Jolene Siana, a writer in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, plans to spend time with friends at their homes rather than in wine bars, bringing a $12 bottle rather than blowing $12 on a glass. Nelson Murphy, a maintenance worker at a Manhattan hospital, is determined that 2009 will be the year he finally gives up smoking \u201d\u201d it is bad for his health, and, at $9 a pack, his wallet.<\/p>\n
And Felicia Jackson, 23, is promising herself a healthier lifestyle \u201d\u201d physically and financially. She will take peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to work instead of frequenting McDonald\u2019s for lunch (and sometimes breakfast), and walk to and from her subway stop instead of hopping in a town car.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s $5 each way, so that\u2019s $50 a week,\u201d\u009d said Ms. Jackson, who lives in Brooklyn and works at Paragon Sports in Union Square. \u201cI\u2019m going to make a tighter budget this year with the economy the way it is.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n