Recession Consumption: Brunch at Home

The Recession This! Girls love brunch, but sometimes $16 for a waffle can seem ridiculous. Inspired by my latest web obsession, Smitten Kitchen, and her deliciously simple recipe for huevos rancheros, I fed my Queens neighborhood posse for the price of one Manhattan brunch entree!

eggs $3.49
2 cans goya black beans $3.38
Sour cream $1.79
Shredded Cheese $5.29
Corn tortillas $1.29

Total: $15.24

It helped that I had a ton of gorgeous tomatoes to make fresh salsa with-- I can't wait to eat them again next weekend!

Recession Consumption: Puttanesca

I love brunch. I believe brunch should include a free alcoholic beverage. But, while it's never hard to find brunch in the city it's getting more and more difficult to find many restaurants that still offer the free mimosa / bloody mary / bellini / screwdriver.
What The Husband and I discovered completely on accident today was Puttanesca's brunch deal: for $8.00 they offer unlimited bloody marys, mimosas, and strawberry or peach bellinis. And, with their already really low prices (eggs benedict for $7.50 which can with a salad and potatoes) this is a pretty good deal. That is, if you have a Sunday you can spend drunk for the afternoon. The Husband and I did not partake in the unlimited alcohol as we could not face the rest of the beautiful day wasted, but the next time we can we're totally going back.
Please note: dinner here is $$$. Brunch is much less.

Recession Consumption: Urbanspoon

For all you iPhone owners out there if you haven't added the application Urbanspoon stop reading and do so now. First of all, it's free. Second of all, it totally works. Say you need a cheap place to eat, but you're in an unfamiliar neighborhood. With Urbanspoon all you gotta do is pick your neighborhood, type of food you want to eat, and how much you want to spend. Hit "shake" and, like a slot machine, Urbanspoon will find your request within seconds. And, you don't even have to know what you want to eat or how much you want to spend. The application has a feature where you can lock in the the neighborhood, but keep the type of food and $ open fields open. Or, you can lock the neighborhood and type of food, but keep the $ field free. Or...well, you get the idea. The Husband and I used Urbanspoon one night before meeting friends in the East Village. We needed dinner before a night of drinking, so we plugged in "East Village" and "$"; Urbanspoon hooked us up with Velseka where we had two sandwiches, two beverages, chips and cole slaw for $18.00.

Recessionista: Nothing to Wear? Call A Friend!

It happens all the time. You've got a swanky NYC party to attend and it's going to require wardrobe no less than something out of Sex & The City. Three hours before the shindig you're in your closet and nothing is right. You can't wear that BCBG dress because 3 friends who will be at the party saw you in it two months ago. That sexy yellow thingy you bought on impulse still doesn't have matching shoes or coordinating accessories. Before you panic and run for the nearest "Clothes for Ho's" pick up the phone and call someone who knows your closet. Sometimes a friend can offer a perspective on your wardrobe that you can't see because, hey, you bought those H&M pants to go with the Daffy's blouse and they can't possibly go with anything else...can they? I speak from experience. Recently, I had a loft party in Soho that I wasn't going to miss, but after destroying my closet I still had nothing to wear. I called my friend Amanda to find out what she was wearing. Sensing my problem Amanda suggested I wear "those cute denim shorts" she's seen me in, like, once. I never imagined those shorts could be anything other than super casual, but Amanda said I should pair them with a fancy top and some heels. Sure enough, I found something totally perfect in my closet to go with the Forever 21 shorts. A pair of gold heels and gold clutch, a long green and gold necklace, and gold earrings completed the outfit...and I didn't have to spend a dime. To top it off, I looked very "Soho Loft Party". So remember, you've got three life lines: always phone a friend first!

Recessionista: Fabulously Fit

As a marathon runner I am clad in active wear just about every day. I've accumulated quite a running wardrobe over the years, and, admittedly, I'm a sucker for all things Nike. (Except their shoes which don't offer me enough support. But I digress.) However, in these recession times Nike prices aren't jiving with my budget, so I've done a little research on where to get good looking sportswear for less.

Let's start with Old Navy where I discovered tanks and shorts for $14.50 each. I even saw a pair of shorts on sale for $8.00. They offer a wide array of colors, though not as many styles as one might want, but compare this with Nike's $25.00 - $65.00 price tag and, well, you don't have to do the math to know that you're saving major ducats. And, if you need more encouragement, my good friend and avid runner Mariana wore a pair of Old Navy shorts on a 16 miler and said they were super comfortable.

Next I did a little on line visit to Kmart where I found a decent selection of running and yoga wear. Not much variety, but lots of cute colors. And, I noticed a scuba hoodie for $8.00. Their prices start even cheaper than Old Navy, ranging from $7.99 - $14.99.

