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If you were to create a Venn diagram where one circle was labeled “cheap” and the other labeled “awesome”, the middle point where they cross over could be labeled “Vancouver on the Cheap”. In other words, this is a weekly series on things to do and places to go in Vancouver that fall into that magical category of being both cheap and awesome. Got a cheap-living tip you’d like to share? Send it in!

New Year’s Eve! It always seems like there are two options: house party (always awesome), or a really over-priced bar party. Right? Wrong! Not to dump on the house party, I love a good house party, but there are some cheap options for going out as well.

The Original Tap & Barrel – FREE!

The Tap & Barrel is a new pub in the Olympic Village featuring tons of delicious craft beers. Their regular prices are decent but don’t qualify as “cheap”, but their New Year’s Eve bash offers a truly rare thing in this city: free entry for all! They have limited reservations available, and I would jump on that if I was you. Walk-ins are welcome if you miss out.

Comox Street Long Bar & Grill – FREE!

Another no-cover deal, this one for all of you in the West End. No cover, band playing from 9-1, dancing, the whole deal!

ADDITION: Storm Crow Tavern – FREE!

The coolest new nerd bar is on Commercial Drive and they have so far managed to make a name for themselves not only by appealing to lovers of everything from Sci Fi to classic literature, but by having free parties on all major holidays. The Halloween party featured a patron getting murdered every hour, and now it’s a post-apocalyptic New Year’s Eve with DJ, dancers, and “post-apocalyptic snacking”, which just sounds fun.

So there you go, now three major neighbourhoods are covered: West End, Olympic Village, and East Van. You all have a free pub party to go to on Monday night!

If you were to create a Venn diagram where one circle was labeled “cheap” and the other labeled “awesome”, the middle point where they cross over could be labeled “Vancouver on the Cheap”. In other words, this is a weekly series on things to do and places to go in Vancouver that fall into that magical category of being both cheap and awesome. Got a cheap-living tip you’d like to share? Send it in!

If you’re reading this then chances are good the world hasn’t ended today (although there’s still time!) In case you’re feeling pessimistic (or optimistic, rather) about the world ending, there are some free/by donation events happening tonight to usher in Winter and, if you like, the continued survival of humans on earth.

First off, we’ve got the Secret Lantern Society’s Winter Solstice Lantern Festival!

There’s quite a lot going on with this one as there are five separate neighbourhood events, all featuring a lantern making workshop in the afternoon (it costs $10 per lantern if you want to make or buy one), live music (by donation), and then a lantern procession (free).

Included neighbourhoods are the East Side (in the Commercial Drive/Parker St area), Yaletown, Granville Island, S.E. False Creek, and Chinatown.

I am especially into the East Side series, as they’ve collaborated with the In the House Festival to have in-home concerts on Parker St (just off The Drive). Pre-registration is encouraged for that one, as they have quite limited seating. Email info@inthehousefestival.com to get a spot!

Check out the Secret Lantern Society’s website for info on the wheres, whens, and hows!

Up next: Grunt Gallery’s Winter Solstice Party!

For the folks more interested in a straight-up party, this is the place to go. A fun, no-cover, party of artsiness. Have some drinks, eat some snacks, look at some art, and meet the cool folks behind Grunt Gallery, a super cool artist-run gallery that (fun fact!), is exactly the same age as me. I guess if you want to find out what age that is, you’ll have to do a little research.

So let’s celebrate! March with a lantern and wonder at bringing light into the darkest day of the year or party with some artists and see the kind of beauty they bring into our lives. The world has not ended, and tomorrow it will have a bit more light than today. Not bad.

If you were to create a Venn diagram where one circle was labeled “cheap” and the other labeled “awesome”, the middle point where they cross over could be labeled “Vancouver on the Cheap”. In other words, this is a weekly series on things to do and places to go in Vancouver that fall into that magical category of being both cheap and awesome. Got a cheap-living tip you’d like to share? Send it in!

As we settle into the dark and rainy half of the year, I issue a friendly reminder: please, sir, won’t you laugh once and a while? It’s good for us! So why wait for laughter to randomly impose itself on you, when you can seek it out?

Luckily, there is an excellent indie comedy scene in Vancouver, including a lot of pretty innovative, off-the-beaten-path-type stuff. Take, for instance, Say Wha?!, a comedy event featuring some of the most terrible writing known to humanity. A sort of ironic book club, Say Wha?! brings together funny people and the kind of writing that makes you wonder if editors even bothered to skim the first few paragraphs for typos, let alone read the whole thing.

Funny aside, Say Wha?! is also budget friendly! Operating on a sliding scale of $5-10, it’s open to pretty much any cheapskate.

