New York Spending Money

Credit Checker Moose

For the record, I spend $100 or less per day. Loads of free stuff in NYC to enjoy. Stay in New Jersey and use the trains.

Creamy Goodness

You go to New York to stay in Manhattan, staying in Jersey is like someone coming to Dublin but they stay in Offaly.

The budget really depends on your lifestyle, if you drink it's not unusual to be paying $10-15 a pint (unless you drink American piss). A good meal will set you back $40-50 a person, and tours etc can rack up depending on what you do. I went last year and I think I budgeted for $400 for a couple, excluding hotel/clothes/electronics shopping but including breakfast/lunch/dinner/drinks/Empire State/WTC/Bus Tour/couple of Uber's.

All is grand as it's a holiday and is meant to be a break away from your normal lifestyle and not going to Aldi/Lidl and living off Koka noodles for the week

dee_mc

I reckon I'd spend around $70 to $100 a day in New York, including the odd activity or museum, 7 day subway pass, the odd souvenir, breakfast, lunch, dinner and coffees. I don't buy bottled water unless I really have to (same as here).
I've done it a lot cheaper too, though it was a few years ago - I once spent around $600 over 10 days in the city, including lots of shopping and souvenirs, but I was staying in Queens in a hotel with free breakfast and it was over 30 degrees every day so lunch or dinner from a deli was plenty! Having said that, I wasted over $100 on taxis to and from the airport that trip as I was a first-timer, travelling alone and didn't have the energy to brave public transport, and $10 plus per day on bottled water because I hadn't copped on to reusable bottles back then.

Re Century 21 shopping, go early in the morning to avoid the mad crowds (the downtown one opens at 7:45am on weekends - great way to make use of your jetlag induced sleep loss!) or go to the Upper West Side or Brooklyn locations, which tend to have less high-end designer stuff but are more organised and typically less crowded.
Early February and early August are the times of year when you'll get proper high-end designer items at 70 to 90% discount. Don't buy stuff without trying in on with the intention or returning stuff for refund - that way madness lies, as the returns process is horrendous (seriously, you could spend an hour and still not get your refund if they manage to find something wrong with the garment!).

Credit Checker Moose

That's the way to do it.

upinsmoke

It depends on the lifestyle you want to live. I got most of my food out of Irish pubs there and dinner was like 20 dollars and had a subway as well most days.

It depends on your lifestyle but could easily survive on 80 dollars a day there and do all the tourist stuff.

Peintre Celebre

CelticRambler wrote: »

:eek: Janey Mack! :eek:

Excluding accommodation, but including a night at the opera and a metro pass, I spent $76.25 over three days last October.

Did you eat out of bins or something?

dee_mc

upinsmoke wrote: »

It depends on the lifestyle you want to live. I got most of my food out of Irish pubs there and dinner was like 20 dollars and had a subway as well most days.

It depends on your lifestyle but could easily survive on 80 dollars a day there and do all the tourist stuff.

Definitely - that's why it's such a "how long is a piece of string" question though, I mean I've spent $50 to $60 for brunch and $100+ for a fancy dinner, but equally have enjoyed deli breakfasts and pizza slices for a couple of dollars.
Some people enjoy competitive budgeting; others don't feel it's a real holiday unless they've had a blow the budget experience. New York offers both.

Peintre Celebre

Credit Checker Moose wrote: »

I am no troll. I think some of the spending here is nothing short of scandalous.

Hardly every day you're in New York. Id bring 3 or 4k for a week not worry about being short and treat yourself.

Technocentral

Credit Checker Moose wrote:

For the record, I spend $100 or less per day. Loads of free stuff in NYC to enjoy. Stay in New Jersey and use the trains.

Yeah, mate of mine was there in November, stayed in Airbnb and spent 100 a day or less totally doable.

Morrison J

If you have to skimp on tipping waitstaff who are depending on your tips to make a living then you should save more $$ before heading over. Simple.

