Long Time No See

It's been a while, I know...
And this break has been embarrassingly bad for my wallet.
Over the past few months I've become a little distracted blogging about art, and so my Penny-Pinching days came to an unnecessary and unwise halt.
But I'm back.
And while I peruse the papers and the internet in search of discounts and deals for budget-concious New Yorkers, feel free to check out:

• my post on The Jewish Museum's Chagall exhibition (the museum is free on Saturdays) 
• my post on a performance at Bam that cost me $10 with student rush 
• this post and this post depicting my visits to free art galleries

I'll be in touch.

Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty

You may have noticed an influx of blue bikes in NYC lately. Or perhaps you've embarked on your morning stroll, only to discover that a bike docking station has appeared along the street around the corner. Watching New Yorker after New Yorker whiz past on a metallic blue bike (front basket included) has made me pretty eager to discover what the deal is with Citi Bike.

Image from nytimes.com

Citi Bike is a bike sharing system that allows customers to pick-up and drop-off bikes at any docking station in the city. Residents (or visitors) of NY can choose to purchase a 24-Hour Access Pass ($9.95), a 7-Day Access Pass ($25.95), or an Annual Membership ($95.00). The only catch is that bikers must check their bikes into a Citi Bike station every 30 minutes, or 45 minutes for annual members.

So, is taking advantage of Citi Bike something you should look into? From an environmental standpoint, yes! NYC has no shortage of pollution output, so the more people that choose bikes over cars the better. In terms of your health, bikes are a great alternative to riding the train, or hopping in a cab. What about the financial aspect of purchasing Citi Bike passes? Ninety-five dollars is less than the price of a month-long metro card—so $95 a year for unlimited bike trips is much cheaper than a year's worth of subway fare!

The fact that bikes must be checked in every 30-45 minutes could be a hassle for those with a longer commute. If the distance from home to work or home to school can be traveled via bike, however, then I would definitely recommend trading in your subway card for a Citi Bike pass. Try it out for a day or a week to decide if you are able to take advantage of what Citi Bike has to offer. Even a day of biking back and forth from home to work has benefits for your health, and for the health of the planet.

As for me, I first have to overcome my fear of biking in the city! I think I'll ease into it by starting out with a bike ride in an outer borough, and then slowly work my way towards biking in Manhattan. It would certainly be nice to save some of the money that I spend on subway fare each month.

Another option is, of course, to purchase and ride your own bike without any time constraints. The advantage of Citi Bike is that you'll never struggle to store your bike, as there are countless docking station locations. If finding a place to lock up your bike is not a problem for you, however, then riding your own bike would be the financially superior choice.

Looking Ahead to the Opera

I think the opera is great. The costumes are beautiful, the sets are elaborate, and the stamina and talent of the singers is pretty amazing. But going to the opera can be kind of expensive, and even with the intermissions I have trouble sitting still for four or so hours. I was excited, then, to stumble upon a way to witness the opera that was free, and that allowed me to move around.

Each summer, the Metropolitan Opera hosts their annual Summer HD Festival. During this festival, HD recordings of well-known operas will be projected onto a screen set up in Lincoln Center Plaza. The festival is completely free for anyone who wants to stop by and have a seat, either on a blanket, a fold-up beach chair, or somewhere on the concrete.

Though seeing the opera on a screen is not quite the same as seeing it live on stage, it's about as close as you can get. An added benefit of the HD projections is that they include subtitles; I once went to see an opera in Italian, and since 'ciao' is pretty much the only Italian word I know, you can imagine I was quite lost without subtitles.

The festival takes place at the end of August (this year August 24th through September 2nd), and is a nice way to take advantage of the last of the summer weather, while simultaneously enjoying the opera. I find that the fresh air, combined with the ability to get up and walk around ensures that I will be alert throughout the performance (it also doesn't hurt that I can consume coffee in my seat). Plus you have the freedom to whisper to your friends next to you about what is happening on the stage. Just don't whisper too loudly if you're sitting with the main crowd, lest you'd like to be the target of a bombarding of "Shhhhs".

I plan on heading to Lincoln Center on September 2nd to see Aida. The screening starts at 8 pm, but as the seating is first-come, first-served I will try to arrive as early as possible. If you're only interested in seeing a snippet of opera you are free to come and go as you like, as there are no official tickets or seats.

