I am broke. You may once have been or maybe still are. And if so, you've felt that odd sensation of your body actually eating away at itself because you haven't put food in it for a few days. Most people take on another job or start slangin' rock, but not me. On Friday afternoon, I offered to write a restaurant review if Recess Editor Greg Veis would foot the bill. So, he ponied up the $18.34 that he had in his pockets at the time, and I set out to make it last the weekend.
Friday night: It was a no brainer where to start my journey of thrifty deligh - Cosmic Cantina. But, clearly, on a minimum budget, I could not splurge on a deluxe steak burrito, but rather dropped two bills (yes, two one-dollar bills) on cheese quesadillas, ate the chips off a friend's plate and stole about a gallon of soda from Cosmic's fountain machine.
Saturday morning: I found myself steeped in a hangover and got really scared that I might have blown all my cash on cheap beer the night before. Thankfully, I found that my money was intact and the feeling of booze in my belly killed my appetite.
Saturday afternoon: Just recovering from my hangover, I took in the lunch buffet at Costco on North High Point. It is amazing what the nice folks in the aisles will give you for free if you feign any interest. I highly recommend the spinach ravioli in a light olive oil sauce in aisle six. Feeling somewhat dissatisfied, I coughed up another $3.50 for the chicken-bake at the food stand and ate it as slowly as I possibly could.
Saturday night: With over $12 still burning a hole in my pocket, I caught the BP special on a sixer of Busch Lite for under four bucks and washed down my hops and barley with two Big-N-Tasties at McDonalds. Six bucks and a pretty awful stomachache later, I stumbled back to bed.
Sunday morning: I forgot completely about the whole "try to save money" thing until I was halfway through a cream cheese bagel and orange juice at Alpine. So, 67-cents to get me through the day....
Sunday afternoon: I convinced some guy at Honey's to let me get in on his hash browns for the change I had in my pocket. And, while it was one of the more uncomfortable experiences I've had thus far, the hash browns there really are good.
Sunday night: Nothing. :-( I called home and asked my mom to send me cookies.
- Yoav Lurie
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