A comedian who set himself the challenge of seeing how long he could survive in New York City with just $100 dollars decided to go all out and treat himself when he made it to the last day of the month.
Anyone who lives in a city will know that it's all too easy to blow $100 (£81.58) in a matter of days, and nowhere is that more true than in New York City.
Being the tourist attraction that it is, naturally prices are hiked up in the Big Apple. You can easily drop $50 on a meal, and let's not even get started on the cost of accommodation. But TikToker and comedian Frankie Hoy has now officially proven that you don't have to break the bank to live in New York.
Hoy's challenge kicked off in November, when he announced he was running out of money because: "I do stand up comedy so I don't work all the time because I'd rather work on my craft."
Advert
He initially gave himself a budget of $100 per week, but by the eighth day decided to see exactly how long he could make the money last.
The comedian saves money by living out of a former DHL van in Queens, but he still needed to make sure he could get around the city to perform stand up shows, as well as eat and generally survive.
After accidentally spending nearly $5 (£4.08) on an iced coffee on his first day living on a budget, Hoy quickly got into the swing of things and began utilising offers of free food and making his own coffee.
Advert
One of the comedian's biggest money-savers appeared to be his (illegal) habit of hopping the turnstile in subway stations, saving himself a few dollars every time he needed to get around.
He ate oatmeal and savoured leftovers of the cheap pizza available to buy around the city, documenting each day as his budget slowly declined.
By the time he made it to day 31, Hoy had $4.33 left. He drank homemade coffee and ate leftover pizza for breakfast before heading out to the big city, where he claimed he didn't hop the turnstile, but censored the video as he did so, probably to avoid any legal trouble on the chance he was lying.
Advert
With his month nearing its end, Hoy decided to leave a $1.58 tip for musicians performing in a subway station. He ate oatmeal after performing at an open mic, and enjoyed some brownies at a party before heading back home.
Having made it through the day, Hoy made the decision to splash out. He explained: "With $2.75 left, it only made sense to NOT hop the turnstile."
This time he actually filmed himself paying for the subway and walking through entirely legally, something one viewer described as 'the biggest plot twist in cinematic history'.
After his challenge came to an end Hoy told the New York Post that while his money-saving techniques were quite extreme, he believes most New Yorkers could live for two weeks on $100 by making small adjustments to their spending habits.
Emily Brown