savage money / By Jennifer Savage

No Check, Please

Continuing the outdoor theme, hop in the car and head toward the South Spit, stopping at Eureka Natural along the way. Get strawberries. Or watermelon. Or whatever in-season, sweet and juicy fruit tickles your fancy. You’ll need to get at least 30 mpg and live in Eureka to keep this under $10, but if that’s you, the 20-mile drive out to the end of the South Spit passes more quickly than expected. Once there, you’ll be amazed how far away you feel, how big the sky suddenly becomes. If you’re on the northern side of things, try College Cove (don’t leave valuables in the car — might as well not lock it, either) or a hike around Trinidad Head. The wind exhilarates. Duck down a spur and make out.

Have a bike? Spend $10 at Farmers’ Market, then cruise somewhere pretty for a picnic. The only limit is how far you’re willing to pedal. (One of the best dates my husband and I had over the winter involved riding bikes down the peninsula to watch the big waves at the Harbor Entrance. He packed a thermos of tea for us to share. We fought the wind on the way and were caught in a downpour on the way back. Despite the cold and wet, the euphoria of being in the elements together left us grinning.)

On the flipside, stay in. But instead of the usual rent-a-movie fallback, drag out the chess set, the backgammon board, the mancala, naughty Pictionary. The games engage your mind and keep you paying far more attention to each other than yet another copycat comedy.

Go to northcoastjournal.com, hit “Calendar” and do a search for keyword “karaoke.” Pick one and go. Note: This might be especially challenging to keep under $10, though, as I imagine the temptation to order up some liquid courage would be too strong to resist. Alternately, figure out how many people you need to split the cost of renting a karaoke machine from The Party Place and host a potluck at your house. (You provide low-cost pasta with zucchini sautéed in olive oil, a little salt and pepper. Easy, yummy, cheap.)

Go to Arts!Alive. Nosh. Stroll. Admire the creativity of your fellow citizens. Immerse yourself in the river of energy that flows through Old Town the first Saturday night of each month. Hold hands so you don’t get washed away.

And, of course, the cheapest date of all (assuming effective birth control is part of the plan): de-clutter the bedroom, cut some flowers to pretty it up, set a pitcher of lemon water and your finest glasses to the side and spend a few hours in your homemade love nest.

None of these make the hard times go away, but any of the above activities will cause the stress to recede, albeit briefly — and when you feel as though you’re drowning, even the smallest breath is a miracle. And you might, accidentally or deliberately, end up with a lifeboat of your own crafting.

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