The Frugal Chicagoan

I wanted to sneak in one last getaway before the cold settles into Chicago.

Biking to work this week, I smelled decaying leaves and felt a cold rush of air and realized it is irreversibly fall. Fall is my favorite season, but it also means the end of easily enjoying the outdoors. My boyfriend Jeremy and I decided to take a weekend trip to get out of town and to enjoy being outdoors before the cold shuts down the city. We planned a weekend fall getaway to Janesville, Wisconsin, taking the yellow metra line to Harvard, and then biking 35 miles to the Scarlett House. Once there, we focused on simple activities: we visited a farmers market and spent most of the weekend being lazy and reading--on Saturday, we biked to a park and read for the whole afternoon. We feasted on amazing homemade breakfasts from our Bed and Breakfast host, and we had picnic lunches of local breads and cheese and veggies.

What felt like a luxurious weekend was actually very affordable. What is important about a getaway is just that--to remove yourself from stultifying daily patterns, to truly unplug from commitments, and just relax. Simply being without obligations is a luxury. There is no need to spend a lot of money on those things we usually associate with luxurious.

A few tips if you are planning a fall getaway and want to avoid spending a lot of money:
1. If you can, avoid driving. Follow any of the metra lines to its end and you can find some pretty remote and interesting places (read: different from city life). Or take your bikes on the metra line and use it as a launch off point: bikes are legit on the metra as long as you don't go during rush hour. Bikes are legit on the metra as long as it is not rush hour on the weekdays or any time on the weekend. Check out the metra maps: in collaboration with google maps, it is easy to figure out how far away towns are from the last metra stop on any given line.
2. Go somewhere rural, where fewer activities require spending money. Enjoy simple activities like walking, reading a novel or the paper, or talking.
3. Stay in a bed and breakfast. I admit, no bed and breakfast can beat $60 motel 6 rate. But consider this: B&Bs include a homemade breakfast and a personal connection to the area. Most are pretty reasonable, and many offer a lower rate during the "off season"--which usually starts October 1. The Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast Association has an interactive map of all bed and breakfasts in the state, and this map has many options that are within a metra ride or short car ride.

I have been jonesing for some live music, but I haven't wanted to shell out a lot of money to see a show. So when my friend invited me to see the Chicago Civic Orchestra play Dvorak for free in the Symphony Center this past Saturday, I jumped (yup, I am a classical music geek). The concert was part of Macy's free day of music, apparently an annual event. I got to see original hipster band The Sea and Cake perform for free, an oddly hip performance for the formal venue (it was very funny to watch hipsters try to dance in the narrow aisles of the hall).

But with a little planning ahead, you can find an abundance of free or budget music in Chicago every weekend. Just one example: the Chicago Civic Orchestra, amazingly, is a professional orchestra that plays all their concerts for free (okay, you pay a $1 processing fee). And they don't suck like many community orchestras--their performance of Dvorak's New World Symphony was very professional. Here is a link to their performance schedule. I'd love to hear from readers: where do you go for great music at a great price?

Now more than ever, not being safe on your bike could cost you.

In response to a comment a reader made to my previous post: yes, it has long been the law to have a front and back light on your bike. But as the Chicago Tribune recently reported (the story is now hidden in their archives, but you can find the text here), the police are starting to enforce bike traffic laws more stringently.

Last year, my friend Kate and I laughed when she actually got pulled over on her bike by a police car, flashing lights and all. She ran a stop light. Now this seems less the whim of one bored cop and more a new initiative of the Chicago police.

Avoid a costly ticket: follow bike safety laws.

You know you have been meaning to do it.

With gas prices going up, bikes are looking sexier all the time (in spite of all the recent rain).

Just how much money do you throw away in gas? Say the average person drives 100 miles to commute to work each week. Add another 30 miles weekly for having a life, and we are up to 130 miles a week. If the average car gets 24 MPG, then 130/24 = 5.41 gallons of fuel/week. Multiply 5.41 x 52 (weeks) = 281.32 gallons, or about $1,124 a year by today's gas prices. And that doesn't include any longer weekend trips, insurance, or the occasional accident.

Even taking the CTA can add up. If you buy a CTA monthly pass at $75/month, that is $900/year. 

So stop putting it off and buy a bike. Many of the suggestions you will see here on how to cut corners will involve a bike. 

Purchasing a bike, especially a used one, can be overwhelming. The good news is that there are plenty of used bikes available in the city. 

Craigslist has a plethora of bikes, although without a lot of bike knowledge, the postings are hard to navigate. If you go the craigslist route and are lacking bike knowledge, ask a friend who has an expertise to help you find a good fit--and offer to buy them a few drinks in exchange. 

As another route, there are a few good used bike shops in the city. 

Working Bikes on the southside always has a lot of bikes for cheap, and proceeds go to a good cause, but I have heard mixes reviews about the quality of the bikes. The bike I bought there lasted just a year. 

312 Cycles just opened at 2107 Western Avenue. Jonathan, the owner, sold me my bike for $200--a nice Fuji road bike from the 80s. However you get it, when you buy your bike don't skimp on the safety accessories--helmet, front and back light. 

Where do you think the best place in Chicago to get a used bike?