Sure, we're spending billions on holiday season shopping, but food is expensive in NYC and incomes aren't rising. Which is why there are enterprising individuals like one 23-year-old who used Match.com to find men to take her out to fancy restaurants five days a week. more ›

In another dangerous yet vital lesson to our city's youth, it appears that crime does pay. According to an MTA study, fare beaters entered the subway 18.5 million times in 2009, an average of 50,684 times each day. If they're fined $100 every 6-13 weeks, that means the scofflaw is saving $62 based on the price of a weekly farecard. And that was in 2009 dollars! While the Daily News quotes the report as stating, "The basic street economics might explain observed evasion behaviors," we have a more succinct explanation: paying the MTA is for suckers! more ›

In a roundup of the city's new "Quick Cost Savings program" in the Daily News, we see how absurdly easy it is to save (and spend) $1 million. Cost saving measures include eliminating bottled water, encouraging agencies to not send out holiday cards, and using both sides of the paper when printing. They weren't doing that already? Clearly nobody in the office got that speech about wasting paper from their high school librarian. Cutting paper use by 15% alone would save the city over $1 million. more ›

With millions of cars recalled, Toyota has played the model apologist, but new documents suggest the auto giant has been putting profit before safety. In papers released today, company officials boast about having saved $100 million by bargaining with the government to recall only a limited number of floor mats in Camrys and Lexuses. It also lists millions saved "by delaying safety regulations, avoiding defect investigations and slowing down other industry requirements," according to the Daily News. more ›

According to a survey of low-income New Yorkers, Crain's reports that "two-thirds have less than $1,000 in savings to fall back on should even tougher times hit, while one-third have no savings at all." more ›

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." more ›

Restaurant Week, which was supposed to end after Friday night, has been turned into Restaurant Summer, with 130 restaurants extending their prix-fixe deals on weekdays all the way through Labor Day. The special three course menus – $24.07 for lunch and $35.00 for dinner – have proven extra-popular with recession minded diners this month, according to NYC & Company, which organizes the biannual deal. Restaurants participating in the Labor Day extension include such well-reviewed places as Centro Vinoteca, Mai House, Artisanal, Le Cirque, City Hall, Fig & Olive, Tribeca Grill, Town and Mia Dona. The full list will be on the Restaurant Week website after midnight Friday. more ›