Housing Works

Housing Works is the queen mum of thrift stores. It sells the same basic goods as other second hand stores, but it has the atmosphere of a debutante's dressing room with the brands and style to match. Plus all proceeds go toward AIDS research and support in NYC. Stop in any of the six locations in Manhattan or the location in Brooklyn Heights or check out their window auctions online. Hold out for their seasonal sales, too. For a $10 entry fee (tax deductible, as are all purchases at Housing Works), you can browse the top selection of goods they hold on to for months. And if you're really thrifty, resell your finds on eBay. I've seen never-worn Manolos, fur coats, beautiful vintage furniture and clothing from Versace, Prada and Gucci, all at far below retail prices. The more often you stop in, the more likely you'll be the first to spot a great deal.

Better yet, donate your gently used chic goods to Housing Works. According to this month's Elle Decor magazine, restaurateur B. Smith donates samples from her home-furnishings line to Housing Works. Ever think you'd find a one-of-a-kind designer sample at a thrift store?

Bottom Line: Finally, style comes cheap
www.housingworks.org

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Ten Web Sites...

...that will save you tens and tens of dollars.

1) Airfare Watchdog
Updated daily, this site combs the web for the cheapest flights out there. Combine Airfare Watchdog with Travelzoo, and you shouldn't ever have to pay for a full-price vacation again.

2) Top Button
Fashion savvy cheapskates will love this site, which provides information on local sample sales, online sales, and budget-friendly fashion events.

3) Housing Works Auctions
Think eBay on a much smaller, more philanthropical scale. Bid on gently used clothes and furniture, then feel good about the fact that all proceeds from sales go to charity.

4) Restaurant.com
Download coupons to use at select restaurants in the area.

5) Etsy.com
Need an inexpensive but interesting and most likely one-of-a-kind gift? Look no further than this online craft fair, brought to you by talented do-it-yourselfers throughout the U.S.

6) Craigslist
I know you know Craigslist. But the possibilities here are endless -- Furnish your apartment, buy a new [to you] TV, score some free plants... You can even find a cheap date if the need arises.

7) Overstock.com
Check this site out for discounted goods ranging from luxury sheets and towels to cheap barstools and, even, I kid you not, wedding rings.

8) Open Table
Make your life easier by making restaurant reservations online, then rack up points to earn free dining dollars.

9) All Recipes
Come on, kids; cooking's cool. It's also a whole lot cheaper than takeout or, of course, dinner out. Use the ever-so-useful ingredient search on All Recipes to figure out what you can whip up with the ingredients you already have lurking around your pantry.

10) eBay
The queen of shopping sites. If you want it, chances are eBay's got it. Plus, a little healthy bidding competition never hurt anyone.

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Something Old, Something New

Here's a heads up for all of you beauty product-loving ladies out there -- This Saturday you'll have the chance to swap some of your old (expired? crumbly? horrifyingly ugly/bright/bought in a moment of insanity?) make-up for a cosmetics bag filled with award winning goods from Glamour.

The event, called "The Glammies Take Manhattan" will be taking place all day on Saturday in various locales throughout the city.

As an added bonus, the charity Look Good...Feel Better, a foundation for women in cancer treatment, gets a dollar for every item you bring in.

Bottom Line: Kiss your used-up lipsticks good-bye, and do the world some good.

The Glammies Take Manhattan
(locations include Bryant Park, Central Park, Madison Square Park, Union Square and Rockefeller Center)

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The Pearl River Post

I've been hesitant to write about Pearl River Mart.

I've been hesitant because I'm 99% sure that you've either:

a) already been there and love it as much as I do.
b) already been there and nearly love it as much as I do.
c) have no interest in going because you have no interest in Chinatown crap (if this is you, then I'm sorry; we can't be friends).

If you fall into category a or b, then you probably don't need to read the following love letter to Pearl River Mart. If you fall into category c, then you probably don't need to be reading this blog.
If, however, you fall into that 1% of cheap New Yorkers who haven't yet discovered Pearl River (it's been around since 1971, and its wares are often featured in magazines), then keep reading. This post is for you.

