I headed to Macy’s. No, not the behemoth, panic-attack-inducing flagship in Herald Square that my mother would move into if she could. I went to the one in the Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minnesota, while on my annual fall pilgrimage to visit family in the Midwest. The Mall of America is also panic-attack-inducing (hundreds of stores, plus a full-sized, Nickelodeon-themed amusement park inside the mall), but at least the Macy’s there is a little more manageable than the flagship store. Mister Redhead is of no help when it comes to shopping, so I sent him on his way to a Twins game and enlisted the help of my mom and sister, master shoppers.

The great thing about shopping for black boots? They all look alike. I was trying on pairs on all points of the price range and couldn’t tell the difference between the $200 ones and the $50 ones. My only criteria was a chunky heel, since walking on New York sidewalks is hell on all my shoes. It didn’t take long to decide on these Karen Scott boots:

Karen Scott Lucca Boot, $79

One of my master shopper companions noticed a teensy-tiny scuff on one of the boots. The salesperson said they didn’t have any more in my size, so I asked for a discount because of the scuff. And got it! Ten percent off for a scuff that I can’t even find now. I wore my new boots three days in a row this week, and I love how comfy they are during my commute. Shopping success!

Have you given into any fall purchases yet? Have you ever asked for a discount on an item? Did it work?

Where else do people rent bikes from? Or do you own your own?

Frye Dorado Riding Boots, $502

I love the color of these riding boots I found on zappos.com. I’m not a huge fan of the shininess, though. Or the price. Moving on…

Nine West "Frollic" Suede Boot, $99

This price is more like it. I must digress and say that I’ll always associate Nine West with quality boots. When I was 18, I became the owner of $300 black knee-high boots from Nine West. To this day, that is probably the most expensive piece of attire I’ve ever owned. What was I thinking? But these boots were awesome. They were super comfortable, worked well with beat-up jeans and fancy skirts, and made the best clicking sound when I walked. I wore them at least 300 days out of the year. They got me through college and a few months in NYC. Then, in March 2007, as I was walking past St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 51st Street, one of the heels got caught in a subway grate and snapped off. I was crushed. I sat on the steps of the cathedral and mourned my broken boots. As luck would have it, my mom was with me, visiting from the Midwest, and thought it was a great excuse to chuck the crusty boots and go shopping at Macy’s. I’ve yet to find a pair of boots that live up to those, though.

Ralph Lauren "Isabelline" Riding Boots, $950

My favorites so far! Love the color, the buckle detail, and the heel height. I’ll buy them just as soon as I’m ready to spend a grand on a pair of boots. Sigh.

Are you longing for any back-to-school purchases? And how much should I be ready to spend on a good pair of boots?

Not that that’s a horrible thing. We’ve been loosening our financial ways just a tiny bit in order to enjoy the city a little more. Don’t worry, we’re not spendthrifts now. We merely came to the realization that instead of dining out too much, we can buy tickets to events, cash in on summer sales, meet friends after work for a drink, and so on. They’re minor things that get us out of the apartment more. After all, there are nine other months in the year to be cheap and antisocial.

To get you caught up on what I’ve been up to lately, here’s a quick recap:

• We went to see Kevin Smith at Carnegie Hall (Mister Redhead’s choice of events). I’ve blocked out how much these tickets cost; I was thoroughly bored and tired after an hour of his ramblings. But at least I can now say I’ve been inside Carnegie Hall. (Yes, this former music major’s first trip to the site of musical legends was to see a crass man talk for three-plus hours. Fail on my part.)
• I went home to Minnesota for Father’s Day weekend. It was a mostly relaxing and laid-back trip, complete with my mom paying for pretty much everything we did. Oh, and the whole family caught the final night of the free Twin Cities Jazz Festival!
• The month of July was spent planning a fundraiser for a nonprofit, which took place in the Hamptons July 25 and was absolutely amazing. We raised a total of $277,000 with that one event, which is mind-boggling. Check out some photos of the benefit here.
• My sisters and mom visited me in mid-July to celebrate my mom’s birthday. I paid for her ticket to Phantom of the Opera, which we all loved. She paid for most other things on the trip. It really is more fun to experience a few days in NYC when you don’t feel racked with guilt for eating in a restaurant or seeing a Broadway show. By the way, we ate at this little restaurant in Brighton Beach that I think was Russian. We could barely understand our waiter, and he kept bringing out more and more and more food,  to the point where I thought he must have really misunderstood our order and our bill was going to be huge. Nope: The bill was only $23! For a ton of food for four people. I was amazed. I would relay the name of the restaurant for you all, but I don’t think the letters were part of our alphabet. Hint: It had an orange awning…
• We discovered that we live within walking distance of a brand-new shopping complex called The Bronx Gateway. Target, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, Staples, BJ’s…I can’t believe I’m just a 20-minute walk away from all this convenience and mega-store splendor.
• We have survived the entire summer without air conditioning. This is more a testament to how cold and rainy it’s been than to our sturdy Midwestern ways (and my sisters and mom were not amused when they visited). Even so, our electric bill has been reasonable thus far. Here’s hoping August doesn’t turn into a record-breaking heatwave.

