Haggle haggle haggle

Inside everyone lies the heart of a haggler. Sure, it may not come easy, but that never-take-no-for-an-answer, don't-be-afraid-to-walk-away attitude is in you. Here are three bargaining tips to bring out the worst in ya:

1. Take the high road. Ask if they have a competitive price matching policy. Most national stores and many small stores have fine print policies that promise to match a competitor's price. Search for an item online before you head to the store and be prepared to show them the lowest price you've found. Try this even if a competitor is having a seasonal sale. If you're not having luck with a sales clerk, push to speak with the store's manager who may be more wary of loosing your business to a competitor.

2. Start the haggling. Four simple words: Can you do better? Asking if they can give you better a deal on the price leaves them with the burden of figuring out how much of a discount they're willing to offer. It doesn't feel too aggressive and it's worked for me many times.

3. Make a lower offer. Think of what you really want to pay and lower that by 5-10%. Tell the salesperson you were hoping to pay the lower amount and you ask if they can help you out. If it's a small ticket item be ready with the cash since saying you can only pay $15 for a $20 item and pulling out two $10 bills and asking for change is embarrassing.

Bottom Line: If you don't ask for a lower price, you won't get one!

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Dr. Laptop

Normally I would not be comfortable shipping my laptop to get it repaired. But, after months of maddening trouble with a loose power jack (this is when the connection to the a/c adapter is loose and requires constant wiggling to get the computer to run), I was desperate. Then I found www.PowerJackRepair.net...in Wheeling, IL.

My first refuge for repair was the Geek Squad at Best Buy. Mistake. They told me the only way to fix my problem was to replace the motherboard and that it would be less expensive to just buy a new laptop. Distraught, I searched online and found that the part was inexpensive and the repair, although it involved prying the computer open and soldering on a new part, was a common repair. While I was searching online I saw an ad for a repair shop in Wheeling, IL that offers power jack repairs for $125, including labor, parts and return shipping. Fittingly, the website is www.PowerJackRepair.net. The computer repair centers I contacted in NYC started repairs at $175 plus exorbitant fees for replacing the part. When I called them and asked if they would discount their pricing to match the quote on www.PowerJackRepair.net, they laughed at me. So I wrapped my laptop tight in bubble wrap and shipped it to Illinois.

Now, www.PowerJackRepair.net isn't exactly the prime spot for customer service. My laptop was shipped back to me in the original packaging without a receipt or record of service. But it arrived completely fixed and in record time. The laptop arrived in Wheeling on Wednesday morning and I received an email from DHL showing that it was sent out that same evening. It arrived to me Friday morning. I would really recommend this option to save a few dollars over expensive NYC computer repair shops.

Bottom Line: Sometimes NYC is a rip off. Wheeling, IL is apparently cheaper for computer repairs.
www.PowerJackRepair.net

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Airline Psychic

I have horrible luck finding inexpensive flights. Prices always seem to increase the day I decide to purchase and then decrease weeks after. Now I check Farecast.com first. The website keeps track of airline prices and predicts the best time to purchase. Based on average prices paid for flights, farecast.com determines if prices are on the rise and you should purchase soon or will be likely to fall and you should wait it out. Brilliant!
Bottom Line: Telepathy for your wallet
www.farecast.com

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Ode to eBay: Selling for Beginners

Oh, eBay, the holy grail of cheapskates and thrift-seekers. Doesn't everyone have a pile of things in the back of their closet to sell on eBay? I started selling a few years ago and I love it. It takes re-gifting to a whole new level. There are many sites with tips for eBay beginners, but here are my five basic tips for sellers:

1. Divide and conquer your closet. With a few exceptions, the best things to sell on eBay are brand name items. If the item is of exceptional quality like a cashmere sweater or a fur coat, you may be able to still get a good selling price, but you'll get the most hits with well known brand names.