Why is Pearl River so dear to my heart? What's so amazing about an enormous store that sells cheap trinkets and you-could-buy-them-anywhere-on-Canal-Street slippers?

Pearl River, my friends, is a three-story wonderland--let me repeat: wonderland--of useful goods. You're a party-thrower? Get yourself to Pearl River for some paper lanterns (about $20 for a string of lights) and some new dishes (starting at $4). Looking for a fun birthday gift? Check out Pearl River's funky thermoses ($12), retro-looking luggage tags ($3.25), or crazy alarm clock section (clocks start at $10). Wrap it all up in origami paper or takeout cartons ($1), then buy yourself some gummy candy ($2.25 for a bag) and tell the people at Pearl River how much you like their store (I did this and got a free mug).

I could go on more. I could tell you about Pearl River's stationery section, its cool tote bags, teapots, loose tea, soaps, window blinds, buddha statuettes, robes, slippers, baskets, hampers, stools, candles, and gongs, but really, the only way to experience the magic of Pearl River is to go there yourself.

Bottom Line: Good. Cheap. Fun.
This place is a gift giver's dream come true.

Pearl River Mart
477 Broadway
212.431.4770

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Watch out, Barnes & Noble

There's a new bookseller in town.

Though it's actually not in town. It's online.
And it's not really a seller, either, because all of the books and CDs and DVDs and video games available there are free.
Yes. Free.
Thanks to the brilliant minds behind SwapTree, bartering has reached an all new level.

Think of the site as a sort of Match.com for your books and CDs. Once you sign up (there's no fee), SwapTree's algorithms calculate what you can get for the items you want to get rid of. The site shops around to find your perfect trade, and once the match is made, all you have to do is stick your item in the mail and wait for your own new "purchase" to arrive.

Bottom Line: Free books? Yes, please.

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Free Friday Five

Nothing's cheaper than free.
This weekend we bring you...

1. The Siren Music Festival, Saturday, 7/21, 12PM-9PM
on Coney Island
Pack some sunscreen and hit this free all-day music event to check out emerging (and some already emerged) alternative bands. One of the biggest music festivals of the year, expect to see performers like the New York Dolls, We Are Scientists, Lavender Diamond, and Elvis Perkins, to name a few.

2. Really, Really Free Market, Saturday, 7/21, 12PM
at St. Mark's Church (2nd Avenue & 10th Street)
This is basically the biggest and best curb alert you'll ever get: EVERYTHING at this market is free. Whether you're shopping around for some new[ish] dishes or some weekend reading material or even a massage, I guarantee you'll find it here.
And why not keep the free love chain flowing? Clean out your closet and pass on some of your own goods.

3. "Rock Out With Your Guac Out" Event, Saturday 7/21, 7PM
at Hope Lounge (10 Hope Street, Brooklyn)
Rock? Good. Guac? Yes, please.
Stuff your face with free Mexican food 'til 11PM while rocking out to various DJs. Beers will be $3 each, and there's talk of a Red Bull power hour.

4. Name That Tune with Sara Schaefer, Sunday 7/22, 9:15PM
at Union Hall (702 Union Street at 5th Avenue, Brooklyn)
Test your song savvy at this Sunday night competition with comedian Sara Schaefer. You might want to brush up your skills before you go -- Prizes will be given, and the competition will be fierce.

5. Central Park SummerStage, Sunday 7/22, 3PM
at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park (69th Street and 5th Avenue)
From Central Park's website: "SummerStage is hipster heaven on Sunday, when we feature two groove-heavy groups and an avant-garde marching band."
I'm not sure how I feel about going to hipster heaven, but the lineup, Brazilian Girls, Cat Empire, and Himalayas, sounds interesting.

