To paraphrase the tag line from those fabulous Blackglama mink coat ads of yesteryear, what becomes a bargain most? Is it inordinately expensive stuff gotten much more cheaply than imaginable, or just unimaginably cheap stuff? Truth be told, a bargain is what we—the shoppers and the consumers and the spenders of this world—define it to be.
With that said, in less-than-ideal economic times there are commonalities between all of us when it comes to monitoring the state of our hard-pressed wallets, pocketbooks, and bank balances. No one, for example, thrills to the idea of paying a stupendous markup for an item, especially when it's something that likely cost $2 or less or produce, yet bears a price tag of $20 or more. Food is the great leveler: No one wants to see monthly grocery bills spiraling out of control, yet we all want to eat just as well as we can. So a bargain is a bargain is a bargain—to paraphrase Gertrude Stein—and in this, Back Stage's annual Bargain Hunters Issue, we present to you some tips on where to the get best for less. Your tips, that is.
—Leonard Jacobs
BANKING/FINANCIAL SERVICES
The Artists Community Federal Credit Union is a great place to do your banking (both checking and savings). Their minimum balances are low, their fees are low, and they seem to treat all artists with respect. They offer loans of several types, including ones tied to the New York State Council on the Arts and other types of grants, which means you get your money when you need it rather than when the grant-giving organization decides to cut the check, which saves you months of waiting. The credit union is also tied into a co-op network, such as those ATM machines in McDonalds, so you have the convenience of an ATM card as well.
—Jennifer Chudy
Check out the Artists Community Federal Credit Union on the Web at www.ArtistsCommunityFCU.org, or call 1-212-246-3344.
BOOKS
Shakespeare & Co. is one of the hippest, best-stocked bookstores in the city, with a diverse, comprehensive drama section. What's best is that you are allowed to pick up a book and sit and read for as long as you need to without getting an attitude or even bad vibes from the staff. It's perfect for actors with free time who want to brush up on their training or to catch up with a play you've never had a chance to see.
—Hadley Tomicki
Shakespeare & Co. has six locations in New York City, including 716 Broadway (at Washington Place), 1-212-529-1330.
It's been mentioned before, yet it deserves to be mentioned again: The Strand Book Store is my favorite used bookstore in New York and the first one I visit when I need to find something. For example, they have a huge collection of Shakespeare plays, usually in perfect condition and selling at half the cover price. In fact, I recently bought a beautiful hardcover version of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare"—copyright 1936—for $15.
—Brittany Pixton
The Strand Book Store is located at 828 Broadway (at East 12th Street), 1-212-473-1452.
CDS AND RECORDS
At Academy Records you can find spectacular bargains. I found, for $49, a six-tape set of "Elizabeth R," the original Bernard Herrmann CD soundtrack for "Marnie," and a $5 DVD of "The Talented Mr. Ripley."
—Richard Holland
Academy Records is located at 12 W. 18th St. (between Fifth and Sixth avenues), 1-212-242-3000.
CLOTHING
To save money, I shop at thrift stores. These are not necessarily just Salvation Army and Goodwill, although those are good. Pants are generally $8.99-$10.99; Ralph Lauren shirts are usually $7.99. At the Salvation Army Store on 14th Street, I purchased a Brooks Brothers seersucker suit for $23 and all I had to do was have the pants hemmed. At the same store, I also purchased a Ralph Lauren charcoal-colored double-breasted suit—which needed no alterations—for $14! And I paid around $10 to have it cleaned, ending up with a quality suit I have worn again and again. I have Brooks Brothers tan slacks that I purchased for $9, and a black Armani denim shirt that would have cost $125 at the Armani Store on Fifth Avenue, but which I found for $7.
—Jay Amari
The Salvation Army has many locations in New York City, including 69 Spring St., 1-212-925-1909.
Good Italian shoes at low cost can be found at Daffy's, Filene's Basement, and Burlington Coat Factory, generally at 30-50% off retail cost. Another great place for quality clothes that are 50-75% off the regular retail price is T.J. Maxx. Between these, the best plan of action is to visit these places regularly because they only get a limited selection of styles and sell out quickly. You never know what bargains you'll discover—and the discovery is half the fun!
—Jay Amari
Daffy's is located at 1775 Broadway (at West 57th Street), among other locations, 1-212-294-4477.
Filene's Basement is located 2222 Broadway (at West 79th Street), among other locations, 1-212-873-8000.
T.J. Maxx is located at 620 Sixth Ave. (at West 20th Street), 1-212-229-0875.
For nice leather shoes that last at low prices, I go to Parade of Shoes. I bought some sandals there three years ago and wore them constantly, and they still look practically new. And for trendy shoes at low prices, I go to Payless.
—Andrea Reese
Parade of Shoes and Payless have multiple locations throughout New York City.
The greatest thing that ever happened was when my friend decided to do a clothing swap party every six months. She gets about eight friends of similar size together and we bring everything in our house we want to get rid of. We organize the clothes, try on everything, have brunch, and leave with a whole new free wardrobe. Whatever's left goes to charity, and it's easier to clean out your closet knowing you'll get what you need from the party.
