Budgeting for Your NYC Birthday

If you are planning a birthday in the Big Apple, then there is no question that you have a lot of opportunities to do a lot of big things. In the city that never sleeps, the sky is the limit in terms of what you do to celebrate your New York City birthday. However, there comes a point in time where you need to stop, take a deep breath, and decide what you can realistically spend on your birthday. This article will help you make some decisions regarding what that budget should be for your night of NYC magic. This is assuming that you are not a heiress or have not recently won the lottery, and actually have to do some budgeting. If you fall in either of those categories, you should not spend another moment worrying about the budget, and should instead start thinking about your new yacht. However, if you are like most of us celebrating on budget, then read on.First and foremost, you need to do decide what the maximum amount you can spent is. For my clients in New York City, I often tell them that there are two ways to approach this. The first is to picture yourself holding a match and a pile of cash. Pretend that the pile of cash is all of the money that you have to spend on your birthday party, and then pretend that the match is the evening itself. Mentally light the match, and picture all of that cash going up in smoke. If it makes you feel stressed out, or you feel like you might need some of that money to meet other monthly obligations, it might be time to re-think the original amount of money that you were starting with in terms of your birthday budget.The other recommendation I make to people is to decide how much a huge memorable night is worth to them. Are they willing to scrimp and save for a few months before or after in order to ensure that they have an incredible night, or would they rather save a bit the night of and enjoy life more before and after the party. New York offers an array of options, from a simple night at bar (West Third Common and Common Ground are two I love), to a crazy night of dancing with your favorite superstars (Marquee or Pranna are two spots that we have seen this happen at quite a bit).Once you have a budget in mind, then you have to decide exactly how you want to spend it. Are you going to want a big dinner and a chill night afterward? Or, would you prefer to put all of your budget into a night out at a lounge or club. If you choose to spend heavily at a bar or club, you will need to decide if you want bottles or any type of open bar service for you or your friends. When you are thinking about these things, do not forget to include the gratuity for the service in your calculations. One thing that catches many visitors off guard when they visit New York is how expensive things are compared to where they are from, especially when it comes to drink costs or bottle service. If you are on the west side, near Times Square, or at an extremely popular club or venue, you should expect to pay premium prices for drinks. Midtown varies, and Greenwich Village is generally pretty reasonable in terms of price. At any top New York City venue, you should keep in mind the possibility of a cover charge. If you are traveling with a large group of guys, expect to pay a premium. Ladies have a lot of options, and their costs are often half of what gentleman pay at the least. If you aren’t using a service that waives cover charges, make sure you remember to budget for these costs.Another factor you should keep in mind that traveling to venues in New York City is not like traveling in other places, and that the costs of multiple taxis, limos, or even a party bus can really grow quickly, so these possibilities should also be considered early on. Most limo services and party buses in New York on the weekend have a 4-6 hour minimum, so when you are checking prices you should keep this in mind. It is great to show up in style, but if you are celebrating on a budget it doesn’t make a lot of sense to leave your fabulous limo parked on Fifth Avenue all night long.The last thing you should think about, but certainly not the least, you will want to decide if you want to provide any party gifts for your friends that come out. Saving a bit in advance can ensure that you have some nice party gifts to provide at the end of the evening. Another alternative is taking your friends out after the party, even if it is for something as simple as diner food. You can all sit and recount the events of the night while enjoying reasonably priced food at the same time (my favorite is the diner on the corner of 4th Street and 6th Avenue, but you can find a great diner anywhere in the city).By taking the time well in advance of your New York birthday celebration, you can avoid going broke as you party in the Big Apple.