Look, we get it. Sometimes life here in the Funky Apple gets to be too tough, too noisy, too dirty. Sometimes you just have to leave and open up a restaurant in Santa Fe.
But before you do, check out Expatistan, which compares the cost of living between two cities. Otherwise, you’ll be shocked and pissed when you arrive in Santa Fe and find that clothing is actually more expensive out there. [Lifehacker]
Have you been wracking your brain trying to figure out how much to tip someone? Are you can confused as to when to tip 15% and when to tip 10%? Well, you’re in luck Grub Street just scored an advance copy of Steve Dublanica’s new book Keep the Change: A Clueless Tipper’s Quest to Become the Guru of the Gratuity, and they’re laying down some tipping knowledge. So gather round the fire, and our tipping story will begin.
Admit it, you didn’t know about half of these rules, did you? It’s okay, we won’t call you cheap. [Grub Street]
I had a free moment at work last night, so I wandered over to ESPN.com and came across their salary crunch machine, which compares your regular average-joe salary to that of famous athletes.
Bored and knowing I was about to be depressed, I went ahead and punched in my salary and pleasantly informed that I’d have to work several lifetimes to match the annual salary of the newest New York Knick, Amar’e Stoudemire.
After I choked down the bile that had risen to my throat, I began to look for the answer to the following question:
“Why do professional athletes earn so much money?”
The answer, as you’ll see, is simple economics. Read the rest of this entry »
Cable TV died a little yesterday, and I couldn’t be happier.
Now, if you’re a dedicated reader of TFA, then you know that I like to find ways to save money. One of those ways (and it’s something that most people my age are doing) is refusing to pay for cable TV.
Instead of paying 60 bucks a month on cable (money that could be spent on iPhone apps food), I’ve looked around for creative solutions to getting my TV fix.
I found one solution in Boxee: a fantastic media center that pulls content from all over the web (Hulu, Netflix, MTV, Comedy Central, etc) and puts it directly in front of you. The only thing better than the day I found about about boxee was the day I learned how to install it on an Apple TV.
The key to Boxee, of course, was Hulu, with it’s massive tv-show selection.
And that’s what makes yesterday’s announcement of Hulu Plus so exciting. For $9 bucks a month, I’ll have access to a deep list of TV series. Not like now, where I just have access to the last five episodes, but full seasons, not to mention tons of movies.
Then there’s the Hulu iPhone app. You mean to tell me that suddenly, I can catch up on 30 Rock when I’m waiting for the bus? That’s like DVR, but to the extreme!
Combine that with Netflix, NBA Gametime, and MLB At Bat and suddenly we’ve got amazing entertainment options right at our fingertips that still come out to be cheaper than cable.
It’s not perfect (I don’t get my ESPN) but it’s good enough. And for me, that’s what I’ve been waiting for.
So goodbye cable. This really is the end.
Photo via NYC The Blog
So, you need money, and you’ve got tons of crap. Common problem, right? You could sell that crap to afford the stuff you, but eBay scares you. What’s a New Yorker to do?
Enter: The Shopping Box!
The Shopping Box (360 Broome Street, Google Map) is an interesting concept: you rent a box for $1.66 a day, and you put your soon-to-be-sold crap in the box. Other people then look at said box and buy said crap. (Sing with us now: Step one: rent a box. Step two: put your junk in that box. Step three: make someone look in the box, and that’s the way you do it.)
While we’re intrigued by the idea, Guest of a Guest wonders if there are any taboo box items.
I couldn’t help but wonder though, where is the line drawn to what is allowed in these boxes? I mean, this could potentially be a disaster! Could you sell your dog or cat? What about food? This would add a lot of flavor to the store! Think about it.
Personally, we’d love to find a puppy for sale in a box. In fact, we’re probably going to head over there right now in hopes of finding one. [Guest of a Guest]
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you’ve no doubt heard of a proposed “Beverage tax”. But perhaps you’re not sure what to make of it, read on and we’ll explain it all. Read the rest of this entry »
I like to look my best, and occasionally that means a haircut and some color. Living in Manhattan both of those things could break my bank seeing as like most 20-somethings I’m living on a budget and cant afford to pay over $100 per haircut and $150+ on color!
When I can’t get a FREE bob or pixie cut by a BUMBLE & BUMBLE apprentice (which is usually only available Mon & Wed 10a-4p, it’s easier to keep an eye out on CL free page than to apply on their website) I have a couple other places I trek too to fix up my ‘do. Read the rest of this entry »
Living in New York City is awesome, but it can sometimes be overwhelming. The purpose of the Funky Apple is to provide perspective, advice, and keep you up to date about life in the Big Apple
