The Cheap and Cheerful Guide to Drinking at Home, Part 1: 5 ways drinking at home can be better than drinking in a bar

Ever since the crash, it would seem that those among us lucky enough to be considering their options for social leisures, are trying to stick around the house more a little these days. This can, at times, be kind of a drag. One of the luxuries in life is going out: out to eat, out to drink, out to somewhere, where someone else, is taking care of the details. But this can get expensive. While I would never advocate abstaining entirely from going out to dine or drink, I would like to submit for your consideration, a brief list of reasons that suggests sometimes, it's just better at home.

5 WAYS DRINKING AT HOME CAN BE BETTER THAN DRINKING IN A BAR

1) You have control over the playlist and the atmosphere

In the comfort of your living room, there is generally no crappy Dave Matthews cover-band to be screaming over in order to tell your friends how much you wish this bar would stop booking crappy Dave Matthews cover-bands. If you want to spend the evening (afternoon, whatevs) drinking Maker's and listening to Muddy Waters or early Zeppelin or Ke$ha (hey it's your living room fella), all you have to do, is pour the drinks and drop the needle on the turntable. Or plug in the iPod. It's entirely up to you really. You lucky drinkin' dog you.

2) You can serve and drink whatever libations you like

Drinking at your house means you're not limited to whatever varities or brands of liquor stocked by your usual watering hole. Also, you're free to be creative in your choice of cocktail. Do you want a Dirty Frenchman, but your barman is unfamiliar with the term or refuses to believe it's a real drink? No worries friend, so long as you've got the necessary components in your cabinets, you're free to drink as many as you like. Or as many as you can. Whichever comes first.

3) Drinking at home is often more economical

That's the polite way of saying, it's cheaper bruv. For many, this will be the most compelling reason to keep your drinking on your property.

4) You don't have to worry about driving home later

Driving drunk should be avoided at all costs! What better way to eliminate this risk, than by not beginning your bacchanalia until you've reached your final destination for the evening?

5) You know exactly where all the exits and toilets are located

One of the downsides to drinking at home, is related to many of its advantages; because it is less expensive, and you don't have to worry about driving home at the end of the night, drinking in the comfort of one's abode (or one's friend's abode) makes some people more prone to indulging excessively. There is a point in such excessive indulgence, when certain consequences become highly likely if not inevitable. While Cheap and Cheerful urges you to drink responsibly, we recognize that disgorging at home is much more comfortable and much less embarrassing than doing so in a bar. Especially if you puke on the bar.

Tally Traveled to New York by way of the China-town bus: a study in taking your own advice.

1)Research your options

Check. Unfortunately, not living in a major city, my options were more limited than if I lived somewhere with better transport hubs like New York or Baltimore. Still, where I live is large enough to be serviced by one of small China-town lines mentioned in the previous article. With a round trip ticket costing only 35$ total, it was nearly 30$ cheaper than a fare from a national bus company, and 73$ less than even the least expensive train tickets.

As far as assessing the quality of my ride went, I had it easy. I was fortunate in that a great number of friends and acquaintances had already used this bus service, and found the experience, if not exactly pleasant, at least palatable. Thus, my decision was made.

2)Approach the bus-trip experience with the right attitude

Having traveled by bus before, I didn't have to do too much adjusting. Experience had taught me that while traveling by bus is certainly less glamorous than going by plane and less comfortable than going by train, it is generally a far cry from that had been painted to me before. --Provided you don't have too far to go.

Really, I rather looked forward to not having to drive and watch the road, band to instead spend the two and a half hours of travel time listening to Man...or Astro-man? while I worked on some drafting.

3)Come early, but expect delays

Check and check. I was there about forty minutes early to be sure I'd have time to buy a ticket at the window. The bus was about twenty minutes late, but I figured it would be, so it wasn't that serious.

4)Don't sit too close to the bathroom

Check.

5)Remember your manners

Check, but it really only came up once. When boarding the departing the bus, there no seats available that were next to an unoccupied seat. When taking my seat, I simply asked the woman I was going to sit down next to if she minded if I sat there. She replied "not at all; by all means". Both of us spent the trip occupied with our headphones on, so for better or worse, our exchange ended there. Nonetheless, I tried to bear in mind the basic civility of not encroaching on her personal space or disturbing her from her work during the journey, and she regarded me with the same courtesy. As far as I know we both had a pleasant trip.

6)Pack a snack

Check. Man was I ever so glad I did! Having generally missed breakfast, I brought a bag full of walnuts and a biscotti. Brunch wasn't had until about an hour and a half, two hours until after my arrival. When I did get to my omelet, I was hungry for it, but I would have been ravenous and cranky had I not had a nosh on the bus.

