San FranCelia

One of the best parts about being a kid is that all the activities you do and the time spent with your friends is not just fun, but cheap.  You’d get like what, ten bucks a week?  So I was thinking, what did I do on $10 a week?  As so many people are tightening their budgets, it’s old news that we need to start being smarter about where our ever-growing “miscellaneous fund” is being spent.  A fun night out for a group of friends, that’s also easy on the wallet, is a games night out at the Buckshot on 3^rd and Geary in the Inner Richmond.  I went there to watch a Skee Ball Tournament (yes, the game you played at ‘Chuck-E-Cheese’ with the red balls when you were 5, hence my above reminiscent rant).  Each Wednesday night they have a Skee Ball Tournament with about 15 or so teams, and it’s so fun!  At a dollar a game, it’s a really cheap form of entertainment that doesn’t fail to bring the laughs and the

 drama.  Competitions – I love it!  Beers there are about $4 and the food is delicious.  Before the night gets started (oh to be in college again), it’s a young, chilled out crowd that is low key and good-natured.  There are other games at Buckshot – darts, shuffleboard, and pool to name a few, and when the bar gets really crowded the games get very interesting!  They serve happy hour until 9pm every day ($1 off all wells and draft beer and $2 PBR and Tecates) – it’s a really great local spot.  Definitely brings me back when I play the games there.  Thanks God for the Richmond dive bars!

The same night as the Buckshot, I also made my first pot roast.  Now I know what you’re thinking; who has time to make a real meal, especially while doing a night out, plus who even knows how?  Well I discovered I not only could do both, but I could also figure out how to make an easy and tasty roast quickly (if you know me, you know that is no small feat), thanks to Paula Dean and the Food Network’s website.  It literally took 15 – 20 min to prep the chuck and get it in the oven, and then you just leave it for 3 hours… Get a pre-made salad, and boom, done!  So easy!  It also gives you time to go out and do something, whether it be going to the gym, or taking a walk with your honey.  How can you beat that?  All this cooking is really getting fun, and I am no chef.  It’s so much cheaper than going out, which is the name of the game, and is really relaxing, after all is said and done. 

Saving money doesn’t have to put you in a black hole of boredom.  There are hidden treasures all around the city, and while some aren’t overly posh, they always make for a good time.  Changing up the everyday and the routines that we all love so much will not only broaden your horizons, but may also help you save a little cash in the process.  Have fun with it!

Peace and love Xo

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Reddit

As much as I hate mentioning what not only is such a downer, but what is also totally out of our control, the Recession is affecting us all (yes, I’ve capitalized it – sad that this will go down as such a shitty era in history, but there you have it – historic times, bad though they may be). That doesn’t mean, however, that you have to stop living in the way that those of us in the Bay have become accustomed to – good food, good company, and extraordinary living.  In the past few months, I have started to live more frugally, while still enjoying all that the City has to offer, without feeling cheated.

For date night, once in awhile (and as cliché as it sounds), stay in already.  I did this for a date night last week and it was so much fun – in some ways better than going to a restaurant.  My boyfriend and I met at the grocery store to start off the date.  Not only was this a really fun way to spend time together (you’re on a date, so not being rushed and just enjoying each other makes even the grocery store more fun), but it also saved us so much money!  We got our whole meal for probably half to a quarter less than what would be paid at a restaurant.  Right there, you’re like, ok, this is worth it.  Making a leisurely dinner that is also gourmet makes you kind of feel like a rock star in the kitchen (for those of us who aren’t frequent cooks), and was really fun.  I simply got an easy recipe online (I used the Food Networks site), and whipped it up… literally – so easy.  ‘On Demand’ is a couple’s best friend, because after a delicious meal (all organic – creamy pesto with almond chicken on penne with a Caesar salad and French bread… yum!!), a movie was right at our fingertips.  This night saved us not just the cost of dinner, but also parking and gas, plus it was much more intimate than going out.  That’s a great combo even when the economy hasn’t fallen and can’t get up. 

Deciding to keep with my budget friendly ways, I had a night with friends that literally cost $15.  Can you imagine?  We started out at the greatest cheap sushi in the City, Kitaro.  It’s on 21^st and Geary in the Outer Richmond and I got two rolls plus Inari and a tea for $12, including tip.  This place is always hopping but can always seat you quick, plus it’s super fresh with fast service.  We split a bottle of wine and went to my friend Brooke’s for a night of playing cards and making dessert.  What a great night to spend with friends, especially when the wine’s a-flowin’…  As we became more fearless, we decided to take a midnight stroll to Sutro Heights near Ocean Beach.  It was a beautiful night here in San Francisco, and so with everyone in tow, we took a hike.  There were others having an outdoor party in the park, and we even began talking with them for a bit.  Very fun.  The whole night was a blast and so cheap, so when thinking of hitting up the bars for the night, reconsider, at least once in awhile.  These nights can create some really fun memories – creativity in circumstance generally does that (and vino of course). 

Hope these ideas improve your social life and your bank account.  Just because we’ve been virally bummed out with this whole Recession business, doesn’t mean we have to let it break our spirit of enjoying life to the fullest.  Live well everyone, I mean, we ARE in the Bay Area after all.

Peace and love Xo 

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Reddit

When was the last time you went to tea?  Been awhile, huh?  I went to a bona fide tea party the other day, and it was such a good time, I can’t even tell you.  Now, this wasn’t just a tea for the sake of eating yummy mini sandwiches with no crusts and holding up your pinky, it was a fundraising tea party for the wonderful organization, Gilead House, based in Marin.  This organization takes in three (soon to be six!) single mother families who are on welfare, WIC, etc., and houses them in an actual house where they receive mentoring on basic life skills, budgeting assistance with their welfare money, and help with finding a job.  This program, though small, is very impactful.  There is a strict interview process to get in, and only women who really want to change their lives are able to live there – this ensures a higher success rate than you would get otherwise.  The tea party itself was beautiful, and although we were rained out of the lovely mansion home we were originally slated to be at, it was still wonderfully put on.  There was a testimonial from one of the “graduates” who not only got off drugs, but who also completely turned her life around for her son.  Everyone was encouraged to donate whatever she could, and it was super low pressure, which is nice for a fundraiser event.

 Going to these events in Marin is fun because, most of the time, the people who attend really do care about the organizations they are there for, and are all so glamorous, as well, which is fun to see.  This was a ladies only tea, and the women dressed to impress.  Very fun!  Our table had one of the board members at it and we soon were in deep conversation about not only Gilead House, but also other organizations and causes we are passionate about. 

 This was an inspirational day for a great cause.  To learn more about Gilead House and donating, click HERE.

Peace and Love Xo

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Reddit