Luckily…I didn’t have to be!  :)

I woke up Saturday just in time to head out the door for my favorite afternoon activity…tasting lots of wonderful wine!

BEHOLD!!!

But wait…there’s MORE!

Where is this magical place, you ask?  Cellar on Greene!  By day, it’s a wine shop;  By night, it’s a restaurant/wine bar.  Any time of day, it’s one of my favorite places to be!  :)

Every other Saturday afternoon from 12:00-2:00, they host a giant wine tasting. You can try 30 or so different wines from all over the world for $5.  The charge is waived if you buy 2 bottles…and trust me, you’ll want to leave with at least two.  The good news is, a lot of the featured bottles are fairly inexpensive, with some priced at a mere $9.

Meet Kaitlin, the lovely Manager/Wine Snob!

The staff is super-knowledgeable and is more than happy to help you pick out your new fave vino!

Anyone can use a little help with a list this long!

Ptttthhhb!!!!

Wine Buddies!

After getting my early afternoon drink on, I mosied on over to Drip Coffee to finish my review of Boeing Boeing for Jasper Magazine.   This is one of my favorite places to hang out and blog/write.  :)

Ahhhh…the life of a theatre critic!

Looooook at the delicious beverage I happily consumed.  LOOK AT IT!  :)

Nonfat Vanilla Latte of the Gods!

With my review written and my editor pleased, I had to hurry up and get ready for my monthly Supper Club.

Here’s the dealio:   Once a month, my closest group of friends gets together at someone’s house (it rotates every month).  The host/s get to choose whatever theme they want, and everyone has to cook a dish that goes with said theme.  The weirdest ones to date are:  Must have the letter Q in the name, Squares, and Fancy Sandwiches.  :)

This month’s theme was Vegetarian (in honor of our herbivore out-of-town guests!).

There’s a lot to love about this arrangement.  Once a month, we’re all guaranteed a MASSIVE delicious meal, and all we have to do is make one dish/bring our own booze.  This is waaaay cheaper/more fun than going to a restaurant!  :)

Sunday was lovely and laid-back with an afternoon visit to USC’s Horseshoe.  A puppy play date with pals was in order!  :)

The University of South Carolina campus is really pretty.  Since I’m now majorly in debt from the education I received there, I feel totally free to loiter at will.  :)  A completely free fun afternoon?  Yes please!  :)

Cheers!

And guess what?  It’s about to get happier for one lucky reader!

A couple of months ago, a friend of mine offered me a voucher for 4 tickets to see the play Boeing Boeing at USC.  When you’re broke, you don’t always have the cash for all the fun theatre shows you’d like to see (or sometimes even paper towels), so I said, “Heck Yeah!”

Hello Ladies!

As some of you might know, I’m a theatre critic for Jasper Magazine.  I ended up being asked to review this show on their preview night, so now I really don’t need the extra tix anymore.

So…I’m passing them on to YOU!  :)

…but not the puppy.

If you (and 3 of your friends) would like to see this show, you can enter The Boeing Boeing Giveaway by doing the following things:

1.  Liking the Broke In Columbia Facebook Page.

2.  Liking the USC Department of Theatre and Dance Facebook Page

3.  Leaving a comment on this post (make sure you leave your email too, otherwise I won’t be able to contact you!)

***You can earn an EXTRA entry in this Giveaway by sharing this post on your Facebook Page with your friends!***

The winner be chosen randomly tomorrow (Saturday 2/23) afternoon as soon as I sleep off my hangover from Friday night (just being realistic, y’all).  The winner will have their tix waiting for them at the Longstreet Theatre Box Office.

Good luck, and Cheers!

Oh Yeah! I”m about to lay some First World Problems all ovah y’all!  :)

“What about No salary increases?”, I asked.  The room went silent, until a woman who makes more than twice my salary said, “But that doesn’t affect how you do your job!”

“Now go away, you filthy beggar! Shoo!”

I was flabbergasted.  People who don’t have to worry about money don’t seem to understand what it’s like for those who do.  Now…I’m not saying that just because you’ve been in a job for X years you should automatically get a pay bump.  But…if you’ve been in a job for X years, have done an awesome job of it, are doing the same level of work as your higher-paid counterparts, and your company/organization can afford it, then dammit…you should.  Because being underpaid/undervalued does affect how you do your job.

