An NEIU Student's Bible

Does the mention of free samples of Chicago-based chocolate confectionaries tickle your tummy? Is your current style screaming out for a free (or nearly free) makeover from a stylish salon apprentice? Are you itching to lay your hands on a cheap retro bicycle for your urban transport needs, without shelling out your entire student aide check?

If you are like many hardworking NEIU community members, then you may be interested in the many golden tips and referrals that await you within the pages of "The Cheap Bastard's Guide to Chicago." Spendthrift aficionado and enthusiastic cheapskate, Nadia Oehlsen, compiled these tips.

Oehlsen writes from the perspective of a cheap thrill-seeker brought up in Chicago. Being a cheap thrill-seeker myself, I was still hesitant when I received a copy over Christmas break from an old friend who highly recommended it. Imagine my hesitation as I acknowledged the cover title. Needless to say, I thumbed through the pages, and found myself pleasantly surprised.

The subtitle reads "Secrets of Living the Good Life for Free." This is the book's stance in its entirety. From free to nearly free offerings divided into neatly organized chapters, there are many listings within this Chicago focused book's 235 pages that will offer something of interest to everyone. For the purposes of this article's limitations, I offer some highlights that are most relevant via proximity to campus, and/or their general coolness factors.

Depending on your zip code, your beloved pooch or kitty may be eligible for free spaying or neutering. Just call Chicago Animal Care and Control at (312) 747-1406 to see if your zip code qualifies and to schedule a surgical appointment.

Step inside Blommer Chocolate Store on 600 W. Kinzie Street for lots of free samples of their freshly made chocolates, offered year around. www.blommerstore.com

For the biggest selection of used bikes, head over to Working Bikes Cooperative, located at 1125 S. Western Avenue. For under $100, you can ride out into the sunshine while feeling good about knowing that proceeds go towards sending refurbished bicycles to developing countries. Call (312) 421-5048, or visit www.workingbikes.org for more details.

Graduates from beauty schools that are finishing up their training can offer you a free haircut at Red 7 Salon, located at 210 N. Kinzie Street. Their training usually occurs on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. until about 12:30 p.m. at the latest. If you want a color or perm/relaxer treatment, then you pay a mere $10. Call (312) 644-RED7, or visit www.red7salon.com to check them out and make an appointment.

If you're looking for something more substantial than chocolate to dine on, and the idea of sharing a drink with friends interests you, then there is just the place for you...For the best Sunday afternoon buffet, stop by Big Chicks on 5024 N. Sheridan Road. For the cost of a mere drink, you can play free pool and darts while munching on the likes of mixed green salads, Italian beef sandwiches, pasta salads, and desserts such as raspberry brownies and cobblers. Note: this is a busy mixed environment, where straight and gay clientele hang out happily together. Check out their Web site at www.bigchicks.com

If I have tickled your fancy thus far with this short list of local wonders to be taken advantage of, then I have done my job. I highly recommend looking past this crude sounding book's title, and taking a look at the countless goodies that await in the spend-thrifty reader to explore. "The Cheap Bastard's Guide to Chicago" seems to get an update every year. The information for this article was taken from the 2007 edition. The book costs $14.95 and is printed by Globe Pequot Press, www.GlobePequotPress.com

Happy Bargain Hunting!