Do This, Not That

New York City is filled with things: things to do, things to see and things to own. It's easy to find yourself spending more and more, in an attempt to participate in all that NYC has to offer. What I've learned (or what I'm trying to learn), however, is that living in the city is not one big race to see how much 'culture' you can swallow in a day. It's not about seeing every new art exhibit that comes through the five boroughs. It's not about trying out all of the restaurants within walking distance of your home. It's not about having playbills from every single musical, T-shirts from every concert at Madison Square Garden, and ticket stubs from every movie to come through the nearby theatre. There's a lot to get out and do, it's true, and paying NYC rent to sit at home all day would be a colossal waste of money, time, and life in general. But taking advantage of what is available in NYC should not be accompanied by the anxious feeling that you haven't seen enough, haven't done enough, and, whether we admit that we feel this or not, haven't bought enough. We still have to work, we still have to study, and we do, albeit unfortunately, still have to sleep. Maybe one morning you'll go for a run by the Hudson, and then return home to spend the afternoon studying. That's a day well-spent. Another day you'll make breakfast, pack lunch for work, and then grab dinner with a friend at the Met, after checking out a temporary exhibit. Taking advantage of the "things" in NYC is a matter of moderation, not a game in which contestants must grab as much as they can in the shortest amount of time. This will only leave 'winners' with an excess of information, and a deficiency of funds.

Living in the city is truly amazing, and entirely possible to enjoy without entertaining a constant state of anxiety and debt! Below I've listed some of the financially problematic temptations that I've come across while living in NYC, and solutions for achieving similar experiences without the 'aftertaste' of an empty wallet. I have found that these alternative activities are enjoyable, fulfilling, and relieve me of the worry that I'm not 'doing enough', or 'living enough' in such an incredible city. If you think of other activities or purchases that often draw your eye, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Do This, Not That

What you want to do: Go to a fancy restaurant with friends.
What you should do: Host a candlelit potluck.

The best thing about going out to dinner isn't the food (although that's certainly a part of it), it's your dining companions. The best dinners I've had in NYC are the ones that I've prepared with friends. You can host a dinner potluck-style and have each guest be in charge of one item, or you can make a group trip to the grocery store, split the cost of ingredients, and cook the food together. If you're preparing the meal as a team, this is a great opportunity to try out a fancy recipe that you wouldn't otherwise make. Not only is it more affordable to split expensive ingredients, but it's also much more efficient to make a meal when there are more than two hands chopping up all the goods.

Light some candles and put on some music (I recommend songza.com, a website that categorizes playlists by the genre and activity that it accompanies, and then plays them without any commercial interruptions), and you've got yourself a fancy night for a much better price.

What you want to do: Buy a delicious-looking $6 slice of Magonlia Bakery's German Chocolate Cake, and then consume it in your apartment while watching reruns of Mad Men.
What you should do: Make a cup of tea.

I won't deny that Magnolia's German Chocolate Cake is delicious (if not a little too sweet). If you're splitting a slice with a friend while discussing who is the Carrie and who is the Samantha of your friends group, then it might not be a bad idea. But buying a slice just to bring home and eat alone? Not worth the money. Don Draper requires your full attention, and you cannot be expected to focus both on him and chocolatey goodness. Make a cup of tea, add some honey for the sweetness your craving, and lose yourself in the trials and tribulations of advertising firms in the 1960s.

What you want to do: Spend the night bar hopping with friends.
What you should do: Split a bottle of wine and have a board game extravaganza.

There are some great happy hour specials that you can find in the city if you're craving an evening out with your friends. But once those happy hours end, drinks in NYC get real expensive, real fast. Rather than spend an electricity bill's worth of money on a few drinks, why not split the cost of a trip to the liquor store, and spend the evening with a game of Apples to Apples? Drinks are much cheaper when you buy/prepare them yourself, plus you won't have to scream over the radio/television/rambunctious visitors from Jersey (I'm just kidding New Jersey, we're all just bitter because your rent is cheaper) to talk to a friend who is sitting right across from you. I've written about board games before (I suppose I'm kind of a board game advocate), because I'm convinced of their power to entertain without breaking the bank.

What you want to do: Go shopping.
What you should do: Clean out your closet.

Chances are there are things in there that you don't even remember wearing. There are also probably things that don't fit, things that you no longer find appealing, and things that you've forgotten about but really love. Cleaning out your closet comes with both a mental and economic reward—you'll feel super accomplished (and a little less claustrophobic), and you'll also be armed with unwanted clothing that you can sell at a nearby consignment shop. Equipped with the cash from your clothes and the knowledge of exactly what is in your closet, you can now determine if shopping is still as mandatory as it originally seemed.

What you want to do: Embark on your daily morning trip to the closest coffee shop.
What you should do: Buy a coffeemaker.

Trust me, I know that brewing coffee at home isn't nearly as enticing as sipping your favorite brew amongst fellow coffee connoisseurs, accompanied by that carefully crafted coffee shop playlist. But that daily habit is expensive. Two to four dollar (depending on your preference) cups of coffee add up when purchased five or seven days a week. Instead, try recreating that coffee shop vibe at home. Pull up the NY Times website as your coffee is brewing. Check out playlists like this one to enhance the atmosphere. Pour the joe in your favorite mug, and enjoy the fact that you can have coffee in your hands without having to take off your pajamas.

What you want to do: Take a cab, it's late.
What you should do: Grab a friend and take the train.