Lot of the waitstaff are young people trying to pay their way through college etc. They deserve their minimum of 18% no matter what.

Morrison J

Credit Checker Moose wrote: »

Tipping is a massive scam and I stand by that.

Waiters must receive the Minimum wage even they may get zero tips. Their wage must be made up to the mandated minimum by their employer if their tips do not bring them to the minimum wage.

The minimum wage in New York is $10.40. Whilst tipped staff may be on less, their wages including any tips must exceed the min or else the employer must make up the difference.

Just nowhere near the reality.

In most places waitstaff are on less than $5 an hour + tips. If you don't tip they're closer to working for free than earning minimum wage.

This is why back in my day of working as a server I'd service charge the **** out of anyone without an American accent. I'm not working for free because you're looking for an excuse out of paying someone what they deserve for giving you good service.To be fair, most Irish people would be extremely generous but thats probably more down to the fact they were being served by a fellow Irish person. I hate to think of how miserable those same Irish people would be to an American server.

Miaireland

I spent about 100 day most days when we were there. That was mainly on food and drink as I bought an attraction pass before we went. We did walk everywhere.

SHOVELLER

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

You go to New York to stay in Manhattan, staying in Jersey is like someone coming to Dublin but they stay in Offaly.

The budget really depends on your lifestyle, if you drink it's not unusual to be paying $10-15 a pint (unless you drink American piss).

While Manhattan can be expensive spending that on a drink is foolish. Easy now to check for happy hour specials and avoid oirish bars who are only too happy to overcharge.

My favorite bar in midtown sells pints for $3 as an example.

Triboro

And that bar is?

elperello

Triboro wrote: »

And that bar is?

There are quite a few.
This one is a bit of a museum piece and quite famous.
https://www.yelp.ie/biz/mcsorleys-old-ale-house-new-york?osq=%243+draft+beer

There is no need to break the bank to enjoy NYC.

Just to add to others free attractions - Staten Island Ferry, Irish Famine Memorial,The High Line Park, Strawberry Fields.

If you are only going for 4 days and it's your first visit don't bother shopping just drink it in and enjoy the vibe.

$100 a day plenty.

Schindlers Pissed

Triboro wrote: »

And that bar is?

There’s a great dive bar right in the middle of Times Square on 44th St, Jimmys Corner....he used to train Mohammad Ali, lots of boxing memories all over the bar and Jimmy is there most nights. Last month we got four gin and tonics for $14!!

I mostly use Connolly’s and The Perfect Pint on 45th for drinks, a good pint of Guinness is about $7 which is a bit expensive when compared to home but what are you going to do?? As a previous poster said, you’re on holidays.....live a little.

I still don’t think you’d get by on $100 dollars a day, and if you do then you are really watching the pennies. In my eyes that’s not a holiday.

SHOVELLER

Triboro wrote: »

And that bar is?

Yes Jimmys! Great bar in so many ways. Forget the rest!

Also you can get cheap good food in Chinatown.

upinsmoke

Peintre Celebre wrote: »

Hardly every day you're in New York. Id bring 3 or 4k for a week not worry about being short and treat yourself.

I think most people would have that going over but you don't need to spend that much. I didn't Scrooge and spent around 100 a day.

Fathom

upinsmoke wrote: »

I think most people would have that going over but you don't need to spend that much. I didn't Scrooge and spent around 100 a day.

Not counting hotel or car rental, that should work.

Fathom

California Dreamer wrote: »

Lets stop feeding the troll people!! :eek:

MOD: If you have a problem with the contents of another member's post, report it, don't call folks trolls in-thread.

titan18

I'm here atm and in budgeting 400 for 5 days on food. Can avoid tips by going places where you pay at counter. Won't be doing that all the time but can help avoid tipping at lunch or breakfast when on a budget.

Fathom

titan18 wrote: »

but can help avoid tipping at lunch or breakfast when on a budget.

