So you’ve decided to take the plunge and choose to live in New York City. While this is an exciting choice, it’s oftentimes a gigantic change, especially if you’re coming from a small town or someplace more rural. While you might think making the adjustment will be easy, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll have a rough time if you’re moving there and have nobody to guide you. Luckily, there are plenty of guides that feature tips and tricks to help you adjust, with many of them coming straight from the mouths of both newer and older New York City residents. Here are a few of those tips and tricks.

Prepare Your Budget

You’ve probably heard about this but you won’t truly understand until you experience it; living in New York City can be expensive. Many times you’ll find that living in Manhattan and other parts of the city costs double of what it cost to live where people are previously coming from, unless they’re coming from an equally pricey area such as another metropolitan area. If you think you have enough money prepared for the adjustment, think again as you’re likely under prepared. 

Public Transportation

Owning a car while living in New York is often no fun at all. Many New York Residents have gotten used to taking public transportation. You have the option of taking a bus, taxi or the subway, and the options vary in price and where they’ll bring you. Since traffic is always so jammed up in the city, public transportation is likely your best option so it might be wise to figure out your favorite style of transportation and stick with it.

Feeding Yourself

Feeding yourself when moving into the city can be a little challenging at first. Depending on where you live, you’re likely not going to be able to go to the large grocery store’s you may be accustomed to. Oftentimes you’ll be walking to the closest bodega and only getting enough groceries that you can carry home to your apartment. If that isn’t enough to satiate you, you may be tempted to order take out or go to a restaurant. While that’s not necessarily a bad choice, it’s quite expensive and can add up quickly. It’s important to figure out this balance before you overspend by eating out all of the time.