Don't take the cab!! It's nighttime (or technically early morning), you're tired, and you know it's going to be a long wait before the train arrives. Too bad, take the train. I have succumbed on more than one occasion to the promise of a quick and easy trip home. The result? Standing outside of my door realizing that I just spent $20 on what could have been a $2.50 trip. Not worth it! If you know you're going to be out late, plan to make the trip home with a friend. Or stash a book in your bag. If you're worried about safety then have someone walk you to the train, but it's been my experience that the subway is often transporting more riders than you'd think for such a late hour. If you don't want to deal with the long wait for the train during late-night hours, make plans for a location that's within walking distance of your home. Cabs are just too expensive—it's really not worth it.


What you want to do: Sit at home, feeling sad that you can't spend money.
What you should do: Go for a walk.

You live in New York City—so your apartment is probably the size of Harry Potter's cupboard under the stairs. And if your apartment is anything like mine, that beautiful view of NYC that you imagined seeing out your window every morning when you first decided to move here? It's probably been replaced by a view of the alley between apartment buildings. Or a street level view of the butcher across the street. But maybe that's just me.

Going for a walk is one of the simplest ways to fight boredom, without spending money. You can walk along the river, walk through a park, or just walk around the block of your neighborhood. There is so much to see in NYC that you are guaranteed to spot something worth your while. You can spend your walk noticing things you haven't noticed before; let's face it, when was the last time that any of us looked up? NYC has some of the most interesting architectural designs in its historical buildings, modern skyscrapers, and newest developments. Just make sure to bring your focus back down every few seconds, so you don't wind up face-to-face with an angry New Yorker hissing about tourists and spacial awareness.

Candlelit dinner- shrimp and kale salad

The people I've met here in New York are without a doubt more important to me than all of the frozen yogurt at 16 Handles, the french fries at Shake Shack, and yes, even the chocolate at Max Brenner. That fact would be true whether I lived in Kansas City, or New York City. You might not have the biggest apartment, the fanciest clothes, the newest computer, or the highest paycheck—but if you've entered a few new numbers into your phone that you know you can call up at anytime, then you're definitely taking advantage of what NYC has to offer.

That'll Be Five Dollars

This afternoon as I was passing through Union Square, I decided to stop by the Greenmarket to look for something to make for lunch. I had only been to the market on weekends, and was pleased to find that a Friday early afternoon was much less crowded than a Saturday early afternoon.

Having spent multiple occasions weeping while tossing out shriveled greens and molding squash, I knew better than to buy more than what I'd eat today, tomorrow, and maybe the day after. The Union Square Greenmarket is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, so it's worth making more than one trip a week, and only buying what I plan to make that day.

from Bodhitree Farm

I entered the market not knowing what I was in the mood for, but was immediately drawn to a pile of produce the color of eggplant, but the size of a hot pepper. The sign read "Fairytale Eggplant". I couldn't resist. 

I found some yellow and green squash further into the market, that could be roasted alongside the eggplant. I also picked up a bundle of broccoli raab, and an ear of corn (I realized that I hadn't had corn on the cob all summer, and somehow that felt very wrong).

I left the market with a wallet only $5 lighter than what it had been when I entered–not bad for a bag of produce that was certainly going to last me more than one meal. At home I discovered that I had a good amount of brown rice, a little bit of chicken in the refrigerator, and a hefty supply of spices and oils.

I washed the skins of the squash and eggplant, then chopped each one into bite sized pieces. I spread the produce out inside a casserole dish, and then added a little bit of pepper, salt, and olive oil. I opened the oven, which was preset at 400 degrees.

The smoke alarm went off immediately.

After a small battle with the smoke alarm (has anyone else found a more effective method for turning off a smoke alarm than taking it off the wall and giving it a few good smacks?), I reduced the temperature to 300 degrees and placed the dish in the oven. While the vegetables were roasting, I cooked the rice.

After 15 minutes I checked on the vegetables: still too hard. I sprinkled dried basil and some balsamic vinaigrette over top, and then left the vegetables to cook a little longer.

In another ten minutes or so, the squash and eggplant were ready. I mixed them in a bowl with the rice and heated chicken, and then sat down to enjoy the meal. It was easy, quick, and the vegetables were fresh and flavorful. Next time I would probably add tomatoes, and definitely some more eggplant, as my squash-to-eggplant ratio was a little off.

I have enough roasted veggies left over to have for lunch tomorrow, as well as the corn and greens that I can use for dinner. Combined with the abundance of legumes and grains I found in my cabinet after cleaning out my shelves last week (I am embarrassed to admit I couldn't even remember buying half of what I found), I can make it through the weekend without spending more than that $5 on food.

I think that's a price that I can come to terms with.

If you're interested in checking out a Greenmarket but Union Square is a little too far, never fear. There are many locations throughout NYC, open various days and hours. There is more than one market located in every borough, featuring local farmers from upstate New York, New Jersey, etc. If you have a question about what something is, how to tell if it's ripe, or how to cook it, don't hesitate to ask the sellers! Everyone I've talked to has been more than helpful in their recommendations.

