Brooklyn Tightens the Pursestrings

Oh Brooklyn, you frugal little borough you. The Daily News reports that you are now one of the five most penny-pinching communities in America; one Crown Heights resident explaining, "People in Brooklyn know how to survive. We're resilient."

According to the site Mint.com, who did a study, "Brooklynites have spent 28% less on discretionary items than they did last year, totaling an average of $2,307 in savings." Manhattan wasn't too far behind, cutting back by 26%; one of the website's employees said, "Brooklyn is more working class, more family oriented than Manhattan, which is why you see bigger savings there." They also have this handy little guide to help them out.

So what's the borough's secret? At least for one local, you can save some serious bank by breakin' the law; they say, "Instead of going to the movies, we find the bootleg out in the street and get that." Sadly, however (not really sadly, at all), cutting out movie theater nights means no trips to TGI Fridays! One Brooklynite declared, "We haven't been to TGI Fridays in eight months." Every recession has its bright side.