Cheap Asses Have More Fun
Nothing excites me more than a great deal. The other day, I buy a pair of the most fabulous sunglasses ever. Where? Street vendor. How much? $5. I tell Bro, “OMG, the guy wanted, like, $10, but I told him that I wasn’t paying more than $5. We fought. He eventually caved. $5!! Isn’t that great?!” Bro’s response: “Don’t be such a fucking cheap-ass!” I can’t help it; I love a great deal. And, today, I thought I’d treat you to a few of my favorite places to get deals in New York City. Shhhh! I’m only sharing this information with: faithful readers, my legion of lurkers, and the occasional MSN-searcher(s) who arrive(s) here on accident …
Soy Luck Club. [ Website ]
Vegan coffee shops aren’t usually my thing, but this place is great! Not only do their soy milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard, they also serve (some of) their food with real meat. Yummy & inexpensive. What more could you want? Oh yeah, and, bring your laptop. They have **free** Wi-Fi.
Bad Ass Chinese Mafia [ Website ]
Handbag, handbag, purse … You need handbag? Negotiate a little, you get respect. Negotiation too much, you loose your life. This is serious stuff — underground Prada knockoffs. I like to take my out-of-town guests to Canal Street when they visit. Why? Because my guests like the bags … and *I* like to feel like a real tough New Yorker who isn’t afraid to take on the Chinese mafia. Bring it on, bitches!
Tenant.net [ Website ]
These sexy volunteers, lawyers and organizations make it their business to inform NYC tenants of their housing rights without charging us for their services. How fucking cool is that?! If you are able, regardless of where in the world you live, please support these organizations. (My favorite, WSTU, is solely supported by individual $25 donations / membership dues. Send them a check today!)
The Strand [ Website ]
Boasting 18 miles of new and used books, The Strand is a “fiercely independent family business”. I honestly think I’d cry if this place ever went out of business. Sure Barnes & Noble and Borders are nice places to buy books, but isn’t it great to support the “little guy” every now and then?
NYC Free Events [ Website ]
If a free event is happening in New York City, it’s probably listed on this site. Find out which free event taking place tonight features the model, actress and author Jenny McCarthy. (NOTE: I was on television with her in LA several years ago.) Hundreds of other free events await you, and they are only one click away …
Now that I have showed you mine, it’s time for you to show me yours. People who read the Funky Brown Chick — for example, *you*, you gorgeous and amazing reader — come from all over this little globe; so, tell me, what are some of your favorite places to get a good deal in your own city? (If you’re a fellow New Yorker, tell me where *you* go to get great deals here.)
April 26th, 2006 at 7:23 am
Here in Germany, second hand stores cost as much as regular stores, and garage sales are *not* popular. So what do you do? Go down to the weekend flea market (”Flohmarkt”)! Sure, there’s lots of useless junk there, but hidden among the piles of rubbish are some good finds just waiting for you. At a flea market in Frankfurt, I bought a bunch of retro buttons, an old CCCP metal taken from a Russian officer, and a cool smock/dress thing, which I paid only 40 cents for!
As for Seattle (my real hometown), I go to Buffalo Exchange for rad, second-hand fashion.
April 26th, 2006 at 8:56 am
Next time you’re in the great, metropolitan Jackson, MS area (insert sarcastic snort here), please stop by and grab a bite at:
Empanada World – tasty little treats that won’t set you back too much! I love the #1(chicken) and the #5(mediterranean), but plan on working my through the rest of the menu real soon.
The Vietnamese Soup Place – I’m pretty sure that’s not its real name, but that’s what I call it. Tasty, cheap, and acommodating – if you don’t see what you want on the menu, they’ll whip something up for you.
And that, is all. Note that I haven’t included any great, cheap places to score clothes, ’cause I haven’t found any yet – even the consignment shops are pricey by my standards. If however, you’re ever in the L.A. area and I am too . . . we can roll – garment district anyone?
April 26th, 2006 at 9:11 am
I’m a thrift store junkie, and in my neighborhood there’s a Junior League Bargain Box. Oh! The bargains! I got a Vera Wang (VERA WANG!) dress there for a college formal for about $25. (VERA WANG! $25! WANG! WANG! WANG! Sorry. I got excited all over again.)
Thanks for posting these spots, now I have more of a clue what I may do my free day of my trip up to the big city next weekend :)
April 26th, 2006 at 10:38 am
There is a really cool JUNK store here in Rome called Grandpa’s Attic and I can usually find some really cool eclectic stuff on the cheap.
