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No Netflix, shared Ubers: How New Yorkers are stretching every dollar to live here
By
Karen Yi
Published Sep 1, 2026
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Spencer Platt
By
Karen Yi
Published Sep 1, 2026
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Michelle Edwards, 50, doesn’t have Netflix. That’s because she only uses cash — a trick to help her stay within her budget.
Anne Devin, 38, said she saves by abstaining from take-out, movies and concerts.
Both joined dozens of other New Yorkers in a research study by the nonprofit Community Service Society of New York that details how people earning below $50,000 a year are affording to live in New York City. The study, which was shared exclusively with Gothamist, explores the financial decisions people are weighing, how they’re navigating banking systems and what trade-offs they’re making amid rising costs and stagnant wages.
“ We heard people really describe thoughtful and adaptive ways of managing very limited resources,” said Rachel Swaner, vice president of policy, research and advocacy at the Community Service Society of New York.
“ But there are limits to what those decisions can accomplish when your income isn't keeping pace with housing and food and healthcare and other basic costs. These good financial decisions matter, but they can't make an unaffordable life affordable.”
About 60% of low-income New Yorkers can’t make ends meet and are barely managing to get by, according to a 2025 survey by the nonprofit. More than half couldn’t cover a $400 emergency expense and three-quarters aren’t saving for retirement.
The focus groups included 41 participants that ranged from 18 to more than 60 years old. About half earned below $15,000 a year, primarily since they were recruited from a workplace training program for low-income women.
Scrounging up savings
Some participants said they immediately set aside money to cover rent, utilities and childcare to determine if there was any leftover to save or buy something in the “want” column, like clothes, subscription services or other entertainment. Some immediately set aside money to save, sometimes hiding cash in different bags, coats or pieces of furniture.
Some said they had to dip into savings to cover basic expenses.
Other strategies included rounding up purchases when they record it on tracking apps or on their budgets to create an extra cushion. So a $4.50 purchase would be rounded up to $6 in the expenses column.
Limiting lifestyle creep
New Yorkers in the focus group said they had to cut out lifestyle creep — when your expenses increase as your income does, making what used to be luxuries feel like needs — and “wants” such as new clothes, Amazon impulse buys and limit social outings. That included getting rid of Netflix and Hulu, no longer eating more expensive proteins like salmon and steak and instead buying in bulk from Costco or eating more beans and chicken.
“If I don't have to go out for work or anything, I stay home. The majority of the time, I cook my food I literally had to be, like, penny-pinching, like literally, in order to save,” said Edwards, who is in school for childhood education.
Devin said she never takes Ubers and when her subway line stops running, she often asks fellow passengers whether they want to split a ride.
“There's a ton of people on the platform, I will literally say, like, "Hey, is anybody else going to Williamsburg? Was anyone else going there?" she said.
Banking barriers
While most participants said they had bank accounts, many were frustrated with bank fees, which can add up. Instead, many relied on credit unions, which don’t have fees or balance minimums and offered personal attention.
Participants said talking to a person at a banking institution was helpful for getting fees waived, fraud issues resolved or better understanding their financial options.
Many reported using “buy now, pay later” apps like Afterpay and Klarna for bigger unbudgeted expenses like contact lenses or a prom dress or credit building apps like Credit Karma and Experian. But those apps also raised concerns about hidden fees and privacy — and the lack of a clear person to speak to if an issue arises.
“ I've used it for medications that my insurance won't cover,” said Devin. “ The food delivery apps will now take Klarna, and that's crazy. People are ordering food or getting their groceries and having to split it up into all these payments because no one can afford to just outright pay for things.”
Still, apps like Zelle, Venmo and Cash App were very popular to send money to family and friends, or hold grocery money or automate a child’s allowance.
“ Our participants are describing an increasingly complicated marketplace where it's not always easy to understand what a product costs, what protections apply, or where to go when there's a problem,” said Swaner.
She said policy makers should ensure there are strong consumer protections around these buy now, pay later and financial planning apps and financial literacy workshops should be updated to reflect their increased use.
“Financial education should give people more power in the systems they're navigating, not simply teach them how to manage scarcity,” she said.
Tagged
affordability
economy
new york city
Karen Yi
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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