Who doesn’t love a good deal? And by good, we mean free. You’d think New York, Chicago, and a resort town in the Rockies would be so expensive you don’t even need to bother with a savings account, but from London to Los Angeles, the Urchins have found ways to not only survive on the cheap but enjoy themselves as well!
Free Friday Nights at MoMA
New York City is home to one of the best modern art museum’s in the world, and you can get in for free every Friday night. Not a bad deal, huh? Many people, locals and visitors alike, seem to agree, so it’s safe to assume that Friday nights at MoMA are nothing short of madhouse crazy crowded. But that seems like a small price to pay to see famous works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Dali, Giacometti… the list goes on.
Not to mention their fabulous photography collection, featuring works by Walker Evans, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Man Ray. If you’re a local, the free Friday nights are perfect for picking a section of the museum to peruse without feeling overwhelmed by MoMA’s size. If you’re a visitor, don’t be afraid to use your elbows. You’ll need them if you want to get out of there alive.
The Lurie Garden
Opened in 2004, the Lurie Garden is a 5 acre haven of beauty and quiet in downtown Chicago. Just across from the Art Institute of Chicago’s new modern wing, a stroll through the Garden allows you to enjoy a range of lovely plants (60% of which are native to Illinois) while also witness some of Chicago’s newest and best architecture, including the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the BP Pedestrian Bridge.
No matter what time of year you visit, a wide variety of seasonal plants perfectly capture the mood and weather of each season. The Lurie Garden has something for everyone, whether it be reprieve from the hustle and bustle or one of the Garden’s many workshops, lectures, or guided tours. On a summer day make sure to take your shoes off and dip your toes in the Garden’s beautiful water feature!
Volunteering at Durango Mountain Resort
You can volunteer for free at Purgatory! In exchange for a season pass, of course. Even if an Urchin had $900 to drop on a pass, doesn’t mean she would. That’s a whole plane ticket somewhere! Instead this Urchin has found another option. Purgatory has a fantastic volunteer program that allows you to volunteer 7-14 days (depending on the job) in exchange for a free pass.
This year, I’ll be giving snowshoe tours in the San Juan National Forest. What a horrible job! There are also other volunteer opportunities – mountain safety, the fitness club, lift ops, and housekeeping. But something tells me I have the best job. I mean, I’m getting “paid” to play.
St. Regis hotel in Aspen Co;
mid afternoon Saberage with a free flute of Dom Perignon;
almost makes the cost of the room worthwhile!
And it was good champagne, too! – Margaret
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