—Tamar Kummel
Conway is the best for discount shoes and accessories. If you need an audition outfit in a jiff, this is the place.
—Carrie Ethier
Conway is located at 11 W. 34th St., 1-212-967-5300.
My whole family is in the acting business—my husband, my three-and-a-half-year-old son, and myself—so we need bargains for our tight budget. In my neighborhood—Inwood, at the top of Manhattan, the last stop on the A train—there's Super Mundo Kids. Many times on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, they discount their already marked-down prices by an extra 20%. I've gotten brand-new, cool, in-style shoes for only $16 (designers include Enzo Angiolini, Diesel, Adrienne Vittadini, and Kenneth Cole), plus Tommy Hilfiger jeans for $10 and a Bisou top for $13, down from $110.
—Andrea Urban
Super Mundo Kids is located at 3775 10th Ave. (at West 202nd Street), 1-212-567-0650.
Loehmann's is a wonderful clothing place, especially when they have sales with an extra 40% off. If you get a no-fee member's card, you get an extra 15% off of everything for the four days before and up to four days after your birthday. They also can email you coupons.
—Andrea Urban
Loehmann's is located at 101 Seventh Ave. (at West 17th Street), 1-212-352-0856.
Shop at summer street fairs! Sure, they're fun and there are lots of fattening foods, but they are also like mini-outlets. You can buy Danskin dancewear for $5 per piece; I've also bought Victoria Secret undies for $2 per pair and Gap jeans for under $10. The same vendors go to all the fairs, so these bargains can always be found.
—Marissa Tiamfook
In addition to Loehmann's and Daffy's, Century 21 must always be among your first few stops when clothes shopping. My recent fall fashion finds: BCBG boots (moderate heel for all-day city wearability) with a lace-up front (for extreme cuteness), originally priced at $170 and bought for $39.99; a DKNY winter white cashmere and wool miniskirt (but not too mini), marked down from $298 to $79; and where else can you find an authentic Ralph Lauren goes-with-everything purse for less than $50? Although I sometimes enjoy real-deal designer bags, you might also find me elbow to elbow with a dozen other women when those guys on the street start piling purses onto a table. For $5 or $10, why not get one to match every pair of shoes?
—Sandra Joseph
Century 21 is located at 22 Cortlandt St., 1-212-227-9092.
A super place to buy gorgeous audition dresses is Nvision Arts Thrift Shop and Gallery on the Lower East Side. I have found brand-new, never-worn DKNY gowns and other designer items for many hundreds less than retail. They also have a great selection of funky/casual vintage stuff, plus shoes and handbags.
—Sara Hatfield
Nvision Arts Thrift Shop and Gallery is located at 175 Rivington St. (between Clinton and Attorney streets), 1-212-253-7227.
When it comes to department store clearance sales, look for the red sticker! When I needed pants for waiting tables, I went to Bloomingdale's sales racks: In the designer area, I found three pairs of black Ralph Lauren sport pants in my size for less than $100 total. They had a slight button defect, but they were perfect for me!
—Carrie Sipple
For hundreds of terrific, in-fashion earrings, necklaces, and accessories priced as unbelievably low as $4 and up, there's a wholesaler-retailer called Earrings Plaza. I bought an elegant faux-pearl collar necklace there for $12 that I wore in a film I was in.
—Kendra Chance
Earrings Plaza is located at 1263 Broadway (between West 31st and 32nd streets), 1-212-685-5666.
Papillon is a clothing wholesaler-retailer I love. I recently bought a lovely mandarin-style cocktail dress that I wore on an upcoming episode of "Sex and the City" for $9—it had been a $75 dress. They also have wonderful leather coats.
—Kendra Chance
Papillon is located at 520 Eighth Ave. (between West 36th and 37th streets), 1-212-643-9010.
Bring an old (but decent) pair of jeans to Beacon's Closet and you'll get 30% of the price the store sets or 55% in in-store credit.
—Shawna Leigh Glover
Beacon's Closet is located at 88 N. 11th St. (between Berry and Wythe avenues) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 1-718-486-0816.
ELECTRONICS & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Don't use your cell phone at home. When someone calls your cell, say, "Can I call you back?" Then call the person back on your home phone. Also, check your cell messages on your home phone.
—Simon Wong
Onesuite.com is, in my opinion, the best long-distance provider in the world. At 2.9 cents a minute, even MCI, AT&T, and any other long-distance provider admit they cannot beat that price. The only catch is they are prepaid minutes…but for laying down $25, you get roughly 850 minutes. Please note that there is also a 55-cent fee for payphone calls. Beyond that, there are no other fees at all.
—Walter Brandes
J&R Music World is simply the largest electronics store in Manhattan, the largest selection at the lowest prices—'nuff said.
—Brittany Pixton
J&R Music World is located at 23 Park Row, 1-212-238-9000.
