Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Recessionista Swindle of the Day

Winter is clearly not yet letting us free of it's crushing grip, and if your landlord is anything like Recession Girl's, this tough economy has inspired him to save costs by blasting that heat a whopping 1.5 hours a day. Luckily, the newest fashion trend may just help us survive this not-so-heartwarming season for just $14.95 - and I'm not even talking legwarmers, ladies. Snuggies - the "blanket with sleeves" has become all the rage, inspiring a website documenting it's sightings:


And you can even join a secret snuggie pub crawl in Williamsburg ...



So girls, get cozy, stay warm, and enjoy the opportunity to mingle while not worrying about that ponch from last night's burrito fest. But please, whatever you do, do not let it get this far:
The family that "Snuggies" together, stays .... pretty creepy.

Curb Alert!

Some kind soul is giving away an Ikea bookshelf, coffee table, and air conditioner in Union Square!

Every Recession Girl needs a place for her books and coffee! And summer will come (I promise!). You will want that AC.

Click here for details:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/zip/1049815768.html

Monday, February 23, 2009

Low Roller Fun

Some of us still believe in science, don't we? There are those who go so far to argue that economics is a a science. Following the footsteps of last week's "invitation" to see the great Emily Levine's Five Steps to Metaphysical Fitness (which every recession girl must see - it's brilliant brilliant brilliant) comes a discussion about how science can explain how we make our decisions (the good ones, the bad ones and those crazy ones):

Jonah Lehrer, author of Proust was a Neuroscientist, hits the Strand Bookstore (828
Broadway) on Thursday, February 26 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm to explain the choices people make every day. Along the lines of other recent sociological/neurological tomes like Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks and Malcom Gladwell's Blink, Lehrer's new book, How We Decide, uses cutting-edge neuroscience research along with first-hand accounts from a variety of high-speed "deciders" to dissect and analyze our decision-making processes. Learn how high-rolling poker players, investors, and pilots make their split-second choices as well as how you can improve your decision-making skills. But first, make the easy choice to come to Thursday's reading, hosted by NPR's Radio Lab's Robert Krulwich.

Low Roller Fun

IF WE CAN'T LAUGH ABOUT STIMULI, THE DOWNTURN MIGHT LAST FOREVER!

Enjoy a few laughs tonight at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg (709 Lorimor Street) with host Jen Dziura. Her long-running standup show continues tonight at 7:30 pm and features talents like Jason Kanter, Able Brown, Matt Ruby, Mike Lawrence, and David Lester. Free candy and comic relief for all.

Tomorrow night, Tuesday February 24, stop in at the Housing Works Cafe for its weekly Punch Up Your Life comedy showcase. The best part - this week the showcase features the ridiculous and brilliant Daily Show correspondent John Oliver. Arrive a little early for good seats, and to hit up the concession stand (yep, they even serve beer). Housing Works Cafe, 126 Crosby Street at 8:30 pm

Recessionista Swindle of the Day

And even more about coffee ...

It's 2pm and Recession Girl's cough medicine/3-fitfull-hours-of-sleep induced coma is starting to seriously affect her work. Luckily, she can now run to Dunkin' Donuts and get her 99 cent latte before getting fired. While she may have had to give up her $3.75 morning latte, she's got three afternoon hours (2-5pm) to bask in pre-recession luxury ... now, if she could only find a way to choke down their regular joe at 8 am ...
But wait! She doesn't have to! The afternoon DD run brought a new developent .... 99 cent lattes ALL DAY LONG. A new "recession deal." It doesn't hurt to ask for this deal everywhere you go ... Recession girl's mom has been asking for random deals for years, and usually gets one. While it embarassed the hell out of her kids, it also helped pay their college tuitions. Or at least their cheerleading uniforms.

Cuz it ain't just us...


Even Anna Wintour wants us to shop at Target.


Click here to read the Wall Street Journal's interview with the fashion tastemaker and why "value" is in and "too Dubai" is out.


Friday, February 20, 2009

Curb Alert!

And more about wine ...