7)Bring something to do

Check. Generally I bring a notebook with me wherever I go, so naturally I brought one on the bus. While I didn't do any heavy writing, I had plenty of time to work on drafting out some ideas that had been kicking around during the week. Being less distracted on the bus than I would have been at home, I may have actually gotten more done in two hours than I would have at my desk.

8)Bring some tunes

Check. Everything is better with surf rock. Including bus rides.

9)Don't reward aggressive behavior by responding to it

This was, on this trip at least, a total non-issue. I faced no hostilities from my fellow passengers and I never have on inter-state bus trips. I have dealt with them on my morning public-transit commute to work, but in those situations I've just ignored them. Typically they respond to a non-response with some disparaging comment (curiously enough, almost always regarding my sunglasses), and then move on to attempting to rile up someone else.

Admittedly, it kind of kills my pride to have someone behave badly to me or anyone else, and have them get away with it, but I know that it isn't worth getting in a scuffle in an enclosed, moving space with a (more often than not, drunk) stranger.

10) Be cool and keep calm

Number 10 is another item that didn't really come up that weekend. Everything went smoothly, I arrived at my destination on time, and alighted in front of Macy's on 34th with a minimum of hassle.

So what were you doing in New York anyway?

Who wants to know?
No, seriously, who wants to know?

I was visiting a friend, and attending Siren Fest, the free summer music festival at Coney Island, put on by The Village Voice. Free music, a sea breeze and the Wonder Wheel! All in all, a fairly cheap and very cheerful way to spend a summer Saturday!


Workin' our way to the front.


The famous Cyclone


And of course, the Wonder Wheel.

COMING UP NEXT, THE CHEAP AND CHEERFUL GUIDE TO DRINKING AT HOME: A TWO PARTER

TALLY ROSE'S TOP TEN BUS TRIP SURVIVAL TIPS

1) Research your options

While perhaps one of the most widely spread and widely used, you're usually not limited to just "Going Greyhound", there are many other, often even more economical options! If you're in the Northeastern Corridor, most major and some medium sized cities have a "Chinatown" bus. These smaller, privately operated bus lines often offer more, if not the most competitive pricing of your options. Also, there are budget lines like Boltbus an Megabus operating out of major cities. Though sometimes more expensive than the Chinatown lines, they frequently offer amenities like Wifi.

2) Approach the bus-trip experience with the right attitude

Recognize that bus travel is not always the chicest or fastest mode of transport. What you lose in time, you save in cost and so vice versa. Also, with more and more people trying to save money these days, the bus can get pretty crowded.

That doesn't mean riding the bus has to be awful! It can be a good way to get a better look at the scenery of the area you're traveling.

This weekend I got a great view of the green fields and forests of.... NEW JERSEY


3) Come early, but expect delays

It's always best to arrive early, so that you are certain to make your
bus. Also, this allows you the chance to get a better seat and make
sure that there is room for your luggage.

However, buses may often be delayed due to things like engine breakdowns, inspections, inclement weather and heavy traffic. This can be endlessly frustrating, but simply being aware that delays are possible makes the occurrence itself much more bearable.

4) Don't sit too close to the bathroom

Just trust me on this one.

5) Remember your manners

Sitting down next to a stranger can be awkward, but it's generally much less awkward if you first ask "may I sit here" or even just "is anyone else sitting here?". It's rare anyone will say no, especially without reason (such as their friend who happened to be behind you in the boarding line, will be sitting there). Remember being mannered doesn't mean being a doormat; being mannered may not even mean being nice. Still, basic manners and civilities often make any social situation more bearable if not more pleasant, and many will appreciate the effort.

6) Pack a snack

This is especially important if you have a long journey! You never know how long the distance between stops at rest areas may be. Also, if you have any dietary needs or restrictions there may not be anything you are able or willing to eat available, even if your bus does make a rest stop. Finally, though bus breakdowns are hardly an everyday occurrence, they still happen! If you have to wait for repairs to be made or another bus to arrive to continue your journey, the wait will be much more bearable if you have something to eat in the mean time.

7) Bring something to do

It is much easier to deal with sitting in one space for a few to several hours if you have something to do. Using the time on the bus to be productive can not only reduce boredom but may also alleviate the feeling that time that could be spent at your destination, is wasted traveling. As mentioned previously, the bus is not the fastest or most stylish way to travel. However, with a little forethought, the time in transit may be put to good use by getting some paper work for home or office taken care of, or engaging in a portable craft such as knitting, or reading.

8) Bring some tunes

Number 8 is similar to item number 7 in that bringing along a personal music player, or headphones for your super fancy phone that apparently plays MP3s, helps to alleviate boredom. Headphones great and small can also save you some unwanted conversations; people are less likely to approach you for small talk about the wonders of where you're going/current events/sex tourism, if your ears are otherwise already engaged.