ENTERTAINMENT
Fridays, beginning at 6 pm, are pay-what-you-wish nights at the Guggenheim and the Whitney museums. Make a night of it!
—Hadley Tomicki
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is located at 1071 Fifth Ave. (at East 89th Street), 1-212-423-3500; the Whitney Museum of American Art is located at 945 Madison Ave. (at East 75th Street), 1-212-570-3676.
For great movie rentals, I recommend The Movie Place. It has an incredible selection of movies, including documentaries, and the rental rates are really low. It used to cost $20 for six rentals, and each rental was for two movies; you could rent them on Thursday and not have to return them until Monday.
—Andrea Reese
The Movie Place is located at 237 W. 105th St., 1-212-864-4620.
One of the best ways to save money as a performer is to borrow movies and plays for free from branches of the New York Public Library.
—Linda M. Sithole
Teaming up with another SAG member to join the SAG/WGAE Film Society (just $85 for 20 films) is a good way to save, since membership allows you to bring a guest to see screenings; you can go in with someone who is willing to see films with you during the season.
—Linda M. Sithole
To contact the SAG/WGAE Film Society, visit www.wgaeast.org/about_the_writers_guild/film_society or write to Writers Guild of America, East, Foundation, 555 W. 57th St., Ste. 1230, New York, NY 10019.
There are so many ways of getting cheap movie or theater tickets, you should never have to pay full price. Many are on the Web, such as corporatemovieclub.com, svmcorp.com, hitshowclub.com, tdf.org, dealsonbroadway.com, and CaptainPurple.com.
—Tamar Kummel
I am a born-and-raised New Yorker and I know where to get cheap stuff! At the Canarsie Triplex movie theatre, for example, first-run movie tickets are still $5.50 for adults and $3.50 for children—and it's recently been renovated. Yes, it's about an hour from Midtown Manhattan, but I saw "Harry Potter," "Star Wars," and "The Matrix: Reloaded" on their opening nights without having to wait on long lines.
—Marissa Tiamfook
The Canarsie Triplex is located at 9310 Ave. L, Brooklyn, 1-718-251-0700.
I'm always on the hunt for discount theatre tickets, and I have found audienceextras.com to be my greatest theatregoing resource. Audience Extras distributes complimentary tickets to its subscribers when a show is in previews, under-publicized, expecting a reviewer, or would like (for whatever reason) the benefit of a full house. For this, I pay an annual subscription fee and check their website daily. When I find a show I want to attend, I can order up to two tickets and pay just a $3.50 service charge that comes straight out of an online reserve account. I've been a member for less than a year, and I've already seen Off- and Off-Off-Broadway plays and musicals, comedy acts, dance pieces, cabaret shows, concerts and four Broadway shows, which means my subscription has more than paid itself back in value. And the staff is helpful in answering any questions or concerns.
—Carla Rose Arnone
Check out Audience Extras at audienceextras.com or call 1-212-989-9550.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays at Cobble Hill Cinema, you can see a first-run feature film, day or night, for only $5.
—Shawna Leigh Glover
Cobble Hill Cinema is located at 265 Court St. in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, 1-718-596-9113.
EXERCISE, GYM, CLASSES, ETC.
At its uptown location, Jivamukti Yoga offers a free yoga class on the last Sunday of every month at 11:45 am and the second Saturday of the month at 1:30 pm; downtown, the free class is the last Sunday of the month at 11:30 am.
—Hadley Tomicki
Jivamukti Yoga is located at 404 Lafayette St., 3rd fl. (between East Fourth St. and Astor Place), 1-212-353-0214, and at 853 Lexington Ave., 2nd fl. (at East 64th Street), 1-212-396-4200.
There are Qi Gong massage locations all over the city, especially downtown. They are as clean, relaxing, and safe as most top spas, and best of all, an hour's massage is typically less than $50—along with options for 20 minutes or up to an hour and a half. The massages are fantastic, inexpensive, and leave you feeling totally energized and relaxed.
—Hadley Tomicki
Back & Foot Rub Qi-Gong Acupuncture is located at 45 E. Seventh St. (between Second and Third avenues), 1-212-598-1099.
Harbor Fitness branches in Park Slope and Bay Ridge offer a great deal for folks who want to work out, but can't scratch up the $500 or more to join a health club. For $60 a month—and no commitments—anyone can join and partake of this club. At the Park Slope location, the yoga classes are taught by some of the best teachers in New York City (in my opinion), and right there the savings alone is substantial: If you were to take yoga elsewhere, it's typically $15 a class. Likewise, the daily rate at a health club is typically $15, so if you take yoga or work out four times a week, your monthly dues are paid off immediately. At both the Park Slope and Bay Ridge locations, you can take other classes, such as Pilates and Funk Aerobics. There's also a large free-weight and machine section on two floors, plus two large punching bag locations for a boxing workout.
—Michael Sage Schindler
Harbor Fitness has four locations in New York City. The Brooklyn sites are at 191 15th St., Park Slope, 1-718-965-6200, and 9215 Fourth Ave., Bay Ridge, 1-718-238-9400.