It's hard to find good deals at places that specialize in sportswear. So, if you want to look great running in the park or in the yoga studio or even in the gym and you don't want to spend a lot of dinero get your gear from retailers that carry a variety of merchandise.

Recession Reading: Coupons are Cool?

This is old news, but I'm in Scotland so I'm a little slow (too many pints). The New York Times has called attention to a new movement-- apparently us gals at Recession This! are Frugalistas. Check out this article on the new hip hobby: clipping coupons! I tried one of those coupon sites years ago and thought they were a waste of time-- I'll have to check out coupons.com and couponwinner.com and report back. It will be hard to convert me-- I sort of enjoy the mindless browsing through the Sunday coupons... there's something soothing (and very minorly crafty) about getting out the scissors. And I don't need more time on the computer...

Quick Tips

Starbucks is becoming my new favorite company. They recognize when they need to make changes to keep their business afloat in this crazy economy. So here's a quick tip for all you coffee lovers: if you make a purchase before 2:00p.m., bring your receipt back after 2:00p.m. for a grande cold drink for $2.00. Same day only. Not only will you save some cash, but if you drink your beverage in the store ask for a porcelain mug instead of a cardboard cup, and you'll be saving a tree as well!

Recessionista: Make Money Off Your Duds

Done with those Prada shoes and Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress? Take it over to Encore, a consignment shop that buys gently used designer garb from regular people like you. Encore will price your duds and split the sale with you 50/50. Price is determined by condition, style, and label. And, they only take what's in season, so don't try to sell that gorgeous Michael Kors skort in the winter.

So now you're saying, "Recessionista, I don't have a closet full of designer wear. I'm more of a vintage girl." Guess what? You can play this game, too. Cheap Jacks will buy your 1950's and older clothes outright. No sharing cost or splitting the profits. The owner is usually there from 12:00 - 4:00 to check out your collection, but call the day before to make sure he's in. Prices vary based on condition and age of the garment.

UK Recession Sessions

Even the Brits are worried about Credit-crunch cuisine. This article caught my eye on the front page of The Times (not the New York Times) as I shopped for bargains at the Scotmid-- my Edinburgh corner store (much nicer than any NY bodega). They recommend The Frugal Cook-- a UK version of Recession This!-- right down to the identical green layout!

Recession About Town: Free Outdoor movies!

The August heat is here and it's a challenge to find ways to avoid running your A/C all the time. Try saving on your energy bill by checking out one of the many FREE Outdoor movie festivals in the city. Most are located in breezy, open areas to keep you cool and there's one for almost every day of the week!

Monday: The always crowded but classic Bryant Park Summer Film Festival is a fun night with a Hollywood classic. Get there early to find a good spot and picnic while you wait for the sun to go down. Get a group together for Superman on August 18.

Wednesday: FOUR great movie venues!
The Museum of the Moving Image is hosting free movies at Socrates Sculpture Park in Astoria. Tonight's movie is a double-bill of The Red Balloon+Persepolis. Check the calendar for upcoming films.

Thompkins Square Park shows movies every other Wed night through September 19th. It's a small park, so arrive early to get an unobstructed view of the screen. The next flick is The Graduate on August 13 or get your scream on at The Shining on Sept 19.

On the West Side check out River Flicks for Grown-Ups every Wed at Hudson River Park- FREE popcorn! Tonight's movie is NYC classic Saturday Night Fever - the series ends with The Blues Brothers on August 20.

Summer on the Hudson: Movies Under the Stars brings free movies to Riverside Park on the UWS. This summer the theme is Election Night with the original Manchurian Candidate tonight, Primary Colors next Wed and ending with All the President's Men on August 20.

Thursday: Go for Movies With a View under the Brooklyn Bridge. Brooklyn Radio DJs set the scene, RICE provides meals on site and there's even free valet bike parking from Transportation Alternatives. Don't miss next week's screening of Cabaret!

Friday: River Flicks for Kids at Hudson River Park offers family/kid friendly movies that also appeal to adults and FREE popcorn. This Friday I'll be there for my favorite kid movie, The Goonies!

And check out other special outdoor screenings:
Central Park is showing free NYC-themed movies at Rumsey Playfield every night August 19 - 23. I know running girl will be there on August 22 for her favorite movie, Moonstruck.

Finally, Rooftop Films brings films of all kinds to NYC rooftops all summer long. Venues and times vary so check the schedule for up-to-date screenings and locations. Tonight Trouble on the Water, a documentary about an aspiring rap artist and her streetwise husband who are trapped in New Orleans by deadly floodwaters, screens at Harlem Meer in Central Park.

Get out there and keep cool!