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Help Others Learn: Salon Services for a Fraction of the Cost

Many students leave the prestigious Graham Webb Academy for top of the line salons or come back now and then to touch up their skills in contemporary hair trends. Graham Webb lets you take advantage of their learning process!

I’ve heard rumors that the only setback is that hair services can take a little longer because students are supervised. Basically, you participate in the learning process but services are no less professional than a top-of-the-line salon but way, WAY less expensive.

As a returning full-time student myself, I’ll be sure to look into Graham Webb for my next haircut. Located in Rosslyn, Va., Graham Webb isn’t far at all for those living in Northern Virginia or the city.

Hair isn’t all they do: Graham Webb does manicures make-up applications and manicures for $10 each. Take a look at the great prices on client services offered by Graham Webb students.

Five Guys Fries; Washingtonion’s Best Burger

Five Guys was completely a phenomenon to me when I first moved here. In North Carolina, there were similar cheap but delicious burger joints but nothing quite compares to this.

How many fries can you stuff into a lunch bag-sized paper bag? A lot! Five Guys serves up a whopping serving of fries for under $3. Though I’ll be honest, I don’t eat beef, I’ve heard really good things about Five Guys. I go with my friends for the fries though and they’re a great deal!

Check out the store locator for a Five Guys in the D.C. area closest to you.
Read a review of Five Guys. 

Bike from Georgetown to Gravelly Point to Old Town

Having a bike in D.C. is great fun. If you have one already, you’re all set for free fun. If not, check out this information on renting bikes for a day. Start at Big Wheel Bikes in Georgetown if you don’t have a bike because here, you can rent a simple bike for $25 per day. If you do have a bike, I’d recommend starting at Gravelly Point in Arlington, along the Potomac, because the parking is better and the views are nice.

The Mount Vernon Trail goes all the way to Washington’s Mt. Vernon estate but for those seeking a leisurely ride, Old Town is a great turn-around point. Along the way, stop for a packed lunch at one of the memorials.

Read the Wikipedia article on Gravelly Point. 

On the Wine Kick: 2007 Virginia Wine Festival

Now that I’m stuck thinking about the great, cheap fun Virginia wineries can offer, I have to let you know about a not-so-kept best secret: the Virginia Wine Festival.

I missed it in 2006. The 2007 Virginia Wine Festival won’t take till September next year but it’s worth marking your calendars for now. When I went, I wasn’t expecting anything huge but it exceeded my expectations.

For just about $20, plus the cost of shmoozing your designated driver with water bottles and/or food items, you can literally taste every Virginia wine made and then some! The festival takes place about 2 hours from D.C. in Great Meadows, Va. in a large field, surrounded by the mountains.

Similar to the Linden Vineyards experience, this one is a great way to get out of the city for a day and enjoy the beautiful views (and tasty booze). Okay, a little corny. Wines come in flavors I didn’t even realize existed, like blueberry.

Living the Good Life in Virginia Wine Country

Upon first moving to Northern Virginia, my roommates at the time insisted they were going to spend every Sunday touring the wineries in the area. At first, I was a little leary, having often thought any winery worth visiting must certainly exist in Califorinia or Italy but not in Virginia.

After some manipulation, I jumped on the bandwagon only to realize I was completely wrong about Virginia wineries (well, most of them). Not long after a couple of Sunday drives out into the countryside, I discovered my favorite winery so far: Linden Vineyards. Linden is only a little over an hour from D.C. but it’s shocking the relief from the city life you feel as soon as you arrive. I simply cannot describe it! You must go!

Wine tastings are free. During most of my visits, we go through about 3 red and 3 white wines…each about a 1 ounce pour. Since you’re buying the wine on the premises, it’s much cheaper than it’d be in the store, somewhere in the neighborhood of $15. Select cheeses and meats are a little pricey ($6 for a small block of cheese) but you can bring your own picnic as long as you eat it on the tables in the grass.

From Linden’s site: “For those interested in greater depth, on the weekends we offer a special reserve cellar tasting ($12). You can sign up for it when you arrive. We taste our special single vineyard wines and older vintages. It happens every 45 minutes beginning at 12:15.”