Bartering for yoga classes has become nearly standard. Universal Force Healing Center probably has the best deal—one free class for every two hours of volunteer work, with no limit on how many you can take, assuming you are volunteering on a regular schedule. The work ranges from front desk stuff to public relations to cleaning. Their classes include a variety of yoga types as well as Pilates and gyrontonics.
—Racheline Maltese
Universal Force Healing Center is located at 7 W. 24th St., 1-917-606-1730.
For artists who really need to "Zen out" in this crazy city, I recommend New York's last Russian-Turkish bathhouse: the . For only $22 a day, you have full access to three amazing saunas and steam rooms (European style, baby!). There's also a full-access sun deck, cold pool, and massage therapy available for additional cost. After that, the New York Open Center has a free meditation room that's accessible during business hours. It's a great place to relax and refocus during a chaotic day.
—Gwen Warkulwiz
The Tenth Street Baths & Health Club is located at 268 E. 10th St., 1-212-473-8806; the New York Open Center is located at 83 Spring St. (between Broadway and Lafayette Street), 1-212-219-2527.
The Aveda Institute is a great place to get pampered and preened for pennies. An hour-long spa facial is an amazing $40, and a back treatment, including a 30-minute massage in addition to exfoliation and masks, is only $20. A student-given haircut is only $15. And they all use the expensive Aveda products that smell so great. I have been getting bimonthly facials there since January, and I am so happy to be taking care of my skin for such a good deal.
—Sara Hatfield
The Aveda Institute is located at 233 Spring St. (between Sixth Avenue and Varick Street), 1-212-807-1492.
For the many artists living up in Washington Heights, Big Gym is the ultimate find: a new gym with a $52 lifelong membership and only $1 per visit. I have friends who take the subway to come here because it's such a steal. The place doesn't boast steam rooms or air conditioning like other clubs in the city, but it has a vast variety of machines and weights; free day care for mothers, a protein and juice bar, and free classes that include kickboxing, merengue, and belly dancing. There are two full gyms on separate floors; the third floor is for men and women, the second floor for women only.
—Brittany Pixton
Big Gym is located in Manhattan at 625 W. 181st St., 1-212-568-2444.
FOOD/GROCERIES
At the various 99 Cent Stores (which are scattered throughout the city), you can buy cleaning products and such apartment essentials as light bulbs, soap, and even cheap electronic components like telephone cords and AV cables. One item, with tax, totals just $1.07.
—Hadley Tomicki
A great place for beer is Pioneer Supermarket on the Upper West Side, which has one of the largest selections of beer in Manhattan—often marked way down. You can get fun, exotic kinds of beer that nobody has heard of.
—Andrea Reese
Pioneer Supermarket is located at 289 Columbus Ave. (at West 74th Street), 1-212-874-5906.
For health food and vitamins, I shop on the second floor of Fairway Market and at Westerly Health Foods; the latter has especially good prices.
—Andrea Reese
Fairway is located at 2127 Broadway (at West 75th Street), 1-212-595-1888; Westerly Health Foods is located at 913 Eighth Ave. (at West 54th Street), 1-212-586-5262.
National Wholesale Liquidators sells everything imaginable, and is especially great for hairbrushes, underwear, casual clothing, and housewares.
—Andrea Reese
National Wholesale Liquidators is located at 632 Broadway (between Houston and Bleecker streets), 1-212-979-2400.
For quick, cheap snacks go to any of the pastry stores in Chinatown. Especially filling are the sesame seed buns with black bean paste inside, which cost about 50¢.
—Andrea Reese
Gourmet food is one of the chief pleasures of living in New York City, even if it's not always easy to afford. That said, many of the gourmet markets in the city sell their prepared gourmet foods at 50% off an hour before closing. It's a great way to grab a fantastic, no-hassle dinner.
—Racheline Maltese
I am not a "natural" online shopper, especially with food. But because of a $50 no-strings-attached free-food lure, FreshDirect.com has me hooked. After all, food shopping in New York City can be extremely frustrating—stores are notorious for having much less square feet than in the suburbs and are usually very crowded with long check-out lines, not to mention that the food can be overpriced and lacking in freshness. With Freshdirect.com, you sit at your PC or MAC and click away knowing that the food you're purchasing is the freshest you can find anywhere. And the prices are competitive! I highly recommend the fruits and vegetables myself, and delivery is a breeze: You can set up a two-hour delivery timeframe, morning, noon, or night, weekends or weekdays.
—Antonietta Pace
When it comes to food, don't miss Eva's Health Food, which sells very nutritious food at very low prices, from a $3.25 falafel with salad and bread to a $7 hearty combination plate.
—Richard Poli
Eva's Health Food is located at 11 W. Eighth St. (between Fifth and Sixth avenues), 1-212-677-3496.
