I currently live/work in NYC, making about $60k/year, but I live more lavishly than my friends who make low 6 figures just by making a few frugal concessions. For instance, I pay $1500/month (and live alone), can afford to drink on weekends and smoke weed every day, I rent a music practice space and can afford to buy/maintain all of my music equipment, all while paying off school (undergrad and Master's), dating my partner full time, and sustaining a pretty nasty record collecting habit. I also manage to save a decent chunk of money every month. It's all about planning.

1) Pack your lunches. A PBJ sandwich, protein bar, apple, and bag of chips can all end up being under $1 per lunch. When you compare that to most Financial District's "lunch specials," you're saving $8-12 per day. 2) Have 1-2 drinks before going out to the bar. Limit drinks at the bar to 1-2 (when I play gigs I usually get 2 drink tickets, also). I'm not antisocial and I don't go to bars to rip them off, but there is no reason to pay $5-10 for a shot when you could pay $20 for a bottle of whiskey. 3) Crock pot dinners are less effort than ordering on GrubHub. You can have a whole week of delicious dinners for under $15. 4) Sounds really stingy, but hold onto your change. I had a roommate until last year and he had coffee cans full of coins that he just left behind when we moved. I took those coins and counted over $350. Boom - vacation fund for the partner and me. 5) Free stuff to do EVERYWHERE. You don't have to sit on a patio to enjoy the beautiful weather. With a MetroCard, you can be in dozens of beautiful, walkable/loungeable surroundings in less than an hour.

I don't do this to brag, but I keep up with (and surpass) my friends that make double my income. NYC is not that expensive if you don't want it to be, but it does demand a little bit more attention and effort.