Cheap Stuff

Everyone is all about the "recession" specials.
I myself, being an unemployed girl, have been keeping a close eye on all of these deals.
Today, in MatchGirl's inbox, gentle readers, Daily Candy had a few prime deals. Below are those specific to New York, but if you check out their website, there are deals everywhere.

NEW YORK | May 22, 2009

Ten-der Is the Night
Good Stuff Under Ten Bucks


Hear ye, gather round the old town crier
Village idiots, antics, and sages.
Unwaged locals, bankers under fire
Ye may be broke, but ’tis not Dark Ages.

See ye not where ten golden coins suffice?
Recession’s lease hath all too short a date
Petraske’s perfect cocktails over ice.
Thou art now seven bucks and temperate.¹

Here are the treasures of thy lusty days
Bring round with you fun party elements
Kiosk’s yo-yo balloons earn thrifty praise
Staches to go for seven hundred cents.²

Sit prince-like on the rooftops of Fort Greene
Nine-dollar docs under the starry sky
On Sundays, half past six, you’re free to screen
Surf flicks at Tribeca Grand come July.³

Fine feasting doth come cheap on city streets
Tight gourmands chase the Rickshaw Dumpling Truck
Hark! Messenger birds update via Tweets
Feed thine own self on dumplings for nine bucks.

Music, culture, art go on a diet
So once again you can be filled with life
New Museum’s Button Retard Riot
Costs two bucks — not bad if thou hath strife.

¹ Recession Cocktail Hour, daily, 6-9 p.m., at White Star (21 Essex Street; 212-995-5464); daily, 7-10 p.m., at East Side Company Bar (49 Essex Street; 212-614-7408).
² Facial hair is more fun with friends at Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store (365 State Street; 718-522-9848).
³ Popcorn included for all complimentary Sunday-night screenings at Tribeca Grand (2 Sixth Avenue; 212-519-6600).

People always talk about how expensive New York is ... and it is. But suddenly everything costs less. Due to the economic downturn, everyone says, even the most luxury of brands has to fight for the consumer. Even the wealthy are tightening purse strings. But, New York still has one of the greatest disparities amongst the classes. While these deals are great for the formerly comfortable and the formerly well-to-do, who are now a little less than comfortable (MatchGirl, herself is in the less than comfortable category, as she was barely comfortable to begin with) and still well-to-do but pulling the kiddies out of Brearley, let's all remember to take a step back an remember that New York, especially the outer burroughs, has a lot of people living below the poverty line. Or barely scraping by.

I'm not saying I am against consumerism. I'm not. I worked high end retail for most of my adult life and I love beautiful things. There is no denying that. But I am entirely against spending above and beyond one's means. Who one is is not about what they own.

Real status is in who you are. Not what you can buy.
(And maybe if people remembered that, we wouldn't have gotten into this mess in the first place).