The Buck Stopper: Ca$h Money

Day 5: Time to have a fun weekend on 8 Bucks a day

Entering the weekend, my funds have dwindled to $24.14.  That is just over 8 dollars per day to make it through the final stretch of my socioeconomic   experiment.  I decided to lump the whole weekend together... well, mainly because I am lazy.  So let me recap my weekend, and see how far the rest of my Sixty Bucks can take me.

$ Important Tip $

USE CASH.  When you are in a pinch, and need to conserve resources, put away your cards. According to studies, consumers spend 28% Less when using cash over credit cards, and 18% Less over debit cards. The logic is simple... it's harder to spend your money when you have to physically hand it over and watch your little green Founding Fathers disappear.  Debit cards have trained us to think of money as a digital concept, and thus, we spend like it's Monopoly money.

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* * * FRIDAY * * *

Friday was the first (and only) truly nice day of the week.  The Sun shone, birds chirped, and my pocket jingled (with the 84 Cents I had in spare change).  So, finding a cheap way to enjoy my afternoon wasn't much of a problem.

Around noon, I headed over to the Gano Street Park.  I used to go there often with my black lab to utilize their beautiful waterfront dog park. But today, I was here to establish my street cred as a basketball prodigy (yeah right), and played a few pick-up games. I quickly realized that I am not long for the NBA, or any endurance event, as I was sucking wind much more rapidly than I imagined.   I ended up heading out, and seeking something to snack on.

I rolled through Olneyville, and stopped at a light outside of the World Famous Olneyville Wieners.   How could I resist?  I popped in for some dogs.  I really wanted five, but I ordered only two "all da way"... A huge downside of this budget is portion limitation.

Friday Evening I met up with some of my WBOB comrades, intending on heading down to see our dear friends from the band Fall & Bounce performing at The Spot Underground.  They were playing between super-group; Bernie Worrell Orchestra and Rhode Island classic Route 44. These plans were thwarted, however, because we failed to buy advance tickets, and the event was sold out.

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So now, the Spot was out.  But we were still rearing and ready to go... so we ventured out to Atwells Avenue to see what was happening in Federal Hill.  After realizing none of us were prepared to make a decisive call, we opted for one of our favorite watering holes: The Bradford.  This place is an oasis from the overt gaudiness that has enveloped the Hill.  It was a little crowded, but we were escorted by the owner to a nice corner table. The Bradford has a great selection of entrees,, but we went for a couple of their Artisan Pizzas; Smashed Potato and Chicken Pesto.  Although their prices are fairly reasonable, I was sure that this night was going to bust my budget. However, WBOB personality "The Pal" picked up the tab... Which only seemed fair, since he hogged most of the pies.

* * * SATURDAY * * *

The free night out on Friday put things back on track for the rest of the weekend. Now, I had a little more than twenty dollars and just two days to go. Also, being the last Saturday of the March, it was free admission day to the RISD Museum. While I am by no means an art aficionado, I do like exposing myself to the occasional cultural attraction.  Plus, since it is free, it is for me. After touring their multiple exhibits, specifically the really interesting  Chicken Little and the Culture of Fear by Nancy Chunn, I had my artistic fill.  On to the next event.

Since I wasn't able to make it to Cuban Revolution earlier in the week, I made sure to drop by on Saturday.  It is one of my favorite spots in Providence, and a great way to eat well for cheap.  Like usual, they had a great Latin jazz band, which I enjoyed over a few Red Stripe beers and a bucket of Cuban-style wings. 

* * * SUNDAY * * *

On the Seventh Day, I rested.

It was a long frugal week of penny-pinching. At some points I was convinced that I wasn't going to make it, but I ended up straightening out my budget. I didn't intend on accomplishing too much on Sunday, but I decided against staying in all day, as it would defeat the purpose of my social experiment.  So, in fulfilling a promise to a friend, and my curiosity over its hype... I went to see The Hunger Games.

This is a great flick if you enjoy watching gratuitous violence against children... otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.

Anyways, the week is over, and so is my Sixty Dollar Challenge, let's see how I made out:

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Weekend Expenses

Friday

Olneyville Weiners
2 Dogs
$ 3.82 

The Bradford
Pizza & Beer
FREE

Saturday

RISD Museum
FREE

Cuban Revolution
2 Red Stripes & 10 Wings
$ 9.00

Sunday

Providence Place Cinema
Hunger Games
$ 8.00

Read More
Buck Stopper

Intro: The Buck Stopper
Day 1: Blast Of A Monday
Day 2: Back On Track
Day 3: Gas Hole
Day 4: Cutting Back 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Weekend Start Funds
$ 24.14

Weekend Expenses
$ 20.82

Final Remaining Cash
$ 3.32

I did it!  With enough for a coffee and a donut to spare!

It was a rough week, but I am happy to prove that you can go out, have a great week, go out, and have fun for less than Sixty American Dollars.   It is not easy, it takes sacrifice, discipline, and having good friends does not hurt.  Now, back to my frivolous and wasteful spending habits.

-Kevin Aherne