Wine Glasses by the dozen!
I have 4 dozen multi-purpose wine glasses that have never been used, still in the box.
If you can come by my house on 63rd btw. park and lex before 4:30 pm today (Friday) they are yours.

craigslist posting: URL:http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/zip/1042582895.html

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Recessionista Swindle of the Day

Al Gore couldn't convince you to take your mug to the coffee shop? Then maybe those new jeans you can't afford will ... most coffee places offer discounts for bringing your cup along. And from experience, we know that asking (and paying) for a small drink usually gets your whole mug filled up. So invest in a 20 ouncer!
(And yes, you are sensing a theme ... Recession girl spends most of her disposable income on caffeine and cocktails).

Low Roller Fun

Tonight!!!
Handmade Music Night
Date: Thursday, February 19th
Time: 7:30pm - 10:30pm
Location: 3rd Ward (195 Morgan Ave, W'burg)
Cost: Free with RSVP

3rd Ward, Etsy.com, Make Magazine, and
createdigitalmusic.com present Handmade Music Night. Part party, part mixer, part Science Fair, and part performance, this is an informal chance for geeksters and the geek-curious to come together, relax, and discover new sounds. The evening is a gathering of inventors of new instruments & music technology. Featuring special guest Electric Junkyard Gamelan who will perform live and Composer/founder Terry Dame and ensemble members make funky music played on self-created instruments. Free PBR from 7:30 til gone.

Friday
Free Hip Hop! TRLS show

Time:Friday, February 20, 2009 at 10:00pm - 1:00 am
Location:Rose Live Music (Near Metropolitan / Lorimer G & L trains)
345 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY
http://www.liveatrose.com/live

Formed in 2001, TRLS consists of 2 lyricists/emcees, Stimulus and Dionysos, and a 7-piece jazz/funk ensemble: Taurus Mateen-bass, Joe Blaxx-drums, Raymond Angry-keys, Chris Rob-keys and vocals, Maurice Brown-trumpet, Thor Madsen-guitar, Colt Seavers-turntables. Individually these artists have worked with Outkast, Common, Christina Aguilera, Meshell N'degeocello, Wynton Marsalis, Lauryn Hill, Joss Stone, John Legend, Kanye West, and Bilal. Collectively, The Real Live Show has performed with Talib Kweli, Norah Jones, De La Soul, Red Man, Dead Prez, Mos Def, Rakim and Roy Hargrove. The Real Live Show is a hip- hop/funk band born in New York City and comprised of live music's most innovative and accomplished players. Through their diverse backgrounds and shared passion for music The Real Live Show has created an inspiring new urban sound they call funk-hop.
*** Bonus Fun: There's also a reading series called Earshot at the same venue that starts at 8:00. $5 gets you admission + one drink. ***

Curb Alert!


Need to get your bikini bod ready for Spring Break and save cash on cabs and the subway?

Well then, jaunt over to Soho and grab this free bike!

Check out this freebie at craigslist.com:

great bike in great condition Need to give it away as soon as possible call 1-(201)-803-3998 Olya

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/zip/1040992198.html

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Low Roller Fun

Eco(nomy)-Friendly Feasting
Upper West Side restaurant Eighty One is launching its new "eco(nomy)-friendly" menu this Friday. To celebrate, it's offering a free dinner to the first 150 customers to respond to this email: free@81nyc.com.

See this article for more details:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02182009/entertainment/food/no_free_lunch__but_dinners_free_155748.htm
Act Fast!

Milton - NYC's new urban anthem?
Milton is a New York City-based singer/songwriter known in clubs and college radio stations up and down the east coast for his hummable melodies, spot on lyrics, tight, groovy band and soulful, energetic live shows. Come jam with Milton and other emerging artists every Wednesday in February at the Living Room at 154 Ludlow Street. Multi-set show starts at 7, most sets have no cover. http://www.livingroomny.com/music.html

Strange how patriotism seems to be creeping back on the scene, isn't it? Okay okay, we also still cringe when we hear that word but the Milton Band's poetic "In the City" conjures within us such intense feelings of urban pride that we wonder whether Milton's observations of the Lower East Side's "dive bars and skateboards and old cars and old men and young girls and gold teeth and fake pearls and dreadlocks and side curls and tailors and sailors and church saints and spray paint and the tacos and the wacos and the warhols" might be the beginnings of New York's own urban anthem - it might be exactly the peacefully poetic "fight song" we need one to get us through these next few years.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Lunchbox is the new clutch

Yeah, yeah, we all love the mid-day break to run out and check the soup specials and get our fountain soda. But we love Vampire Weekend too. And this year, we're gonna have to choose one. So dig out the pots (and take the shoes out of them), and spend an hour Sunday night cooking up this tasty concoction. It's so damn good, you'll think about opening up a little soup stand on the side.