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The quest for cheap summer dresses

I was reading Cathy Horyn's piece in The New York Times about so-called inexpensive dresses. She does well with a $65 dress from Victoria's Secret in the end, but I have a secret dress spot in Soho where the you'll find cute in-the-moment dresses under $40. The fabrics Exstaza uses are not the best quality, but they will last through the season.

Bottom Line: You can never have enough summer dresses
Exstaza
491 Broadway at Broome St.
212.925.8193

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Craftastic

Yesterday I wore a cotton Gap dress that I got for a steal. It's black and poofy and easy to wear, and I'm guessing you've seen it, because in the past two weeks I've noticed it on approximately 8,000 various women.

I'm exaggerating a little.
But four words that budget-minded shoppers like myself rarely hear? One. Of. A. Kind.

Seriously, we all know there's a direct correlation between the size of a store and the price of its goods (the less you see, the more it's going to cost you), and I generally assume that if something's truly "one of a kind," then it (and its expensive price tag) is meant for investment bankers and socialites with dogs in their purses.

Last weekend, my friends, I beat the system.
I hit Brooklyn's Renegade Craft Fair, and, yes, I made out like a bandit.

The Renegade vendors have long since packed up their homemade t-shirts and handsewn bags and crocheted chopstick holders (it's an annual event), but you can buy most of their goods online. And because I'm still on a post-shopping high, I thought I'd share my [Cheap! Practically ONE OF A KIND!] finds with you.

Clockwise (L-R): Sesame Letterpress coasters ($1 each); Art Star salt & pepper shakers ($18); S. Rankin handmade earrings ($10); Etui printed cards ($3 each); Holly Hue coin purse (free--DIYers rock!); Sesame Letterpress notecards (2 for $1); Tall Glass t-shirt ($10); Holly Hue hobo bag ($28). Center: My Paper Crane Ketchup Loves Mustard notecards (pack of 5 for $5).

Bottom Line: One of a kind never felt so good (and attainable).

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Free Friday Five

Nothing's cheaper than free. This weekend we bring you...

1. Brooklyn's Top Dog Contest, Saturday 6/16, 11AM-3PM
at Brooklyn Industries in Williamsburg (162 Bedford Ave)
NYC pups will be putting their best paws forward at Brooklyn's "Top Dog" competition. Check out photos of each canine contestant and vote here, or go see the dogs yourself, so you can say you knew the winner before he became a star (the top dog/American Idol of hipster pooches will get his photo on a special edition Brooklyn Industries t-shirt).

2. Beer for Bags, Friday 6/15-Sunday 6/17
at either NYC Crumpler Store (45 Spring Street or 49 8th Avenue)
Surely you have a few bottles of beer shoved somewhere in the back of your refrigerator... Why not trade those bottles in for a brand spanking new Crumpler bag?
Check out the store's website to see what type of bag the bottles in your fridge are worth.

3. First Annual NYC Food Festival, Saturday 6/16-Sunday 6/17, see website for schedule
at Water Taxi Beach (Hunter's Point, Long Island City)
Free outdoor screenings of food films ranging from the three-minute long "Tasting Rachel Ray" to the feature-length "Asparagus! A Stalk-Umentary."
The best part? You'll be on a sandy beach. And if you can't bear the thought of seeing Rachel on a big screen, just distract yourself with the amazing view of the Manhattan skyline.

4. Field Day in Cental Park, ongoing, 9AM-7PM
at the Central Park Conservancy
Here's a secret: The Central Park Conservancy loans out something called a "field day kit," and all you have to do to get one is call 212-348-4867. Trust me, there's enough sports equipment in this kit (a basketball, 10 cones, 3 bats, a horse shoe set, a playground ball, a Nerf ball, a football, a Frisbee, 2 handballs, a soccer ball, a jump rope, 2 whiffle balls, and hula hoops) to keep you and every friend you have running around the park for hours. Who needs a gym?

