Find a Roommate

Obviously this only applies to those making the big move.  Finding a roommate means cutting down on your monthly costs while possibly living in a nicer place than you could on your own.  In some cities–New York comes to mind–it may be impossible to live “downtown” or even “near the town” without earning an extremely high salary or being willing to take on a roommate or two.

For those of you just visiting for a day or two, the same theory applies…travel as a group so costs can be split and group rates, where applicable, will apply.   There are also some websites devoted to helping people find apartments rather than hotels for extended trips or vacations.

Public Transportation:

Be smart, taxis are convenient but also costly.  Become familiar with local bus routes and any underground transportation that might be available to you.  If you are staying for longer periods of time, spring for a multi-ride card as opposed to paying each individual fare…you’ll save in the long run…on time and money.  Most of all–WALK.  That’s one of the biggest benefits of living in a big city.

Free entertainment

Major cities boast cultural experiences and many of them are free.  Think movies in the park, gallery openings, Sunday museums and local sporting events.  Take in the sights and sounds without the cost by researching city websites.  Most offer calendars with upcoming events, many of which are free to the public.

Passes

Many museums, theaters and venues offer memberships with reduced rates.  Also, numerous cities offer City Passes that, for a flat purchase price, include admission to multiple city attractions at drastically cheaper prices.  A City Pass is also a convenient way to experience a city because they often include a list of every location it is accepted, many of which you might not of known about or had thought of trying.

Car share programs

Car share programs are popping up across the country.  The central idea is that owning a car and paying car insurance and parking fees are astronomical for someone living in a major city (and likely not using their car all that often anyway).  The alternative…sell your car and join a car share program.  Each is run a little differently but most are either pay as you drive or pay a monthly fee.  You can go to any pick-up location, use a car and return it whenever you are finished, paying for the gas you use.  Drop-offs/pick-ups are scattered throughout the city, making travel convenient.

Part time job

A part time job does not have to be just for the money–or too help defray those big-city expenses.   Many people work because of a specific benefit it provides them.  Can’t afford a gym membership? Get a part time job at the local gym in exchange for a membership.  Need work-appropriate clothes?  Take on a part time job at your favorite clothing store, pending it offers great employee discounts.

Free Wi-fi

Coffee shops, libraries, ball-parks, pretty much everywhere offers free WiFi.  Take advantage of it when you are out and about.  You might find that between internet access at work and around the city, you may be able to forgo that costly monthly internet bill.

Conclusion

So, whether you are touring a big city or making a life changing move, experiencing all that your city has to offer does not mean you have to break the bank.  Take advantage of the programs sponsored by the city for the public.  Become a smart traveler.  Or work for benefits other than money.  In the end, you will be left with wonderful experiences and hopefully a little money in your wallet.

Other than my years in college, I’ve mostly been a boring suburbanite myself, so feel free to add some comments about ways to save money in the city, that I may have inadvertently left out or failed to address.

A Netflix promo offer might be able to save you a chunk of money.  The one month Netflix free trial offer has been around for new customers for a while but I wanted to share how using Netflix has saved us money.  The cool thing is you can test it out for a month and see if it works for you with their free trial of Netflix – try it here.

Saving Money with Netflix

I recently pulled the plug on my cable bill, saving us around $85 per month, so I’ve been increasingly interested in online streaming options for our content needs.

With traditional television services such as cable and satellite you pay a rather large monthly fee to access a varying quantity of programming. The more you pay, the more premium channels (like ESPN and HGTV) you get.

Personally speaking I think it is a broken system. I don’t watch Oxygen, Discover Health, or American Movie Classic. Why should I pay for channels I don’t use?

Unfortunately it will be quite some time before you’ll be able to purchase a handful of channels that meet your entertainment needs. That is, of course, if it ever happens. Providers have no incentive to make this change so it seems unlikely.

Until that happens you do have a couple of options to get some of your content. There has yet to be an option available that covers everything, but one significant piece of the equation for many people is Netflix.

What is Netflix?
Netflix and Redbox are the companies that killed Blockbuster and forced it into bankruptcy. In the past you had to physically go to a video store to rent a movie. You paid a relatively high rate to rent the movie for 2 to 7 days.

Enter Netflix. Netflix started by offering DVD rental through the mail for a fixed rate. There were different tiers and the more you paid the more movies you could have out at the same time. For smart users that watch a lot of movies Netflix was more convenient and much cheaper than renting from a store.

Redbox offered another alternative by letting you rent your movies for less from a kiosk.  Of course the difference between Redbox vs Netflix is that Redbox has a much smaller set of choices than Netflix and lacks the conveinence of having the movie delivered to your door.

But the coolest feature of Netflix, the one that helped us save money on your cable bill, is that the service lets you stream shows online.

How Does Netflix Streaming Work?
As technology progressed so did Netflix. Now instead of having to wait for a DVD to arrive in the mail you can simply stream the movie directly to your playing device immediately.