BEST MINESTRONE SOUP EVER

1 PAK OF GREAT NORTHERN BEANS
2 CANS CARBONZO BEANS
8 CUPS BEEF BROTH
6 CUPS SHREDDED CABBAGE
4 MEDIUM CARROTS, CHOPPED
4 CELERY STOCKS, CHOPPED
2 LARGE CANS DICED TOMATOES
½ PAK OF CUT GREEN BEANS + ½ PAK OF SWEET PEAS (FROZEN)
4 CLOVE OF GARLIC
1 LARGE ONION
SALT AND PEPPER
2 TABLESPOON OF ITALAIN SEASONING
2 TABLESPOON OF FRESH BASIL
3 LBS HAMBURGER MEAT (SAUTAED WITH GARLIC AND ONION, COOKED AND DRAINED)
2 CUPS OF DE CECCO #83. GNOCCHETTI SARDI PASTA
(OF SMALL PASTA IF YOU CAN NOT FIND THIS)


RINSE GREAT NORTHERN BEANS IN VERY LARGE POT (OR USE 2 POTS, OR DIVIDE RECIPE IN ½) COMBINE BEANS AND 8 CUPS OF WATER, BRING TO A BOIL, REUCE HEAT AND SIMMER FOR 2 MINUTES. REMOVE FROM HEAT AND LET STAND FOR 1 HR. (DO NOT DRAIN) ADD 8 CUPS OF BEEF BROTH (SWANSONS) BRING TO A BOIL, AND THEN SIMMER FOR 75 MINUTES. THEN ADD CARROTS AND CELERY AND CABBAGE. COOK FOR 15 MINUTES THEN ADD PEAS, BEANS, TOMATOES, CANNED CARBONZO BEANS, AND COOKED BEEF. SIMMER FOR 45 MIN MORE. ADD SEASONING TOWARD THE END OF THE PROCESS TO KEEP THE SEASONING FOR DISAPATING DURING COOKING.

THEN ADD PASTA FOR 12 MINUTES
>

Recessionista Swindle of the Day

Do you like wine? (Of course you do) Do you live in Manhattan? Do you have roommates, or are you friends with your neighbors? Trader Joe's - home of the cheapest wine on the planet - has delivery available for cases of wine. Regardless of the number of cases you buy, you pay the same delivery charge ($5-$15 depending on where you live). Recession girl has a blast wandering the store, choosing wine for her 10 closest problem drinkers, and had it all delivered to her building. It took some time to seperate the bottles to their rightful owners, but to have a case at home and pay only 2 bucks for delivery makes this a recession must-do.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Cuz it ain't just us ...

Cheap Seats
The affordable art of concertgoing.
By Alex Ross
The New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2009/02/02/090202crmu_music_ross

Curb Alert!

Anyone moving? Want to own your first matching set of furniture - for free?
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/zip/1037677028.html

Need to update your look for Spring? Get a free pixie haircut at Bumble and Bumble. Short haired girls are hot.
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/zip/1037560393.html

Low Roller Fun

Five Easy Steps to Metaphycical Fitness: They Actually Work" by Emily Levine - first light theatre generally, $10 donation

February 17, 7:00PM
Brainiac comedian Emily Levine's one-woman show takes you on a thought-provoking and hilarious ride through the paradigm shift: from Newton's rational universe to wildly improvisational quantum physics, chaos theory and complexity theory. As Levine began adapting the show into a movie, a rare medical condition called "acromegaly" created a bizarre set of symptoms: loss of balance, cognitive dissonance and a compulsion to grow beyond her natural limits. Now, having used her Five Easy Steps to get through her personal paradigm shift, Levine has revamped her one-woman show to offer the country - and the universe - a self-help program to help get them through theirs. This presentation offers a chance to see the artist's work in progress as Emily spends January and February developing and reworking material in performance, in anticipation of her full Studio Production in March and April.