Here’s how:

Morale:  There are few things more disheartening than finding out you’re the lowest-paid plebe in your department…even though you’re putting in the same amount of work at the same skill level as everyone else.  For a few years you’ll probably try to move up through extra hard work and dedication, but without monetary compensation, you’ll probably start looking for a new job that’s more rewarding.  And if your staff has a bunch of people who are feeling the same way, whether good or bad, that mentality will take over the whole workplace.  Unhappy workers don’t deliver the same quality of work as those who feel satisfied with their work environments.

low morale can lead to terrible things…like reading Dilbert. :/

Stress:  Once you realize you’re stuck in a dead-end job with no hope of anything better coming your way, you’re gonna get stressed.  Searching for a new job is a pain in the ass and having to come in to your soul-sucking job day after day after day after…(you get the idea) until you can leave will make you pissed and cranky.  Being poor in itself is another stressor.  If you’re constantly worrying about how you’re going to keep the heat on that month (while your coworker brags about her new Manolo Blahniks) your probably going to have a hard time focusing on your work.   Stress can also make you more likely to flip out at your coworkers or nearby inanimate objects.

Of COURSE there’s gonna be an Office Space reference!

Health and Nutrition:  Your income guides what food/health choices you make, too.  If you can’t afford to go to the doctor, you’ll probably end up staying home for a couple of extra days to use what sick leave you have, rather than get the antibiotics that could make you feel better (and get you back to work) in a much shorter time.  If you can’t afford fresh produce (that will spoil quickly), you might opt instead for frozen TV Dinners and Ramen Noodles…considerably less healthy options that can leave you more susceptible to illness and fatigue.

Hell…Hot Dogs are $2.99 for a 24 pack at Aldi! Veggies are for suckers!

Increased Alcohol Consumption:  I mean…well…that’s what works for me.  ;)  And fortunately the nice peeps at Za’s offer $1 off wine at Happy Hour…which means I can meet up with a fave gal pal after work for some $3 house Cab.  Not shabby for a young (hopeful) up-and-comer.  Someday.  *Sigh*

Trust me. It helps.

Clink!

They even have a sweet outdoor fireplace! So cozy!

Cheers!

There.  I said it.  And I stand by this decision.

Yup…that’s me!

What surprises me is the reaction this gets from anyone who visits my house.  People call me out on the crappy (hehe) quality of my uberthin 1-ply.

I don’t get it.  It’s toilet paper.  You’re using it to wipe fecal matter from your ass.    As long as you aren’t ending up with splinters down there, I think you’re doing okay.  Who the hell demands quality at a time like that?  Who watches Charmin commercials and thinks to themselves, “Ooooh yeah...that looks niiiice!”.

My fella lives out of town.  Can you guess what he brought with him in his most recent visit?

I question the research behind their “never felt so good” claim.

Now, I’m ashamed of my cheap-assedness.  Before having friends over for dinner last weekend, I asked my fella to “Put out the good toilet paper”.

Seriously.

Gotta keep up with the Joneses.

Am I wrong to be so frugal in this area?  Is anyone else like this?

Luckily, Cellar on Greene has my back with their awesome Champagne Tuesdays!

Basically, for the cost of this…

Not that there’s anything wrong with Yuengling, mind you!

…I can sip on a tasty half-priced glass of this!

Mmmmnnn! NOW we’re talkin!

With tasty sparkling wines from $3.50 a glass, I offer you Champagne Wishes (sans Caviar Dreams)!

Clink!

Cheers!

Psssh!  A fresh coat of paint is all it needs!

When I moved into my new digs, I loved the size of my bathroom, but it was looking pretty shabby.  It hadn’t been painted since the house was built about 10 years ago, and its drab eggshell white walls were covered in scuffs and splotches.  :/

Ugh.

My hardworking fella helps me tape everything out!

Meh. :/

A decent gallon of paint to cover all of this will cost you about $30 a gallon…but only if you’re picky.

Seriously…can you even tell the difference between Dusty Beige and Sahara Sand (who comes up with these names, anywho)?  Do you really care what color your walls are as long as they don’t look like crap?

Frankly, the paint chip wall terrifies me. :/

I’m more frugal than finicky, so I always hit up the Mistint Shelf when I’m about to start a new painting project!

What’s a Mistint, you ask?

A Mistint is a custom color that was mixed at the store, but didn’t quite get the exact right color the original overly picky (and probably verbally abusive) customer wanted.  There’s nothing actually wrong with it.  And mistints only cost $5 a gallon!  Booyah!

Hell yeah!

Huzzah!

Check out that drab & dreary bathroom now!  :)

Wowza!

Short on storage for your necklaces? Hang ‘em on a towel rack with shower hooks!

I loooove my new bathroom now!  Why not start your own mistint makeover this weekend?  :)

A Google Image Search of the word “Hermit” will give you a page flooded with this:

It doesn’t have to be that way, my friends!

