New York is the city of the rich, and that has two meanings. First, that a lot of very rich people live here. Second, that living in New York takes a lot of money. Both true. But for the frugal traveler on a budget, there are ways and then some, to bring the costs down to affordable levels by digging up travel deals across the board, from airline tickets to cheap restaurants and affordable upscale hotels. Let’s take an in-depth look at traveling, staying and getting to know New York City without the support of a limitless credit card.

Airline Tickets - With hundreds of airline discounts and best deals being offered by thousands of websites and booking agents, it’s a bit difficult to even really know whether you have the lowest price or not. This is where services like Yahoo’s Farechase and Sidestep come in. Farechase searches through all available travel offers and gives you the best price, based on your boarding location, destination, travel date and preferences. For example, a search on both Farechase and Sidestep for a round trip fare for one person from Washington D.C. to New York costs $139. The same search on Expedia shows $144. Not much of a difference, but every dollar saved adds up. Always remember that locking in airfare prices when they’re low is the best way to get hold of a cheap air ticket.

Also consider the cost of getting to and from the airport. Unless your hotel is offering a shuttle service, this is usually where you get hit by the infamous New York cabbie. With tip and toll, a ride to JFK airport can cost upto $55. Since strangers to the Big Apple are usually too diffident and scared to ask around, they generally miss out on the cheaper options. Options include the Airtrain which transports passengers to and from the airports once evevry 3 minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight and once every 15 minutes after that, the New York Airport Service Express Bus for Manhattan, ETS Air Shuttle for Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens residents, and the Super Shuttle Manhattan which services all of New York City and the surrounding areas. Booking tickets online for these options usually result in significant savings, when compared to a taxi from the airport to your hotel.

Hotel Booking - Every visitor to New York wants a hotel with a view adjacent to Times Square. And that costs big bucks. If you lower your standards and settle for an ordinary hotel in the middle of nowhere, the crappy service and transport hassles will make you regret the entire vacation. A feasible alternative exists in finding a travel deal at one of the upscale hotels located in downtown Manhattan. The best way to do this is with Hotels.com.

A search for a New York hotel on Hotels.com lists prices starting at $170 for hotels in Times Square and $90 for one near Madison Square Garden. Lots of deals and a plethora of choices. Booking a hotel online, well in advance of the travel date, is likely to reduce the price a bit further.

In the next part, we’ll assume that you managed to fly in and are tucked into a comfortable and warm hotel room. That leaves exploring the joys of the Big Apple and hitting the streets of the City that never sleeps. We’ll take a look at restaurants which offer decent and reasonable food, and ways to get around New York without making a cabbie rich and shopping till you drop. Continued…Part II - Cheap restaurants in New York and Part III - Budget Sightseeing and Bargain Shopping in New York.