Well, those are the big highlights. The summer is flying by, but I still want to rent bikes and ride alongside the Hudson River, maybe get out of the city and take the Bolt Bus to another East Coast metropolis, and catch a free movie in one of NYC’s numerous parks.

In general, and financially speaking, how has your summer been so far?

There are times when I think that NYT is purposely ridiculous, just to get people talking–and it works. For example:

1. This essay about a man’s realization that organic food is expensive seemed reasonable enough. Reasonable, that is, until I got to the part where he admits to regularly paying $14 for a gallon of organic milk. Are you kidding me? Are people that concerned about hormones in regular milk? I feel ripped off paying four dollars a gallon. And I thought newspaper reporters and editors were perpetually poor…
2. This sociological trend article about college students unable to find their ideal summer jobs or internships is a big “cry me a river” fest. Am I supposed to feel sorry for the girl who was “reduced” to working at a suburban amusement park? The shock. The horror. Excuse me while I wipe away my tears. The article manages to paint an eye-roll inducing stereotype of Millennials: that before the recession, everyone in the Millennial category had everything paid for by Mommy and Daddy–including college and summer living expenses and trips–and it was just recently that we’ve been thrust into the harsh, cold, real world. I’m sorry, but it really annoys me that the New York Times chooses to ignore all the average Millennials out there who have always been expected to work and pay their own way. Just because you happen to have been born in a certain range of years does not make you automatically wealthy and spoiled. And for all the young people in this article who truly cannot find any type of job this summer, why don’t volunteer if you’re so bored? You’d probably learn the same skills you would at an internship.
3. This article about the reaction to the Bravo series NYC Prep (think a reality TV version of Gossip Girl) basically serves as a platform for private schools and parents to shake their heads disapprovingly at the behavior in the show. Psssstt, kids, there’s apparently an unwritten code that you don’t flaunt your wealth, and you’re pissing off your schools and parents with all your flaunting. Yawn.

I’m interested in sociology and finances and personal essays and all of that, but I wish these three articles had been replaced with news about Iran or profiles of the thousands of Americans who are actually, literally, struggling in this recession. Like, can’t-pay-the-electrical-bill struggling, instead of can’t-fund-Susie’s-summer-trip-to-Europe struggling. But I admit these inane articles get people talking and posting links on Twitter and Facebook–and isn’t that what newspapers desperately need these days (well, that and ad sales)?

I have to say this book review of Methland, by Nick Reding, was the most interesting thing I read from NYT today. Read it if you’re interested in small Iowa towns being rapidly destroyed by meth.

Is anyone else sick of the Times’ blowing minor inconveniences way out of proportion? How should they be covering the recession’s impact on everyday people? What topics would you like to see covered?

He hoped his efforts would offset the 5 percent pay cut he had to take this year. Although he fell short of that goal, he wrote, “I got enough done that I now plan to take a fiscal health day at least once a year, 10 hours on a weekday when all phone lines and financial institutions are open, with no interruptions except for e-mail.”

Doesn’t this sound like a smart idea, even if it might make for the most annoying, boring day ever? I don’t know if I could deal with customer service reps for 10 hours straight, but I usually do end up using at least part of my days off to clear up mistakes on bills. (I swear I’m billed incorrectly practically every time I use my health insurance.) I mean, how annoying is it that these offices are only open during business hours? Who wants to haggle over a medical bill during their lunch hour while your coworkers can’t help but listen? No. Thanks.

