Save Money, Savor Life

 

Tips on Stretching the Dollar & Gaining New Experiences

Lassi with Lavina shares with you the news you really need – news which if followed can save you bucks, enhance your life and take you into fresh adventures…

 

 

 

 

 

1.Enjoy New York Museums for Free

Ever wondered how to entertain the children – and not end up paying a bundle? New York City is rich in museums but sometimes the cost of admission for an entire family can become a bit expensive. Well, what could be better than free?

Visit the New York Hall of Science on Sundays between 10 – 11 am to get free admittance (That’s a saving of $ 38 per family of four) The museum is full to the rafters with wonderful experiments, gewgaws and interactive games, not to mention a fantastic Hall of Mirrors. Also included is a blockbuster exhibition ‘1001 Inventions – Discover the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization’ with a short film presided over by none other than Sir Ben Kingsley.

Even the Metropolitan Museum of Art has some programs by which students are admitted free. All New York City public school students, along with students from Bard Graduate Center, Barnard College, Columbia University, and the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, may visit the Museum for free. So check with your children’s school to see if their student ID allows free admission to the museum.

At the Museum of Modern Art admission is free for all visitors during Target Free Friday Nights, held every Friday evening from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. and this permits you to all other Museum galleries, exhibitions, and films. The good news is children 16 and under are free all the time at MOMA

If you want to get your kids interested in design, then check out the free programs and free museum admission for the whole family at Cooper Hewitt Museum of Design

Target Design programs introduce children and adults to the world of design through open-ended play, tours, and design workshops. Create your own designs—fashion, architecture, graphic design! Workshops are geared toward children ages 5–12.

July 17 is Target Design Kids festival where kids become designer for a day; From June to October every Tuesday you have an Imagination Playground for children designed by architect David Rockwell for children to be children.  Every Saturday there are children’s workshops to design clothes for dolls and build stage sets and model homes. For more information, call (212) 849-8353.

The Museum of the American Indian is always free. At the Rubin Museum of Art admission is free for all every Friday from 6–10 p.m. Seniors get a free day on the first Monday of every month. You can also download a coupon to bring a friend for free to the Rubin Museum at any time. In fact the good news is that from March 1 you can download and print the Museum Discovery Pass for unlimited two-for-one admission to the following museums this spring:

American Folk Art Museum
Asia Society Museum
International Center of Photography
Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art
Museum of Arts and Design
Museum of Chinese in America
Noguchi Museum
Rubin Museum of Art

2. SAJA offers scholarships for budding journalists

Always wanted a career in journalism? Now you can actually get scholarships to ease the high cost of pursuing that elusive degree. The South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) is offering $36,000 in student scholarships in various categories. Students from the United States, Canada and South Asia can apply for the awards but must be enrolled in a North American educational institution. Applicants with financial hardship may be given special consideration. Recipients are expected to give back to SAJA by volunteering at the annual convention or at other events during the year.

• Three SAJA scholarships for high school students $1,500 each
• One SAJA Engendered scholarship for an undergraduate student $1,000
• Three SAJA scholarships for undergraduate students of $3,000 each
• One SAJA Engendered scholarship for a graduate student for $1,000
• One SAJA Atlantic Monthly New Media scholarship $1,500
• Three SAJA scholarships for graduate students of $5,000 each
• One SAJA CNN scholarship for broadcast journalism for an undergraduate student for $2,000
• One SAJA CNN scholarship for broadcast journalism for a graduate student for $2,000

• The 14 scholarships range from $1000 to $5000 each.
• Applications must be submitted via e-mail by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time), Tuesday March 15, 2011.
• Applicants may be interviewed by phone or in person by a member of the scholarship committee.
• Winners will be notified in April. Download the entry form:   2011 SAJA Scholarships.doc

3.  Help for Ethnic Media to Learn the Ropes

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed and confused by the digital revolution, help is at hand! The Ford Foundation has awarded the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism a total of $300,000 to provide training and support for the community and ethnic press in New York City. An earlier $150,000 award was earmarked for teaching digital media skills to ethnic and community journalists so they can expand their online news offerings. The $150,000 grant will help the CUNY J-School lay the groundwork for establishing a New York Community and Ethnic Media Center.

If you’ve wanted to understand social media, learn to take videos and more, connect with the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism for free classes here

 

 

4. Love Movies? Be a volunteer at the Tribeca Film Festival

 

 

 

Want to see movies for free and be within breathing distance of the stars? Then volunteering at the Tribeca Film Festival might be a great idea!

Here are the details for the 10th annual Festival which  runs from April 20 – May 1, “We need smart, fun people to help us make it happen. Volunteering is a great way to meet fellow film fans, see festival films for free, and just plain have an awesome time. Many different departments need help, so we’re looking for all kinds of skills and availability. The only requirement is that you be 18 years of age or older. Volunteers will also receive goodie bags and an invitation to our exclusive Volunteer Thank You Party.”

More details and volunteer applications  here

New York is a great place to explore and experiment with new worlds. We welcome tips and suggestions from readers.

What do you think are the best little known secrets of the city?