Cheap Living

Hey, anyone hear about the times lately? They're tight. Jon and I are on a semi-spending freeze. Which means that we are not spending money outside of necessities (a loose word in our book.)

When I was a student I learned some ways one can conserve money while still consuming lots of the all-important carbs. While I do not advocate dumpster diving (gross), with a little of the Artful Dodger in you, you can eat quite a few meals for free.

Openings: art openings, grand opening celebrations, book signings, ribbon cuttings, any kind of community celebration. There is always free food at these and often free wine. First Friday art walk is a good choice for even supplementing the carbs with some protein-rich cheese. But you have to get there early. Just think, you could eat for free and culture yourself at the same time.

Jobs: There are two kinds of jobs in which free food is available. The first is, obviously, a food service job. (I highly recommend working for a local company vs a chain restaurant for many reasons, not the least being that large corporations often do not include free meals in their benefits.) The second is a job at a place that hosts a lot of events, meetings, workshops, etc. I worked at a National Park for a year and ate so many free bagels, muffins, and scones, and an occasional score of a veggie wrap left behind that I gained several pounds.

Church: Almost always, where one finds God, there is also coffee and donuts.* (The exception being Catholics--they're pretty hit and miss on the donuts.) Many churches give out free food as well. The pastor at the church across the street once said to me, "Excuse me, are you homeless? Cause this is for the needy!" My response (in my head, as I was too shocked and embarrassed to speak) was two-fold: "Uh, lady, this is a residential neighborhood. And, yes, I am needy, I am unemployed and have a $40,000 student loan and my rent is through the roof. It's Portland. Heard this story before?"

*The problem with this is that they do it after church so you have to praise the Lord to get the donuts! If you're stooping this low, you might as well wander your way into weddings and funerals too! I can assure that my family is so large no one would ever notice that there was an unfamiliar face.

Greedrinks: Could it be any better? The second Tuesday of every month, Greendrinks rocks again with free beer and free food and a lovely crowd of eco-conscious folks! Tomorrow it's at the Maine Rock Gym. Happy hour time.

More cheap living skills soon to come.