Washington, D.C. - February 09, 2006

A Perfect Ten

Ten Ways to Have Fun for Under $10

You have champagne wishes and caviar dreams but barley change in your pocket. How to live the good life with only $10? Easy …

1. Be a patron of the arts — for zero dollars: See the permanent holdings at The Phillips Collection for free on weekdays (1600 21st Street NW; 202-387-2151).

2. Don’t let the Georgetown tuition scare you away from Sugar’s, where you can get a $2.90 egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwich in this institution (3500 O Street NW; 202-337-3070).

3. Your chauffeur awaits: the Circulator bus. The new, very cute, and underused buses, made by the same company that makes some of the double-deckers in London, charge only $1 per trip. 

4. You yearn to be an enthusiastic athletic supporter. Luckily, The Washington Capitals WTOP box offers $10 tickets.

5. Pop into HR 57 for jazz jams sessions, $8 on weeknights, $10 on weekends — and BYOB, you thrifty thing (1610 14th Street NW; 202-667-3700).

6. Skip the room at the Mayflower Hotel and grab a $6 beer at their Town and Country bar — and don’t miss the free buffet 5:40-7:30 p.m. on weekdays (1127 Connecticut Avenue NW; 202-347-3000).

7. Still thirsty? Who needs a trip to Belgium when you can get $6 Belgian beers at Marcel’s on Thursday and Friday nights? (2401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW; 202-296-1166).

8. Dinner at Palena? Nope. The $10 hot dog at the bar? Yup. (3529 Connecticut Avenue NW; 202-537-9250).

9. Music to your ears? Three bands at the Black Cat backstage — Mary Timony Band, The Aquarium, and The Picture Is Dead — February 9, 9 p.m., for only $7 (1811 14th Street NW; 202-667-7960).

10. Finally, pick up an adorable mini calculator at Periwinkle for $2 (3815 Livingston Street NW; 202-364-3076). Add up your big savings and create a new budget.

Then do it all over again.