15% tip common. Makes some things pricy.

titan18

Fathom wrote:

15% tip common. Makes some things pricy.

I'm back now and it's easily avoidable. Getting slices of pizza is the best way imo for dinner, but you've a wide selection for breakfast and lunch food just going to cafes or counter service places.

I don't recommend doing it every meal but you can probably avoid tipping places 2/3 of your meals a day and still eat well. Just pick what you're doing. Want to have a nice dinner one night, choose to have a fast and cheaper breakfast and lunch. Keeps costs down if you're on a budget then

ngunners

theguzman wrote: »

You'd need to budget $150 to $200 a day excluding accomodation, depends how much of a foodie you are really. If are happy to slum it for a week with McDonalds and Subway etc then you'll save a lot compared to proper lunches and dinners etc.



Disagree with this. New York, while very expensive if you want to do all touristy things (although as another poster pointed out the entrance fee for museums is a suggested one and you can pay whatever you can afford), has a ton of great cheap restaurants.

Probably the best food I had in New York was from a Chinese place where I don't remember spending more than 5 -10 dollars and having more food than I could eat. Delicious soups, dumplings etc.

Also ate really good Thai and Mexican food for very reasonable prices. New York is foodie heaven because of the variety of cuisines on offer. No need to break the bank.

poisonated

About 200 dollars a day I reckon. That being said I have survived on 20 dollars a day for a few days in New York one time. But I wouldn’t do that again. Ah student memories.

castletownman

Looking to get the 7-day metropass card-can I purchase one in JFK before I take the airtrain to the city? Will be using the subway very frequently when getting around over there, so is a logical money saving purchase.

Credit Checker Moose

1) You can buy NOTHING transit-related at JFK Airport itself.

2a) To exit the Airtrain at "Jamaica" OR at "Howard Beach", you need to get AT LEAST a $5 MetroCard. When you buy that card you can either just put $5 on it, or $5 + a 7-day pass for $31 + $1 for the physical piece of plastic = $37 Total.

2b) If you only put the $5 on the card at first, you have the opportunity before getting on the regular subway to put on the 7-day pass: Again, that's at Jamaica or Howard Beach: EITHER ONE, but not at JFK itself.

3) The "E" train from Jamaica is faster into Manhattan. Going back to JFK, you get off the E train at Sutphin Blvd/Archer/JFK station and then add another $5 for the Airtrain again.

Summary: The Airtrain uses the same piece of plastic, but you must consider that a completely separate and unrelated railroad ticketing system. It's always $5 to get out or in it at Howard Beach or Jamaica.

castletownman

Lads, anyone know of any bars that may show the live GAA matches on a Sunday? First game back home starts at 2PM which would be 9AM in NYC- I was recommended the Long Hall up near the Empire State, but that seems to open at 11AM.

testtech05

Hey Guys,

Myself and my gf heading over next week and I'm looking into transport to our hotel in Manhattan (couple of blocks north of the Empire State Building), had checked the NYC express bus and airlink shuttles but the reviews on both are a little worrying.......

Just wondering if anyone has used either option/if I would be better to just pay the extra for a cab or is the train manageable even with a fair bit of luggage?

Thanks a lot sorry if in the wrong thread but seems to be a lot of knowledge of NYC in here

salmocab

testtech05 wrote: »

Hey Guys,

Myself and my gf heading over next week and I'm looking into transport to our hotel in Manhattan (couple of blocks north of the Empire State Building), had checked the NYC express bus and airlink shuttles but the reviews on both are a little worrying.......

Just wondering if anyone has used either option/if I would be better to just pay the extra for a cab or is the train manageable even with a fair bit of luggage?

Thanks a lot sorry if in the wrong thread but seems to be a lot of knowledge of NYC in here

Cab is handy, trains are grand and relatively easy to get around but might be too much hassle dragging up your luggage.
Cab your basically paying for convenience of being dropped to your door.