When I was a struggling company manager—yes, even company managers struggle—I noticed that many people seemed to food shop without regard to price, cost, and what was on sale. In those days, I could save $20-30 a week by careful shopping and using manufacturer's coupons. The easiest way to start clipping coupons is to find them in the Sunday papers; many papers also run coupons in their Wednesday or Thursday "shopper's editions." Then you need a filing system—I file mine by general subject, such as refrigerated items; cereals, soups, and starches; canned goods and condiments; and drugs and cosmetics. Also, pick up the weekly food circulars from all the major (and minor) supermarkets and food stores in your borough and review them for the best values. You can even try to lay out a menu for the week—and avoid impulse buying.
—Stephen Arnold
The shops in my neighborhood—as I guess is the case with all of Manhattan—are very overpriced. I cringe, for example, when I walk into some gourmet supermarkets and see items that are so much higher priced than in other shops. Which is why I suggest you become a member of Costco if you can. Its just $45 a year and it's a half-hour subway ride (or bus ride) from Manhattan. And while it's true that Costco does cater to the family, selling items in large quantities, a single person—or a few roommates—can do very well here also. You can find real bargains on herbs, vitamins, and toiletries, as well as jeans, tops, sneakers, underwear—and if you've got room in your freezer, large packages of meat, poultry, and vegetables.
—Irene Woods
Costco is located at 32-50 Vernon Blvd. in Long Island City, Queens, 1-718-267-3680.
For vegetables, fruit, $1 a bag pasta, 99 cents for a dozen eggs, and $3.49 a pound coffee, you can't beat Stiles Market.
—Jeanie Columbo
Stiles Market has three locations in Midtown West: 472 Ninth Ave., 1-212-967-4918; 569 Ninth Ave., 1-212-695-6213; and 352 W. 52nd St., 1-212-582-3088.
FURNITURE
A few weeks ago, I bought an air conditioner off of Craigslist.com (also found under craigslist.org). It turns out the guy who sold it to me is a director. He asked me to audition for a play he was directing and wouldn't you know—I got the part! So browse Craigslist—a slightly used futon may turn out to be your ticket to the big time!
—Jen Ryan
GIFTS
Like most actors who haven't made it big yet, I work a lot of tradeshows. Last week, I worked an accessory show and saved a fortune on holiday shopping by ordering gifts at wholesale prices. The booth I worked at had a minimum order of $150, for which I was able to get gifts for 10 women on my list, including such items as genuine silk and pashmina shawls, plus handbags and more.
—Racheline Maltese
GROOMING AND BEAUTY
Face it…a cheap haircut generally looks like, well, a cheap haircut. Then again, $150 cuts can often look like the work of beauty school dropouts. So do your hair a favor and visit Tom Cakirca at Astoria's Christianne Salon—and trust him to give you a cut and color that you won't just rave about, you'll swear by him. I get more compliments on my cuts from Tom (especially from casting directors!) than I ever got from going to a certain Fifth Avenue salon that will remain unnamed. And at these prices—haircut and blowout for women for $40; men's haircuts for $20; highlights for $60; single process coloring for $50—you can afford to keep your look fresh. The salon also offers manicures, pedicures, and waxing.
—Jen Ryan
Christianne Salon is located at 21-29 31st Street in Astoria, 1-718-204-5343.
At the Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics, Makeup and Nail Artistry, facials and back facials are available for $25 (after 3:30 pm, $33) from excellent, supervised students who are literally about to graduate. And the pampering is comfortable—you are covered with a clean blanket as you lay on lumbar-supported reclining professional chairs, given an analysis of your skin, and a hand moisturizing massage along with the customary facial process. You should allow two hours of pampering time and call one to three weeks ahead of time in the winter, or one to three days ahead of time in the summer.
—Raissa Katona Bennett
The Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics, Makeup and Nail Artistry is located at 437 Fifth Ave., 2nd fl. (at East 39th Street), 1-212-779-7800.
For a free hair coloring, call up Clairol to set up an evaluation. Their professional colorists will color your hair any color you wish—a single process with your choice of formulas—and then style your hair, no cutting. You just have to be over 18 and not have 100% gray hair.
—Raissa Katona Bennett
Clairol is located at 345 Park Ave. (between East 51st and 52nd streets), 1-212-546-5000.
For a free haircut, try Bumble and Bumble. They need hair "models" when they teach their cutting techniques. You just have to be open to a style change, although I have found them to be very flexible. They typically have separate sessions for short layers, bobs, long layers, and men's cuts.
—Raissa Katonan Bennett
Bumble and Bumble is located at 146 E. 56th St. (between Lexington and Third avenues), 1-212-521-6500.
At Great Tan, a single session is $13, or for $84, you will receive unlimited sessions for one month.
—Shawna Leigh Glover
Great Tan is located at 163 Bleecker St. (between Sullivan and Thompson streets), 1-212-777-3700.
Pure Cells offers a free trial laser hair removal treatment for first-time clients.
—Shawna Leigh Glover
Pure Cells is located at 4 W. 16th St., 1-212-352-8400.
