Worth your money, pt. 1

Part of an ongoing series in which I name 3 items you SHOULD spend money on. Kind of like “Oprah’s Favorite Things”, but, you know, useful.

1. A good pair of shoes. I hate to sound like your mother, but you’re gonna be doing a whole lot of walking in New York City. (And I know I’m sounding like mine right now, which is awesome. My mom rocks!) But think about it. If you’ve moved to NYC, chances are you came from a place where you owned a car to get around. Here in the city, cars are expensive to keep, as space is at a premium and gas is way more costly. So you have the subway, the bus, maybe a bike. And your feet. Your shoes  are effectively your new car. I’m not saying you have to buy bright-white touristy New Balance sneakers, not at all. There are plenty of stores in the city where you can buy good shoes for a discount. My favorite is ShoeMania, located in Union Square. After last year’s winter boots fell apart, I scored a pair of Replay boots for $100, instead of the usual $250. Just make sure to buy basic black, or another neutral- this way, they’ll go with everything!
2. A sturdy bag. Walking around New York City, you’ll notice that many people are out and about with messenger-type bags slung around their bodies. I myself own this one from Fred Perry- and it does everything I need. Living here means you’re constantly and forever on the go, which means I need to be able to carry my MacBook, my latest reading, girly supplies, a notebook, pens, keys, sunglasses, wallet, phone, etc. (Pro tip: Buy a mens’ bag! They are better-designed to take that kind of a beating.) And an across-the-body strap is a must. Keeping your hands free to carry groceries or scavenge free items on the street is what it’s all about.
3. Netflix. If you live in New York, chances are you have very little storage space in your apartment. Carting around your DVD’s gets annoying, especially when moving. Opening a Netflix account will solve your DVD library woes. Opt for the $15 account option, which means you can have two DVD’s out at a time and unlimited access to Netflix Instant. With Netflix Instant, you can stream thousands of movies and TV shows to your home computer. My personal favorites? “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “30 Rock”, and “Arrested Development” are all available in their entirety. And if you’re technologically savvy, rip your Netflix DVD’s* to an external hard drive. Much easier to carry around than 100 DVD’s!

What else do you recommend spending money on in NYC? Let me know in the comments!

* My apologies to the MPAA for recommending that people rip you guys off.