There are plenty of great opportunities at Linden; they often offer seminars and such. Just start with the free wine tasting and lovely ambiance. The photo that accompanies this entry was taken by me when I brought visiting family to Linden. They loved the views.

Spend Less on Dry Cleaning, More on Self

After getting an office job I realized there was this little thing called business casual attire that could possibly ruin my life if I let it. In a flash, I understood why my mother had stressed so much about the dry cleaner, often only picking out clothing that was machine washable and thus, forcing me to do the same. All of the appreciation I owed her filled me completely with guilt for she had slaved away while I lived at home ironing my shirts so they were crisp and nice. I was determined to find a less abrasive solution than having to do the thing I hate most in this world: iron. At first, I was also very poor.

Dry cleaning can add up. Through an acquaintance, I learned of ZIPS Dry Cleaners, a formidable force in the D.C. area. For just more than $1, you can get your button-downs laundered and pressed, just like mom used to do.

I realized after a while that ZIPS was best for my blouses and business casual pants, maybe a jacket here and there. They also do alterations though I’ve never used their services myself.

Cheap Ethiopian Cuisine in Adam’s Morgan

Meskerem, an Ethiopian restaurant located on popular 18th Street in Adam’s Morgan, is a great steal. It was my first experience with Ethiopian food ever and one of the first places I ate out in D.C. Ethiopian is suitable for many tastes and offers sampler platters, tons of vegetarian options and large portions!

Many of the tasty entrees at at Meskerem are less than $10 and they also offer cheap Ethiopian wines by the glass. Often you have to pay for entertainment and atmosphere in D.C. restaurants but Meskerem includes that in their affordable price. Get to know the Ethiopian tradition while you eat on low stools surrounding a bowl-shaped table.

How to Rent for Less, Still Walk Outside at Night

Like I said earlier, living near the Metro will often cost a little more rent-wise but so will sitting in hours of traffic in total gas and car upkeep expenditures. When moving to the D.C. area, this is a decision many have to make: cheaper rent or convenience.

Cheap places can be found in the city, though often you’ll sacrafice any sort of yard, a washer and dryer, parking for a car and much less favorably, your safety. Living in Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda can sometimes be as expensive as the city but never underestimate the power of Craigslist.

The site will let you search Northern Virgina, Maryland and D.C. and I’ve used to to find both of my rentals in D.C.

When I first moved here, I was bound and determined to live in the city but my new roommate, who had lived in the D.C. area for over a year, explained to me how much more we could get for the money in Northern Virginia. In general, I now have to agree with her.

I’m only 4 miles from the city and without traffic, can get all the way to Dupont in a half hour. Living in Arlington, I still have access to great restaurants and bars for times when I don’t feel like going into the city but all of the city fun at my fingertips, all for only $550/month (I share a 3-bedroom house with two other roommates). How did I find this great deal? Craigslist! Give it a shot.

Being open-minded is essential to finding the right place for yourself in the D.C. area. Be willing to look at up to 10 places before deciding on one; you never know what kind of deal you might run across.

Wanna Drink? Choose Happy Hour

Drinking in D.C. can become an expensive habit unless you drink six packs alone in your house and in that case, you may have a problem.

Anyhow, occasionally in D.C. some student with a ton of time on their hands will circulate a large Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that lists happy hour (food and drink) by neighborhood and day of the week. That might sound obscure, but it’s true…keep an eye out. In the meantime, try this site to keep abreast of all the latest deals. While DC Happy Hour isn’t an extensive as this “mystery list,” it’ll do for now.

Virtually every neighborhood in the D.C. area has a few bars that offer food and drink specials, often with extras like free pool too! When I first moved here, I didn’t realize how much of a 9 to 5 city D.C. really was until I got my first 9 to 5 and started trying to commute in during rush hour and over lunch; happy hour in D.C. isn’t any different so skip out of work a half hour early and do yourself a favor: be there by 5!