Say Wha?! founder Sara Bynoe performing.

Lucky me I got to get a little Q&A with the creator of Say Wha?!, Sara Bynoe!

How long has Say Wha?! been happening?
Say Wha?! began in June 2010. It’s been in the Vancouver Comedy Festival, the Olio Festival, Comedy Waste, the Vancouver International Poetry Festival and featured at the Festival Bar Stage at the Vancouver Fringe Festival.

What inspired the first Say Wha?! event?
I was inspired to create this night after I found a bad romance novel in a hostel in Bath, England, which provided hours of entertainment for her friends while we were on vacation. My friend then started sending me bad books. I’ve also been running a show called Teen Angst Night for many years and it seems like a similar concept, so BAM, a new show was born.

What’s the best worst writing you’ve come across so far?
This is a three-way tie between Fifty Shades of Grey, Tyra Bank’s YA novel Modelland and a self-published book called Wet Goddess: Recollections of a Dolphin Lover.

What is the best moment you’ve experienced so far at a Say Wha?! event?
That’s a tough one, there’s been so many great/bad books read by so many funny people. The Fifty Shades of Say Wha?! show was pretty special. The place was packed and I got to vent for an hour and a bit about how terrible that series is – with special readings of the sex scenes by a drag queen (Connie Smudge), a burlesque dancer (April O’Peel) and an actress (Emmelia Gordon).

Are any genres particular culprits for terrible writing?
Most self-help books penned by a celebrity are pretty painful, JWOWW or Jennifer Love Hewitt’s books spring to mind. I’m a big fan of dating advice books How to Pick Up Topless Dancers and Text Appeal for Guys are two recent books of this genre I’ve read. But Say Wha?! material can be found pretty much anywhere. It’s in the eye/ear of the reader.

What can someone expect when they come out for the first time?
It’s a cabaret on literature from the viewpoint of a very funny person. The performers usually come from a comedy background but I’ve booked writers, improvisors, stand-ups, actors, local personalities (Michael Eckford did a reading once), and even a magician (Travis Bernhardt). The audience is smart and sassy and many performers tell me that they are the best crowd in town. I’m not just saying that. The audience at Say Wha?! are such good listeners and are so supportive of the performers. It’s really fun time.

The venue, the Cottage Bistro, is very unpretentious. The drinks are cheap, the food is decent and the atmosphere is easy going. If it’s packed, I’ll do my best to find you a spot. If you come by yourself I may introduce you to someone to sit with.

How could someone get involved if they would like to?
Do you mean as a performer? I usually approach the people who read on the show. I like to book people that a) have seen the show before b) have a comedy/ improv background and c) have a passion for books.

Has running Say Wha?! changed your perspective on literature?
Heck ya! I created this book right after I got back from the UK where I got an MA in Creative and Life Writing. Every time I work on my novel I’m hyper aware of what I’m writing, It keeps it in check. I’m also more eager to read bad books now, because I know I can get so much mileage out of them.

Comedienne Riel Hahn performing at Say Wha?! Photo by: Aaron Alexander-BC Buzz.

Say Wha?!
Next up: Wednesday, Dec 19th at 8pm
Cottage Bistro (4470 Main Street)
Featuring Eric Fell, Gary Jones, Ken Lawsen, and Julia Stretch

If you were to create a Venn diagram where one circle was labeled “cheap” and the other labeled “awesome”, the middle point where they cross over could be labeled “Vancouver on the Cheap”. In other words, this is a weekly series on things to do and places to go in Vancouver that fall into that magical category of being both cheap and awesome. Got a cheap-living tip you’d like to share? Send it in!

We’ve got a whole new world for cheap nerds entering Vancouver in 2013! It’s called Trade School, and it’s essentially learning for barter! This school model began in New York and has been expanding since then, giving people opportunities to teach and learn, exchanging goods and services instead of money.

I got to chat it up with Vancouver Trade School’s co-founder Matt Kump.

What is trade school?

Trade School is a non-traditional learning community in which students barter with teachers in exchange for instruction. Anybody can teach a class, and students sign up for classes by agreeing to bring barter items that the teacher requests. Trade School has hosted classes around the world on everything from Italian lessons in exchange for knitting lessons, to Basic Photoshop in exchange for a pound of coffee.

What inspired you to bring this to Vancouver?

When we first heard about the concept of Trade School, our first instinct was to find our local chapter and see what classes were available. It was honestly surprising that it didn’t exist in Vancouver, seeing as how our city is full of people willing and wanting to learn and share knowledge. Trade School eliminates the barriers of money and exclusivity, making education more accessible to everyone. Vancouver’s unique mix of backgrounds, communities, cultures, and knowledge bases makes our city ideal for both learners and teachers.

