Living in the city can provide you with easy access to many of the things that you need or want. Although living in the city can be convenient, it can also be pretty expensive. If you are living in an urban area, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to pay an arm and a leg for everything. Here are five quick and easy money-saving tips that can help you save some cash even while living in the city.
Use Public Transportation
One of the best ways to save money while living in an urban area is to utilize public transportation. If you live in an area that has a good public transportation system, you can get around almost anywhere you need to go without paying for a car. If you own a car in the city, it can be very expensive. Besides paying for gas and maintenance on your car, you also have to frequently pay for parking. By riding the subway or bus, you can get around for cheap, and it’s often quite a bit faster than driving.
Find a Roommate
In most urban areas, you can find a roommate relatively easily. If you already have a place, you can put out a classified ad mentioning that you need a roommate pretty quickly. If you don’t yet have a place, you can check the classified ads and see if anyone is looking for a roommate. Once you have a roommate, you be able to cut your expenses substantially. You can get someone to pay half of the rent and the utilities. Since real estate and rental fees are typically very high, this can be a big saving overall.
Enjoy Free Activities
Instead of paying big money to go to a play or a movie, why not enjoy some free activities? There are several free things to do in big cities that you can take advantage of. Many organizations host free gatherings, performances, and activities for people in the area to participate in. You could go to the park, take a walk on a walking trail or engage in one of many other free activities that are available in most cities.
Shop Online
When you live in the city, it can be costly to go out and do your shopping. You have to pay for the transportation costs and you’ll have to pay the high prices that come with most city retailers. Instead of shopping in this manner, consider buying most of the things that you need online. By doing a little bit of online shopping, you can get your purchases delivered directly to your door and you won’t even have to pay sales tax. In many areas, the sales tax savings alone is worth the process.
Shopping online also has the potential to save you quite a bit of time. Instead of walking down to the subway or bus station, traveling to the store, and then carrying your items back to your home, you can simply get online, make a purchase, and have your purchases delivered to you.
Use Public Libraries
Most big cities have some very large public libraries that you can take advantage of for free. By getting a library card, you can check out books, DVDs, computer software programs, audiobooks, and other items without paying anything. In many public libraries, you can also check out e-books with an e-reader such as a Kindle. This makes it possible for you to get most of the things that you need for entertainment purposes without spending a dime. Just make sure that you get your items back before the due date.
Leave a Reply