[teej]

This might seem a little crazy, but I would suggest taking a look at Hotwire, Priceline, and other discount hotel websites.

I did a quick search, you can get a crappy hotel for $60 a night through Hotwire in the NYC area. Consider what you get for that price: free use of clean towels, linens, pillows, etc, free breakfast -everyday-, free toiletries, and possibly room for a second person. You can save money by packing less and buying less going this way.

Compared to a hostel @ $80 a night in a private room, that's a pretty good deal.