Unemployment has finally allowed me to “come out” as a world class cheapskate, and the recession has made my long held predilection for thrift fashionable. I have lots of company now too, and not just from fellow layoff victims and those with normally low or fixed incomes. A recent “New York Times” story, for example, highlighted upper and upper middle class employed folks who finally feel comfortable admitting their passion for penny pinching  It suggested that in 2009 “keeping up with the Jones’” may mean bargain hunting as well as your neighbors, and not driving as big a car as they do.

You’ll always see articles and advice suggesting saving by going to big box stores like Costco, but for city folks without cars or lots of storage space shopping from bulk warehouses isn’t always practical. The last time I tried to stock up at Costco the price of car service negated much of my cost saving. Here are some of my favorite pedestrian friendly destinations and brands for maximum bang for the buck; I loved many of them before I was a 405er, and my affection is only growing.

Cobble Hill Cinema (265 Court Street, Brooklyn):  This neighborhood fiveplex features first-run flicks and a mix of independent and foreign films.  It also challenges theaters offering matinee prices with its consistently low tickets.  The top adult ticket is $9.50, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays all shows are only $6.50.  On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the $6.50 ticket is available until 5pm, and on Saturday and Sunday the first show until 2pm is only $6.50 as well.  You can check out what’s playing at www.cobblehilltheatre.com

My Favorite $0.99 Stores:

99 Cent Creation (246 West 23^rd Street, Manhattan): This isn’t the biggest 99 cent store, but it’s conveniently located in the heart of Chelsea and full of useful things you can easily stock up on.  The narrow aisles feature $0.89 toilet paper rolls, 8 packs of instant oatmeal for $1.49, 15 oz shampoo bottles of V05 and Suave for $1.29, 3 pairs of tube socks for $1.49, and full size tubes of Closeup, Aim,Ultrabrite and Aquafresh for $1.29.  If you shop at the right time (11am-12pm, 2pm-5pm) you can celebrate your thriftiness by taking a friend across the street to the “Early Bird” special at Dallas BBQ.  For $9.99 you can get two ½ rotisserie chickens, two servings of soup, two potatoes or sides of yellow rice and two pieces of cornbread.

DII (445 5^th Avenue, Brooklyn and other locations): I had never heard of this deals/discounts/closeouts chain before one opened up in my Park Slope neighborhood, but according to the website there are several branches in Brooklyn and more in Queens and New Jersey. This bright and clean emporium isn’t strictly a 99 cent store, but a cross between one and Century 21. On a recent trip to this nirvana of cheapness I found ladies’ jeans for $4.99, two  cups of Ramen noodles for $1.00, 5 and 6 item packages of BIC razors for $1.00, and men’s Hanes boxer briefs for $2.99 for a two pack.  I have also given up my pricey professional colorist in favor of the Revlon Color Silk haircolor sold here for $2.99.  My hair looks as good as it ever does after a trip to the salon, and I’m saving upwards of $50 doing it myself.  I’d recommend the DII chain over Century 21 for basic household supplies, and it also has a good selection of goods for children like $1.00 packages of candy, toys and school supplies.  Find out more about locations around NYC at www.deeii.aboutus.htm

N.Y.C. New York Color Makeup: Nobody looks forward to “Clinique bonus time” more than I do, but makeup isn’t clothing.  The label of your shirt may become visible and your outfit may be recognized as coming from Old Navy, but nobody can rub the blush off your cheek and know that you’re not paying top dollar for a designer brand. When you’re unemployed there’s also less of a chance that you’ll have to display a cheaply packaged compact to a colleague in an office restroom or whip out a generic-looking lipstick at a fancy restaurant. Sephora may still be my “happy place,” but you don’t need a chemistry degree to know that the ingredients in high-end department store and drugstore brands are pretty much the same.  I’m now wearing a drugstore brand called N.Y.C. New York Color, and it’s as good as brands that are quadruple the price in brightening up my naturally ghastly pallor.  At the Rite-Aid near me the brand’s blush costs $2.99, mascara will set you back $1.99, eyeliner pencils are $0.99 and cover sticks sell for $1.99.  I recently gifted a friend (who has completed stints as a makeup artist in her past) with the Riverside Rose blush which I’d seen featured as a best inexpensive beauty buy in a fashion magazine, and she’s as happy with the brand as I am.  Check out the products and where they are available at http://www.newyorkcolor.com

Savings for the Soda Addict: Before my layoff I probably spent more on Diet Coke than Lindsay Lohan spends drinking hard liquor in clubs. The worst cost drain was the 20oz container, which I’d buy with lunch at upscale take-out places like Europa and Café Metro, and grab a couple of times while out and about on weekends.  I’ve paid anywhere from $1.25 to over $2.00 for these single serving containers.  I now have a collection of 20oz containers which I recycle and fill from 2 liter/67 oz containers. These larger bottles frequently cost less than their smaller counterparts.  My current cheap favorite is Dr. Brown’s Diet Black Cherry, which proudly wears a 99 cent band on its label.  This prevents retailers from marking up the price, and I fill three 20z containers for less than a dollar.

The $0.99 Top Pasta: “New York Magazine” recently sponsored a competition to determine the best brand of dry pasta.  A panel of three Italian chefs and actor Steve Schirripa, Bobby Baccalieri from “The Sopranos,” tasted eight brands ranging from store label to artisanal.  The winner was actually the least expensive contender — Trader Joe’s spaghetti, which retails for 99 cents a pound.  It beat pastas going for more than $8.00 a package, and won raves for its “great aroma and nutty, malty flavor.” I particularly like the thickness.  Try it with Trader Joe’s $1.29 marina sauce for a less than $2.50 meal. You can read about all the pasta entrants at http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/56269.

-By Janet Raiffa, Contributing Writer, Member & Recruiting Manager

Read all of “Janet Raiffa’s Recessionals” here.