2. Take quality photos. It doesn't matter how great the item looks in person if the photo is blurry or taken with a view of your messy basement in the background. Put the item on a black or white towel or against a wall and take a closeup photo. If there are any flaws or special details you want buyers to know about take a photo of those, too. Tell the truth when it comes to flaws or imperfections and don't try to hide them from a buyer. It's better to inform everyone than to have an unhappy buyer who will leave negative feedback.

3. Research what similar items are selling for by using the advanced search option on eBay. Search all completed listings to see what sold in the last 30 days and to find out details like what starting price and shipping price other sellers listed. It's tempting to start an item at .99 cents because the selling fee is low but I find it better to start at a higher price. You can get 20 bids on a low priced item and it will end up selling for less than a reasonably priced item. If you find many similar items, set your item a dollar or two lower than their price and people may be inclined to bid on yours first.

4. Don't get hung up on fancy details. Adding a pretty border and 10 photos probably won't make your item sell any better than if you have a clear and concise listing. Use simple terms in your title and think about what you would type in to search for the item. No one searches for exclamation points or LOOK NOW@@@ and you could be wasting space for useful descriptions such as the material, size, color or condition.

5. Don't be afraid to communicate with people. If a potential buyer emails you a question, use the option to post the question and answer on the listing in case others have similar concerns. Transactions can get heated quickly when people don't communicate. Try to resolve issues like an unhappy buyer or delayed shipping with the buyer before reporting them to eBay or leaving negative feedback.

Bottom line: Selling on eBay is easy, so just do it already!

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Reduced Cancer Popcorn

When I first heard that it is possible to make microwaved popcorn using just popcorn kernels and a paper bag I did not believe delicious popped corn could be so easy. Had the evil popcorn corporations fooled me into believing pre-packed bags with fake buttery flavoring (and a bit of carcinogens) were the only way? I have tried this simplified method it and I am a believer. That's right, just put some kernels in a small paper bag (I usually go with 1/4 cup), tape or staple closed, microwave for three minutes and you have fresh popcorn. I like to toss the kernels in a little olive oil and salt first. And if you're really missing that butter flavor melt a little in the mix after it's popped.

Bottom Line: Just the way we like popcorn: cheap and easy.

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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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Dining for Dollars

I am a sucker for rewards programs. I sign up for frequent flier offers, I have a frequent flier credit card, I eat at restaurants that give me double points on said credit card and order flowers off of their online frequent flier mall. It's a sickness. So you can imagine why I love opentable.com. Not only can you make restaurant reservations without ever picking up a phone, you earn points with each completed reservation. Once you've racked up enough of those points, opentable.com will issue you a gift certificate good at any participating restaurants.

If more than 700 restaurants in New York aren't enough to pique your interest, opentable.com has restaurants in 47 states (I'm pulling for you West Virginia!!!) and seven other countries. I used the points I gathered from NYC reservations on a posh dinner in Las Vegas. Even better, you can make reservations for other names. Perfect for all of the administrative assistants out there (ahem).

Normally, 20 reservations gives you the points for a $20 gift certificate. But some restaurants offer up extra points for off times. Dine at one of those spots twice and you have enough points for the $20 gift card. Brilliant!

Bottom Line: Frequent restaurant diner rewards across the US and beyond!
www.opentable.com

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Why Paupers Don't Eat Popcorn

Everyone knows that the only economical way to buy movie snacks is to get them at a drugstore, before hitting the theater.

Forget to stop by your local Duane Reade, though, and you're in a heap of trouble. The instant you reach for your ticket stub and start making your way towards your movie, you're trapped. It's a FOX meets Las Vegas mentality--once you're in, you--and your Twizzler money--belong to the powers-that-be.

Check out this article, "Make It Large for a Quarter More?" for an interesting take on the history of movie theater concession stands (and to learn more about the genius minds behind gazillion-dollar popcorn).

Bottom Line: According to Slate.com, concessions account for 40% of a theater's total net revenue. Buck the system! Sneak in your own M&M's.

