4 Ways to Save Money Living in the City

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Cities are great places to live. They’re filled with diverse cultures, exciting activities, and incredible restaurants. They’re also the source of many jobs, which is why people flock to them.

However, cities have some of the highest living expenses of anywhere else in the country. Fortunately, there are many ways to save money in the city.

Utilize Public Transportation

Just about every major city has public transportation. Not only do you save money on gas and insurance, you avoid making an expensive monthly car payment. Additionally, if your car breaks down, you don’t have to fork over money for repair costs.

Sure, using public transportation may take a bit more time, but think about the things you can get done while someone else is driving you to your destination. It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up on work, reading, or even take a power nap.

Take Advantage Of Free Entertainment

There’s always something fun going on in a city. While it’s true some city entertainment is very expensive, much of it is low-cost or free. You could visit a museum, park, demonstration, political rally, art show and more. Some cities even have free outdoor concerts. The possibilities are endless, and researching your local newspaper or event guide will help you find free things to do.

Eat and Drink at Tapas Bars Instead of Restaurants

Tapas bars are the newest establishments hitting the cities. A tapas bar is where you can go to get a drink and a small plate of hor d’oeuvres knows as tapas. Since they’re not as expensive as most restaurants, they’re a great alternative to meeting somewhere to catch up with friends. Plus, tapas bars usually expect you to share.

Rent Instead Of Buy

You may not know this, but searching for is cheaper than buying a house there. This same logic is applied to living in any big city across the country.

While this actually goes against traditional wisdom that says buy living in a city is different.

When you buy a home in the suburb, it comes with a certain amount of land around it. That land has intrinsic value that increases, eventually. When you buy property in a city, all you’re really buying is the space between the walls. The value of this space is more subject to fluctuations from outside factors, like the neighborhood becoming less popular. Once that happens, the space is actually much harder to sell than a comparable home in the country with some land attached to it.

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Cities like New York, Boston, or Chicago are great places to live. Though the cost of living is high, there’s many benefits. Not only do cities offer wonderful free entertainment and cultural experiences, they’re filled with an ever-present life which is absent in the suburbs. If you want to live in and enjoy the city, you don’t have to break your pockets to do it.