HEALTH & BEAUTY AIDS
It's not easy being a diva, especially when you're a diva in debt, but I don't let it stop me from being fabulous. First, when I need glitter, I go to Ricky's, but not just any location—the sale outlet. There I can buy my makeup, hair dye, and other assorted beauty items at up to half off. (Admittedly, the merchandise has been picked through, but it's worth scavenging for bargains.) Second, instead of throwing out my broken rhinestone jewelry, I have it repaired at one of New York's greatest treasures, C'est Manifique. Al, the owner, is a total doll, and he can fix just about anything, from gold and precious stones to plastic and cubic zirconia. You can peruse his eclectic collection of jewelry and pick out something new while he fixes your old stuff—he tends to give discounts to repeat customers. So the next time you claim you don't have the money to be marvelous, take my advice, because we divas in debt have to stick together.
—Raven Snook
Ricky's has eight New York City locations, including 44 E. Eighth St., 1-212-254-5247; the sale outlet is at 718 Broadway (between Washington Street and Astor Place), 1-212-979-5232. C'est Manifique is located at 120 MacDougal St., 1-212-475-1613.
The MAC Pro store in Midtown offers a 30% discount on all MAC products after one pays a $35 annual membership fee. This program is geared for dancers, choreographers, actors, makeup artists, etc. Just give a picture, resume, and your latest show credential and save.
—Andrea Kron
MAC Pro is located at 139 Fifth Ave., 2nd fl. (between East 20th and 21st streets), 1-212-505-3563.
Half of the Cosmetic Market in Midtown offers deep discounts on makeup, with some items just $1 or $2—Almay, Revlon, Versace, Calvin Klein, Club Monaco, Anna Sui, Chanel, Clinique, Estée Lauder, Origins, Ultima II, Elizabeth Arden, and Alfred Sung (and the list goes on)! There are fragrances, too, as well as top men's colognes. The other half of the store has greeting cards, gift bags, cosmetic cases, chocolates, picture frames, discounted teddy bears, baby shower gifts, organizers, pot holders, plates, spice racks, and unbelievably friendly help. You'll save almost 50% on virtually everything, and the stock changes monthly.
—Andrea Kron
Cosmetic Market is located at 9 E. 39th St. (between Fifth and Madison avenues), 1-212-725-3625.
I have been in New York for more than two years and it wasn't until recently that I found an unrivaled bargain store for hair products: Sam & Chris Hair Salon. I require two styling products from the Tigi Bedhead line for my curly (read: frizzy) hair: Manipulator, a blue paste with the consistency of glue, and Uptight, a heat-activated spray gel. Normally the former costs $17 and up; at Sam & Chris, it's just $12.75! And the latter is usually $13.99, but here it's a mere $9.75.
—Carla Rose Arnone
Sam & Chris Hair Salon is located at 2188 Broadway (between West 77th and 78th streets), 1-212-873-6868.
OFFICE SUPPLIES
Jam Paper is great for really nice paper for special mailings. They also have envelopes in many colors and sizes.
—Andrea Reese
Jam Paper is located at 611 Sixth Ave. (between West 17th and 18th streets), 1-212-255-4593.
RESTAURANTS
You can get a hot dog for only 75 cents at Gray's Papaya. The best deal I found is at the Gray's Papaya in Midtown where you can get two hot dogs and a soda for only $1.95!
—Simon Wong
Gray's Papaya is at various locations around the city, including 539 Eighth Ave. (at West 36th Street), 1-212-904-1588.
If you're low on money, don't starve! Go to Cosi Sandwiches and munch on leftover breads for free! It's the best deal in New York.
—Simon Wong
Cosi Sandwiches has 22 locations in New York City, including 498 Seventh Ave. (between West 36th and 37th streets), 1-212-947-1005.
At Big Wong, $2 buys you all the Chinese food you could possibly desire. Oodles of noodles, plenty of chicken, beef, and pork, and of course tasty dumplings and soups.
—Hadley Tomicki
Big Wong is located at 67 Mott St. (between Canal and Bayard streets), 1-212-964-0540.
At Cibao Restaurant, a whole roasted chicken (with a huge roll) can be had for just $6. It's great to split among a few people or for yourself with leftovers.
—Hadley Tomicki
Cibao Restaurant is located at 72 Clinton St. (at Rivington Street), 1-212-228-0703.
For the best and the cheapest place for breakfast anywhere—and all day long—check out the Film Center Coffee House, located in the Film Center Building. Breakfast includes two eggs (any style), grits or potatoes, toast, and coffee or tea for $2.95. And the grits really are fabulous—served with lots of butter.
—Damien Thibodeaux
The Film Center Coffee House is located at 630 Ninth Ave. (between West 44th and 45th streets), 1-212-262-2525.
For dinner, the pre-show menu at Basilico Restaurant in the theatre district is my favorite place. An appetizer, entrée, dessert, and a bottle of wine for just $20 a person.
—Spencer Rowe
Basilico Restaurant is located at 676 Ninth Ave. (between West 46th and 47th streets), 1-212-489-0051.
