A Cheapskate’s Guide to 29 Cities

Writers across the country offer their tips for living large without spending big.

From MSN City Guides

Sometimes the best things in life really are free, or at least dirt cheap. We asked writers in 29 cities to offer some offbeat tips for having a good time on a budget—and what we got back ranges from free wine tastings and a distillery tour to free museum days, with a stop at “scaraoke” in between. Check out the list, and add your own suggestions in our message boards.

Atlanta: Park Tavern
Corner of 10th Street & Monroe Drive
(404) 249-0001

If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to pass the time in Atlanta, you can’t beat Park Tavern’s “When it rains we pour” $1 drafts—weather permitting, of course. The taps don’t dry up when the rain stops, either. Since Georgia law doesn’t allow alcohol to be discounted for partial hours of the day, whenever www.accuweather.com shows a projected quarter inch or more of rain, you can order beer for a buck a mug from the moment Park Tavern opens its doors until last call. 

Although Park Tavern doesn’t offer the promotion on special event days, like Unplugged in the Park, St. Patrick’s Day and Whiskey Fest, among others, you still have plenty of other chances to grab a cheap beer while taking in an amazing view of Piedmont Park and the city’s skyline. It’s yet another reason to pray for our drought to end.
—Jennifer Maciejewski
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Austin, Texas: Mrs. Johnson’s Bakery
4909 Airport Blvd.
(512) 452-4750

Austin is known for its healthy lifestyle, college atmosphere and organic food markets—hardly the place for a bakery that specializes in old-fashioned, fat-fried, glazed donuts. For the last 60 years, sugar-lusting college students and donut-dunking neighborhood denizens have followed their noses to Mrs. Johnson’s Bakery. Conveyer belts loaded with dozens of donuts and a sweet perfume of baked goods including cake donuts, apple fritters and kolaches tempt visitors. Since this award-winning bakery opened its doors in 1947, local sugar addicts have left the shop carrying plain white boxes filled to the brim with donuts by the baker’s dozen. Easy to spot, they are the folks with sticky fingers and gooey chins.

Catering to night owls and early morning risers, the bakery opens every day at 8 p.m. and closes the next day at noon. If you’re looking for a cheap sugar fix or crave a sweet, melt-in-your-mouth donut delight, stop by Mrs. Johnson’s Bakery. Be on the lookout for the “hot donut” light. Fresh donuts are ready at 9 p.m., 10 p.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Use the drive-through if you must and don’t forget the coffee or milk—and grab plenty of napkins. You’ll need them.
—Vikk Simmons

Boston: Brix Wine Shop
1284 Washington St.
(617) 542-2749

It’s rare to find free food and wine in Boston, but you can enjoy both at Brix, a stylish yet friendly wine shop in the South End. Forget slurping out of plastic cups; here you’ll sip out of crystal stemware. Recent pourings have featured some great values from Portugal, decadent dessert wines and hearty wines that pair well with autumn’s stews, braised meats and rich sauces. From time to time, Brix even partners with local restaurants to offer snacks at the sippings. Soon, food likely will play a bigger part in tastings at Brix’s downtown store, which will have its own catering kitchen and a private tasting room when it opens on Broad Street in the next few weeks.

The complimentary tastings take place every Friday and Saturday, from 6 to 8 p.m. Their timing makes it easy to unwind with a glass or two before heading to dinner at a nearby restaurant, to a friend’s party, or home to your own guests. With the store’s range of bargain offerings, you can even afford to leave with a bottle or two in hand.
—Genevieve Rajewski