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The $6 Movie

I still use my college ID without shame to get discounts. I applaud the folks at my alma mater who neglected to put a date on my ID and I plan to use it until my hair turns gray. But my ID hasn't helped me with the steep movie prices in NYC. Ticket pushers laugh when I ask if they offer a student discount. So the next best thing is the A.M.Cinema program at select AMC theaters.

Shows before noon on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are only $6. Double check before you go to make sure your location participates. Last Sunday morning I saw The Darjeeling Limited during its opening weekend at 11:50 am for $6, almost half of what it would have cost for me to see the flick 10 minutes later. Now my only challenge is to keep myself from blowing my discount on popcorn and candy in the future...

Bottom Line: Same movies, for less
check www.amctheaters.com for A.M.Cinema participating locations

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Better than a man with a van...

The only thing worse than searching for a cheap apartment in NYC is finding a moving company that won't rip you off. Usually you start by thinking you can bribe some friends to help you load up a rental truck and move in DIY fashion. Then you start thinking about the five flights up to your new walk up and that heavy couch you inherited. Next, you search craigslist. Stop right there.

Using a legitimate mover has perks. They offer insurance, have a big truck (not a shady beat up van) and know how to move heavy furniture without breaking it. I've used UM Moving (ummoving.com) for my past two moves and they are one of the cheapest options around. They charge $89 an hour, with a minimum of three hours plus between 30 minutes to one hour of travel time. Sure, it all adds up, but that price includes two free wardrobe boxes (meaning you can basically transport anything hanging in your closet without even taking things of the hangers). Now, don't forget to tip! Bottom Line: Take a load off and get a (cheap) mover already!
www.ummoving.com

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Free museums for the healthy, not-at-all-wealthy, and wise

It may be 80 degrees outside, but New York's fall season is here in full force. The vacations are over, our coworkers are back in town, and school's in session.
Hello, depression.

I'm missing the summer; I'll admit it.
I'm already reminiscing about half-day Fridays and all of my vacation days and BBQs and afternoons spent frolicking at the beach.

Don't get me wrong; fall's got its own rewards. There's Central Park foliage. And contemporary art at the Met. eBay's giving out free listings through September 31, and New York Mag's three-month culture orgy would make even the most sullen lamenting-the-end-of-summer New Yorker look forward to cooler days.

Another reason to feel good about the fall? The brilliant minds over at NewYorkology have compiled a list of museums offering free admission hours throughout the season.

So maybe we do have to trade our beer garden outings and picnics in the park for scarves and indoor culture, but thankfully, New York has some of the best museums in the world. And when they're free, they're better than ever.

Here's NewYorkology's master list:

Mondays
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Free every weekday from mid-November through February (normally $8)

Tuesdays
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Free all day Tuesday, all year (normally $8)
Wave Hill gardens - Free all day (normally $6)
Morgan Library & Museum - Free access to the McKim rooms (Mr. Morgan’s library and study) from 3PM to 5PM (full museum access $12)

Wednesdays
Bronx Zoo - Admission by optional "donation" all day (normally $14)
Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust - Free from 4PM to 8PM (normally $10)
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Free every weekday from mid-November through February (normally $8)
NY Botanical Garden - Free grounds access all day (normally $6)
Van Cortlandt House Museum - Free all day (normally $5)

Thursdays
Museum of Arts & Design - Pay-what-you-wish from 6PM to 8PM (normally $9)
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Free every weekday from mid-November through February (normally $8)

Fridays
Museum of Modern Art - Free from 4PM to 8PM (normally $20)
Whitney Museum of American Art - Pay-what-you-wish from 6PM to 9PM (normally $15)
Guggenheim - Pay-what-you-wish from 5:45PM to 7:45PM (normally $18)
International Center of Photography - "voluntary contribution" admission from 5PM to 8PM (normally $12)
Morgan Library & Museum - Free from 7PM to 9PM (normally $12)
New-York Historical Society - Free from 6PM to 8PM (normally $10)
Museum of the Moving Image - Free from 4PM to 8PM (normally $10)
Rubin Museum of Art - Free from 7PM to 10PM (normally $10)
Folk Art Museum - Free from 5:30PM to 7:30PM (normally $9)
Bronx Museum - Free all day (normally $5)
The Noguchi Museum - Pay-what-you-wish on the first Friday of each month, all day (normally $10)
Asia Society - Free 6PM to 9PM (normally $10)
NY Hall of Science - Free 2PM to 5PM (normally $11)
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Free every weekday from mid-November through February (normally $8)

