Brokester in chief Faye picked this as her fave affordable salon. Can you do better?

There was probably a tragic time when you wrote off manis and pedis entirely. They seemed to be a luxury so posh and foreign you couldn’t even afford to press your nose to the window and watch someone get one. But thankfully, Our Lady Brooklyn knows a nice mani — like pizza and beer — should be cheap and available to all. Brokelyn’s covered some of our favorite nickel-and-dime nail shops in the past. We’re revisiting the topic after Time Out New York ran a list of the best affordable finger-picker-uppers across the five boroughs, but could only find two in Brooklyn. Check their list against ours and tell us: what’s your pick?

According to TimeOut‘s ranking, the only picks for Brooklyn’s bargain buffers  are Williamsburg’s Agua de la Vida salon and D’Beaute Beauty Boutique in prim Park Slope. Both spots will do your digits for under $10, less than $1 per nail if you boast a full set, which isn’t much more than buying a whole bottle of polish at Rite Aid. The Fancy Lady in me knows this is a good deal, since I can never make it even halfway through a bottle before the color makes me feel nauseous, bored, or like a 5-year old for one week too many.

So can we add to this list? Do you know of a cheaper nail haven, where the polish flows as freely as a cheap sparkling wine, a place that TONY’s researches could never find on their own? Time to fess up, and while we’re at it, how high have you gotten off those fumes?

Photo from BoCoCaLand

Deep discounts and sales are all well and good, but to really lure the shoppers in? Freebies, dear store-owners. Freebies. (And they best be good—not those calendars from the local real estate office). Case in point: the free manicures Shen Beauty is offering to its holiday shoppers this Thursday, Dec. 2. The Court St. beauty shop, writes BoCoCaLand, is offering manicures and “light fare” between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. to keep you presentable and energized while you’re perusing the shelves. There’s also a sale going on and some other holiday-themed stuff… which we’ll let you read all about here. Shen Beauty, 315 Court St. between Sackett and Degraw Sts., Carroll Gardens.

via BoCoCaLand

The mint Cape Codder at Anima. Photos by Eric Reichbaum.

Clinton Hill certainly has its share of alluring little traps that can easily sabotage the neighborhood cheapskate. For example, Elly’s Market (So cute! So much variety! Oh my god I just spent $60!) or Barking Brown boutique, where the funky patterns might hypnotize you into dropping a week’s pay on a tank top. But even in Clinton Hill, deals abound if you know where to go. From Park Ave down to Atlantic, Vanderbilt Ave on east to Classon, Clinton Hill is a prime territory for stoop sales. But the deals don’t stop at your neighbor’s trunk of disco-era suede jackets, as I found out on a recent weekend exploration:

FOUR VERY HAPPY HOURS Clinton Hill’s happy hours stand out for their length—instead of instituting the standard 7 pm reality check, I found several bars that keep the cheap booze flowing til 8pm. Which gives you a lot more time to feel good about getting wasted before dinner. Two of note are Anima (458 Myrtle Ave, at Washington Ave.), which offers a 2-for-1 deal until 8; and Alibi (242 Dekalb Ave, between Clermont Ave. and Vanderbilt Ave.), where drinks are $3 until 8. Monday nights are especially economical here, as The Five Spot, (459 Myrtle Ave, at Washington Ave.) on Myrtle and Washington, offers $2 pints and Rope, (415 Myrtle Ave, at Vanderbilt Ave.), sells $1 PBRs.

Bergen Bagels.

TWO BUDGET BREAKFAST JOINTS Soak up that happy hour hangover at Bergen Bagels (486 Myrtle Ave, between Hall St. and Ryerson St.) The breakfast specials—egg sandwich & coffee for $1.95 or muffin & coffee for $2.15—are excellent considering how fresh this food is (all baking is done on the premises). Castro’s (511 Myrtle Ave, between Grand Ave. and Ryerson St.), a Mexican joint popular with Pratt students, has a breakfast special that gets you 2 eggs any style served with home fries, bacon, ham or sausage, coffee or tea, and toast for $6. They also offer a slew of “special sandwiches” for breakfast (some quite hearty, like the 2 eggs with bacon, ham or patty sausage for $3) for $2.25 to $5.

FABULOUSLY CHEAP INDIAN FOOD For the heartiest deal I’ve found try Kinara (368 Myrtle Ave, between Adelphi St. and Clermont Ave.) It’s spicy, fresh Indian food at a great price. This is the second branch that Kinara has opened, the first being their Park Slope location. Kinara has good service, quick delivery ($13 minimum), and the chicken tikka masala, lamb korma, and samosas come highly recommended.  Most importantly, here you can get a whole 3+ course spread- appetizer, entree, rice, sauce, naan, and dessert, delivered for for $12.95. It ends up being easily enough for two people. If you’re eating in, everything on the menu is 50% off from noon to 4.

MANICURE DEALS Century 21 nail salon (383 Myrtle Ave, between Clermont Ave. and Vanderbilt Ave.), offers manicures for an obscenely low $7 and pedicures (in “those nice squishy chairs,” as my salon-savvy friend noted) for $14.

DOLLAR-A-DAY YOGA At Move With Grace Yoga studio (469 Myrtle Ave, between Hall St. and Washington Ave.), try a $30-for-30-days deal going if you sign up with a friend.

Move With Grace Yoga.

Read more from Eliza on her blog, The BK Recessionist.

7Av Spa Nail, 297 Seventh Ave. between 7th and 8th streets, (718) 369-8938
Spa Boutique Nail, 430 Seventh Ave. between 14th and 15th streets, 718-788-3808