Fa, Fa, Falafel! For Less…

Falafel, those delicious little balls of fried chickpeas often thrown in a pita for a delicous sandwich, is something other than tasty: cheap. Listed on Epicurous.com’s budget site, Amsterdam Falafel is an extremely tasty, yet inexpensive treat. Adam’s Morgan boasts tons of bars and restuarants and this one will assure your wallet won’t be empty when you want a filling dinner before, or after, visting a few bars.

Amsterdam Falafel serves the simple sandwich up in wax paper but the fun is that you get to put on whatever fixin’s you wanna. Customizable sandwiches can be topped with hummos, lettuce, tomato and a variety of unique sauces. For a couple bucks more, you can get some Dutch-style fries that’ll complement the falafel nicely.

Because this great place is open till 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays visiting before or after the bar is an option. Beware: plan on waiting in a long line if you visit Amsterdam Falafel after a few drinks at night, especially on weekends. It’s a really popular late night snack in Adam’s Morgan!

Sushi for Less: Cafe Asia Happy Hour

Cafe Asia, with locations downtown and in Rosslyn, Va., has the cheapest quality sushi I’ve found in the D.C. area.

Try their happy hour Monday through Saturday, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. for $1 Nigiri sushi and $2 select draft beers. Get there as early as possible because in my experience (I’ve only been to the Rosslyn location) lines get pretty heavy after 5 p.m. because of the work crowd.

Non-happy hour menus are relatively cheap at Cafe Asia too. They’ve got a reasonable selection of delicious and unique salads that are huge; definately enough for a meal.

The Merits of the Metro

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, it’s rumored, keeps the Metro cleaner than any other public transportation in the country. I agree, yet, many people still don’t use the Metro often. When looking for places to live in the D.C. area make sure to take proximity to the Metro into consideration if you plan on saving money by using it often. In practice, this makes rents a little higher, but in the long run, using your car less saves money.

Park your car at a Metro lot and take the rail train into the city if you’re not close enough to walk to a station. This still saves you more money than if you were to drive (especially during the weekday). Parking garages in D.C. start at about $15 per day, if you’re lucky.

Use the Metro Trip Planner to figure out the quickest and cheapest way to get into the city.

Education Through Free Museums, Monuments

D.C. is great for a variety of reason but one of the biggest selling points for this city is the “free museum” access. People fly in from all over the U.S., heck, the world, to see these museums and monuments and they’re in our backyards. Take advantage! Plus, save yourself some money by touring a few museums on Saturday afternoons. Check out the full list of museums from the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.

Here are some I’ve been to and would recommend:

• U.S. Holocaust Museum-Special focus on Darfur right now
• National Museum of the American Indian
• National World War II Memorial

Grilled Cheese for $2.50: It’s a Perfect World

Grilled cheese sandwiches…ah…delicious and simple. Who doesn’t love one? Who doesn’t love one for $2.50 or TWO for $5? Take part in this cheapo delicacy at Toledo Lounge in Adam’s Morgan on Wednesday nights. Swig back a $2.50 draft beer as well till 7:30 p.m. on weeknights.

Adam’s Morgan is tons of fun. The infamous 18th Street is packed with bars of every sort and a night on the town in AM can set you back quite a few if you’re not careful. Toledo Lounge is one of those places you can just go to “have a beer,” no strings attached, and grab some cheap bar food while you’re at it. It’s been called “unpretentious,” “laid-back,” and more but whatever it may be: it’s cheap!

Adam’s Morgan is accesible via Metro, sort of. Don’t be fooled: It’s a good 10-15 minute walk from the Adam’s Morgan Metro stop.

Read the Washington Post review on the Toledo Lounge.

Need a Haircut? Where to Go for a Split End Mend

Those with high maintenence hair needs might find themselves extremely dissapointed after moving to D.C. It’s impossible to find a half-decent salon around here than can cut and color hair for less than $150. Now you can keep your mental health in tact, rest assured there is one place in the D.C. area that’s both good and cheap.

Haircuts for $30? Partial color for $60? This has got to be a joke. No, it’s Bang Salon and Spa in D.C.’s cool U Street neighborhood.