Saturdays
Jewish Museum - Free from 11:00AM - 5:45PM (normally $12)
NY Botanical Garden - Free grounds access from 10AM to noon on Saturdays (normally $6)
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Free from 10AM to noon (normally $8)
Wave Hill - Free Saturdays from 9AM to noon (normally $6)
Brooklyn Museum - Free First Saturdays of most months from 5PM to 11PM (normally a suggested $8)

Sundays
NY Hall of Science - Free 10AM to 11AM(normally $11)
Frick Collection - Pay-what-you-wish from 11AM to 1PM (normally $15)
Museum of the City of New York - Free from 10AM to noon (normally a suggested $9)
Morgan Library & Museum - Free access to the McKim rooms (Mr. Morgan’s library and study) from 4PM to 6PM (full museum access $12)

Bottom Line: R.I.P., summer. It's time to embrace a new season.

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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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Welcome to Hell (or Finding a Cheap Apartment in NYC)

There's no denying it. New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world. And if the $11 movie tickets, $16 cocktails and doctors who don't take insurance aren't bad enough, try finding an affordable apartment. NYC is a city of compromises: either live in a 6th-floor walk up shoebox in Chelsea that costs half your annual income or an enormous cheap apartment so far in the Bronx that none of your friends will visit. But, your perfect place is out there. Don't give in too early and be ready to get creative with location and size.

In my apartment searches I've seen some nasty places. One apartment, complete with a filthy carpet that included one hoop earring, was in a to-be-converted housing project with a bullet-proof-glass security checkpoint advertised as a luxury doorman. A broker in the East Village showed me a 5th-floor walk up with a guy actually asleep in one of the rooms (he told me to just quietly walk past him so I could see the view from his window). I've seen air shafts, clogged toilets and "small kitchens" (code for a mini fridge and a sink). And at a lot of these places, just as I wondered who would pay to live in such an expensive shit hole, there were several people frantically scribbling out security deposit checks and applications.

I just found a new apartment in Brooklyn and the best way to go about the excruciating process is to look everywhere. Start with craigslist but beware of the brokers. Unless you're willing to pay up to 15% of your new annual rent for the privilege of having a deadbeat broker let you in an apartment and pressure you to sign right there, check the by owner and no fee listings. Try the sublet section of craigslist as well; NYC is full of people who have to leave town and break their lease at the last minute. Better yet, avoid the middle man and call up management companies that will rent their properties straight to you. NYbits.com has a good list of buildings with rentals, but I didn't find too many within my price range.

Ask friends and colleagues how they found their apartment and contact their management company or landlord. Be prepared to hold out until the last minute. New York is a seller's market and openings pop up every day for immediate occupancy. Usually you'll find the most apartment openings a few weeks before your move in date.

Consider looking outside Manhattan. Hop on the subway or train or Path and explore the neighborhoods. You'll find people like you who appreciate fun neighborhood bars and restaurants and are smart enough to dig around to find a good deal on an apartment. Check out Groundednyc.com for listings in Brooklyn. It's new to the online apartment listing world, but they have some interesting inexpensive places listed. I avoided the websites that require a fee to see the apartment listings because I don't think they are legitimate. If you're found an apartment using these sites, please let me know. But as far as I'm concerned, most of them are a scam. Keep a list of questions to ask about every apartment you see such as:

• What's included? (I love how people in this city act like having water included is a luxury. But the places that include electricity in the rent? Pretty sweet.)
• Will I need a guarantor?
• Is there an on-site super?
• Is there laundry in the building? If not, where is the closest coin-op or wash and fold?
• Is there air conditioning or a window suitable to hold an air conditioner?
• Where is the closest subway or other transportation? (Google the address to be safe since having to walk four avenue blocks is much different than four numbered street blocks)

If you happen to speak with someone who has lived in the apartment, ask if they've had any problems with the landlord or super and if they have seen bugs or mice (and run if they say yes to either). And while you're at it, Google the landlord. I have a friend who googled her new landlord and found a few "worst landlord in NYC" posts and articles and notices of legal action.

