The Gotham Not So Frugal

As I approach my 1st year anniversary as a New Yorker, I think I can say certain things about New Yorkers. And I suppose this goes with out saying, but New Yorkers have a weakness for New York. And this weakness drives us to share the city with others. And that, unfortunately for this project, can be an expensive proposition.

Friday came and I managed to leave the house without lunch again. This had happened before but I had left food at work that I could eat, and my co-worker shared a bit of her lunch with me. Not because she had pity on my poor soul, but because she had too much. After work I came home and decided my friend, Sarah from Italy, who had been parked on my couch for most of the week needed to get out and see the town.

I had wanted to eat at Mexicana Mama ever since I heard the toothy, loud mouth Rachel Ray mention it on her show. We arrived and I treated myself to a jalepeno margarita. It set my lips on fire with its spicy goodness. I had the chili relleno, my friend got a chicken salad that was also yummy. During dinner I got a call from a new friend, the one who I went to Dexy's with a week ago. Of course I didn't answer it until after dinner because I practice good phone etiquette. I called my new friend back and she suggested that I join her for scotch on the upper west side. Her treat.

I proposed this to my friend from Italy, but Sarah decided to take a cab home instead. So much for sharing the joy of NYC with her. So we split a cab uptown, the cabby dropped me at the upper west side. There I was presented with a peaty infusion of distilled malt. Being a prohibitively expensive, we went in search of drinks elsewhere and ended in the Dive Bar. Here there was more whiskey, a crazy fish, and a couple making a very public display of affection. I cabbed it home, making Friday one very expensive night. My second reckless weekend in a row.

Saturday was all about the MOMA. My friend woke up ready to explore the arts and I went with her. She covered my $20 ticket which made me glad. I stood very close to the Yves Klein hoping that my whole world could turn that shade of blue, for a little while. We took a break to eat some tasty cart food, and then went to the design store, where The Gotham Frugal refrained from purchasing any of the coolness. Soho followed for my friend wanted to shop. I went home to enjoy the solitude for a bit. But I felt bad as my friend didn't get back until 11ish when I left her at 4.

Today I woke and Sarah, still with me, gave me $5 to go get some groceries for breakfast. I put them to good use and bought some more stuff. At the end of her visit, after an unfruitful search for a birthday gift for me, Sarah had to hop a plane to Italy. I told her that she didn't need to give me anything for my birthday. After all I make more than she does, Euros on not. As I loaded her into the cab, she hugged me and stuffed something in my back pocket. Walking upstairs to my apartment I pulled a folded twenty dollar bill out, it had four more twenties folded with in it. So I'm using this money to buy myself an important gift, a vacuum cleaner for my apartment. I'll see that the other dough goes towards the credit card. Thanks, Sarah. You're really too kind.

Still, it looks like I'm going to be in the red for a long, long time.

Starting Balance: -$71

In: $35

Out:
Friday
Halal Lunch: $4
Mexicana Mama: $37
Bar: $14
Cabs: $16

Saturday
Tamale: $1.25
Coffee: $.75
Halal Lunch: $5

Sunday:
Groceries: $26.50

Ending Balance: -$140.50

We're All Holding Steady

Well ladies and gents, I think that this particular website should soon become the gathering ground of commiseration for the men and women of Wall Street for they too may soon find themselves on a budget. They had a bad day today and why did they have a bad day? Because they can no longer support the debtor society that America has become. Or at least that's my take on it. I've been drinking scotch and it's late so I can't pull my father into this conversation, though Dad, if you're reading this, leave a comment explaining how I'm wrong about this.

Pop is my guru on all matters financial. I'd like to think that I inherited my distaste for credit from him. But then again, maybe it has to do with all the times he wisely bailed me out of debt to preserve my credit rating and then yelled at me for being irresponsible. Nature, nurture. Chicken, egg. You judge. Either way it works, I hate credit cards.

Speaking of hating credit cards, and perhaps getting a perspective as to what's going on in America when it comes to massive, mind-crushing, share-cropping like debt you should all go out and rent, netflix, whatever the newish Morgan Spurlock film "Maxed Out." It's an insightful look at how the credit card companies are screwing America out of a future by offering them endless credit which Americans can never repay. Unfortunately the "taste for credit" doesn't stop at the citizen but extends all the way up to our beloved leader G Dub. Why doesn't anyone listen to Allen Greenspan? He seems like a smart guy.

But speaking of the weak, today I spent over my budget, which is something like negative sixty last I checked. I went to Kati Roll after work with my friend and I bought this one. Why? I don't know. Then we went to Brooklyn for a "free" concert. Where they asked for $3 per person. They say free and then pressure you at the door. And what happens when you walk in? You are accosted by WaMu automatons begging to see your debit card. It was definitely a carnival moment. In the cheap-trailer-smell-like-cabbage-way, and not the cirque-du-sole way. WaMu is the devil. Bank of America is the devil. I only trust ING right now. But wait. Next paragraph.

The free concert was "The Hold Steady." I love this band. Yes, they are a bit cheesy. Yes, they remind me of the Counting Crows. Yes, they are, as someone wiser put it, one bad saxophone player away from the E Street Band, but man I love these guys, and they were semi-free, but more than worth the $6 I paid to get us in.

Breakdown.

Starting Balance:-$65.50


In: $10

Out:
Kati Roll: $9:50
Hold Steady: $6

Balance: -$71