April NYC -- The "Bank"

I often travel with other women. It has been one of the joys of my life. (you know who you are!)

And the BEST TRAVEL TIP I EVER LEARNED (from Mary) was to put money into a "pot"...to pay for those things that will be shared.

Neither Amy nor Nicole had ever been to New York...I'd been working on our itinerary for weeks...and I sooo wanted them to enjoy this trip. Here's an email I wrote to them...the week before...

Dear Amy, Nicole and Jackie,

....To handle the finances -- we will each put $300 cash into the "NYC Pot". I have the perfect zippered pouch -- and I nominate Nicole to be our official banker.

That money will pay for cabs, tips, ubers, subways, restaurants,etc. Anything the FOUR of us do together can come out of the pot. We'll often be sharing food...this is much easier than asking for "separate checks"...

Obviously, you should have your own money to pay for those things only you want to do. That includes alcohol, Starbucks, cigarettes, illegal drugs and hookers.

If we run out of money in the pot, we'll pitch in another $50...(or whatever). At the end, if there's anything left -- we just split it...

When I mod-podged my NYC purse...

I love, love, love this little purse...

And, OF COURSE -- I made a matching zippered "money pouch"...

Anyway. Our FIRST job, after arriving at our hotel, was to sit down, and put our cash into the "Money Pot".

I love the Art Decco lobby of the Hotel Edison -- but, when we arrived, it was packed full of people. So, we left our bags with the Bellman -- and went across the street...

Just steps away from our hotel -- is the fabulous Marriot Marquis!!

I love the way their center tower of elevators works...you push a button, and it tells you WHICH elevator to get into...

Their "lobby" is located on the 7th floor -- along with some retail shops, beautiful, spotless bathrooms, a coffee shop, a bar. It was the PERFECT SPOT for us to sit down and organize our Money Pot.

WE ARE SO LUCKY TO BE traveling with an actual "banker". Nicole has worked for a bank for 20 years.

And, for the next three days -- Nicole paid all the bills. We'd go into the subway, and Nicole would hand each of us a $20 bill to get our MTA passes. At a restaurant, the bill would come to the table, and Nicole would pick it up. Getting out of a cab, somebody would say, "Nicole, you've got this?"

IT WAS SO EASY.   By Sunday night, I heard Nicole talking to her husband on the phone and she said, "I've been paying for everybody all weekend...it's always Nicole, get this, Nicole pay for that, Nicole, tip the bellman...all I do is pay, pay, pay..."