It's the Brian Lear Show on WNYC. I'm Amina Surna, filling in for Brian today. Now we'll end today's

show with your calls on your spending habits in New York City, particularly this question.

What do you splurge on? And how do you afford it? How do you spend save and scrimp in your budget?

212-433 W-NYC. That's 212-4339-2, you can call or text.

It's no secret that cost of living is a major concern.

New Yorkers chose the mayor in large part because of a campaign based on the word affordability.

When costs are already high for necessities, budgets are even tighter for the fun stuff. But being a New Yorker

is about making it work, right? Right? So, listeners, how do you make it work? Where in your budget

do you find savings to make room for indulgences? Do you meal prep all month for one night

of fine dining? Maybe you host friend hangouts at home to afford your

monthly Broadway tickets. Do you buy all your clothes at the thrift store to splurge on designer

shoes? 212-433 W-NYC, that's 212-433-962. You can call or text. And with me now to talk about our budgets is New York Times

reporter Eliza Shapiro. She writes the affording New York column where New Yorkers of all incomes

share how they make it work. Eliza, welcome back to WMYC. Thanks for having me. You write about the cost of living for the times.

We've had you on to talk about the cost of childcare in the past, but the affording New York column is new.

You just started it this year.

So what's the origin story for the column and how did you get on this beat?

Yeah, so it's been such a such a like incredibly fun illuminating few months

since we started this affording New York column. And it's funny, our original idea for it was making it

worked, like that exact phrase that you just learned, that you just used. I think everyone has like a

really simple question right now, right? It's like, how are all these people around

me living here? How are they doing it? What are they spent on rent? Like, what do they spend on food?

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