When do you guys deal with these financial annoyances? Would you ever devote an entire day to it?

Now, I know places like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods are notorious for long lines that stretch throughout the store. But Pathmark? Really? I’m curious: Has anyone else shopped at this location? Is it always that busy?

Sammy’s a friend of mine who uses her weekends to scour thrift stores and pick the best of the best from the ’60s through the ’90s. She’s gathering her top choices at her booth today from noon to 8 p.m. at 129 N. 6th St. in Brooklyn. And knowing Sammy, if you’re at a complete loss as far as how to wear vintage (like I am), she’ll help you coordinate a cute outfit.

Best of all, the prices aren’t ridiculous. Remember when I went to Brooklyn Flea a few months ago? All the booths had cool stuff, but everything was kind of expensive, which to me defeats the purpose of buying vintage. Why buy something used if you can get something brand new for less? (Sorry, I’m not the most sustainable-minded person.) But Sammy knows that vintage items should be a good deal: She calls herself the “H&M of vintage.”

Let me know if you go and if Sammy hooks you up with a new outfit!

I usually check out items on Saturdays, since it’s rare I’m in the city during the week while the libraries are open. I had last Friday off, though, so I stopped by our branch and picked up a few books and DVDs. This morning, I remembered that the DVDs are due after a week.  I logged onto my NYPL account and renewed everything. But one DVD wouldn’t renew. Furthermore, it wasn’t due today. It was due June 9th, four days ago and just three days after I’d checked it out. So at $1 per day for every day its late, I now owe the New York Public Library four bucks.

Here’s the part that really gets me: This DVD wasn’t some amazing documentary or artistic tale. I owe the library $4 because of Hairspray. No, not the cool-kitschy ’80s one. The one from 2007. The one with Zac Efron and John Travolta. John Travolta, in drag:

So I’ll have to go to the library tomorrow and put on my Minnesota-nice smile and try to work my magic on a good-hearted librarian. If that doesn’t work, I’ll be coughing up a $4 penance for my poor judgment in choosing movies and my lack of attention toward the check-out receipt. Between this and the bus ticket, it’s beginning to feel like NYC as a whole is against me lately.

Quick, somebody write something positive about libraries in the comments. Maybe that positive karma will help me tomorrow as I try to get out of paying my late fee.

But I also have to admit that I don’t think I spent $13,000 total on our wedding. Granted, our wedding was in Des Moines, Iowa, and you can’t get a much cheaper locale than that. But our celebration included all the traditional things: Dinner, drinks, dancing, cake, limo, flowers, deejay, and so on. It’s not like we got married in a field of wildflowers with three people as witnesses. And while my parents paid for the reception, we covered most everything else. Our wedding was the September after we graduated from college, so we were making a lot of these down payments while we were students and then during our first few months as New Yorkers. But we made it work and didn’t go into debt over it; we just made some pretty easy choices on what mattered to us and what we could do without:

• Our college friend took our engagement photos, and they turned out great because we had so much fun taking them.
• Mister Redhead’s aunt made our invites, programs, and thank-you’s, and my aunt made the decorations for the church.
• I love calla lilies and wanted my bouquet to be nothing but callas. Then I saw the price estimate and decided I didn’t really love callas at all (although I did get a few in the final bouquet).
• We arrived in Des Moines a couple days before the wedding. Rather than pay for a week at a hotel, we stayed with Mister Redhead’s brother. We slept on an air mattress in our nephew’s bedroom. Between the air mattress and the nephew, I don’t think I slept more than two hours that whole week. Adrenaline, meet wedding day.
• We had a professional photographer at the ceremony and for formal shots, but he didn’t come to the reception. We asked my aunt to do our reception photos instead, and our friends took plenty of pictures during the cake-cutting, toasts, and dancing!
• Our cake did not come from a bakery, and it did not cost hundreds of dollars, but it looked cool and tasted good, so what else matters?
• I love my wedding dress; it was the first one I tried on. Was it from some expensive bridal specialty boutique? No.
• We didn’t take a honeymoon. This was more of a practical choice than a financial one, seeing as we had to travel from Manhattan to Minneapolis to Des Moines for the wedding, then do that trip in reverse to get back to the Big Apple. You couldn’t have paid me enough to add another leg of travel on that trip.

What would/have you cut out of your wedding budgets? What would you do if you lost your job right before the wedding?