There are certain devices that work with Netflix streaming. These include the major gaming consoles (Wii, X-Box, Playstation 3), some high definition televisions, Apple’s iPhone and iPad, and media center players such as Roku and Tivo. You can also stream directly to a Windows or Mac computer.

You plug the device into your internet connection, access Netflix, and decide on what you want to watch. Make your selection and it will begin streaming to you immediately.

What Can You Stream with Netflix?
Netflix can stream movies and television shows. The selection can fluctuate as more selections are added. Some television shows are not immediately available. New episodes can be delayed as little as 1 week to as long as the following season.

Can Netflix Streaming Replace My Cable Company?
The ability for Netflix to replace your cable or satellite company depends on your entertainment needs.

If you don’t need to see the most recent episode of a television show the instance it airs, then Netflix’s streaming service might work for you.

On the other hand if you need to watch live sports on premium channels then Netflix isn’t designed to cover that specific need.

That isn’t to say Netflix can’t take care of some of your other entertainment needs, just not instant television shows and live premium content.  Like I said earlier, you can test it out for a month and see how it all works for you.  There’s no coupon code required to get the offer, just sign up their free trial. 

I know not everyone’s like me and that many people enjoy a daily dose of video games, especially in the cold dark winter months.  So I thought we’d cover some ways you can save money on video games. Fortunately, a reader named Allison was kind enough to send over some tips on ways you can trim your gaming budget:

Rent, don’t buy. If you buy brand-new games at retail, you’re paying top dollar, and you don’t know if you will love it enough to play it all the way through.  Sign up for Gamefly (Netflix for video games) for a low subscription cost. (Click here for a Free Trial – use coupon code TENDAY)

Buy used titles.  Check out the cost of the games on eBay or Craigslist for sometimes half the cost.

Stream titles direct.  Games-on-Demand services offer one of the best bangs for the buck.  Services like GameTap and Verizon Games offer more than a thousand titles, including casual, classic and even some hardcore games.  The cost-per-hour of play on these subscription-based services is extremely low and can serve multiple people.

There is such a thing as free gaming. Several websites offer free-to-play action and casual games. Sega has a new website, Play Sega and GameTap currently lists more than a hundred free games on its website.

Thanks to Allison for the gaming tips!  Any other ideas or suggestions?

These tips on saving money on video games are part of the series on saving money on entertainment.  So far we’ve covered how to save money on your television bill,  save money at the movies, save money eating out, and save money on movie rentals.

Free Movies

You can rent free movies from most public libraries. In my experience the selection of titles will vary from poor at many smaller, older branches all the way up through pretty decent at newer, larger libraries.

You might not be able to find the latest blockbuster but the library is pretty much guaranteed to have some old classics alongside some newer run DVDs.

The convenience factor of picking up a movie from a library is similar to dropping into a video rental store.  You still have to drive there and sort through the movies, the main difference is selection and how recent the movies are.

Cheap Movies

Next to free movies from the library, renting a movie for a $1 from Redbox is the next cheapest option.  Currently RedBox has over 10,000 locations around the US, you’ve probably seen one out front of a McDonalds or local grocery store in your area.

The movie selection isn’t as in depth at RedBox as it is at a movie rental store and the titles are a little older but the price is looooow.  Some people complain about choosing a movie through the kiosk interface but RedBox does have a website where you can go ahead of time to browse the titles, watch previews, and even reserve a movie online.  They call the process “Pick a Movie, Pick a Redbox, Pick it Up”.

In terms of convenience, you still have to drive somewhere to pick up the movie, just like a library or movie rental store, but if you can combine it with a weekend trip to the grocery store that at least saves you some gas money.

New Movies

If you want to see newer release movies and are willing to pay a little more then you can go with a movie rental store or online movie rental.  Sometimes local video stores can be a little cheaper than a Hollywood Video or Blockbuster it just depends on the store.

In Store Movie Rentals

The most expensive option is to walk into a Blockbuster or Hollywood video and rent the latest release.  The title selection will be pretty good, but the convenience factor is still similar to the library or RedBox, you still have to get in your car and go out to rent the movie.

Online Movie Rentals

Both Blockbuster and Netflix are now both selling set top boxes that allow you to download movies to a digital box in your home.  You have to make a big investment up front to purchase the hardware but then the movie rentals are only a few bucks.

In terms of the convienence factor these new boxes, the Roku Netflix player and Blockbuster MediaPoint, are pretty slick, you don’t have to leave your house to rent a movie.  The movie rental prices seem pretty decent, of course the downside is you have to pay all the money up front to buy the set top box.

Of course, both companies also offer their online DVD rental services where you visit their website, select the movies you want to watch, and they’re delivered to your home.  I’ve used both Blockbuster Total Access and Netflix to rent movies online for pretty cheap.  Both services offer a free trial period to let you test out the service, you can use the links below to get a free trial:

• Blockbuster 2 Week – Free Trial
• Netflix 2 Week – Free Trial