P.S. You can now find The Penny-Pinching New Yorker on Instagram! Look for @pennypinchingnewyorker, or #pennypinchingnewyorker.

A Morning at the Hudson River

Monday morning 8 am. Wake up to the sound of a power drill in the hallway. Remind myself that it's my day off, and that I should just ignore the noises and go back to bed.
8:01 Get out of bed. Decide that listening to power drills is my personal hell on earth. Must leave immediately.
8:15 Teeth brushed, face washed, contacts inserted. Remember that I haven't done laundry in at least two weeks. Manage to find a pair of bright pink gym shorts bought in my last year of middle school. Scold myself for having no choice but to wear these shorts in public. Secretly applaud myself for not spending money on new gym shorts.
8:20 Out the door and debating where to go. Can't spend money. Wearing gym shorts.
8:25 Start walking towards Christopher Street. Head west on Christopher towards the Hudson. Visiting Hudson River Park is free, and peaceful in the mornings. Peek into a few store windows along the way. Linger outside of a restaurant that smells like coffee. Cross West St and narrowly avoid colliding with a bike.

8:35 Reach Hudson. Inhale, exhale. Begin walking south.
8:55 Start to feel inspired, because everyone around me is running. Decide I'll start running too.
9:02 Bad idea. Remember why I don't like running. Determine that walking is equally inspiring.
9:05 Pass by a couple playing tennis in one of the courts. Pass by some dogs running around in a fenced off area. Pass by benches occupied by readers, meditators, and quite a few nappers.
9:15 Try not to look alarmed as I pass by a man who seems to have lost his pants. Note that New York has probably given me a pretty killer poker face.
9:20 Pause by a grassy area and sit down in the shade. Look over at One World Trade Center. Take a moment to imagine how high up those workers must have been when they attached the building's spire. Decide that the Top of the Rock is the highest up that I'd ever like to be, besides airplanes of course.
9:40 Can no longer ignore my stomach's vocal demands for nourishment. Decide to head back.
10:00 Realize I have 35 cents in my pocket. Enough for a $0.25 banana from the food cart by the subway.
10:30 Arrive home, banana in tow, thoroughly ready for some Penny-Pincher's Morning Oatmeal. Thankful for the close proximity of a calm place to walk, a magnificent view, and a budget-friendly place to go when escaping from indoor construction.
10:40 The power drill noises recommence.

Vitamin D via Washington Square

Jumping into the fountain at Washington Square Park is one of the items on my NYC Bucket List. I've yet to cross this task off of my list, however, always blaming my hesitation on the wrong dress, or the wrong shoes. (The truth is, I'm actually scared of all of the children running around inside the fountain. They show no mercy when it comes to splashing!)


Luckily, Washington Square is good for much more than simply taking a dip in the fountain. Spanning Macdougal to Fifth Avenue, and West 4th to to Waverly Pl, this park is home to dancers, musicians, magicians, and chess players alike.

There are plenty of benches in the sun and shade for the taking, as well as open grass (though I'd suggest bringing a blanket, as the grass can be kind of muddy). It's a great place to bring a book, but there's also much to see and to hear. Take Colin Huggins, for example, also known as "the crazy piano guy". Each morning Colin Huggins wheels (or perhaps has a friend wheel, I've never asked) a grand piano into the park, and spends the day playing for visitors. I highly recommend stopping by for a listen if you get the chance. You can also usually find one or two jazz bands performing throughout the day, and sometimes solo drummers as well.

There are a few dance groups that I've seen performing in the park, including a group that executes some pretty amazing acrobatic stunts (check out this photo from Humans of New York of one of these performers). I've seen a few mimes and some very advanced jugglers (although to me, all juggling seems advanced). There have also been yoga classes, parades, and music festivals, and I'm quite sure that I saw someone on a pogo stick the other day.

The northwest corner of the park is always home to expert chess players, waiting for you to join them in a match. I'll let you know that they are extremely familiar with winning. They do, after all, play chess all day, and they are very good at betting you out of your money. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Washington Square is much, much smaller than Central Park, so it boasts a very different vibe. While you can find isolated spots in Central Park to nap or picnic, Washington Square is less private and a little more urban. While school is in session the park is bustling with NYU students, as well as lots and lots of dog walkers. If you are a dog owner yourself, there is a fenced in area where dogs can run loose and, ahem, take care of their business.

The park is also beautiful in the snow!

What this park is great for:

• children
• picnics
• listening to live music
• reading
• sunbathing
• people watching
• (getting beaten at) chess

What this park is not great for:

• going for a run
• total peace and quiet
• escaping into the wilderness
• biking
• hanging out alone in the wee hours of the morning (unless you know karate, in which case, go for it.)

