Pennywise Traveler

March 19, 2019April 23, 2019

5 Ways to Find Free Pop-Ups & Events (NYC)

free event nyc — Free Olivia Burton Dream Bus Pop-Up I found from Facebook. I also got a free pink hot chocolate at the event.

Pop-ups are short term retail stores and temporary art installations and are very popular in New York City. Some of my favorite pop-ups that I go to are workouts, wellness panels, and photography walks/sessions. Please see below for my recommendations on Instagram accounts, newsletter subscriptions, and websites to use for finding cheap and free events in NYC.

Instagram

My top favorite Instagram accounts to follow for pop-ups and events, include queenoffreeba, fomofeed, artworldnyc, and popupgirlsnyc. Queenoffreeba has daily morning Instagram stories about free events. Both fomofeed and artworldnyc have eye catching posts about pop ups and often feature pop ups on their feed prior to the public event launch. Popupgirlsnyc may even feature your post if you tag them on Instagram.

Free Canon Pop-Up where I learned photography tips and shot photos with a DSLR for free.

2. Newsletters

My favorite newsletters to find events include the Skint (daily), and the Joy List (weekly). The Skint is a daily newsletter about fun and free cheap things to do in New York, which include ongoing events, such as poetry readings, outdoor movies, and comedy shows.The Joy List features events that you can go alone and meet new friends, which include potlucks, game nights, and dance clubs.

Free Weekly Summer Kayaking I found from the Skint.

3. Goldstar

Goldstar is great for finding complimentary tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets, and under $10 tickets, and can be also used in 26 cities across the United States. I have found great discounts on tickets that I would normally pay full price from the venue and Ticketmaster.

4. Eventbrite

My favorite part about Eventbrite is that I can use the “free” filter and that I can search by keywords. My favorite keywords to use are pop-up, clothing swap, panel, and wellness.

Monthly free 1st Thursday cookie and baking class at Michel et Augustin I found on Eventbrite.

5. Facebook

On Facebook I use the events section, and I filter results by New York, New York or I can choose a city to see events in the area. In addition, I can also put the city in the search keyword as well, such as Pop-up New York, Clothing Swap New York, Panel New York, and Wellness New York. Some of my favorite Facebook Event pages are FOMO New York – Free Events, Epic Events NYC, Awesome Events – NYC, The NYC Daily Event List, and Free Events in New York City.

March 15, 2019April 7, 2019

NYC: 3 Day Weekend Budget Itinerary & Meal Plan

New York is known as one of the world’s most expensive cities, but it does not mean that you cannot be on a fun budget here. One of the amazing things about New York is that there are free events and discounted museum days. Please see below for my itinerary I would follow for a fun budget weekend.

My 3 Day Weekend Itinerary Guide

Friday

Morning: Financial District

Cost: Free
Highlights: Charging Bull, Fearless Girl, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
Train: 2/3/4/5 train to Wall Street
Address: (NYSE) 1 Wall St, New York, NY 10005

*Wall Street* is the financial center of the United States. Image by Predrag Kezic from Pixabay

Afternoon: Chelsea & High Line

Cost: Free
Highlights: Walk around Chelsea and the High Line (elevated park)
Train: Take the 1 or C train to 23rd Street
Address: The park runs from Gansevoort Street – three blocks below 14th Street, in the Meatpacking District – through Chelsea to the northern edge of the West Side Yard on 34th Street

Evening: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Cost: Free Friday only from 4-8pm
Highlights: Vincent Van Gogh – “The Starry Night”, Pablo Picasso – “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” Monet – Water Lilies
Train: E/M train to 5th Avenue/ 53^rd St
Address: 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019

Vincent Van Gogh – “The Starry Night.” Image by Eric Perlin from Pixabay

Saturday

Morning: Statue of Liberty (via Staten Island Ferry)

Cost: Free
Highlights: The Staten Island Ferry takes you right past the statue for free
Train: 4/5 train to Bowling Green

Afternoon: Central Park

Cost: Free
Highlights: Take a stroll walking throughout the park, the pond and Gapstow Bridge, and Sheep’s Meadow
Train: N/R/W train to 5^th/59^th St

Central Park is one of the most famous parks in the world. Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Evening: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Cost: Pay only what you wish Saturday from 5:45pm-7:45pm
Highlights: Édouard Manet –“Before the Mirror,” Pablo Picasso – “Woman with Yellow Hair”, Pierre Bonnard – “Dining Room on the Garden”
Train: 4/5/6 train to 86^th St
Address: 1071 5th ˀAve, New York, NY 10128

Sunday

Morning: Brooklyn Bridge

Cost: Free
Highlights: Take photos of the iconic bridge and get spectacular views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Brooklyn Heights, and DUMBO
Train: 2/3 train to Clark Street
Address: Take the Henry Street exit. Walk left on Henry Street. Go left on Cadman Plaza West/Old Fulton Street and walk downhill to the entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park, located at the bottom of the hill, at the waterfront

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Image by Foundry Co from Pixabay

Afternoon: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met)

Cost: $25 (pay what you wish for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut residents)
Highlights: Jacques Louis David – “The Death of Socrates” , Raphael – Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, Marble statue of Aphrodite
Train: 4/5/6 train to 86^th St
Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

Evening: Times Square

Cost: Free
Highlights: Shopping, people watching and being amazed by the billboards
Train: 1/2/3/7/S to Times Square – 42 Street Station

Times Square and the lights. Image by Foundry Co from Pixabay

Meal Plan

Sunday

Parmesan Garlic Cauliflower

Monday

Aspargus Carbonara

Tuesday

Sweet Potato Skillet

Wednesday

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Thursday

Sweet Potato Chicken Kale Skillet

Friday

Chicken with White Wine, Leek, Spinach and Arugula Pan Sauce

Saturday

Creamy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Mozzarella

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

March 13, 2019March 25, 2019

Welcome to My Blog!

Thank you for stopping by! After traveling to 34 countries in 7 years, I finally decided to start my blog.

My blog’s focus will be on budget travel and meal planning. In each travel blog post, I plan to give a sample itinerary and meal plan. The meal plan makes it easier for travelers to save money and plan meals ahead of time.

My blog is also focused on money tips. I plan to write about ways I save money on everyday things. I save money on everyday things to make more budget for travel.

Be sure to stop by often to read about my adventures and how I save money on things.

Please feel free to leave comments if you have any questions or tips. Thank you again for stopping by!