As my friends and followers of my other blog know, I have a very active social life.  I love being out and about!  I dig meeting new people and chatting it up with my pals over (many) cocktails.

See? I heart fancy booze too!

As the weather gets colder, my desire to socialize is frequently overruled by my desire to stay in.  Night.  After Night.  After Night.  At first I was ashamed.  Am I becoming a social leper?  But then I realized:  from a broke standpoint, this is probably the best way to save money.  If you think hermiting is a nasty hang, you’re doing it wrong.

I’m just adding this pic to maintain your interest. Is it working?

How can one stay in and be just as content as you would be going out?

By…

Hermiting in Style!!!!

Here’s how:

1.  Clean up your nasty home, loser.  Seriously.  If you’re going to be stuck at home, why not make it a little less gross?    Wash those moldy dishes!  Toss out that mountain of junk mail!  Sweep up those tumbleweeds of cat hair!

You will never be comfy here.

You might be amazed at how much more welcoming your home will be to you when it’s not disgusting.

2.  Set the mood.  I recently went to a new bar where the owner asked me what I liked the most.  My answer?  ”The ambiance.”  He told me this is what most people pointed out first.  You don’t have to go out for ambiance.  Don’t you deserve the same pleasant atmosphere at home that you expect in your fave neighborhood tavern?

When you’re done hermiting, check out The Kraken Gastropub.

The first thing I do when I get home from work is light some candles, burn some incense and pour my hardworking self a glass of wine.   Ahhhhhh….

Come on in. Just kidding. I’m hermiting. Get the hell out of my home.

Ambiance isn’t expensive either.  Go to the Dollar Tree and pick up some scented candles (or you can be like me and use the leftover tealights from your sister’s wedding back in 2010), then head to Aldi and pick up a $3 bottle of Winking Owl.

This owl’s winking at you, kid!

Some may even enjoy the comforting blaze of a warm fire.

Available on Netflix Streaming

Done.   Ambiance achieved.

3.  Don’t look like a bum while hermiting.  This isn’t to say, don’t be comfy, but if you look like a slob while bumming around the house, you’re probably gonna feel like one.

Don’t dress like this. Not even at home.

Turn those bleach-stained & holey sweats into cleaning cloths (see #1), and try wearing some silky pjs instead.  Or, you can look like a lazy soccer mom in my favorite invention of the last decade:

I’ve worn these to work before. No lie.

4.  Keep Busy.  Catch up on your reading.  Watch that series on Netflix you’ve been meaning to catch up on.  Paint that hallway.  Work on that novel.  The more cool, interesting projects you’re working on, the more cool, interesting conversations you’ll be able to have when you can actually afford to go out again.

You could even take up knitting.

Keeping busy will also keep those pangs of loneliness as your friends have fun without you at bay.  Or, if you’re really, emphatically, skull-thumpingly, pathetically bored, you could always write a blog.

Cheers!

Natalie Dee is my spirit animal.

Sometimes, when funds are low, you need to take a more DIY approach to your All Hallows Eve garb!  These ladies have some pretty awesome ideas for those of us who are tired of paying top dollar for cheaply made “sexy” costumes that never seem to actually look sexy on anyone (a sexy watermelon?  Seriously?).

I took costume inspiration from this lady for my Halloween parties!

It’s none other than Little Edie Beale, star of the 1975 documentary, Grey Gardens!

All it took was, a couple of sweaters (one for my head and one for a skirt), a little black dress, a white slip, a gold brooch, fishnets, a pair of heels, and some red lipstick…all things I already had on hand!

Huzzah for this year’s Halloween costume being a freebie!  :)

Bruce Campbell thinks it’s pretty swell, too!

Here’s a few more fun pics:

More DIY awesomeness!

Hey, Clark!

Cheers!

You marvelous, beautiful bitch.

I’ve wanted to see how a Keratin treatment would work on my coarse, wavy tresses, but as you know…I’m broke.  I can’t very well flippin’ afford a $300 hair treatment.

Dyed & Fried!

So,  I did what any fearless loser would do.  I bought a bottle of the professional-grade stuff from Amazon.   Now…don’t get me wrong.  Just because I did this, doesn’t mean that you should.  In fact, you probably shouldn’t.   Buying this online means that I have no way to know if this stuff is the original product, diluted, an inferior product, or rabbit skin glue.  Seriously…I’m probably an idiot for attempting this.  But, the bottle cost about $80, which is enough for about 4 treatments (This would be $1,200 in salon visits!).

I gathered my tools…

Yup…that’s a Country Crock container and a paintbrush. I’m not proud!

The bottle has detailed directions on how to administer the treatment, as well as “For Professional Use Only” written on it (I obviously ignored that last bit).  I had to wash my hair 3 times with a special sodium-free shampoo and blow it dry.

