The term life hack refers to productivity tricks that computer programmers devise and employ to cut through information overload and organize their data. In more recent times, the same phrase has expanded to any sort of trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to increase productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life; in other words, anything that solves an everyday problem in a clever or non-obvious way might be called a life hack.
There are two Skillshare classes out now which teach life hacks, one on how to life rent free in NYC, and the other which its teacher describes as "Tricks I have learned and created over the years to optimize my life." Sound too good to be true? We'll see - I am signing up to check it out.
In the meantime, as my impending return to student life looms ahead, I am finding myself forced to invent my own life hacks, if for nothing other than to attempt to cut down cash outflows, whilst still taking advantage of what New York has to offer. For the first time in 5 years, I face the prospect of living without an income, and this is casting a serious pall over my grand plans to continue enjoying the good life. Here are a few austerity measures I have put in place - and hopefully I will learn more at my first Life Hack Class in a few weeks:
- Don't eat meat at home. Many of you will gasp in disbelief at this, but it happened quite naturally. I started craving spinach and brussel sprouts (!!!!) and simply stopped cooking meat at home because it was too much of a nuisance (although I broke this rule for Thanksgiving). I tend to eat a lot of veggies and splurge on meat when I eat out.
- Live in Greenpoint. Recently rated by L Magazine as number 1 in the Brooklyn Neighborhood Power Rankings, I have to say it's not as trendy as Willy B, Fort Greene or Park Slope, but it's certainly cheaper, and it's right next to Williamsburg, which makes you feel like you practically live there (minus the crowds). My rent is cheaper than it was in Sydney (!!) and I still have amazing food, coffee and parks all around me - not to mention perogies. The area I live in is so Polish that we have our own local Polish psychic and the local Subway chain has created it's own Polish sandwich, the Zapienkanki, as shown here:
- Get your yoga classes free (or at least very discounted). Some yoga places now have a more populist approach to pricing - Hosh Yoga in Greenpoint, around the corner from me, is a perfect example. You can attend classes on an ad hoc basis and they simply ask that you pay a small donation fee of your choice. Amazing.
- Eat $1 dumplings. For $1, you can get a tasty snack to keep you going. For $2, you get double the serving - more meal than snack size. Try Prosperity Dumpling in Chinatown or the hole in the wall on Mosco St (between Mulberry and Mott streets). You'll know it's the right place because the sloping alley it's on is popular with skateboarders doing tricks...
- Want to stay social and learn new stuff? Skillshare can't be beat. General Assembly and Third Ward have great classes, but are much more expensive. Skillshare's classes are typically around $20, but I got my last photography class for $10! Plus, in my experience, Skillshare students the type of people you'd want to hang out with outside of class as well.
- Forgo the gym and just walk or bike everywhere. At first I was loathe to do this because I was worried I'd get run over, but now I'm totally converted to New York (or at least Brooklyn) by bike! If you must join a gym, try Boom Fitness for $20 a month - it's the cheapest one I could find, with classes all included. While my colleagues tease me about belonging to the 'ghetto-est gym' on the block, I can live without the eucalyptus scented towels from Equinox, which is over 8x more expensive.
- Get your hair cut for free. There are tons of students all over the city who need to finesse their skills. If this freaks you out a bit, don't worry - my student had her teacher standing right by her the entire time, watching, demonstrating and making sure she didn't leave a big hole in the back of my head. Check out the salon apprentice site for hair models wanted here.
- Re-sell unwanted furniture.... Ok, so I'm not super proud about this because I know it will seem a bit ghetto. But I certainly made a profit... While out in Williamsburg with my cousin a few weeks ago, we came across this perfectly beautiful IKEA couch on the side of the road, with a "free" sign taped to the top. Impetuously I googled "pickup van" on craigslist, found someone to come pick us up right then for $40 and and then sold the couch a few days later on Craigslist for $100. Not much effort for $60 bucks profit.
- Shop in flea markets - much more fun than IKEA! I bought this old hat rack at a flea market in Park Slope and turned it into a quirky bookcase.
After:
10. Shop at Housing Works - for furniture and clothes, but more importantly, BOOKS! For someone like me who could spend hours in a bookstore agonizing over which new book I want to spend money on, Housing Works' bookstore cafe in SoHo was a godsend. Most of the books out in full price bookstores (even relatively new ones) I found on the shelves of this amazing store on Crosby Street. I bought one book I'd been eyeing weeks for $2.72 (it was on sale from $4!)
