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There are plenty of ways to blow your budget in New York City: luxury hotels, fancy restaurants, Broadway shows all add up. But, as any native New Yorker will tell you, it doesn't have to be that way. There are so many ways to experience and enjoy the city on a budget if you know where to look. 

Some of the city鈥檚 most iconic attractions charge no fees at all, while many museums offer free or reduced admission on certain days. With a little guidance, discount tickets to see world-class performing arts are easy to score. And people-watching in parks, along sidewalks or on the subway doesn鈥檛 cost a cent. Here are a few ways to stretch your dollars further in one of the world鈥檚 greatest cities.

Daily costs

• Shared hostel dorm room: from US$50

• Basic hotel room for two: from US$200

• Self-catering apartment (including Airbnb): from US$200

• Subway and bus ticket, one-way: US$2.90

• Coffee from a street cart: US$1.50

• Slice of cheese pizza: US$3

• Restaurant dinner for two: from US$80

• Beer/pint at the bar: US$8 to US$10

Look for lodging outside of Manhattan

To find lodging deals, look just outside the city. Across the East River, you鈥檒l get slightly better rates than in Manhattan at hotels such as and the in Long Island City, Queens 鈥� a neighborhood only minutes from Manhattan by subway. The nearby offers even better budget options.

Choose your airport wisely

New York JFK and Newark Liberty airports both have train connections to Manhattan 鈥� though each requires the purchase of a separate ticket to get from the terminal to a connecting subway line. LaGuardia, on the other hand, requires just a single US$2.90 tap. The free (labeled the 鈥淟aGuardia Link鈥�) takes about 10 minutes to connect from the airport terminals, via dedicated highway lanes, to the Jackson Hts鈥揜oosevelt Ave subway station. From here it鈥檚 just one fare required on the subway to wherever you go.

Hotels in Koreatown and upper Chelsea offer great value

Simple hotels from international brands have proliferated in recent years to meet ever-growing demand. A cluster of properties in Koreatown, around W 32nd St, and the north end of Chelsea offer especially good value. Rooms at the usually come in at under US$200 per night; options like the , , and others on W 28th and 29th Sts combine great value with a central location.

Take advantage of the free subway-to-bus transfer

If you time it right, you can hop on the subway to run an errand uptown, then take the bus back downtown, for just one fare. A transfer between any subway and bus line is free within two hours of the first MetroCard swipe or credit-card tap, providing a two-for-one deal 鈥� if you move fast. Consider this money-saving tactic if you have a last-minute gift to buy before you depart, or need to check the availability of rush tickets at a Lincoln Center box office.

Don鈥檛 pay full price for a Broadway show

With the exception of red-hot hits, just about every show on Broadway has seats for below face value. If you鈥檙e picking shows in advance of your trip, look for discount codes to use at the box office or online at sites like or . If you're flexible with what shows you'd like to see, score seats through for US$49 to US$59 鈥� just be sure to reserve your date in advance.

If you鈥檙e in a more spur-of-the-moment mood, the in Times Square and Lincoln Center are a one-stop shop for same-day tickets at reduced prices. January and February offer the best discounts, as shows hustle to stay open between the holiday rush and the Tony Awards in late spring.

Research rush tickets

Many Broadway shows offer same-day rush tickets that cost well below even the lowest presale discount; Playbill.com is a reliable source for , which vary by production. Hear thrilling music for just US$22 with the New York Philharmonic鈥檚 , offered for select concerts. The Brooklyn Academy of Music sells to students, seniors and veterans. And perhaps the best offering in town is at the city鈥檚 grandest venue 鈥� the Metropolitan Opera. Pre-register online, then log on at 12 sharp each day to score orchestra seats to that day鈥檚 performance for . Now, that鈥檚 something to sing about.

Plan ahead and visit museums for less

Admission fees to New York鈥檚 stupendous museums 鈥� all private institutions 鈥� have increased over the years, with US$30 for an adult ticket becoming the new normal. Yet the major players all offer times when visitors can pay what they wish, or nothing at all.

