It’s summertime and the spending’s easy. The temptations of
big-name concerts, eating out, weekend getaways and cooling off with an
ice cold beer—or more likely, beers—on a patio, are even harder to
resist when the sunshiny weather has got you giddy. When you haven’t
got much to work with, you’ve got to decide what’s worth breaking the
bank for. What better time to bask in local talent and support hometown
hotspots? Believe it or not, your pretty penny can get you pretty far
in the HRM. When the going gets tough, or if you’re living on a budget,
here are some ways to keep busy.
Budget Big Screen
If you’re a movie buff start by keeping tabs on the alFresco
filmFesto, only $5 per screening (see page 34 for this summer’s
schedule). If you’re more into curling up in the comfort of your own
home try renting your videos from the public libraries (if you’re a
member, that is). The selection is pretty good and hey, it’s free!
Also, the ever-wonderful Video Difference rents movies by aspiring
local filmmakers for free as part of their Emerging Filmmakers Program.
Since you’re already headed to VD, do some good and bring in five
non-perishables for a free rental.
Get Movin’
If you want wheels to explore the city’s parks, head out to lake or
just to get where you’re going Ideal Bikes on Barrington has affordable
renting rates starting at $15 for four hours and just $25 for a full
day. If you’re ambitious, they’ll also rent you a bike on a weekly
basis and throw in a bike rack for your car for an additional fee. And
if you’d rather get off the pavement and into the water, pedal on down
to Fairfield Road and rent a canoe from St. Mary’s Boat Club—you can
paddle your way around the North West Arm for just $8 an hour.
Wind Down
Summer is the prime season for relaxation and yoga is a great way to
do just that. Check out Karma classes—most studios offer them weekly.
It’s pay by donation (usually a $5 minimum) with proceeds heading to
charity. Stretch it out without loosening the purse strings on Thursday
evenings at Breathing Space, Friday nights at Moksha Yoga, Saturday
mornings at 108 Yoga and Saturday afternoons at The Yoga Loft, to name
a few. And even if you can’t fork it over for their pants, Lululemon
offers free in-store yoga Sunday mornings from 10:30-11:30. They’ll
even lend you a mat!
Bottoms Up
Appreciating some local microbrews can be just as cheap as hitting
up a power hour. Propeller Brewery and Garrison Brewery run brewery
tours that let you dip into a variety of their delicacies. At Propeller
you need a minimum of 10 friends and $15 each for a couple hours of fun
and great beverages. Garrison requires 15 beer keeners and the price
varies from $12 to $16 depending on the time. If you need a hobby to go
along with your cheap beer, try making your own. Being a brewmaster in
the comfort of your own home is pretty easy and if done properly can
result in oodles of beer for way cheaper than you’d pay at the liquor
store. Check out a brewing centre like the Noble Grape on Quinpool and
five other locations in the HRM. Once you get the gear needed to brew,
the actual ingredients cost about $40 to churn out 24 litres of the
good stuff.
budget-Priced Fare
If you’re too strapped for fine dining, we suggest one of the
following—it’ll be worth every penny. Start off with breakfast that
costs pocket change—but is much more valuable—at Spartan Restaurant
on Quinpool, or try a mouth-watering lunch special that won’t leave you
hungry at Tarek’s on Robie. If it’s a diner you’re looking for, head to
the Westcliffe Diner and pay slightly more than bus fare for your lunch
($3.25 for a burger and fries!). Speaking of burgers, on Monday’s at
Darrell’s in the south end, buy one and get the second half off (hurray
for two peanut butter burgers!). Finish your night at Hamachi House
with half price maki after 10pm for the late night snacker.
Culture Shock
Halifax is bursting with arts and culture—and it doesn’t always
have to come at a high price. Spend a morning checking out the slew of
art galleries the city’s got to offer. Heck, make it an art crawl! (See
the Hot Summer Guide Visual Arts Events Listings on page 47 for details
on where to go.) The next few months are also stacked with festivals
pretty much back to back. Most of them are free or reasonably priced,
and they’re all looking for volunteers. (For a full HSG festival
line-up, check out page 28.) If it’s a night at the theatre you want,
look to Shakespeare by the Sea. It has a recommended donation of $15
that is well worth it. Or, on the other side of the harbour, take in a
production at the Dartmouth Players Theatre. If you can make it to the
first evening of a production, you only pay $5 for the show. (For more
reasonably priced regional theatrical fun, see our handy HSG summer
theatre guide page on page 60.)
Allison Saunders is a tight-wad and freelance writer
living in Halifax. When she’s not pinching pennies, she’s living by her
personal philosophy: “Never turn down a free meal.”
budget venue guide
alFresco filmFesto: 422-3456, atlanticfilm.com/alfresco
Video Difference: 6086 Quinpool, 425-3029
Ideal Bikes: 1678 Barrington, 444-RIDE
St. Mary’s Boat Club: 1641 Fairfield, 490-4688
Breathing Space: 6960 Mumford, 406-9642
Moksha Yoga: 1512 Dresden Row, 420-0888
108 Yoga: The Brewery Market, 1496 Lower Water, 449-0108
The Yoga Loft: 5663 Cornwallis, 429-3330
Lululemon: 5486 Spring Garden, 422-6641
Propeller Brewery: 2015 Gottingen, 422-7767
Garrison Brewery: 1149 Marginal, 453-5343
Noble Grape: 6112 Quinpool, 423-2739
Spartan Restaurant: 6043 Quinpool, 429-6858
Tarek’s: 3045 Robie, 454-8723
Westcliffe Diner: 3089 Oxford, 454-8140
Darrell’s: 5576 Fenwick, 492-2349
Hamachi House: 5190 Morris, 425-7711
Shakespeare By The Sea: Point Pleasant Park, 422-0295
Dartmouth Players Theatre: 33 Crichton, 465-7529
This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2009.