P.S. The park is free! It's a great spot to bring your friends, so you can feel free to skip out on the expensive dinners without sacrificing your social life. 

Growing Your Savings

Saving money is hard. Especially when saving money means vaguely reminding yourself to spend less, so that there's more money left over at the end of the month. Goals like 'save more' and 'spend less' are only effective if there are numbers attached to them, and today I'm going to share with you a way to find these numbers.

This morning I was reading an article on the website The Everygirl, called "Easy Ways to Start Saving More Money." The article's author, Brittney Castro, points out that spending what we'd like and saving what's left over doesn't work. She suggests a new method of saving called "Pay Yourself First".

With the Pay Yourself First plan, you calculate your income after taxes, and then subtract from that the money that you pay on bills, and the money that you'd like for your savings. The money that is left over is now the money that you can spend freely, and not the money that you try —or in my case fail— to save.

So how do you decide how much to save? If you have specific goals in mind (i.e. travel to Spain in September, buy a new car in March, etc.), a site like Mint is great for helping you calculate how much you need to save a month in order to reach these goals (check out my post on Mint). If your goals are less specific and you're looking instead to simply grow your savings, Castro suggests saving 10-20% of your income. She recommends starting small and working your way up to these percentages, if at first they seem too high.

I'm currently saving up for a trip to Brazil in December, to visit a friend. Using Mint I've calculated how much money I need to be subtracting from my income each month, in order to raise enough funds for the trip. I think that I'll begin next month by taking out in cash the amount of money that I have to spend freely; that way I won't be tempted to use the card and cut into my travel savings!

Please leave comments here if you have other strategies for growing your savings, or reaching your financial goals.

Chatting with Kelly Buwalda- Eating Well on a Budget

When you're living on a tight budget, one dollar pizza might seem like the solution to all of your financial problems; it's food, it's cheap, and it's fast. But how long can we survive off of cheap pizza, cheap hot dogs, etc., before we start to feel the affects of these less-than-healthy meals? Does eating affordably have to mean eating poorly?

Not according to Certified Health Coach, contemporary dancer, and healthy-eating-on-a-budget expert Kelly Buwalda.

Image provided by Kelly Buwalda

This weekend I had the pleasure of conducting an interview with Buwalda, in which she shared her experience living in NYC as a dancer, health coach, and teacher of both dance and nutrition. 

1. How long have you been living as an artist in NYC? A dozen years and counting! 

2. What do you love most about living in the city? I love the diversity of the people and the concentration of artists and art.

3. When you first moved here, what was it like trying to buy and prepare food on a smaller budget? Do you recognize now the things that you could have done differently in those initial years of eating in the city? When I first moved here I would do anything to survive (which included making a little nest on the floor instead of buying a mattress for over a year!). Survival for me meant rent and money for dance class. I remember one specific day where I realized I had enough money for class OR lunch—and I figured out a way to have both by making lunch one banana so I could take class. I give myself an A+ for survival and the pursuit of art, but a C- in nutrition. I survived too much on protein bars and the cheap coffee and bagels from the street vendors. "No sugar, please," I'd say. "Oh, sweet enough already!" they'd reply with a wink. At least flirting was free.

Though I wasn't getting the best nutrition I did make some good choices; I cut out processed food like cookies and chips because I knew it was waste of money and wouldn't nourish me. I spent money on real food instead. I also drank mostly water, cutting out soda and drinks that were expensive (no lattes, just regular cup of joe). Because "necessity is the mother of invention" I learned to cook a lot at home and combined my pantry leftovers in new ways.  

I did neglect myself at times and remember eyeing, but not buying, the salad greens which I thought were too pricey—I regret those days. The days of not listening to what my body was crying out for—I indulge more now that I take those messages seriously, whether it be buying a nice organic salad, wild fish rather than farmed, or local berries at the farmer's market. Needless to say, those vendors haven't seen me in a while. :)

4. What habits have you developed throughout your time living here that have made cooking and eating a pleasurable experience, and not a Penny-Pinching nightmare?

Image from The Kitchn

Be resourceful.  I would use my salsa jars as glasses when I was in my first apartment. They were free and didn't break like the cheap ones from Ikea. I still have clothes from high school that I mix up with new pieces—rocking my high school cut-off jean shorts allows me to spend more on food.  I've always thought that if you feel good in your own skin you look great in anything.  Being resourceful is like anything else—a muscle that gets stronger with practice, so think outside the box!  

"Cook once, eat twice."  This was a big mantra at my nutrition school, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Make a pot of rice for the week and continue to mix up different veggies and proteins each day, saving you time and energy.  

Prioritize.  While you can't go out for dinner every night, you should still enjoy sitting down now and then and experiencing the culinary pleasures New York has to offer with a friend. So budget in a weekly or monthly night out. Mine used to be Sunday brunch where I would enjoy a larger-than-normal meal amongst shared stories and laughter with my friends.  