Then, I painted my locks with what I desperately hoped wasn’t horse semen…

“Hey Ladeez!”

See? It doesn’t look like semen at all!

I put a shower cap on my head and waited for 30 minutes…

So far, so good!

Then I blew my hair dry again, and began straightening it.  It took forever   (partially due to my taking several wine breaks)!  You have to straighten 1/2″ sections 10 times per section with a 450 degree flat iron.

The whole process ended up taking about 3 hours.

Aaaaand….here’s what it looks like after!  :)

Note to self: Duckface is for D-bags. :/

My Verdict:  Keratin CAN be administered at home successfully (we’ll see if it lasts).  BUT…you’re taking a HUGE risk here, ladies.  If you have a fear of losing your hair or any sense of pride in your appearance (I’m seriously lacking in both of these areas), you shouldn’t risk it.  BUT…if your daring is matched only by your stupidity, give it a go and save some $$$!  :)

Cheers!

For starters, Friday night my fella and I ventured off to the Midlands Tech Harbison Theatre to catch Chapin Community Theatre’s production of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  Tickets for this show cost $15 a pop for non-students, but since I’m a theatre reviewer for Jasper Magazine, we got to see the show for free, in exchange for my review.  Sweet!  $30 saved!

My ensemble for the evening was also pretty flippin’ inexpensive.

Not too shabby for $14.50!

The dress is by Phillip Lim, but was given to me because it had a split seam.  I just sewed that sucker up, and now I have a dress that probably sells for about $400 retail.  I made the obi belt I’m wearing from a pair of men’s trousers I bought for 50 cents at a thrift store.  The sweet patent leather clutch I’m carrying only cost $1 (thrifted), and those gorgeous wedges were bought new online for $13, including free shipping.

Ooh la la!

Happy Theatre-Goers!

So, that was a fun & thrifty date night, but what about the rest of my weekend?

At 6am Saturday morning, I met up with a few friends at the Colonial Life Arena for the Color Me Rad 5k.  The entry fee for the run was $40 (which seems like a lot for a 5k…jus’ sayin’!), but you could volunteer your services as a color bomber, and still participate in the event for free!  Some of the profits for this event benefitted the Happy Wheels charity, so I was happy to do my part!  :)

…which is precisely what we did!

Little did we know we’d be shuttled to our post for the event in a Ryder Van.  ”I know it seems creepy,” one of the event organizers said completely non-reassuringly.  Seriously?  Toting people around in a MOVING TRUCK?  While this would be the perfect ruse for a human trafficking organization, we all hopped in like the foolish suckers we are.  :/

Holding on for dear life!

Trying to not roll out of the death truck!

Death Truck aside, the early scary morning was well worth it!

As the 6,000 runners raced by, we had the special joy of pelting them with handfuls of color!!!  :D

Color us Rad!

My Saturday was only getting started, folks!  I rushed home to shower, then met up with friends at the SC Pride Parade and Festival.  The festival itself is a free event, but as usual, drinks (alcoholic or non) are expensive.  Not to worry!  I came prepared!

Bring your own bottle!

Some festivals don’t allow you to bring in any outside beverages (and will even search your bag), so check on this before you try to BYOB.  :)

While I saved tons on drinkage, I still ended up with a $3 slice of leathery pizza.  Whatever…hunger calls!

No…you don’t need to get your eyes checked. That’s a pink puppy!

After having fun at the festival, we headed off to watch the USC Game.  I had a couple of beers and an inexpensive appetizer, so my tab was less than $15…not too bad.

Fast forward to Sunday!  I spent the day with my fella and his son.  We hit up the Mark Rothko exhibit at the Columbia Museum of Art.

Ready for some Rothko!

From Monday-Saturday, admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students.  But on Sundays, admission is free (thanks to Blue Cross Blue Sheild)!  So, we saved $25 while getting our culture on!  

Kids dig abstract expressionism.

I also wore another cheapo outfit.  :)

Dress: Free (given to me from roomie)
Pants: $1 (thrifted)
Leather Bag: $1 (thrifted)
Scarf: I’ve had it forever
Shoes: $13 (on sale w/ free shipping from 6pm.com)

So, this was a super-fun and super-cheap weekend!  What made it such a thrifty success?  :)

• I bartered my writing skills & expertise!
• I saved $$$ on clothes by making, mending, & thrifting!
• I volunteered for an event,  instead of paying a hefty fee!
• I went to a free event, and planned ahead to BYOB!
• I took advantage of a “free day” at the museum!

Hopefully, I’ll be able to be just as thrifty next weekend!  :)