Desperate times call for creative measures.
When the Big Apple was hit with one of the worst economic recessions in history during the new survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by Slickdeals, about 65% admitted that the coronavirus had turned them into a frugal person, and over 67% even considered being called “frugal” a compliment.
But for some crafty New Yorkers, smart saving isn’t just hoarding coupons and living on Top Ramen — they’re taking cost-cutting to another level.
Michael Kosowski, who lives in Washington Heights, was checking out at his local grocery store in March when he had a thrifty revelation.
“I realized I was only spending about $80 instead of my usual $150,” said Kosowski, whose basket was filled with only vegetables and bread due to pandemic shortages. The missing ingredient that made the difference? Meat.
“I was like, ‘Wow, all this could last me through the week,’ ” the 25-year-old recalled.
So he decided that was it — from then on he gave up meat during the week, instead opting for home-cooked meals such as curry, miso soup, borscht, homemade pizza and risotto.
But instead of chowing down on beans and tofu for a protein fix, he allows himself one meat “treat” on the weekends. Come Friday, he’ll sink his teeth into a big London broil, beef bourguignon or the Argentine stuffed flank steak known as matambre.
The switch has saved him about $200 a month, he said, or about $1,200 since quarantine started. But it’s not just the savings that makes his new diet worth it.
Kosowski, who has tried vegetarianism in the past, says he now truly appreciates his meals. “Before, I could have made one of these [meat] recipes during the week and it wouldn’t have been special, but now I have something to look forward to.”
Megan McQuillan was also looking for a way to cut food costs for her family of four — but it wasn’t the groceries she was worried about, it was take-out. Since the pandemic hit, the mom was ordering from Seamless much more than usual.
“I really didn’t feel comfortable in the [grocery] stores at that point and several of our local groceries didn’t have distancing plans,” said McQuillan, who lives in Cobble Hill. “Plus, I have two toddlers at home and basically between that and working and doing life, cooking was sort of impossible.”
In June, she found a post from a neighbor in a local Facebook group advertising their homemade babka for $14. Eager to try something new, McQuillan placed an order over Venmo and it was delivered to her doorstep without any added service fees or tip requirements.
Excited to keep up the trend, the 43-year-old actress downloaded WoodSpoon, an app that allows neighbors to buy food from one another and purchased a $12 quart of spicy lentil soup from another neighbor.
“Before, I never would have thought to be like, ‘Hey, that soup looks good. Can I buy some of it from you?’ ” she said.
She’s continued the habit all summer, and says she’s saved more than $100 so far, while supporting her neighbors.
“The food has been delicious and the feeling of helping a neighbor stay afloat right now makes it taste even better,” she added.
Self-proclaimed “DIY queen” Lauren Maria Grace also used her time in quarantine to help herself — and others — save big. The 26-year-old Dyker Heights resident spent lockdown doing her own haircuts and acrylic nail art and then posting how-to vids on her social media.
“You could easily drop $200 at the salon, but during quarantine you just can’t do that,” said Grace, who was laid off from her teacher’s assistant job in March. “So I try to learn how to do everything myself.”
Grace has never been to cosmetology school, but she’s always had an interest in beauty. When the coronavirus hit, she took the opportunity to pursue her passion more deeply and tried all kinds of nail shapes and designs, ordered mannequin heads to practice hair-dos and studied YouTube tutorials.
The results were so good that her Instagram and Facebook followers asked her to show them how to do it. Since March, Grace has saved an estimated $600 to $700 on beauty costs — and doesn’t plan on stopping.
“It’s a lot of trial and error, but if you’re really passionate about saving, it’s worth it,” she said.