Bottom Line: Think smart, ask questions and do whatever it takes to avoid using a broker to find an apartment in NYC

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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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I Want My (Free) TV

Sometime around when cable TV became a necessity and when flat screens popped up in cars, someone neglected to cater to those of us who don't want to pay for TV. Maybe it's just my apartment, but every channel comes in fuzzy and it isn't worth the trouble to adjust the antenna (which I purchased from a guy at Radio Shack who clearly thought I was a hermit stuck in the stone age) to watch reruns of Friends where you can only see shadowy blurs of color. I was convinced I didn't need TV. What a waste of time! It's so lazy. Then I got bored. And desperate for mind-numbing entertainment. That is how I found TV Links.

TV Links is a website full of, you guessed it, links to TV shows. There are mainstream network shows like Seinfeld, The O.C. and Heros. There are even HBO shows like The Sopranos, Deadwood and Six Feet Under. But the best part (I think) about TV Links is the weird, random shows on there. When's the last time you saw an episode of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Maybe you've been craving a little Fraggle Rock or 21 Jump Street? Keep in mind many of the links only have a few select episode and the quality isn't exactly crystal clear. But it's free after all, what did you expect? Now, if you watch nothing else on the site, you must watch a few episodes of Peep Show, a sort of British version of Arrested Development and The Office. It's become my new way of testing my friends. If they like Peep Show and become immediately obsessed, then we can remain friends and live happily ever after in Peep Show euphoria. If they can only muster a little chuckle...well you can guess why I've been bored recently.

I actually have neglected to post anything on cheaptricksnyc about TV Links out of fear. I love TV Links. I do not understand how it exists and live in constant fear it will be shut down. One night a few weeks ago I sat down to enjoy an episode of Peep Show and it appeared to have been taken off the site. I vowed never again to take TV Links for granted. Once it started working again I feverishly watched all of the episodes of Peep Show one after another all night like an old lady playing the penny slots in Atlantic City. I don't want to go back to that place. Use this knowledge of TV Links for good and, for my sake, not evil.

Bottom Line: Free TV that's almost better than cable

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Give me an R! Give me an S! Give me another S!

If you consider yourself a techie or a computer geek, then please stop reading this post immediately, as I'm guessing you've already mastered RSS. For everyone else, read on. Your life is about to get a little less complicated.

RSS is a content search engine that lets you "subscribe" to various websites and web searches. Once you subscribe, you receive feeds from the website/web search every time the site is updated.

This means, for instance, that if you're looking on Craigslist for a no-fee studio apartment in Dumbo, that instead of checking back in with with Craig every 5 minutes to see if any new apartments have been added, you can rest easy. Any updates that meet your search criteria will automatically be sent to you.

You can use RSS to get weather alerts, travel deals, music info, and more, but I'm particularly obsessed with the search feeds. Looking for an apartment? You need a search feed. Want to buy a specific type of couch for your living room? Search feed. Jonesing for a new boyfriend between the ages of 18 and 39? Search feed.

Here's how to do it:

1. Set up an RSS Reader. I signed up for Google Reader, and it's incredibly easy to use. You can subscribe to feeds in packets ("food blogs," for instance), or you can add your own sites.

2. Go to Craigslist (or eBay or some site along those lines) and do a search for whatever it is you're looking for (a Three Musketeers salt shaker, a lover, etc.). Copy the URL for that search.

3. In your RSS Reader, add a new feed, and paste in the Craigslist URL.

Then you're set! Instead of compulsively searching and researching on Craigslist, you can just take an occasional look at your RSS reader. Easy, this.

Bottom Line: Technology rocks.

