green living, smart spending
Visit more than 200 museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens and other cultural institutions for FREE on the first full weekend of every month, via the Museums on Us program. The program is a perk for holders of a Bank of America or Merrill credit card or debit card. Just present your active card with
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Now that my hometown is back on top of the must visit destination list, here’s how to enjoy NYC on the cheap. Spring/Summer is a great time to be in NYC, cherry blossoms and the Macy’s Flower Show, The Ninth Avenue Food Festival, Museum Mile and other outdoor food and crafts festivals, FREE fan events
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Here are a dozen-plus spots in New York City and the rest of NY State where you can enjoy acres of these blooming beauties through mid-May. Many for FREE in public parks, so you can enjoy cherry blossoms on the cheap.
Since our mental health is connected to our physical well-being, these FREE fitness apps will help motivate you at home or on the road. They offer exercises including yoga, measure your walks and hikes, and meditation to help you sleep more restfully when day is done.
Reminder that the National Park Service has changed the days for free admission in 2026, dropping Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth and adding President Trump’s birthday. Other traditional free admission days remain, including Presidents Day (Monday, Feb. 16) , Memorial Day, Independence Day, Constitution Day, Veterans Day, President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (Oct. 27)
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CBS announced recently that the popular and multi-award-winning The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is being cancelled in May 2026. Here’s how to get tickets before the show goes off the air after a decade, on May 21, 2026. Tickets to shows taped in NYC are FREE. Anybody who wants to sell you tickets to
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The best late night TV shows are taped in New York City, and tickets are FREE. Here’s how to get tickets to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, including for standby tickets.
It’s possible to double the daily rate of your rental car with add-ons such as insurance, a second driver, navigation system, toll road pass, car seat or bike rack. If you haven’t rented a vehicle in a while, it’s worth reviewing the rental do and don’t rules to save money, even legal grief.
You’ve procrastinated long enough. The Ikon Pass for the 2025/26 skiing and riding season has been on sale since spring, with periodic price increases every few months. Thursday, December 11, 2025, is the last day to purchase any Ikon Pass, including passes for specific resorts and multi-day discounts for prices as low as $349.
Beware of the newest holiday scam, called “brushing”, which involves receiving an unexpected gift – something you did not order – by mail or delivery from Amazon or similar. You need to click the enclosed QR code to find out who sent it. Don’t do it.