Being Citybroke is about perspective. It’s about seeing glitter in the gutter and a sense of humor when life is giving you everything you don’t exactly want and you’re hanging on for a dream that you sometimes can’t remember.
It’s not sales or survival - it’s an electronic letter from the trenches. It’s what suits who make $60K in at age 24 can’t even imagine. It’s Freedom. It’s Poverty. It’s Broken. It’s Beautiful.

Friday, July 25, 2008

I Guess it's Good to Give, Too

After you've busted your ass saving your dollars, it's good to give a little back, too. A great place to donate money in any increment (seriously, even just $20) is Modest Needs. The goal of Modest Needs is to stop poverty before it begins by helping those in need avoid the slippery slope of going broke. You see who your money is going to, and for what. (For example, a new bathtub, or hospital bill.) And Modest Needs is totally legit, earning the highest possible charity ratings from both Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. Even if you're just giving to feel better about yourself, do it!

Friday, July 18, 2008

Sweet Surrender

Buy one get one free at Jamba Juice today! Go here for a free coupon -- you just have to enter your email address. I figured they would send the coupon to my email so I entered my correct address, but they don't! It just sends you to another page, so feel free to enter a fake email address. Find a Jamba Juice near you and have fun in those lines!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

I Hate My New Credit Card

All our loyal readers out there (hello?) might remember my post on getting my first credit card. This was March 10, 2008, a mere five months ago. And I'm cutting it up. It's the devil!

(Ok, I'm not "cutting it up." I am, however, using a strategy my dad's friend told me about: Hiding it in a block of ice and keeping it in my freezer. And I'm not buying an ice pick...yet.)

How To: Create an Investment Plan

We're all growing up a bit (a bit), and eventually we need to develop an investment plan for ourselves. If you're not quite sure where to start, or need a definition of "investment plan," Vanguard has a handy little tool here which lets you create your own investment plan. Now, this is mostly hypothetical if you're like me and have 100% of your reserves in "short-term cash" (savings accounts). But if you think you may like to start investing in the market one day, this is a good way to understand how ballsy you'll be with your investments. When you can afford to make them, of course.

Monday, July 14, 2008

The Grey Hound Underground


I don't know many people who ride the grey dog, but with the economy the way it is - a resurgence is inevitable.


So I'm fooling around on the site and I see this "Neon" bit. It's a straight shot to Toronto from NYC and it's only $85. That's right. 470 miles for $85 bucks a head. That's what I call a recession-friendly roadtrip.


Time to look into Toronto hostels...

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

I'm in Bike with You

Want to save eighty-something dollars you spend on transportation each month? (I can't remember the monthly price of the subway these days, and I use TransitCheck anyway, so who cares.) Ride your bike. And if each time you hop on your bike to head to work you're terrified you'll find yourself riding the wrong way down a one way street and will get dirty looks, flipped off, and even beat up by other bikers, or will break some unknown-to-everyone-except-bike-messengers rule, than check this out! RidetheCity.com. It's kinda like HopStop for those of use who aren't lazy assholes. Plug in your beginning and ending point, and RidetheCity will map it out for you. Cool! It will tell you what streets are going the right way for you, and even how long it will take. (Although it says for me to get from home to office it should be 35 minutes. It takes me at least 50.)