Price: $10 suggested donation
549 W 52nd St. NY, NY
http://www.ensemblestudiotheatre.org/first_light.html

Recessionista Swindle of the Day

Warm weather is on its way, and you'll soon be trading your steaming Starbucks latte for a refreshing icy one. But at $4.87 for a grande, you may have to move to Flushing to keep this habit up. You've been funding the Starbucks bigwigs vacations for years, it's time to get a little back. This summer, order an iced grande doppio for $2.16. That's a double shot of espresso over ice with enough room to fill up the rest of the cup with the *free* milk at the counter. It's free! That's what it's there for! You get the exact same drink - for less than half the price. (Sometimes the baristas even add the milk for you ... they're on to us).

Cheap(er) Yoga!

The price of a Yoga class is flipping insane. In Manhattan and Brooklyn, ninety minutes of grasping for serenity and calm is gonna cost you ... big time. But it is possible to find inner peace on a minimal salary, you just have to be a little flexible (ha!). Here is a listing of Yoga Studios that give deals for first time students. Cheap Yoga for trying out their studio. Dozens of studios in the NYC area. You figure it out. Btw, this list is by no means comprehensive - so please post a comment if you know of deals we have not listed!


Manhattan

Yoga to the People

All classes at this studio are donation based, in the spirit of providing yoga to all.

12 Saint Marks Place 2 nd Floor ~ 2-RNew York , NY 10003 (Plus two other NYC studios)
http://www.yogatothepeople.com/about.shtml

Yoga Works
Two week unlimited pass - $30
Sign up with a friend, and each 2 week pass is $15
And the best deal: Yoga works is opening a new Soho studio in May. If you sign up right now, you can get two months of unlimited Yoga for under $100/month, and FREE classes in their temporary Soho studio until then!
Multiple NYC locations
http://www.yogaworks.com/location_new_york.aspx


Levitate Yoga
Intro 3 class pack - $33
Eighth Avenue, 3 rd floor (Between 47 th and 48 th Streets)
New York, NY 10036 tel 212.974-2288
http://www.levitateyoga.com/home.html780


Bikram Yoga NYC
One week unlimited - $23
Three NYC locations
http://www.bikramyoganyc.com/new_students.htm


Laughing Lotus Yoga Center
$20 Unlimited Yoga for one week (mat rental included)
$30 Introductory 3 class card (expires in 1 month)
59 West 19th Street, 3rd FloorNew York , NY 10011(Just off 6th Avenue)
http://www.laughinglotus.com/mainpages/class_prices.html
Bold

Yoga Effects
30-day unlimited for $50
Beginning anytime in March, 2009
226 E 54th St. Manhattan
http://www.yogaeffects.com/

Yoga Sutra
Free 1st class for anyone living in metro area
Midtown Manhattan
http://www.yogasutranyc.com/index.php

Brooklyn

Park Slope Yoga Center
First Time Class $10 (regular class price $16)
http://www.parkslopeyoga.com/

Yoga People
$33 for 3 classes, for 1st time students only, valid one month
http://www.yoga-people.com/index.php
160 Montague St. 2nd Fl.Brooklyn, NY 11201
718.522.3113

Yogasana
First Time Class $10 (regular class price $16)
http://www.yogasanacenter.com/
90 5th Ave, Park Slope Brooklyn
718-789-7255

Queens


The Yoga Room
First time 3-class pass for $30
Regular classes $16
Locations in Asotoria and Long Island City
http://www.astoriayoga.com/


Vitality Yoga

One week unlimited for $25

41-25 Bell Blvd 2nd Bayside, NY 11361

(Right by the L.I.R.R. Station)
Tel: 718-225-8800

http://www.vitalityyoga.net/pages/Start.htm

The Bronx

There is a serious lack of Yoga in the Bronx. Those found were very sporadic and had no special deals. Please add comments to this posting if you know of Yoga studios in the Bronx offering special deals!