Panicking about New York spends!!

[VielBier]

I'm taking my daughter to New York in January for 5 nights. I've saved up and I have 1800 dollars and have bought an attraction pass that will get us in to all the attractions we want to go to. Will this be enough? I was hoping to have around 3000 dollars but unexpected costs have hit this year. I don't have credit cards as I was stupid with them as a teenager. I'm terrified about running out of money while I'm there or having to really scrimp (think I get money anxiety!). Plus when speaking to people they reckoned they'd spent nearly £1000 a day... is it really that expensive there?

I've been 3 times and did even spend $1800 in the 3 trips added together! Street food is decent and if you're cramming in everything, it's quick more importantly. Restaurants are available in all budgets, please dont worry.

Isn't is amazing how what we think is "normal" spends - depends on the people that we hang around with.

I wouldn't spend 1800 dollars in five days. I think it is a bit if a waste if money.

I have budgeted for everything that I want to do for two weeks in New York at 600 dollars.

There is loads of street food, and 1 dollar pizza slices etc

Street food is cheaper but not exactly a bargain either - the vending vans we had food from were typically $4-8 a head without drinks for everything from hot dogs to shawarma /falafel wraps. Not really different to London though and didn't see any $1 pizza slices, more like $3. There's a good global food variety though!

We found that re street food. Too expensive for 5 every day, we did Joe’s Pizza once and Papaya King which was ££££. The ice cream carts were .

How many are going Angel and does your budget include entertainment?The thing is for me it’s such a long way away, such an amazing place with so much to do you don’t want to miss things. We try to strike a balance, a couple of meals out in restaurants we want to go to, a small amount of street food and self cater the rest of the time. It’s still the most expensive place we’ve ever been to and makes Copenhagen look positively budget in price.

We did five days in New York this summer. Stayed in midtown Manhattan and walked practically everywhere. The only attractions we paid for were the Met and a show (which was cancelled for power outages so we got a refund anyway).

We did Central Park, the High Line, Battery Park, walked over Brooklyn Bridge, Statten Island Ferry, 911 memorial and the Metropolitan Museum. We explored Greenwich village and Brooklyn and Soho.

We ate fab deli sandwiches for lunch and researched good cheap places for dinner. Had a great time.

More good tips! Thank you all I've already got the 5 day attraction pass that includes most the major activities. Daughter will be fine at the 9-11 museum as she understands what happened and would like to go. She's very mature and emotional for her age though so no doubt she'll be upset by it, but she does want to pay her respects, as it were.

Although I am panicking about my lack of credit card now though! I have a Mastercard that can be preloaded, surely that will be ok? 😱 Can a cash deposit be left, if all else fails? I assume not

Don’t panic! We had the cards with us but didn’t use them once, just paid for everything in cash.

Preloaded credit cards are fine. I have one (a visa) as a back up and have used it in the US for hotels.

By the way at the 9/11 museum they have a section with the most emotional exhibits in and you can opt to go in or just continue the tour and skip that part if you have any worries once you are

Outside there are screens where you can look for the name of a victim and locate their name on the memorial. My friend lost a cousin and we did this and went to find his name and spent time thinking about their family.

Our card was MasterCard. Problem was some places over there still use magnetic strips which were blocked on our card. Would have thought cash was ok.

I really wouldn’t take a 9 year old in to the museum. It’s quite upsetting. There are pieces of aeroplane, possessions including children’s’ clothes, last calls, film footage... Its respectful but dark and I just wanted to get out. Took my 16 year old and wished I hadn’t. Wish we’d just stuck to paying respects by the memorial.

What are you thinking you need a card for deposits for @VielBier?

Our preloaded was fine in many places but not all.

If she likes Friends it is worth finding the building. Interestingly in contrast to the pp we liked that area. Think we had our slice of Joe’s Pizza near by.

Couldn’t get over a horse head gimp mask at a shop round the corner from the building @BlOOmingcactus! I didn’t see as much of the village this trip as I’ve done previously but would agree it’s worth a visit - I just wouldn’t come just to see the building like we did (and rather a lot of other tourists!)

😂High Line and Washington Square Park near, op could incorporate it with that.

What on earth are you planning on doing? Of course you don’t need that kind of money. Don’t be ridiculous. If you’re going for a week even if you’re pretty free with your money you won’t get through a couple of undress pounds a day

hundred pounds a day

I recently read an NYC-on-a-budget diary (living_thrifty Instagram) that you may find helpful. I think you probably have more to spend than she originally did, so you could spend smart in some areas, and splurge in others! So envious of your trip, you’ll have a great time!

There are loads of amazing pizza places where you can buy by the slice. Just do a bit of research and you should be fine.

Take good walking boots with grips for both of you - as Pp’s have said, it can be icy that time of year. Plenty of layers, scarves, hats, gloves and a bloody thick winter coat!

Can’t think specifically of cheap eats but agree that the food carts/pizza slices good. Portions HUGE so with a 9 year old, you’d def be able to share. If you go to Grimaldis (famous pizza place in Brooklyn) the pizzas are so huge they’d feed about 4!

There’s also, near the 9/11 memorial, a big underground place with an artisan food court - it wasn’t toooooo expensive but a bit more than if you went budget. But it’s nice to look around in anyhow (I can’t remember what it’s called sadly!)

If you were free with your money you def would get through £200 a day. I could

Whispering Gallery in Grand Central free and interesting for kids.

You'll br fine if you work out a daily budget and contingency fund. Some of the best things in NYC are free: the view from the Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island Ferry, Central Park. Credit cards are useless there anyway unless it's Amex and even then so many places don't take cards.

And when i was there i lived comfortably on your daily budget for about 5 days!

I I travel to NYC a lot and don't have a credit card, it's never been a problem, my debit card has been just fine (including checking into pre-booked hotels)

You have plenty enough spending money, have fun and enjoy.

The only thing I'd say about the prepaid card is that some hotels take a really hefty security deposit at the start of the stay and you don't get it back until the end so that may impact on your spending money.

We don’t have an Amex and never had a problem with our credit cards.