Living on the Upper East Side makes finding bargains like looking for a butterfly in the desert. So I was thrilled when a new Southwestern/Mexican restaurant opened up near where I live—Cilantro. You can have a wonderful salad (either plain, or with chicken, shrimp, or beef) during lunchtime for as little as $7! This hearty portion of food can last you all day—it's like having a European lunch, so that by evening, a piece of fruit is all you need to tide you over until tomorrow. And if you order iced tea, you get free refills.
—Joanna Bonaro
Cilantro has three locations on the Upper East Side, including 1321 First Ave. (at East 71st Street), 1-212-537-4040.
The best happy hour in town has got be Red, in the theatre district. It lasts from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm nightly, with $3 drafts of Guinness, Sierra Nevada, etc., and $5 cosmopolitans. And the food is good, too.
—Walter Brandes
Red is located at 356 W. 44th St. (between Eighth and Ninth avenues), 1-212-445-0131.
If you love sushi, check out the Empire Szechwan Greenwich in the West Village. They have a whole selection of sushi, if you eat in, for 50% off. The atmosphere is nice and the wait staff is wonderful. At that price, you can eat as much sushi as you like without breaking the bank. For example, six pieces of Tekka Maki (tuna) are just $1.75.
—Walter Brandes
Empire Szechuan Greenwich is located at 15 Greenwich Ave. (between Christopher and West 10th streets), 1-212-691-1535.
If you're tired of cooking, or just don't have time to cook and clean up, the Renaissance Diner is for you. I have been going to this eatery—which is open 24 hours a day—for seven years, and I've never gotten bored with it. Their prices are very reasonable and their portions are huge: a tender steak dinner with potato, vegetable, bread, soup, and salad is only about $15. They have three dining rooms, one of which is open-roofed during mild weather. And they offer a 10% discount to anyone with a SAG, AFTRA, or Actors' Equity card.
—Antonietta Pace
The Renaissance Diner is located at 776 Ninth Ave. (between West 51st and 52nd streets), 1-212-246-9873.
I work in the Empire State Building and my favorite lunch deal is at Ishihama. Their Hwae Dup Bop lunch special is only $9.95, and you get a bowl brimming with rice, salad, sea vegetables, and—here's the clincher—tons of fresh sashimi. If you're not attached to the idea of eating your sushi in a roll, this is the deal of the century.
—Sara Hatfield
Ishihama is located at 319 Fifth Ave. (at East 32nd Street), 1-212-696-0202.
For rock bottom prices, you can't do better than Dojo's—two trendy little cafés in the Village. Many of the dishes are organic and there are healthy options of brown rice, wheat bread pita, and a Pan-Asian/American mix of menu items. Don't go without trying the tasty carrot dressing that tops their house salads. It's the perfect meeting place for two starving actors to enjoy a great meal that rarely tops $8.
—Brittany Pixton
Dojo's has two locations in New York City: 24-26 St. Mark's Pl., 1-212-674-9821, and 14 W. Fourth St., 1-212-505-8934.
The Stage Door Deli Café is a cool, cheap oasis from tourists and tourist traps in Times Square. You can buy a yummy H&H bagel for less than it costs at H&H, have it buttered and toasted, and then rest in the upstairs dining area where there are pitchers of cool water and easy listening tunes. And there's a toilet!
—Carrie Sipple
The Stage Door Deli Café is located at 1600 Broadway (between West 47th and 48th streets), 1-212-2624817 or 1-212-586-4318.
Across from the Actors' Equity building is Margon, a Cuban restaurant that is the best "hole in the wall" in the city. They offer wonderful rice and beans, chicken, plantains, ropa vieja, and lechon (that's baby pig). The quantities are huge and the prices are low—like $4.50 for rice and beans and plantains.
—Andrea Kron
Margon is located at 136 W. 46th St. (between Sixth Avenue and Broadway), 1-212-354-5013.
SELF-PROMOTION/WEBSITES
You've tried headshots, postcards, and selling your soul to the devil—anything to get your name out there. And you've spent hundreds of dollars in postage and, who knows how many paper cuts later, you've still had no hits. Come into the 21st century: "Hits" come from the Internet, so buy your name and build yourself a homepage! If you don't know to do it, pay your little brother, your roommate the computer whiz, a friend, or, better yet, pick up a web-design software program and do it yourself! On the webpage, post your headshots, resume, bio, any upcoming performance information, as well as your contact information for anyone to see, anytime. Get started by buying your domain name at register.com for just $35 a year. The website also offers hosting, consultation, and design services, as well as web design programs.
—Jen Ryan
Here are some Internet bargains. First, you can buy a website domain name for only $15 a year on directnic.com. Second, I bought an account for one website on Homestead.com and linked each page to a different domain name—four sites in one! Homestead.com, in fact, has the best customer service and is easy to update on your home computer. I designed all four sites myself (knowing little about computers) and, for about 25 pages across the four sites, I pay about $200 a year. Finally, Yahoo.com, Hotmail.com, Juno.com, and Surfree.com all offer free email.