Being healthy is only partially about food—it's also about feeding your soul. There is SOOO much to do and see in NYC without spending a lot of money. The summer is jam-packed with events like Shakespeare in the Park, Celebrate Brooklyn and Summerstage. Here are some more year-round ideas:

•                Galleries—enjoy a day of art for free by checking out galleries in Chelsea, Soho, or Williamsburg or visit MoMA for Target Fridays. [Penny-Pincher's note: See my post on MoMA.]

•                No need for a gym membership—make the outdoors your gym and enjoy running on the west side path, biking all over town, bouldering in Central Park, or skipping the subway for a long walk home. [Penny-Pincher's note: These are great ways to avoid paying for overpriced gym memberships. If you'd still prefer to work out in a gym, check out my post on the affordable Blink Fitness.]

•                Usher for events at your favorite venues (mine is BAM) or consider volunteering for companies you love. In my early days I interned for Doug Varone and Dancers and truly enjoyed being a part of their events, even if it just meant helping sell t-shirts in the lobby of the Joyce Theater. Seeing the company and getting to know new people was invaluable.

•                Watch the sunset—anywhere. This always fills me with gratitude, gives me peace amongst the stress of the city, and makes me feel abundant.

5. We often hear that eating healthy is ‘too expensive’, and that fast food places like McDonalds or Wendy’s are much more affordable. Do you feel that this is the case?

When you look at your life over the course of a long time and not just now, you see that while the meal is cheap, the cost to your health is really expensive. It's definitely a harder thing to do when you're a teenager or have a feeling of invincibility, but if you are recovering from being sick, from an injury, or noticing your body changing as you age, it's a more immediate connection. If you are an artist living without health insurance (which I was for nearly 10 years in NYC), you know that the cost of going to a doctor or having a medical condition will quickly squash the money you saved going to McDonald's instead of choosing a healthier option. 

When I'm in pinch, I hit up Pret (their hard-boiled eggs and spinach is only $1.99), grab a 2 for $5 salad, sesame tofu or quinoa pot at Whole Foods, or spot a mix like apricot and almonds at a deli. I still abide by my banana-in-a-bind snack, though I eat more than just that for lunch! This is my version of fast food.

6. Do you have a favorite grocery store that has both affordable and nutritious options? My work takes me all over Manhattan and back to Brooklyn so I can't just mention one! So here it goes:

WholeFoods is a solid choice. I prefer it to Trader Joe's because more of the produce is whole and fresh (meaning it hasn't been cut into pieces already or is frozen or canned). If you're on a budget look for their 365 brand.  

When I am teaching near Joffrey Ballet School, I go to LifeThyme to get energizing "green champagne" which is a blend of greens and ginger. Their "chunks of energy" also go a long way - they have several varieties including cacao with spirulina and as I recognize ALL of the ingredients I know these are more nutritious than most protein bars on the market.  

When I am in my own neighborhood, Williamsburg, I like to shop across the street—at KeyFoods. This might come as a surprise to most, but the KeyFoods in my neighborhood has great choices including organic lacitano kale, oatmeal that is usually on sale, and a great variety of organic beans, soups, and local fruit—I bought Jersey blueberries this week for under $3. 

7. Can you give us your top three tips on shopping and preparing healthy food, without breaking the bank?

 1. Rice and beans! They are so inexpensive and packed with nutrition (hello amino acids, fiber, and protein!)—just add in some fresh goodies so you don't feel like you're being cheap with yourself. With black beans and rice I add cilantro and avocado; with chickpeas I add curry, cumin or some spicy harissa or hot sauce. An easy and nutritious combination to remember is bean, green, and grain. There are so many combinations of these if you just add your own creative spirit, spice and sauce (turmeric tahini is a favorite of mine) you'll feel your kitchen is a 4-star restaurant.

2.  Shop in the bulk section of Whole Foods—no, I do not mean getting huge packages if "bulk" to you means getting large amounts (I'm from the midwest where our bulk products mean for a family of 10 and there is no room in NYC apartments for such supplies). I mean the aisle where you can get exactly how much rice, grain, trail mix, lentils, etc., you want. You weigh it by pound and eliminate paying for packaging so it's better for the environment and you're not swayed by marketing. It's great for beginners in the kitchen too—start with a small amount of oats or quinoa to experiment in small doses.

Image provided by Kelly Buwalda

3.  Shop at your local Greenmarket. Yes, some of the prices will blow your mind but I guarantee if you buy quality foods you will not waste one bite. Rather than buying salad in those plastic boxes and having half already be rotten, you can choose exactly how much you want. The farmers are often generous too, allowing you to sample, telling you how you can prepare what you are buying, and nearing the end of the market day there are often great deals as they want to sell the produce while it is fresh. 

