Drastic times call for drastic measures. Since everyone is universally agreeing that the holidays totally suck this year, if you and yours are still in agrement to exchange gifts, this is a great way to save some loot.

Way back when I was in college at the University of Florida, the local troupe of Hare Krishna devotees would set up in the Plaza offering free food to all who were hungry (which was basically all of us students!). There was definitely something to be desired about the quality of their curried offerings, though -- you can get a bit tired of ghee-soaked potatoes day in day out.

Real cheapskates ride public transportation (and they buy the discounted tickets in advance , too, but that's another post).

Benefit show at THE STUD
Sunday, June 15, 2008
399 9th St.
8:00pm

The money raised will go to FLIGHT TO SINAI- a short musical film that a group of local bay area film makers are working on this summer.

www.flighttosinai.com

w/
Andy Tisdall
No New York
Power of Positive Thinking
DJ Walter Crasshole
and a spoken word performance by Irene Vatjaranuruk.

A newspaper only costs fifty cents. And if you'd bought yesterday's paper, you would have gotten your money's worth. They say these are free kid-centric activities to whittle away the summer months, but many of these great Bay Area giveaways appeal to cash-hoarders of all ages. Check it here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/05/26/DDAB10PSH...

Friday, May 16
BLUEGRASS BONANZA!
Lone Mountain Sisters + String Break
@the Plough & Stars
116 Clement @2nd, SF
9pm / $6 (yeah that's cheap...two great bands for six bucks!)

Real-life Sisters, Cameron and Prentice grew up listening to bluegrass, and their love for it inspired them to form their own band...with their husbands, THE LONE MOUNTAIN SISTERS.

When you're craving sugar and coming off the 24 bus at Castro and Market, you needn't beg from crumbs. Stop at Hot Cookie and chow down on their day old cookies - just $.85 each or three for $2.50, about a third of the price of a regular "hot" cookie. Trust me, these babies aren't like stale bread - they are totally still sinful and choco-nutty the next day.

Check it - media kudos for the book. Thank you, Eye On The Bay, who said this:

READ THIS
The Cheap Bastard's Guide To San Francisco
By Karen Solomon
In Bookstores Now

Starting Wednesday, May 7th, the historic Purple Onion is back on track as a haven for young, fresh comedy with SFstandup.com’s new weekly show, Something People Like. Hosts Chad Lehrman (Last Comic Standing) and Justin Lamb (SPF7) bring a mix of comedy and music to San Francisco's favorite comedy venue every Wednesday at 8:00 pm.

Trash Mash-Up, a community art project, will be hosting a Mash-Up Bash at the San Francisco State University 5th Annual Human Rights Summit on May 2, 2008 at 4:00pm. This summit is a unique event in that it is wholly devised, organized, and hosted by the students of Professor Mariana Ferreira's Anthropology and Human Rights class.