I saved my money by switching to bargain beers

I have been living in the heart of Manhattan for a little over a month and it is really starting to take its toll on me emotionally, physically, and most importantly, financially. For just graduating from college, I make decent pay and my rent is unbelievably low for New York City, but when it came to sitting down and going through my expenses, I quickly surmised that I have no money, bucks, moola, no green.

The first thing I did upon realizing my money situation was freak out! And IM Hotelie Blogger, naturally. After a few calming words from my friend, I called the bank to make sure that they did not mess anything up. Then, after the reassurance from the wonderful customer service person at my bank that I would, in actuality, not die and be able to pay for my credit card, I started to look at my financial loss as a positive thing. I would just have to cut back. Easy enough.

I decided that I would no longer wander into clothing stores on my walks home from work. No more retail rewards, only the absolutely necessary buying. I would make a conscious effort to cook at home, bring my lunch to work, and not go out to eat all that often. I would cut down my nights out to two nights per week. Simple.

Since none of that really happened, I have accepted that I will be living for the next couple years with no money so I better get used to it. I have made other adjustments to my life to try and save the pennies. I now research happy hour bars that have good drink deals and sometimes free food. I take advantage of "Ladies Nights" and 50 cent beers on the upper West Side. I eat oatmeal everyday at work. Saving money has actually caused me to go out more than I think I did before when I was blowing through my funds. Somehow, and I am not really sure how, I have been able to pay my rent and handle the credit card payments without sacrificing my love for bars. So I will just keep on keepin' on and partying at least four nights a week. It feels so great to be a struggling consultant in New York.