Staying In

So it's a lazy Saturday morning, and I bet you all are wondering how an impoverished 20-something spends her weekends. I'm not meeting my friends for dinner. I'm not going out for a few drinks with the girls. I'm not hitting the mall to get started on my Christmas shopping. I'm not even going to see Pirate Radio, Zombieland, or The Men Who Stare at Goats. (Even though I really like George Clooney.)

My budget for entertainment is, needless to say, limited. I live in the Bay Area, though, and there are tons of great cheap and/or free events. There is no excuse to ever be bored. For example, the UC Berkeley Symphony puts on free concerts. The Fox Theater down the street plays fantastic classic movies, complete with newsreel and cartoons for just five bucks. Local bookstores are forever hosting talks and readings. Now, to be fair, I don't do all these things on a regular basis, but I do know about them and could ostensibly take advantage of such cultural richness.

Here's what I am more likely to be doing on a typical weekend:

What money I do have, I try to spend wisely. I do not have cable in my house. I have, however, signed up for Netflix and I am getting every penny's worth out of the $9.87 a month. I watch the occasional movie, but where I am really getting mileage out of my Netflix account is in the TV shows. I've watched lots of Dexter, old episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and several seasons of South Park. The watch instantly feature is fantastic! I also keep up with The Daily Show and The Colbert Report by watching them on Hulu.

I also have a sizable library and many bookish friends, so there are always at least a couple books I'm reading at any given moment. Quiet, yes. Dorky, so they say. But I love it and I think reading makes the reader a more interesting person. Plus, let's face it, it's just fun.

Tonight, though, won't be spent watching a movie on my laptop or curled up with a book. Tonight is reserved for some free, wholesome fun. Sounds boring, right? It's totally not. My boyfriend and I are going over to my parents' house for a game night. We'll probably play Parcheesi. Still sounds boring? Factor in the deeply competitive nature of my family, my mom's awesome tri-tip, and her propensity of providing us with delightful snacks, and we are in for an evening of good food and tense scowls across the game board.

So I'm not going clubbing. I won't get trashed or meet anyone at a party. And sure, I'm probably missing out on some interesting experiences. Other kids my age are probably having a wild time. But I'm just as happy to be kicking butt at board games and eating all the food I can at my Mom and Dad's.