8. Do you have a favorite budget-friendly recipe that you could share with us? Here are two of my favorites below- this salad is simple and delicious, anyone can make it. I have shared this stir-fry with clients and in a cooking class and there was not one bite of leftovers, even from someone who said he had never liked cabbage before he tasted this dish. For more recipes and tips, please join my Facebook page, Kelly Buwalda Nutrition & Wellness 

Favorite Simple Salad

Ingredients:  Arugula, Olive Oil (to your liking), a squeeze of lemon, a dash of high-quality salt and pine nuts

Directions:  Simply place arugula in a bowl and add olive oil and lemon.  Mix salad and sprinkle with a dash of salt and pine nuts.  

Ginger Tempeh Stir Fry (my very own recipe!)

Prep: 5 min             Cook: 7 min

 Ingredients: Package of tempeh, 1-2” of ginger, 3-4 carrots, 1 small head purple/red cabbage (or half of a larger cabbage), safflower/sunflower/sesame oil, tamari

Optional: bok choy, tumeric

1.     Wash all vegetables and chop carrots and cabbage into small pieces.

2.     Slice tempeh into rectangular pieces.

3.     Peel ginger and slice into fine strips.

4.     Place all ingredients in a bowl and combine 1 TBSP oil and stir (if you are adding tumeric, do so here).

5.     Heat pan on med-hi and place all ingredients in pan, ensuring the tempeh pieces are laying flat on the surface. If needed, add more oil to pan (or water).

6.     After a couple minutes, stir vegetables and flip tempeh to other side.

7.     When carrots and cabbage are slightly softened and tempeh is brown on both sides add a splash of tamari and remove from heat. Serve in a bowl.

9. What do you enjoy most about your line of work? My work is a melange of teaching, creating, and performing—but in all of it I love witnessing transformation. As a Teaching Artist for National Dance Institute I see young people become dancers that have never danced before—I love seeing the spark when they achieve a new step. As a Certified Health Coach, I get really excited when a client achieves a goal like quitting smoking, losing weight, or loving how they feel in their own skin. This summer I've been inspired by the dancers at Joffrey Ballet School whom I've been teaching "Nutrition for Dancers." Some have reduced coffee, soda and energy drinks and have been feeling much more energy as a result. As a dancer myself, I love feeling connected and strong in my body and enjoy the transformation that comes with each performance experience.

Image provided by Kelly Buwalda

A big thank you to Kelly for this thorough advice on taking care of yourself and your wallet! Check out her Facebook and website for more information on eating well and caring for your body. 

Kelly Buwalda is a Certified Health Coach (American Association of Drugless Practitioners), Nutrition Teacher (Joffrey Ballet School), Teaching Artist (National Dance Institute) and contemporary dancer. She combines her knowledge from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Hope College (B.A.'s Dance & Psychology), and her personal experiences as an artist and athlete to support dancers, clients, friends, and family. 

DIY Reusable Grocery Bags

There are many reasons why bringing your own bags to the grocery store is beneficial; they are good for the environment, easier to carry than plastic bags, and often allow you to save a few pennies (several stores, like Whole Foods, offer discounts to customers who bring their own bags). The other day I stumbled upon an entry in the blog Delia Creates, explaining how to make your own reusable bags. The process is easy and cheap (the bag is made out of an old T-shirt), and produces machine-washable bags that are perfect for produce. The design was inspired by the cotton tote bags that you may have seen sold at select grocery stores.

How To Make Your Own Produce Bag

You'll need:

scissors

old T-shirt

needle and thread

sharpie

ruler 

1. Lay out the T-shirt, and outline the shape of your bag with a sharpie.

2. Cut along the outline.

3. Sew the bottom and sides to create seams. I used a basic needle and thread so mine doesn't look very pretty, but a sewing machine would probably do a better job!

4. Trace the lines for where your holes will be, as well as a rectangle for the handle. Note: I made my handle too big, so I recommend starting smaller!

5. Cut out the holes and handle. 

6. Stretch out the bag to make sure the holes are to your liking. Then you're done!

Testing out the bag with bananas

You can play with different sizes and colors. If you don't have any old T-shirts, you can visit your nearest Goodwill (don't forget to show your student ID for a discount) and buy a $1 or $2 T-shirt. The price of a used T-shirt is certainly cheaper than the price of a brand new bag!

Would You Like Fries With That?

If you live in New York, you've probably been there. If you haven't been there, you've at least heard of it. If you haven't heard of it, Hollywood certainly has.

From the movie Something Borrowed

Shake Shack's lines are long for a reason. If you're looking for a burger that doesn't break the bank, but also doesn't come with a side of hormones and antibiotics, this is the place to go. The burgers are delicious, the fries are delicious, the shakes are delicious, and the fact that you can have dinner for ten dollars is even more delicious.

