Living On A Budget In Nyc: On a budget! Woman reveals how she survives in NYC on a $35K annual income – she lives in a Brooklyn apartment, eats out, and still enjoys life

Anyone who claims it’s impossible to live in New York City on less than $60K must book an appointment with Julia, a New Yorker who manages to thrive on nearly half that income. She lives in a decent Brooklyn apartment, she eats out, and she also has fun. NYC may be one of the most expensive cities on Earth, but this young woman has found the cheat code to make it work, and she does have an actual life. She opened up her spreadsheet to the internet, and, unsurprisingly, people stopped scrolling. This isn’t one of those fantasy budgets or the kind of advice that only works if your parents have money. Julia’s budget blueprint is foolproof and has the real maths of existing in New York City when you’re on a budget, and it turns out there’s an art to it. “I make $35,000 a year and I live in New York City. So here’s exactly how I break down my budget to be able to make it work. I promise you this is way more realistic than you think,” she said. The $35K is after tax, so she gets about $2,800 every month, which, according to Julia, is ‘tight for NYC, but still doable’.

A Brooklyn apartment

Now, in New York, living alone is a luxury. And that doesn’t happen when you are on a budget. Julia gets that, so she sublets a Brooklyn apartment with her roommate. “My first and biggest expense is obviously my rent, and I pay $1,200 a month, excluding utilities. I’m sharing this apartment with my roommate, who pays a little bit less,” she said. The rent for the two-bedroom Brooklyn apartment is $2,200. That’s an actual apartment with space that feels human. The living room isn’t a closet, and the kitchen isn’t a hallway.

The real trick is in the grocery shopping

After rent, the next biggest expense is food, and she manages it strategically. Her grocery budget is $250 a month, which means she gets to spend around $60 a week. And this doesn’t happen by accident. She’s built a system. “I usually shop at Trader Joe’s and Aldi because they’re a little bit cheaper than all the other grocery stores,” Julia said in the video. She also gets her fresh produce from local markets. This means better-quality produce at a fraction of the price. Another hack is that she eats the same things week to week. This may sound boring until you realise it’s not boring, it’s smart. She knows what she’s buying. She knows the prices. So she is not standing in front of the dairy section having an existential crisis about why yoghurt costs eight dollars. And that makes all the difference.

Eating out

While Julia sometimes eats out, she prefers to cook her meals at home. In NYC, eating out can be expensive even for high earners. For someone who is on a budget, a few days of eating out in a week can really exhaust the budget. Julia really enjoys home-cooked comfort meals, so that’s a great way to cut costs. “I genuinely love cooking and eating meals at home.” On some days, she does go out to eat, and her total budget for that is $200, including drinks.

The commute

New Yorkers often complain about how transportation can put a hole in their wallet. But Julia thinks even that is manageable if you plan. She doesn’t use Ubers, ever. “One exception was in the winter, though, when all trains were getting cancelled and I had two very heavy bags that I had to carry back home. Other than that, no Ubers,” she said. She ensures her commute does not cost more than $70 a month. “I have a Fair Fares OMNY card, so my transportation expenses come down to maybe $70 a month, which is amazing, and I’m so grateful that this opportunity exists,” she said.

Fitness, entertainment, subscriptions

Julia is not really a gym person; instead, she takes a dance class. She has a membership that costs around $200 monthly, depending on the number of classes she takes in a month. “Actually, last month I had a free ClassPass membership, so I was visiting a lot of different yoga, Pilates, and dance studios around the city completely free of charge,” she said.Entertainment really doesn’t cost her a dime. That’s right. She has apps that are free. And on the days when she likes to splurge a little and go to a Broadway show, she uses a theatre app for cheap tickets or applies for a Broadway lottery on a website. “And that’s how I was able to see about 10 Broadway shows throughout the year,” she reveals. She also has a couple of subscriptions that help her with content creation, which she pays $32 a month.So, what’s Julia’s secret? Pure discipline. She is probably your age, living in your city, and perhaps earning less than you, but still manages to enjoy life.