5 Ways to Save Money in Boston

Boston is a unique city with so much to offer: legendary sports teams, historic sights, and fantastic places to shop, eat, and have a great time. But Boston is also expensive, and living here can put a pinch on your finances. So to help you stretch your dollars, here are five ways to spend less and still get the most out of this town.

Have Fun for Free: From concerts to museum exhibits, there’s always a lot going on in Boston—Monday through Sunday. If you look around, you can finds ways to do a lot of it for free. Two of the best sites to check out are CityofBoston.gov and BostononBudget.com. Another great resource is Meetup.com/Free-And-Cheap-Things-in-Boston. These sites feature everything from free outdoor adventures to free lectures and workshops on topics like personal finances, the arts, and education.

Bank for Less: Spending smarter is one way to stretch your dollars. Banking smarter is another. Boston is a city that provides many options when it comes to banking—be sure to find one that offers a no-fee account with free or low-cost services. For instance, with an account at First Trade Union Bank, you’ll discover smart ways to make your money go farther: from getting unlimited rebates of those pesky foreign ATM fees when you use any ATM in and around the city with FT Checking to earning more interest on your savings with an FT High-Yield Savings account. And with the bank’s FT Pay mobile payment app, powered by LevelUp, you can earn up to $100 in cash bonuses and pay for food, drinks, and other purchases from your iPhone or Android.

Be a Deal Hunter: There’s more to the Internet than friend updates and cute cats. You can also use it to find all sorts of special offers available every day throughout Boston. With just a little searching, you could find a Groupon giving you a $20 meal for $10, half-off tickets to a Sox game or comedy show on Stubhub.com, or free furniture for your new apartment on Craigslist. All you have to do is click, click, and save.

Say YES to the T: Parking in Boston can be expensive, and driving around the city is always a huge pain. That’s why the MBTA is one of the best ways for you to save money (and your sanity). The T has stops throughout Boston and runs from just after 5am to around 12:30am Monday through Friday (and until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights). So instead of jumping in your car, hop aboard the T and say goodbye to parking fees—and to those inevitable parking tickets.

Make Used the New You: From consignment shops to vintage clothing boutiques, Boston is full of businesses that let you pay less and still look good. Boomerangs in Jamaica Plain is famous for stocking everything from cowboy boots to couches and Urban Renewals in Allston is THE place for discounts on designer labels. If high-end fashion is your thing, Second Time Around on Newbury St. brings you racks of the most fashionable looks, all at rock-bottom prices. Whether you’re looking to decorate your new apartment or find a killer outfit for Saturday night, these stores let you do it on the cheap and still look like a million bucks.

Smart Bostonians have always loved saving money. With these tips and a little creativity, you can pay less and still get the most out of our great city, one app or ticket discount at a time.