Last night I went to the outdoor Shake Shack in Madison Square Park with a friend. This location is my favorite in the city, since waiting in line in the park is much more pleasant than waiting in line in by Times Square, for example. I ordered the Shack Burger ($4.60), my vegetarian friend ordered the 'Shroom Burger ($6.75), and then we ordered a side of fries ($2.70) to share. Oh, and we couldn't resist splitting a Chocolate-Strawberry Shake ($5.00). Thanks to the shared sides, my meal came out to be around $10, which I found very reasonable.

In addition to serving vegetarian-fed and hormone-free beef, the company also constructs each location from recycled materials. "Stand for Something Good" is their motto, which speaks to their green efforts, food safety efforts, etc.

A few things you should know about Shake Shack:

1. There is always a line. Shake Shack is delicious, inexpensive, and popular, so a crowd is unavoidable. Non-meal times will of course be less crowded, but if you plan to go during lunch or dinner time, then know that the line will be long. Don't worry though, it's worth it. 
2. The 'Shroom Burger is vegetarian, and really good. It's a fried portobello mushroom filled with cheese, and though it's not exactly the healthiest vegetarian dish ever, it's worth the occasional indulgence.
3. The Madison Square Park location is the original Shake Shack, but there are lots of other locations in the city. Shake Shack is also located in Connecticut, Florida, Washington DC, Massachussetes, Pennsylvania,  the UK, and the Middle East. Although if you're in the Middle East, I'd probably recommend eating something a little more native...
4. Shake Shack is also known for its hot dogs (though I've never tried one) and concretes (frozen custard). Check out the full menu on their website.

We chose a very hot evening to visit Shake Shack. Despite having to battle a few rather aggressive mosquitos, though, the wait in the heat was worth the meal. Plus the Madison Square location looks really pretty at night. 

Returning to Wikipedia

About a month ago I posted an entry about Strand Bookstore, and it's affordable book collections. I wrote that my favorite part of the bookstore was its outdoor used book collections, that features books priced between $1 and $3. Since I did not see a mention of these discounted books on the store's Wikipedia page, I decided to edit the page and add a blurb about the outdoor merchandise.

Today I checked back on the page just for fun, to see if my edits had stuck. Unfortunately, my addition was removed.

I suppose someone felt that the used books were not worth mentioning. I will continue to insist, however, that one should not underestimate these outdoor bookshelves! This Penny-Pincher finds these $1-$3 bargains most certainly worth mentioning, and I highly recommend checking them out when you have the chance.

A Sunday of Fleas

If you find yourself in New York City with some free time, an empty wallet, and an inkling to see something unique, I'd highly recommend a day at the flea market. Not a day shopping at the flea market (that sort of thing can make a dent in your wallet), but a day exploring and admiring the craftsmanship of NYC's dedicated flea vendors.

The city is home to many flea markets, where customers can find anything from necklaces made of excavated pottery to glasses frames made of bamboo leaves. This Sunday I visited two of my favorite markets, The Market NYC on Bleecker Street, and the Williamsburg Flea in Brooklyn.

Williamsburg Flea

The thing about going to flea markets is that window shopping is just as satisfying as actually buying. Since the products sold by the various vendors are almost exclusively handmade, they tend to be a little pricey. For this reason I treat the markets almost like I treat museums, as places with a lot to see and admire. Having said that, flea markets are a great place to find a one-of-a-kind gift for someone special.

The Market NYC is located at 159 Bleecker Street, between Thomspon and Sullivan. It is an indoor market open Wednesdays through Sundays (you can check the market's hours here), that houses vendors selling clothes, jewelry, glasses, prints, and more. The website includes a few images of what sorts of things customers are bound to see, but you should expect to see much more in person than what is featured online. The Market NYC does have air conditioning, making it a great spot to duck in when the sun has made outdoor markets unbearable.

The Williamsburg Flea occurs every Sunday from 10am-5pm, at the East River State Park (90 Kent Ave at North 7th Street). This is undoubtedly the most scenic of NYC's flea markets, as it is situated right by the East River. Since this market is outdoors, you'll want to be sure to choose a nice day; it can be hard to find shade, so if you burn as easily as I do then I'd highly recommend wearing sunscreen!

View from the East River State Park

You can read about the vendors of the Williamsburg Flea on the market's website. In addition to art, records, jewelry, dresses, t-shirts and other sorts of retail merchandise, the flea market contains plenty of food vendors. Yesterday we found a vendor making vegan beet burgers, another selling dark chocolate, and yet another preparing and selling some all too tempting frozen slushies.

After we finished at the market, we planted ourselves on some grass (in the tiniest shadow of a bush) near the water. The park boasts a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline, which we were content to enjoy while the weather was nice.

East River State Park

Some other market locations in the city include:

• GreenFlea on Columbus at 76th St
• Artists & Fleas in Chelsea and Williamsburg
• The Antiques Garage in Hell's Kitchen on 25th St
• Fort Greene Flea  on 176 Lafayette Avenue

This is by no means a complete list of NYC markets. Leave a comment here if your favorite flea isn't on this list; I'd love to hear recommendations for new markets to check out.