April 26th, 2006 at 10:51 am
Country Kitchen – 3373 Weaver Pike, Bristol TN. Some of the best home cooked food ever and it is very cheap. You can get a huge hamburger steak, tater tots, salad, texas toast, and a big ass drink for $5.50. They are open 7:30am-3:00pm M-F and you can order an artery hardening breakfast all day and it is cheaper than lunch.
When I am in NYC I like to go to “Off the Wagon” at 147 Bleecker St. They had cheap drinks and $6 pitchers. Of course I didn’t have to buy much because people were buying for me just to hear me talk, it’s the southern accent.
April 26th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
I’ll have to get back to you on the “cheap bargain” spots here, but, answer me this. How can a coffe shop be Vegan if they serve meat? :(
April 26th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
China Buffet. Heaps of steaming chinese food served fresh buffet style all stinkin day. And SOOO cheap.
Clothes: Willow and Rags – Willow is new clothes, Rags is consigmnet goodies, most under 7 bucks…all in the same building.
April 26th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Vancouver is rarely called a cheap place to live/visit; indeed, it’s one of North America’s most expensive cities in which to live…
However, when you know where to go, there’s a ton of free things worth investigating!
Stolie, I’m going to steal your ‘topic’ and create a Vancouver edition of “Cheap Asses Have More Fun”.
Stay Tuned for the exciting tales and personal stories of the Seawall, Kits and Wreck Beach, Stanley Park, and the Grouse Grind and more…
April 26th, 2006 at 4:54 pm
The only thing in Sandy, Utah worth visiting is the Brighton Boardwalk on Silver Lake it is absolutely gorgeous up there and blissfully free
April 26th, 2006 at 4:55 pm
Theres a second hand bookstore that I can get most decent books at. Also, Sainsbury’s have great deals on grocery shopping sometimes.
I admit I’m usually too lazy to go bargain shopping, I’d rather just pay the price and avoid the hassle…
I’d be awful with the Chinese Mafia!
April 26th, 2006 at 7:11 pm
In Chicago, you must visit Stanley’s at North Avenue and Elston, just East of the Kennedy Expressway. They’ve got CHEAP produce, way cheaper than the union-controlled grocery stores. They might not have every exotic type of tomato, but they’ve got your staples for salad. Yum.
April 26th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
Kyla: Wow, so you’re an American expat who lives in Germany? I am sure there is an interesting story behind that one. By the way, the CCCP metal sounds very cool. What a great find! … And, thanks for the link to the Buffalo Exchange. I haven’t been to Seattle yet, but I’ll add it to my list of places to see in the city when/if I go.
Nerd Girl: OMG, I love sticking Empanadas in my mouth!!! Empanadas are possible the world’s most perfect food. Few things taste as good as warm, wheat flour, baked, beef Empanadas. God bless the Mexican man (or woman) who discovered them … BTW, I’ll let you know if I’m ever in L.A. again; I haven’t been there since 2001.
Elenor: Vera Wang for $25?!?!?! That’s amazing!!!! And, that’s great that you’re coming to New York for a weekend. It is a city filled with endless possibilities; at any given moment, there are a million things to do. Don’t forget to pick up a Village Voice or a Time Out when you’re here.
Tonito Bandito: Grandpa’s Attic? Very cute. :)
AWE: Tater Tots. YUM! I’ve only been to Tennessee 2 or 3 times but, believe it or not, I’ve even been to Graceland!! :) It was great … About “Off the Wagon”, I’ve never been but with prices like that I should definitely go!
Hanuman: Some carne restaurants offer vegan and vegetarian options; some vegan & vegetarian restaurants offer carne options. It’s all about inclusion! ;) Soy Luck Club got big ups from a this vegan.
Lola: I love rice!!! Chinese food rocks. :) And that shop Willow & Rags sounds good, by the way.
Mitch: I’ll keep my eyes peeled for your post about free things in Vancouver! Who knows, I might actually make the journey north to Canada in the foreseeable future. Albeit it to Montreal, not Vancouver.
noInk: Believe it or not, I’ve been to Utah. I went to Salt Lake a few years ago and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s very beautiful and serene. My group even found a few underground / naughty places to party. Mormons. They’re really *bad* when no one is watching. ;)
Darwin: Call me a weirdo, but I really *love* the smell of used books and the stores that sell them. :) … Ah, the lovely Sainsbury’s. I shopped there when I was a Study Abroad student in England many years ago.
Pegs: I MISS STANLEY’S!!! Also, further on Ashland (a little south and west of Stanley’s), there is a tiny little Mexican grocery store that has equally great deals.