My friend with the thickest, longest red hair I’ve ever seen loves Bang. I fully trust her opinion considering her hair must be a precious commodity to love and protect. I’ve had varied and more expensive experiences in D.C. but I fully intend on trying Bang the next time I need a ‘do. Circe Day Spa in Alexandria, Va. is an excellent, but like I said, pricey option too.

Read some reviews of Bang Salon in the Washington Post.

Eating In Fattens Wallet, Slims Body

Before moving to D.C., I worked in the service industry: hostess, server, cocktail waitress, you name it! While I loved working with people and running my tail off in a fun environment for extra cash while in undergrad, it instilled in me a nasty habit.

Dining out many times per week in Wilmington, N.C. (where I went to undergrad) was easier when I “knew people.” In D.C., I don’t know any people, well, any that work in restuarants plus it’s not so affordable to grab a nice dinner around here very often.

How did I make it by after moving here? Well, first I got into a little credit card debt feeding my habit. After that, I realized some serious reconsideration of my dining habits would need to take place.

But wait! Grocery stores can be pricey too. Another hard-learned lesson came down the pike when I decided to begin my grocery shopping at Whole Foods. Whole Foods is an excellent high-end grocery store with a special focus on organic and vegetarian food (near and dear to my heart) but it should only be visit on special occasions if you’re watching the spending.

Cheap alternative in the D.C. area? Trader Joes. Trader Joes is smaller than Whole Foods but if you look hard enough, you can find many of the same things for less.

If eclectic, vegetarian or organic foods aren’t your thing, stick with Safeway in the D.C. area for the cheapest groceries (at least that I’ve found). Living in Northern Virginia, you can find two really nice Safeway stores in Arlington: one on Lee Highway and one off of Old Dominion.

9:30 Club: Live Music Under $30

A lot of great artists can be seen at the 9:30 Club for less than $30. Though tickets to the best known acts usually sell out in a matter of hours, lesser known or niche artists can be enjoyed for less than $30.

The venue is small and somewhat prone to smokiness at certain shows but its size is an advantage if you get there early enough to get a good spot near the front by the stage or near the edge on the balcony. The 9:30 Club is one of the few venues in the area where big acts come through and perform in that personal manner not accesible for under $30 at others.

Check these other venues regularly for cheap tickets: The State Theater, The Black Cat, IOTA.

Read Bethesda Magazine’s article on live music in the Maryland area.

Ben’s Chili Bowl Pops More Flavor for Less

Ben’s Chili Bowl is a D.C. landmark. It took living here for more than a year before one of my new D.C. companions dragged me to Ben’s and though I’ve not been back since, it’s only because my bad sense of direction leaves me afraid to venture into parts of the city unknown.

The food is great American fare: burgers, fries, hot dogs, etc. but something about it is so authentic it tastes better. Sit at the stools and watch as the animated cooks prepare your cheap eats; they even cook veggie burgers on a separate grill!

Ben’s famous Chili dogs can be had for less than $4, turkey burgers for less than $5 and beef burgers and dogs are just a bit more. Once again, this is one of the few joints in D.C. that offers sweet tea.

Take a look at their menu.

Ski For Less When You Don’t Sleep Over

If you’re into skiing, tubing or snowboarding, this winter, check out Liberty Mountain Resort in Carroll Valley, Pa. It’s only about 1.5 hours from D.C. so it’s great for a day trip, allowing you the joy of the slopes minus the cost of lodging.

A 4-hour bout of hitting the slopes with your own gear costs about $37-46 for a lift pass, depending on the day of the week. Ski rentals for the same time period will cost $31; Snowboard rental, $35.

One thing I’ve learned after embarking on the “snowboarding is my new hobby” as of late, is that by playing it right, one can buy an entire snowboarding set-up and have it pay for itself after 10 4-hour visits to a resort like Liberty.

Visting the extremely helpful and snowboarding dumby-friendly staff at Ski Chalet in Arlington last year was the first in realizing how to go about winter sports equipment in a financially feasible manner. Every year, sometime in September, the Ski Chalet hosts its annual Dilly in Chantilly. The sales are really unbelievable, staff exceptional and lines plentiful. Get there as early as possible to avoid the rush.