Times Square is one of the most expensive places to eat, drink and shop in the entire city and its location right in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world and being so crowded with tourists every day, doesn’t help either.
Still, there are some great places to eat, drink and shop in the Times Square area at a reasonable price.
So to help you out, here are…
5 Tips For Saving Money In Times Square
1. Eat Breakfast Before You Hit The Street
There are a ton of restaurants and cafes in Times Square and many of them offer great deals on food at breakfast and lunch. To save money, though, you should eat breakfast before you leave home because when you’re in the middle of the city, you’re going to be tempted by all of the yummy food so the best way to avoid temptation is to not be hungry in the first place.
2. Go Between Noon And 3 P.M. For The Best Deals
If you’re going to eat or drink in Times Square during the day, between noon and 3 p.m. is the best time. For lunch, you can go between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. For dinner, you can go between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
The later you go, the cheaper the drinks usually are but the earlier you go, the cheaper the food usually is. It really depends on the day and the establishment but the earlier you go and the later you return, the cheaper it will usually be.
3. Eat Before You Hit The Bar
If you’re having an evening drink at a bar in Times Square, you should probably eat something before you go. You’re more than likely going to be spending a lot of money on drinks and it’s better to be hungry than thirsty as the food in bars is usually expensive, especially in the evenings in Times Square.
You can save quite a bit of money by eating at home or in your apartment before you go to the bar or you can splurge a little extra and order some dishes to share with your friends, which will keep the overall costs down.
Of course, if you’re already out and feeling hungry, there are some good deals on food in some restaurants and bars, you just have to go looking for them.
4. Know The Different Types Of Hotels In Times Square
There are different types of hotels in Times Square and many of them offer great deals for longer stays. If you’re staying at one of these, you can save money by booking a week or more in advance but if you’re planning on staying even longer in one place, you can find some great deals for 2+ weeks or on a monthly basis.
Just do plenty of research online or ring around to different hotels asking what they’re best deals are.
5. Make A Plan And Stick To It
Most people who go to Times Square are there for a short time, like a few hours. This can be great but it also means that you’re probably only going to visit one or two places while you’re there and then moving on.
You could spend all day in Times Square and not save any money at all because too save money in Times Square, you need to have a plan. Map out the places that you want to visit and have an idea for how long you want to spend at each one.
If you don’t have enough time to visit all the places that you want to visit, then prioritize them based on how much you want to spend and how important they are to you. At least this way, you’ll have a rough idea of your overall costs providing you don’t go splashing the cash on things that weren’t in your plan in the first place.
So there you go, a quick and easy 5 step process for saving money while you’re in Times Square. Remember though, for things like this to work, you have to be disciplined as it’s no use saying you’ll do these tips then finding yourself wasting money on all kinds of other things and getting carried away in the excitement of it all.
Times Square can cater for most budgets but you’re not going to get rock bottom prices anywhere, however you can certainly have a great time without breaking the bank. Whatever you decide, i’m sure you’ll have an amazing time in Times Square!!