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Hail to the Fruit Man

Nothing marks the arrival of summer like the appearance of the fruit man. Every few blocks in Manhattan there seems to be a man with a fruit stand. I say fruit man because I have never seen a fruit woman, and it sounds better than fruit person, but to any fruit women out there, sorry. Anyway, fruit men typically sell a variety of produce for much less than supermarkets charge. Not only that, but the fruit is of the same or often better quality. Do not fear the sketchiness of the fruit man. Make him your friend.

Today I compared a fruit man on the Upper East Side with the Food Emporium on the same block. Here is what I found:

Mangoes
Fruit man: three varieties, $1.25 each
Food Emporium: one variety, $2.99 each

Celery
Fruit man: $1 per bunch
Food Emporium: $3.99 per bunch

Driscoll's Strawberries
Fruit man: $2.50 per 16oz box
Food Emporium: $3.99 per 16oz box

Lychee Nuts
Fruit man: four for $1
Food Emporium: no lychee nuts at all

Blackberries
Fruit man: two 6oz boxes for $3 ($2 each)
Food Emporium: $4.99 per 6oz box

Red Seedless Grapes
Fruit man: $2 per pound
Food Emporium: $4.99 per pound

How do they do it? The fruit man had a better selection of mangoes and even carried things like lychee nuts that Food Emporium didn't. When I'm grocery shopping I always check the fruit stands first - you should too!

Bottom Line: Long live the fruit men (and women?) of Manhattan!

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The Secret to a Cheap Manicure

Ok, this might not be what you're expecting. My secret to a cheap mani doesn't involve a sketchy hole-in-the-wall-cuticle-infection place near the Port Authority. My secret to a cheap manicure is to do it yourself. Ok, sure, it's not very glamorous, but once you get the hang of it, you'll find plenty of other ways to spend the money you save (like the t-shirt of the month club at Threadless).

Buy a cool color nailpolish at Duane Reade (and then commiserate with everyone at ihateduanereade.com) but don't forget the magic weapon of DIY nail care: Sally Hansen's Insta-Dry Anti-Chip Top Coat. It dries painted nails to a hard finish in a less than a minute. Seriously, I swear by the stuff. And, it even has "double UV filters". Ha, I think if you're in the sun enough for your manicure to fade from UV exposure you have other problems.

Bottom Line: Best way to do a DIY mani
Costs about $4-5

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Airport Shuttle

After one too many close calls with the MTA (read: nightmare subway trips), I have been using the NY Airport Shuttle as my preferred mode of transportation to the airport. Although it's nice to take a cab for early flights, with this bus there's no guessing on the fare ($12 to LGA, $15 to JFK) and it's satisfying to sit next to on-the-meter people in cabs when you get stuck in traffic. It's ok to yell "suckers!" at them. The buses are usually empty, anyway.

Buses run every 20 minutes and pick up from Midtown. I usually catch one at the Port Authority and I'm always surprised at how quickly we get to La Guardia. The website (www.nyairportservice.com) has schedules and pick up/drop off locations. You can purchase tickets on the bus and if you still have your student ID card (NEVER throw that away!), discounted tickets are available at the Grand Central office. Hey, we're all students of life, right?

Bottom Line: Cheap, reliable transportation to LGA and JFK
Picks up at the Port Authority, Bryant Park and Penn Station
LGA: $12 one-way, $21 round trip
JFK: $15 one-way, $27 round trip

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Cash it in, Cash it in

The concept behind Coinstar is brilliant. Dump the contents of your change jar into a machine, and voilà -- You're instantly $10 or $20 or (if you hoard quarters like me) $30 richer.

But that sweet counting machine isn't free. In fact, it takes a commission of nearly 10% of your hard-earned change.

That's why you should pour your pennies into a bag and run to a Commerce Bank, where the coin counters (or "Penny Arcades") are free, free, free.

That's right. Free.

Even if you're not a Commerce banker? Free.
Even if you have 18 bags of change? Free.

Say it with me. Free.
All together now. Free!

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