The Cheapskate Edition

Continued from page 2

Once a week at Lawrence's favorite dive, pinball machines give it up for free. Some people think that the game doesn't have any stakes if you don't have a couple of quarters on the line. Those people hate pinball and resent your skill with the flippers. Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, 785-749-7676.

Taco Tuesday at the Brick

On Tuesdays, one of our favorite bars serves tacos for 75 cents each, plus a PBR buy-in: All the Pabst you can drink for five bucks. That's what Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised your Dust Bowl grandparents during the Great Depression. The cheap tacos and beer last from 6 to 10 p.m. Plus, at 8 p.m., the Brick takes it to the next level with America's favorite game, free bingo. Don't bother bringing your game-playing skills, because bingo doesn't require any. Win such awesome prizes as Arnold Schwarzenegger DVDs and free eats. The Brick, 1727 McGee, 816-421-1634.

First Fridays in the Crossroads

Even in the coldest months of winter, the Crossroads District is a lively destination on the first Friday evening of each month. Many of the area's galleries provide food at their openings, and though a generation of high school students learned that gallery openings were an excellent resource for free beer in the past, Liquor Control has since cracked down on underage drinking and open containers in public. Still, free beer and wine are available for both the culturally inclined and really mature-looking kids.

Indigo Hour at the Blue Room

The Blue Room at the American Jazz Museum has its share of cover-charge performances, but the venue also books dozens of free jazz performances every month. And because the combination of food, drinks and music is what Larry King would call "entertainment dynamite," we're specifically recommending the Indigo Hour from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday. In addition to music, the Blue Room offers $5 martinis; $3 beer, wine and well drinks; and a $3 appetizer buffet. The Blue Room, 1616 East 18th Street, 816-474-2929.

Open-Mic Readings

Shawn Pavey, co-founder of North Carolina literary magazine The Main Street Rag, hosts a monthly reading series and literary open-mic event at 5:30 p.m. on the third Sunday of every month at the Writers Place (3607 Pennsylvania, 816-753-1090). Some people say books should be read and not heard. Those imaginary people are probably the same folks who think you should pay for pinball. Although the Writers Place requests a $5 donation, nobody is turned away for lack of funds.

Sunday Movies at the Kemper

At these free screenings, the Kemper generally shows films that relate to themed exhibits. For example, on Sundays from February 10 through March 30, the museum's Biographical Landscape exhibit is accompanied by the series At the Movies: The American Culturescape, 1940 to 1970, which tracks the changing urban landscape from small towns to contemporary sprawl. The series includes Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Harry and Tonto and Heart Beat. The movies screen at 2 p.m. at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, 4420 Warwick, 816-753-5784.

Kansas City Freecycle

Just think about how expensive it is to buy new crap all the time. Kansas City Freecycle is a Yahoo group organized around the completely original principle that one man's trash is also another man's trash but might just be a third guy's treasure. Members post messages indicating their possession of unwanted stuff — exercise equipment, kitchen appliances, books, videos, anything and everything — for the benefit of other members. Join up at kcfreecy cle.org.

Free Meditation Classes

Many of the most accomplished historical figures in human history credit meditation with centering their minds, easing their anxieties and inspiring their creativity. Maybe a little meditation can help you, too. One man, who lost his auto-detailing business when it fell into a sinkhole, tried meditation and went on to top the Billboard chart in 1978 with the No. 1 hit "The Gambler." That man? Kenny Rogers. Classes are at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Rime Buddhist Center, 700 West Pennway, 816-471-7073.

The Library

Yes, libraries are still engaged in their core venture of lending out books for free. And sure, they have cheap (or free) video rentals, but so does McDonald's these days. But look beyond the hushed stillness of the rare-books room and you'll find that libraries also offer crafts and storytelling for the kids and grown-up-type events such as art exhibits, film screenings, author talks, receptions and wine tastings. See kclibrary.org, kckpl.lib.ks.us and jocolibrary.org for event schedules.

HE'S REALLY CHEAP!

By JUSTIN KENDALL

Every week, on the morning of trash day, Larry Roth digs through his neighbors' recycling bins.

He knows exactly where to find The New York Times. "And they're really neat about reading their paper," he says of that particular neighbor. "I'm impressed."

Roth isn't ashamed of his actions. After all, the Sunday Times costs $5.

Once, when another homeowner caught him in the act, Roth explained that Price Chopper had a sale on dog food and he was looking for the $3 coupon in that morning's paper. Fortunately, he says, the woman understood a good deal.

His behavior might seem extreme to outsiders. But it also might qualify him for a title as Kansas City's biggest cheapskate.

Roth started living cheap about 25 years ago. He moved to Kansas City in August 1978 to work for the U.S. government in the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement, which regulated coal mining and cleaned up abandoned mines.

In 1981, when President Ronald Reagan appointed anti-environmentalist James G. Watt as secretary of the interior, the office of surface mining was "doomed," Roth remembers with a laugh. Its staff went from 100 people to 14, and Roth wasn't one of the 14.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
Next Page »