—Tamar Kummel
Like many actors and actresses, I used to think hiring a publicist was a big-time luxury. For the past three years, Vicarious Marketing and Media, which operates out of Brooklyn, has represented me on a per-show basis and it's a great bargain. My photo has appeared in The New York Times, Go NYC magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Daily News, and Hispanic Magazine, among others. I give my publicist high-resolution artwork, the dates and times of my performances, my biography, and just walk away. Their rates run from $250 a week to as little as $100 a week for performance runs, depending on the show and what I need.
—Silvia Sierra
Vicarious Marketing and Media can be reached at 1-212-561-0493, 1-646-271-6845, or via email: VicariousPR@aol.com.
Want a website? If you need a designer, I can't assist you, but if you need a company offering web-hosting services, check out alterhosting.com. For $6.99 a month, you can get a free domain, free setup, and up to 300 (!) email accounts. The only catch is you have to purchase a year's worth of service in advance—although the first two months are free. Thus, for $69.90, you have your own website.
—Walter Brandes
THEATRICAL RESOURCES
The Costume Shop at Todo 45 in Midtown is the best little costume shop in town. You can rent theatrical costumes for as little as $25 a costume with everything from space suits to turn-of-the-century corsets. We costumed my translation of Sholem Asch's "Motke Thief" last June at the Eldridge Street Synagogue from there, and most of the 150 costumes in "Icarus and Aria" at Club Cheetah came from there. It's run by designer Loren Bevans, who has designed over 100 Off-Off-Broadway shows—and if she doesn't have something, she'll know where to find it. There are also sewing machines and tables for designers to work on, plus it's a great place for actor fittings.
—Caraid O'Brien
The Costume Shop at Todo 45 is located at 445 W. 45th St., 4th fl. (between Ninth and 10th avenues), 1-212-581-6232, by appointment only.
MISCELLAENOUS
Along Orchard Street, especially between Houston and Delancey streets, are great places to find bargains on everything from men's and women's clothes to luggage and gifts.
—Hadley Tomicki
At Kiehl's, the quality of the free facial product samples, such as moisturizers and cleansers, are legendary. They are always given generously and are top-quality items to improve or sustain your looks!
—Hadley Tomicki
Kiehl's is located at 109 Third Ave. (between East 13th and 14th streets), 1-212-677-3171.
In spite of the great reputation Second Avenue on the Upper East Side has for thrift shops, I think the ultimate thrift shop area is along East 23rd St., where you will find Housing Works—the most beautiful of all the thrift shops, with higher prices, but especially nice stuff—and the City Opera Thrift Shop and a Goodwill in one spot.
—Andrea Reese
Goodwill and City Opera Thrift Shop: 220 E. 23rd St., 1-212-447-7270 and 1-212-684-5344; Housing Works Thrift Shop: 157 E. 23rd St., 1-212-529-5955.
For my cheap life, Office Ops—a community arts and culture center on the edge of Williamsburg, Brooklyn—is the place to go for reasonable space rental, yoga and dance classes ($2 for both!), movie nights ($6, against the Manhattan skyline), Summer Saunterdays ($5), and for a general feeding of the artistic soul.
—James Carter
Office Ops, located at 57 Thames St. in Brooklyn, on the Internet at www.officeops.org, or call 1-718-418-2509.
Name it and Odd Job has got it, from electronics to toys, from food to clothing. And it's an especially great place to buy inexpensive but stylish, high-quality merchandise for the home. Items such as throw pillows, candles, sheets, appliances, small furniture, and much, much more. When I first moved to Manhattan fresh out of college in 1996, Odd Job is where I originally bought most of my home items and, seven years later, I still have and use much of that merchandise.
—Antonietta Pace
Odd Job has 29 locations in New York City; you can find one by visiting www.oddjobstores.com.
The office of the U.S. Department of Labor lets you send off up to five job-search faxes for free.
—Carrie Sipple
The office of the U.S. Department of Labor is located at 247 W. 54th St. (between Eighth and Ninth avenues), 1-212-265-2700.
I've been a professional actor and artist for over 20 years, and when it comes to art supplies, the chain stores (Pearl Paints, Utrecht, etc.) will supply your ordinary needs, but Robert Doak is the very best fine art store in the city. He's hidden in DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass), but not for long! And he's a walking encyclopedia of art knowledge. His store carries the largest array of dry pigments, oils, and small batch oil paints around, with prices that are unbeatable and of top-shelf quality. At Guerra Pigments, there is a wide array of dry, artist-quality pigments and also pigment dispersions. Finally, Kremer Pigments is the New York branch of a world-famous art supply store with a wonderful selection of practical studio books for "serious" painters. They also sell empty aluminum tubes for those who make their own paint.
—Tony Bronco
Robert Doak & Associates, Inc. is located at 89 Bridge St. in DUMBO, Brooklyn, 1-718-237-1210; Guerra Paint & Pigment is located at 510 E. 13th St. (at Avenue A), 1-212-529-0628; and Kremer Pigments is located at 228 Elizabeth St. (at Prince Street), 1-212-219-2394.