• The Guggenheim has weekly pay-what-you-wish hours on Mondays and Saturdays from 4pm to 5:30pm. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

• Friday evenings are the slot for free admission to the , between 5pm and 10pm. Although admission is free, you need to book a ticket in advance.

• The National September 11 Memorial Museum is free to enter every Monday between 5:30pm and 7pm. at 7am sharp on the Monday that suits you to claim your free ticket.

Consider a multiple-attraction pass

Visitors looking to see marquee attractions have several pass options that bundle admission to shave costs. The best value depends on how much you want to pack in, and for how long.

The popular option, , will get you discounted admission to up to 10 famous attractions, from the Empire State Building and the to the American Museum of Natural History. Choose any three with the C3 pass, or do the full circuit with the 鈥淐 All鈥� option.

Competitors like Go City鈥檚 and the include even more options for the truly ambitious. Start by mapping out which sights you can鈥檛 miss, then pick the best option for you.

Buy a Citi Bike day pass to cover some ground

The minute you set out in New York, you鈥檒l see blue everywhere you look. New York鈥檚 wildly successful bike-sharing program offers the best deal for full-time residents via annual memberships 鈥� yet visitors can cover a lot of ground for less with a $19 day pass. Plan an ambitious day of exploring Central Park, the Hudson River shoreline and even neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn by mapping out 30-minute trips between them all 鈥� and consider that the day pass is far cheaper than even a single taxi ride between these far-flung pleasures. Download the for seamless access as you bop around town.

Grab a tasty meal for less at a food truck

Some of the city鈥檚 tastiest dishes can be had curbside. Despite ongoing issues with permitting and conflict with brick-and-mortar establishments, the city鈥檚 food truck scene is booming 鈥� and these mobile kitchens offer the best flavor-to-price ratio around.

Head to Brooklyn for divine Mexican bites at Tacos El Bronco. Greek fare doesn鈥檛 get better than from 鈥檚 trucks, and it鈥檚 hard to resist waffles heaving with sweet toppings from . These are but three of the limitless options 鈥� the bottom line is that if you see a queue in front of a truck, join it.

Get fine dining for less during happy hour

Eating out is a hallowed New York City tradition 鈥� and these days, an increasingly expensive one. But if you do your homework on happy hours around town, you can sample the city鈥檚 fabulous restaurant offerings for much less than a full dinner out. For example, in Greenwich Village offers delicious seafood in a stylish dining room and the oysters are US$2 each between 4pm and 5:30pm. Uptown, offers a range of wines and cocktails for US$15 and under, plus a delicious sampling of its Spanish-Italian menu.

Save on major baseball games

New York has two Major League Baseball teams and spending an afternoon at the ballpark is a great way to get a taste of the city鈥檚 sporting culture. Ticket pricing is dynamic for the Yankees and the Mets, which means buying early will save you money on games. Daytime games are always less than evening ones (you鈥檙e on vacation, after all), while a varying number of are offered for every home game at Yankee Stadium. If you鈥檙e really keen to watch a Mets game batter by batter, buy cheap Promenade seats at Citi Field 鈥� then head to a 鈥渟tanding room only鈥� lookout for excellent views of the field.

Embrace urban greenery in the city's parks

You could plan a week-long itinerary just exploring New York鈥檚 superb parks and still only scratch the surface. These free-to-visit marvels offer up superb views, bucolic landscapes and a true taste of city living. Pack a picnic and lie out in the sun at Sheep Meadow at Central Park. Hop the A train for a beach day to remember in the Rockaways. Go bird-watching at Inwood Hill Park or in wild Forest Park in Queens. Then treat yourself to a nice dinner out as a reward for a wonderfully frugal 鈥� and just plain wonderful 鈥� excursion.

Avoid chain drugstores and restock at dollar stores instead

Chain drugstores like Duane Reade, CVS and Rite Aid are everywhere in New York 鈥� and though they stock an astonishing amount of merchandise suited to city living (or touring), they鈥檙e notoriously pricey. If you happen to need toiletries, office supplies, cleaning products or even staple groceries during your visit, the savings will add up fast at ultra-discount stores like or Jacks.