Welcome to Concrete Jungle — a biweekly series where Brooklyn native Madison Black helps you navigate the ins and outs of NYC as a college student. Think of it as your personal survival guide, if you will. This week, we’ll get into budgeting in the Big Apple.

I want you to be honest with me right now. What was the last thing you spent money on? Was it hip clothes at Beacon’s Closet? Some essentials on Amazon? Maybe merch at The New School store? Who am I kidding, no one is shopping there.

No, I know. It was probably a Waffle Kit you saw on The New School’s Fizz platform.

Well, regardless of what you spend your money on, I’m here to help you figure out how to manage your coins in the most money-driven city in the world.

Right now, you’re probably trying to choose between the Lorax or Steve Harvey for a Halloween costume (at least that’s what I’m doing). Or maybe you’re thinking about the candied yams and turkey you’ll eat for Thanksgiving (if that’s a holiday you participate in). And, of course, how can we forget about the season where Mariah Carey is defrosting for the last three months of the year (honest to God, all I want for Christmas is to not hear that song this year).

While for many of us, it can be exciting to think about the spooky functions, buffets, and Santacon (yes, that’s a real thing that happens in NYC), it’s also something that we all know costs good amounts of “munyun.” Prime examples of “munyun” (or money): groceries, laundry, and simply hanging out with friends… It can be a lot to manage as a new college kid, huh?

After things start to add up, you begin to feel like that song “Brokey” by Latto. Because, to tell the truth, by the end of the week — you look back and realize — wow, I’m really broke! Isn’t that fun?!

Obviously not.

So, with that being said, here are three simple tips to help you navigate the Big Apple on a budget. 

1. Use apps or notification systems to help you manage your guap (slang for money).

Now, a system can be a lot of work. There are so many systems in NYC that you’re probably still getting used to dealing with. And let’s be real, any system in New York is just a whole diabolical mess so the majority of the time, it doesn’t serve the purpose it’s supposed to. But the one system you can manage without the disorganization of it all is paying attention to how you spend your money. There are an infinite amount of ways to track what you’re spending your coins on. So, if you have the means to stay up to date on your expenses and manage your bread, then do it.

And what’s the best way to do that? Notifications. Notifications. NOTIFICATIONS.

Look out for the ones you get from your bank every time you make a transaction. You would be surprised how many of my friends spend money on things and then 10 minutes later forget what they bought. Hell, I did that too, until I finally looked through my bank account online.

Having notifications on your bank’s app (which commonly comes from either the app itself or your email) helps you keep track of what you’re spending throughout the day along with what you can cut costs on. Adding a text notification can be even more convenient.

Furthermore, if you keep getting a notification about spending $20 on the Merci Market buffet everyday, it might be time to have an intervention with yourself and start packing a PB&J instead. 

You can also create a spreadsheet, a physical budget planner (for my people who are still old school), or simply just use your notes app to keep track of your costs at the end of each week. You don’t have to do anything extravagant like download the Robinhood app and invest in Gamestop. It’s all about simply being aware of what you’re spending your money on and determining what’s a priority and what’s not. In the end, you’re the main person managing it. This is your system.

2. Pack anything that minimizes your costs throughout the day.

Now, referring back to the comment I made about Merci Market. That was in no way a diss. I, myself, absolutely love Merci Market. It’s addicting for someone like me who constantly stuffs her face with vegetable fried rice and barbeque chicken.

But the reality is that Merci Market is expensive — everything in the Manhattan area generally costs an arm and a leg. If you’re eating one day out of the week, then sure, do you boo. But four to five times? That’s basically a quarter of your tuition being spent week after week.

Unless you’re going to a food cart on the block, the reality is that you will be paying around $20 on food a day, period. It doesn’t matter if it’s a buffet, salad, or some weird exciting pastry. Everything in Manhattan is usually double the amount of what it’s actually worth. 

Water is normally $1, but in Manhattan you can expect it to be at least $5. That’s New York algebra for you. Numbers typically don’t lie, but in New York we don’t give a crap.

So if you want to save money for that girls trip your friends are planning for winter break or you’re thinking about that bag you saw at the sample sale, pack a lunch for the day. Or bring a snack from home. As impulsive as it is for us to automatically spend money — trust me, you don’t have to. 

3. Get creative with how you have fun.

As a college kid, there are obviously times when you want to have fun and take a break from all the exams and essays that plague us in our day-to-day lives. 

But many tourists who explore NYC are so quick to spend guap (again, slang for money) on a red bus to give them a tour of the city. I mean, if you want a real tour of the city, just get into a fight with a pigeon on the block and you’ll have already experienced NYC in its purest form.

But on a serious note, there are so many free and inexpensive experiences to have in New York that you rarely have to spend money on anything fun. As long as you have friends you’re cool with — trust me — you will never get bored in the city. Maybe check out the MoMA (free to college students in the city) or go to Brooklyn Bridge Park and hop on the ferry to Governors Island.

My best advice for finding these kinds of events would be following pages like @nyc_forfree or @yerr.nyc on Instagram. As long as you keep up to date on things, there’s never an event, a pop-up, or a get-together you’ll miss out on. NYC is the mecca of everything — fashion, food, weird and unknown smells on the block. So always be in the loop on things — who knows what one free event could lead to aside from you saving 20 bucks? You will never get bored in the city if you keep yourself posted on everything happening!

Although I am a certified genius on surviving NYC (I know that’s what you were thinking), I commonly forget to take my own advice as well. I can admit that money is something I’m still learning to manage, and it can be difficult to curb my impulsive spending on matcha lattes and lo mein. So if you feel stressed about anything regarding money, trust me, we’re all stressed too. And it’s okay.

Nobody is perfect when it comes to guap… unless you’re like Mark Cuban or something. We’re all young and still learning the flow of how we should spend our bread and butter. And again, that is okay! So whether you decide to use notifications, pack a sandwich, or even attend a pop-up, managing big money in the Big Apple is safe in your hands!