5. Renegade Craft Fair, Saturday 6/16-Sunday 6/17, 11AM-6PM
at McCarren Park Pool (on Lorimer Street in Williamsburg)
In the need for a cool new wallet? How about a stunning pair of gold-plated cicada earrings? Check out Williamsburg's Renegade Craft Fair, where DIYers will be selling their own handmade goods.

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Pretty. Cheap.

Some people collect stamps or superhero figurines. Others keep unwrapped comic books tucked away in their closets. Me? I'm addicted to beauty products.

Moisturizers, body scrubs, lipsticks, soaps, mud from foreign seas -- You name it, I've bought it. I line the bottles up in my bathroom and lovingly dust them off every month or so.
There could be worse addictions, but this one's pricey, which is why I'm a fan of Cosmetic Market on 39th Street.

The store sits on a quiet street in Midtown and is marked by a giant bottle of nail polish, a makeup brush, and a tube of lipstick hanging above its doors. The exterior (and that giant makeup brush) may have seen better days, but swing open the lipstick-handled door, and I promise -- You're in for some amazing deals.

Merchandise changes often at this secret spot, but on a recent trip, I picked up a Stila lipstick for $6.99, some Pond's exfoliating cloths for $3.99, and a cool and colorful array of glycerine soaps for $1. Cosmetic Mart houses brands ranging from Almay and Cover Girl ($1 for lip gloss) to Christian Dior and Prada ($24.99 for face wash). The shelves are lined with hair products, makeup, perfume, and various name-brand lotions and creams, all priced low, low, low.

Other items for sale include wrapping paper, candles, picture frames, toys, makeup bags, cheap-looking jewelry, and a random (and slightly scary) selection of imported chocolates and cookies, though I'm usually too overwhelmed by the beauty products themselves to take much note of the store's other offerings.

My advice? Go on a weekend, when the store's not teeming with Midtown workers on their lunch breaks. Be patient, and be careful -- Some of the items on those shelves are there for a reason (put the sparkling chartreuse eyeshadow down!).

Finally, why not say goodbye to Sephora and the Bloomingdale's beauty section? Your days of spending big bucks on looking good are over.

Bottom Line: Get pretty. It's cheap.

Cosmetic Market
9 East 39th Street (between 5th and Park)
212.725.3625

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So Happy to Know Jack

There are dollar stores.
And then there are DOLLAR STORES.

Jack's on 40th Street (between 5th and Park) is, without a doubt, a DOLLAR STORE. Seriously. This place may be crowded, the employees may be snarly (one security guard yelled at me for taking photos), but for cheap deals on everything from beauty products to household goods to cheesy gifts and even, I kid you not, perishable foods like yogurt and frozen pizza, Jack's is the place to go.

I'm not going to lie. There are certain items you should never buy here. The cleaning supplies are worthless, some of the foods are frightening, and 99 cent tool kits will no doubt fail you.

If, however, you're in search of a superhero nightlight, an I LOVE NY shot glass, or cheap party supplies, then you're in luck. Arm yourself with $25.74 and an open mind, and make your way through my list of bargain buys, from A to Z:

Start off with an Apple-shaped oven mitt, Blue dish towels, pillar Candles, a set of Dominoes, an Extension cord, and some Folders. Stock up on Gift bags and clothes Hangers, grab an Ice cream scoop and a lemon Juicer, and then put some KitKats in your bag for the walk home. You can always use a Lint brush and a Mesh strainer, and how about Napkins, some crazy Orange cups, and plastic Plates for your next party? Move on to the Q-tips, enormous boxes of Raisins, the aforementioned Shot glass, a Tape measure, and--if you're brave--a couple of pairs of Underwear. Finally, pick up a bottle of Vegetable oil, Wrapping paper, plastic X-ray vision goggles, some not-quite-expired Yogurt, and a Let's Go to the Zoo coloring book for your nephew (or roommate).

Bottom Line: 99 cents for quirky gifts and low-quality gadgets

Jack's Dollar Store
16 East 40th Street
212.696.5767

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