples etc. I bought shoes in Filene's - Born shoes for $30 compared to the usual price of $70. (So comfortable I ended up buying 2 more pairs on eBay)
I'll share my New York secret with you - a cosmetics supermarket on 39th Street between 4th and 5th Avenues. They sell lots of top brand cosmetics, samples, ends of ranges: Clinique, Revlon, Elizabeth Arden, Shisheido etc. You can get lipsticks for less than half the retail price, sample sizes for as little as $2, plus toiletries, make-up bags, perfumes. Keep your receipts - you'll never convince Customs you spent so little on so much!! Don't forget to take a spare bag to bring your bargains home.
Duane Reade, the chain of drugstores, has over 20 branches - there seems to be one on every corner - no need to take lots of toiletries to NYC when you can buy them so cheaply.
H & M have similar ranges to the UK but prices in dollars eg 12.99 in pounds or dollars, so things are much cheaper in NY. I wouldn't bother with the 'bargain stores' such as Daffy's as the quality is not that good and you would have to rummage through loads of tat to find something worth buying.

For a girly treat go to Saks 5th Avenue and get your make up done at your favourite cosmetic counter. You don't have to buy something but you'll probably want to as things are so much cheaper. If you go in the afternoon you can get your evening make-up done!
If you like flea markets there's one on Saturday and Sunday mornings on 6th Avenue, from about 20th Street.
Personally, I wouldn't bother going to Canal Street, it's very crowded and a bit tatty, you will get better bargains, like jeans, elsewhere.
Don't forget that most shops are open much later than in the UK, so you can do your sightseeing during the day and shop in the evening.

We did have some problems using debit cards in some shops over there ; however you can use them in cash machines (ATMs) although if you use an ATM in a shop you will be charged a fee. Nationwide debit cards don't charge you for transactions abroad like some banks do.

Finally - hotels, we have had good rates at The Edison and the Pennsylvania. I use roomstogo.com - the most recent quote I had was for 5 nights in February only $65 per night for a double or triple room at a decent midtown hotel. They also have a sort of cashback arrangement where you earn 'dollars' which you can redeem on future bookings.
Hope you love New York as much as I do!!

PS I've added a bit to reflect Lornski's comments about the stores. Filene's Basement is a bit like our TKMaxx, but a bit more organised ie things are laid out better. They sell all types of clothes, shoes, accessories., homeware. Quite a lot of designer/well known brands.
Century 21 is a department store and is right next to the site of the World Trade Center. The store has many departments so it is best to decide what you are looking for rather than random browsing. To be honest we didn't get further than the handbag /accessories department!! Lots of well known brands 9 West, Anne Klein, Kenneth Cole. Very good quality items, some unusual designs, some quite bizarre!! The bag I bought was $26 and so many people have asked where I got it. If you are in NYC for serious shopping you mustn't miss Century 21.