April 26th, 2006 at 11:22 pm
I have not yet found a cheap place here in Big D, but I had to comment – I to LOVE LOVE LOVE the smell of book stores – I just spent 2 hours after work browsing one today.
When I lived in *the* small town there was a cafeteria that you could visit – full plate – double helping of meat – 3 veggie sides, bread, dessert and tea for 6 bucks! It was really good also. Sadly I must also report that the place was sold and is currently being renovated… sigh…..
And now that I think about it there is a Bakery in Irving, Texas called Argentina Bakery – on Beltline across from the mall. Everything there is AWESOME (wicked) as they say up north. Prices are relatively inexpensive some of the cookies range from 20 cents to 50 cents a piece.
April 26th, 2006 at 11:53 pm
Like most men my age, I like video games, but I can’t justify spending $40+ on a new game. I like browsing the used games at places like EB, Game Exchange, etc. Two miles from where I used to work here in beautiful Birmingham, Alabama, was a Chinese buffet. I used to eat lunch then wander next door to the used games store. It didn’t hurt that the clerk was cute as a button–sprinkle of freckles across the bridge of her nose…and massive tits. Call me a pig, but she was a major draw.
I like Amazon’s used goods, and, of course, there’s Ebay. Oh, and to Nerd Girl’s comment (points up), the Vietnamese soup noodle place is likely called “Pho [something something],” pho (pronounced “fuh”) being the Vietnamese word for that dish.
And I like a bargain as much as you do, Stolie.
April 27th, 2006 at 12:04 am
rock on with your cheap self.
I love Filene’s basement and DSW, as you know. But there are other discount delights to be had in this world…such as at Value City, a super-discount value department store chain in the mid-Atlantic states. And for all the trips I take, I spend very little on my travel. My second-to-last trip to Chicago was 4 nights 4* hotel plus air; I got that package for about $500, thanks to my discount internet travel deal crusing at travelocity, hotwire, expedia, lastminute….
And I like target, too. I’m also a big fan of the mani/pedi combo weekday package that costs less than $25, which you can find all over NYC.
For eats, I love Crif Dogs. You can get two plain dogs and a PBR for $6 plus tax.
And then there’s the subway. An extravaganza of sights, smells and sounds for only $2 per ride!
April 27th, 2006 at 12:08 am
Oh, and I LOVE thrift stores–salvation army, goodwill, whatever. I once got a gorgeous wool winter coat for $2! Not to mention my retro-chic glassware, which would sell for about $8-$12 at urban outfitters–I got that for $1.50 for a 5 piece set. Man, I love secondhand. Oh, and if you are in the Boston/cambridge area, and happen to be a hipster extraordinare, there is a hipsterfab secondhand + new duds+ whatever + costume shop off Kendall square in cambridge called The Garment District…Oops, I could go on forever like this. I’ll stop.
April 27th, 2006 at 6:14 am
ET: Yay!! Another person with a Bookscent Fetish! :) And, wow, that $6 deal sounds great. In New York, you can pay more than that for a *burger* … and you still have to pay extra for the fries.
Andy: I’m glad to hear that you’re a bargain shopper, too! I used to be addicted to video games when I was younger. But, I was old school: Atari & Nintendo, none of the new stuff. ;)
Sid: I love that phrase, “rock on with your cheap self.” :) We should go discount shopping together! Either that or go for a weekday mani / pedi / margaritas special. :)
April 27th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
Cheap-Asses DEFINATELY have more fun!
I take the 7 express to Main St. to buy insanely cheap and stoopid fresh produce in Flushing. Then I treat myself to a Bahn Mi (Vietnamese sandwich on baguette) which is the tastiest treat you can get for $2.50.
Similarly, I’d die without the life-saving $2 falafel served by my handsome “food cart dude” on 30th street & Broadway in Astoria.
When I need lobster and shrimp (plucked from their window tanks) I head down to Kam Chueh on Bowery. Three people can chow down on a pound of shrimp, a veggie dish and a 3-lb lobster for like $25pp (including beer!). Ton of food.
Two words: Salvation Army.
You like empanadas? Try mama’s Empanada’s across from the newly-swanked out Queens Center Mall, or Papa’s Empanadas on Steinway St. in Astoria. They’re little fried patties of goodness for like $1 apiece.
And Caracas arepas bar on east 7th streret is. to. Die.
April 27th, 2006 at 9:00 pm
I love you!!! THANK YOU for all of the great suggestions!!!!