How Far Can $10 Go?

I was looking for a website to check the daily news. I came across CNN.com and noticed their section called iReport. In the iReport section anyone can submit a news related photo or video with a brief explanation.  You can submit whatever you want or you can accept one of their assignments.  I don’t think it's possible to make money on iReport, but I liked the idea of posting something on CNN's webpage.  For April 9-11, 2010, the Weekend Assignment is “How Far Will $10 Go?”  It sounded like fun!  I've been meaning to reduce my grocery bill, go shopping at the thrift store, and use up an old restaurant gift card. So I did!

For the thrift store shopping, I went to Goodwill. There were none of the $3 blouses that I’d been hoping for, but there were plenty available for $4.99. I bought two shirts for going to parties or clubs that would also be appropriate for work. Bonus: As I was leaving Goodwill, a woman’s voice asked, “Would you like some free pizza?” I said, “Sure, are you promoting Mr. Gatti’s?” “No,” she said, “we just want to let our customers know we appreciate them.” I love Mr. Gatti’s pizza! And I am starting to love Goodwill.

Next stop: groceries. I planned my grocery list and quickly realized that $10 of groceries is not very tasty or nutritious. I decided to aim for $10 for a week of lunches. Here’s what I bought: one can of jalepeno flavored beans (yes, I’m in Texas), two small cans of tomato sauce, one can of tuna, one third pound of mesquite flavored turkey, two yellow squashes, one lime, one small avacado, a box of toastadas (like taco shells, but flat), one bunch of cilantro, and one bag of frozen mixed vegetables. These groceries only totalled $8.75, but I already had rice at home, so I didn't need to buy that.

With these groceries I made tuna and rice with mixed vegetables; turkey tostadas with avacado, lime, cilantro, and squash; and bean tostadas with tomato sauce and squash. There were only a few problems with this menu: the canned items were a bit high in sodium, the tomato sauce was low in vitamin A, and there was no room in the budget for cheese.

To resolve these issues, I went to a different branch of the same grocery store. At this second location I could get ground beef cheaper than sliced turkey and plain corn tortillas cheaper than the tostadas. This left me enough money to get fresh tomatos instead of canned sauce plus a rather small amount of cheese. Bonus: HEB grocery stores usually have free samples all over the store. I think Sunday morning is the best time to go.

Next stop: Happy Hour! My gift card is for Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant. At happy hour they have a free nacho bar with chips, salsa, chile con queso, beans, and ground beef. Margaritas are $3.50 and beer is $2.25 at happy hour. I’m going to buy a drink for my myself and a friend and fill up on beefy nachos. Yummy!  Bonus:  Well, there's no charge for the food and I'm using a gift card for the drinks, so who needs a bonus?

While writing this article, I remembered one of my favorite clubs in Austin has great drink specials. When Dallas Nightclub on Burnet Road has Ladies Night on Saturdays, there’s no cover for women and $5 cover for men. The drink specials change, so it’s hard to keep track, but one night my boyfriend ordered us two mixed drinks, and the total was well below $4.00. Bonus: If you go early on Friday or Saturday, there is a free Country Western dance lesson. I went to the lesson one night, and it was excellent.

Now I am thinking of more and more things to do in Austin for under $10.  One of my favorite Austin attractions is the Blanton Museum of Art. On the third Thursday of each month the museum is open until 9PM, and admission is free every Thursday.  Third Thursday includes an extended happy hour at the museum café, and the current happy hour special is a slice of gourmet pizza and a glass of Texas wine for $5. The Blanton's Third Thursday often has special activities, such as lectures, tours, and hands-on art activities.  Bonus: The Blanton is less than half a mile from the Harry Ransom Center, which is also open late on Thursdays, so I can check out the Harry Ransom Center exhibits before heading over to the Blanton.

I’m going to post more photos on CNN on April 10, 2010, for the Weekend Assignment. If you submit photos or videos to CNN, let me know in the comments below. I'd like to see your work and hear what you think of iReport.