What kinds of classes can people look forward to from Trade School?

If you can imagine a class for it, it could exist with Trade School Vancouver! Past classes around the world have included making butter, swing dancing, making a website, composting, bike maintenance, intro to guitar, and so many more it’s hard to mention them all! We’re looking for people who are passionate about something to share that with their community. Roast your own coffee? Why not share some tips! Knit like there’s no tomorrow? Spread the love!

How do the barters work?

By teaching a class, you also get to pick the barters students bring in exchange for the lesson. You can choose a variety of things, such as sewing and art supplies, cooking spices, home made art, even singing lessons. If somebody wants to take the class, they choose a barter from the list and bring it with them to the class! If it’s something that is a service rather than goods, then they organize the specifics with the teacher after class.

How can someone get involved beyond taking classes?

We’re always looking for people to teach classes! Whatever you enjoy doing is worth sharing, and we’d love to have you spread your knowledge! We are also always open to partnering with local businesses and organizations to help us host classes or provide materials for events. If you are interested in learning more about partnering with Trade School Vancouver, you can email us at partners@tradeschoolvan.com. As an individual interested in volunteering with Trade School, you can email us at volunteer@tradeschoolvan.com. We will be looking for people to help us with hosting classes and being hands on for special events in the future.

What should someone interested in teaching a class do?

Head over to www.tradeschoolvan.com and click the link in the “Want to teach a class?” box. There you will get a form with a few simple questions to fill out, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible to get your class booked!

Why does Vancouver need something like Trade School?

Learning in Vancouver can be difficult for a variety of reasons, whether it’s the cost, limited selection, or even inaccessibility. Trade School Vancouver is trying to disrupt the idea of modern learning by removing formalities and injecting community. We can all learn from each other, we just haven’t really tried to yet.

What else do you want people to know about Trade School?

Anyone can learn. Everyone can teach. We celebrate practical wisdom, mutual respect, and the social nature of exchange. Trade School Vancouver is a place of learning, connecting, and sharing, and we believe that everyone has something to offer.

Trade School Vancouver is launching in the New Year, and they’re recruiting teachers! Check out their website for more info. Remember: teaching for barter builds community and is non-taxable. Not bad!

The next BLIM Community Market is coming up on Sunday, December 15th! We’re still accepting submissions for vendors who would like a FREE table at this market. Got something to sell? Email andrea@vancouverisawesome.com with the following info:

Your Name
Business Name
What you do/make/sell
Why it’s awesome
A link to your website/blog/anywhere with pictures or info about what you do/make/sell and why it’s awesome

Subject line: BLIM table entry

Send in your info by December 9th to be considered for the December 15th market. All those who submitted in the past are more than welcome to submit again!

If you were to create a Venn diagram where one circle was labeled “cheap” and the other labeled “awesome”, the middle point where they cross over could be labeled “Vancouver on the Cheap”. In other words, this is a weekly series on things to do and places to go in Vancouver that fall into that magical category of being both cheap and awesome. Got a cheap-living tip you’d like to share? Send it in!

Buy Low Foods has always been a good place to go for a deal. Remember when chocolate bars used to cost less than a dollar? They still do there! Every time I go in they have a bin of chocolate bars “on sale” in the 80 cent range. It’s kind of incredible.

The other day I was going through the checkout (getting two packets of gravy mix for $3, say what?!) and saw this sign, a sign that lifted my heart!

Daily deals from Buy Low! To be perfectly honest, I can’t really comment on the quality of the meat-related deals, because I haven’t purchased meat in ages. Even when I ate meat, I would never buy it in grocery stores because a) it’s expensive compared to non-meat foods and b) you have to actually plan ahead and wash your hands a bunch if you want to cook it. Way too much work.

Regardless, the deals are pretty swell: a sack of potatoes may be a derogatory thing to call a person, but it is a great thing to get for 97 cents. The cheese deal is pretty much on par with the cheapest cheese in the city, on a per-gram basis (unless No Frills is having a sale, then all bets are off), 97 cents is a great deal on the sugar-water known as apple juice, and any box of cereal for under $2 is a deal that will scream its way from the shelves (now if only it was Honey Nut Cheerios, my heart would be screaming as well, but we can’t win them all, can we?)

This is a great resource to keep in your back pocket, not necessarily for your “on the way home from work, need to pick up something so I don’t starve tonight” days, but your “let’s actually check the shelves in advance and see what I need, then go buy it on a day it’s really cheap” days.

Also, if you’re a couponing type person, check out Buy Low’s weekly flyers on the website for further savings.