9) Don't reward aggressive behavior by responding to it

In the event that another passenger or passengers behave aggressively or belligerently towards you, do not respond and move. Move, and alert the driver. It is incredibly tempting to repay such jack-assery in kind, but nothing gives the jerk in question more satisfaction than seeing you riled. This is yet another good reason to bring along some headphones that go to 11. Moving and alerting the driver are not actually required, but I would highly recommend doing both if you genuinely feel threatened or endangered.

10) Be cool and keep calm

The most important thing to remember when making that leisurely journey down the highway, is to keep cool and roll with the punches.

Odds are good that there will be something that does not go quite right. The bus might be on the late side; the bathroom might be broken. However, simply knowing that these mishaps are a possibility, you are already prepared to deal with them on some level. It is always a good idea to consider the things that may go awry during travel, and prepare a course of action. Thinking about such issues ahead of time will also help you to identify and accept the situations that you can do little more than wait out.

Remember, all travel involves some kind of cost, and some kind of risk! All things considered, especially when costs are considered, the bus is not so bad so long as you can spend the time on the road. With some small preparations you may ensure an agreeable, pleasant, and relatively comfortable journey!

THIS WEEKEND: A PERSONAL ACCOUNT

Six Months Later and What Do You Get?

Cheap and Cheerful's been operational, more or less, for six months now. Yet, the staff here feels that it may not be entirely clear as to what is, exactly, the subject of this blog.

Cheap and Cheerful is a project that seeks to emphasize living well with-in your means, or at least well enough! You can't buy Bollinger on a Budweiser budget (unless you know a guy or something, in which case, hook us up!), but there's got to be a way to make that cheap beer taste better, or at least ways to make it more enjoyable, right? RIGHT?

The idea for this blog was actually conceived last summer, after two weeks of traveling on an extreme budget. Despite the lack of funds, it ended up being a wonderful experience. Through some creativity, research, cash pooling, and the occasional favor, I spent two weeks visiting museums, parks, monuments, marginally famous thrift-stores and several fabulous bars and taverns in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Following this tour of the Northeastern Corridor, I found myself...broke. Broke, but not too bummed out over this all-too familiar financial situation.

While far from thrilled, I alighted from the crowded, yet thankfully, air conditioned bus to the realization that: if I could make a couple hundred bucks take me a few hundred miles and keep me fed and sheltered for over two weeks, surely I could I figure out a way for a couple hundred a month to keep me entertained at home.

You can't keep up with the Jones-es on a budget, but through some research, some resourcefulness and the occasional D-I-Y effort you can find ways to keep yourself in things like new music, good food, and new clothes. While having some kind of funding for such indulgences helps, sometimes you can manage these little luxuries of life free of charge. We here at Cheap and Cheerful are convinced that you can have quite a lot of fun for very little money and we hope that you will stick with us and find out!

THIS WEEKEND, REPORT ON MONDAY TUESDAY SOON: TALLY'S TRAVELS, TOP TEN BUS TRIP SURVIVAL TIPS

FREE CULT TV

Has your cable been cut? Do you crave classic, obscure, quirky or pulpy programming? The still free web-service Hulu is here to help! The website is already well-known and well-loved for providing the public with access to new episodes of series such as Glee, Lost, Modern Family, and Saturday Night Live shortly after their initial broadcast, but Hulu also offers a back catalog of classics and cult-hits like:

-The live-action series The Tick, featuring Patrick Warburton
-The original The Outer Limits
-Seasons 4-7 of Married...With Children
-Several episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, including Horrors of Spider Island

Also worth perusing is their Film Department! Check out:

-Horror classic and Zombie genre-piece Night of the Living Dead.
-Akira Kurosawa's highly-acclaimed retelling of King Lear, Ran
-Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps
-British '60s sex-comedy The Knack...and How to Get It


Unfortunately due to different licensing terms and agreements, not all series and films are available all the time. Some titles are accessible for weeks or even months, others may expire once a series's season ends or once the new season begins. New titles are added frequently though, and while many of them are about as acclaimed as current offering Cheerleader Ninjas, some searching usually unearths something entertaining if not always edifying (though there are sections devoted to Documentary, Health and Wellness, News, and Food). Enjoy!

Cheap and Cheerful Sells Out: Tally Rose and the great Adsense adventure

Does permitting ads on your website or blog do anything other than clutter the sidebar, and force friends, family and fans to question your integrity? A brief search on the internet on this topic yielded many page results that for us, amounted to the same thing: reply hazy, ask again later.

Join Cheap and Cheerful in an ongoing, casual investigation that will examine: whether Adsense programs really do generate you, the blogger, advertising dollars as opposed to advertising fractions of a cent, the possible ethical questions raised by permitting companies to shill on your page and how exactly Adsense works, or doesn't, for the casual blogger!

COMING UP NEXT MONTH: 5 Tailoring Tricks and Tips You Can Learn to Do Yourself, The Cheap and Cheerful Guide to Drinking at Home, and the Top Ten Bus Trip Survival Tips