This week, two Chattarati writers set out to live large on an honest budget. Eating out everyday for five days on a daily ration of $8.00, they settled into the frugal routine yesterday, day one of the adventure. Make sure to come back and read their updates throughout the week.
Exactly 38 minutes into day one, and I had already blown 25 percent of my daily rations. $2.00 for a 20-ounce cup of coffee at Vine Street’s Coffee Crafters left me caffeinated and clear-headed, but on the short end of eight bucks. There is a silver lining, though, perched over this morning’s coffee: the atmosphere and neighborliness at this cubby of a coffee shop are worth $40 alone. For those with a few bucks to blow on morning bites, the Veg Out—a bagel loaded with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and banana peppers over sun-dried tomato cream cheese—makes a dent in your five-a-day. Lunch found me at East Main Street’s Taco Rico. Two other-worldly chicken tacos, topped with onions, cheese, fresh cilantro, and lime juice, came in at $3.00. That includes fried plantain chips, enough chimichuri—made with garlic, cilantro and spicy oil—to bathe in, plus a stale lemon candy. As with Coffee Crafters, the owners make you wish the food was more expensive so you could have the great honor of putting their equally friendly children through an Ivy League. If you’re not convinced of Taco Rico’s merits, three hours after lunch, I saw the woman who served me—all 4’6” of her—driving a hunter green F350, looking confident in a hairnet. Health Department: Let’s see those gold stars, eh? As it turns out, beggars really can’t be choosers, and Monday nights in Chattanooga means cheap tacos at Amigo in Red Bank. The crowd was distinctly different than my lunch, as was the quality of food, all of which I anticipated. Regardless, I couldn’t turn down $0.75 tacos and $2.00 32-ounce drafts—served in cute individual pitchers, though I’ve seen folks drink straight from the carafe in a moment of weakness. A small mis-communication led to a price discrepancy come pay-up time, so dinner came in right around $3.82, putting us $0.82 in the red for day one, but cheap plans on day two promise to clear all that business up. So day one is over, and I’ve learned some important lessons for this project and for the future.
- Go for the small coffee. Coffee Crafters serves up a 12-ounce coffee for $1.50. Less bang for your buck, technically, but a budget is a budget.
- Short people can drive huge trucks, and do so well.
- Amigo's is crawling with college kids. The bottle blonds are blinding, the neon hot pants even more. And everyone gets grabby come 7 o’clock.
- On the Drunk-O-Meter, 32 ounces of Michelob Ultra equals 3 ounces of regular beer. Noted.
Day one total: $2.00 coffee + $3.00 tacos + $2.00 beer + $1.50 tacos + $0.32 misc. math blunder (ie, tax) = $8.82
Jonathan on March 17, 2009
I can see how this could work if you were a small child (minus the beer), but this doesn't seem too realistic for most average and above average people.
terran on March 17, 2009
I like the idea of $40/day, but I think if you cut the coffee and just had coffee at work you might be able to eat more than tacos all day.
...at least now I understand how Veronique & Tiffanie keep their tiny waistlines!
David Morton on March 17, 2009
"dinner came in right around $3.82, putting us $0.82 in the red for day one, but cheap plans on day two promise to clear all that business up."
This is what we in the biz call 'foreshadowing.' Could it be that the almighty Krystal burger will make a debut tomorrow?
terran on March 17, 2009
if only you could have brinner at krystal.
Lee Carmichael on March 17, 2009
brush up on your trivia and get free coffee at Rembrandt's.
Veronique Bergeron on March 17, 2009
"Foreshadowing" is the word, guys. Desperate times call for desperate measures, hence Monday's Taco Madness. Come back tomorrow, for a report on my enormous, balanced lunch, cheap-o coffee, and pub dinner.
Mary Duffy on March 17, 2009
@Lee Carmichael: I've never missed a trivia question there. And is it possible their coffee is cheaper?
In V's defense, Coffee Crafters is a tiny bit closer, just the block in our neighborhood, so convenience might win.
David Morton on March 17, 2009
Some Believe in Main Street.
I believe in Veronique's ability to conjure a carefully balanced meal within the confines of a tight budget.
Yes She Can.
Tricia King on March 17, 2009
Bring a to-go mug to Niedlov's and get it filled up with Greyfriar's coffee for $0.91 (with tax 99 cents).
0_o on March 17, 2009
Wow tacos. Why, I never knew my fine city offered such a delicacy!
But seriously, does Green life sell canned cat food? At this rate of deficit spending, it may be a possibility.
Reeve on March 18, 2009
I think eating Greenlife cat food would, in fact, increase your deficit exponentially. May I suggest foraging in the bulk aisle for wayward nuts and seeds?