1. Wilmette
Even if you’re completely broke, you can always enjoy the view from this village’s lakefront parks.
MRS. D’S WILMETTE DINER
415 4th St., Wilmette; 847-256-2580
Funky business-district dinette whose walls are covered with framed albums, celebrity photos and family snapshots. The hearty “Two Egger,” two eggs, crispy hash browns and two “mini” pancakes (substantial, and delicious) are a mere $4.25.
Time spent: 45 minutes
Money spent: $6
CONVITO CAFE & MARKET
1515 Sheridan Rd., Wilmette; 847-251-3654
A delightful Italian restaurant with attached market. It’s pure torture to survey those racks of wines and gourmet goodies with only $4 in your pocket, but I was able to snag a good-sized chunk of aged provolone (full-flavored and smoky-tasting) for less than $3.
Time spent: 30 minutes
Money spent: $2.77
BAHA’I HOUSE OF WORSHIP
100 Linden Ave., Wilmette; 847-853-2300.
One of the most arresting pieces of architecture in the Chicago area is the nine-sided, domed Baha’i temple, one of only seven in the world. Free and open to the public every day of the year, the temple has an informative visitor’s center and the awe-inspiring Auditorium. I figured I’d toss my remaining $1.23 into a collection box, but it turns out the Baha’i only accept donations from Baha’i members.
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Time spent: 1 hour
Money spent: None
IRVING’S FOR RED HOT LOVERS
3207 Lake Ave., Wilmette; 847-251-6300.
I couldn’t afford a hot dog at this well-known hot dog stand, but a bottle of ice-cold water was just within my range. I’m keeping the extra dime.
Time spent: 5 minutes
Money spent: $1.13
Conclusion: Wilmette is a pretty budget-friendly town. On a warmer day, I could have spent even more time here lolling in Gillson Park, 60 beautiful lakefront acres where Lake Avenue meets Lake Michigan. Next time I’ll bring $30 and go nuts.
Total money spent: $9.90
Total time spent: 2 hours, 20 minutes
— Phil Vettel
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2. Schaumburg
This northwest suburb is probably best known as home to Woodfield Mall and just about every restaurant chain and retail store in business today. Can one survive on just $10 in this city of goods and services?
IKEA SCHAUMBURG
1800 E. McConnor Pkwy., Schaumburg; 847-969-9700
There are few places where you can stretch a ten-spot like Ikea. But the best deal? Lunch. I stopped at the ground-floor cafeteria and got a pair of pretty good hot dogs for $1. After a little bit of wandering, I found something I actually needed, a five-piece set of mixing bowls, for $2.16.
Time spent: 1 hour
Money spent: $3.16
SCHAUMBURG TOWNSHIP DISTRICT LIBRARY
130 S. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg; 847-985-4000
I headed to “Olde” Schaumburg, or what the locals consider a downtown area. The town’s expansive main library is free. Within minutes, I found myself curled up in a plush chair, reading short stories from Philip K. Dick and T.C. Boyle. Once I finished “Minority Report,” I looked down at my watch. Two hours had zipped by.
Time spent: 2 hours
Money spent: None
DIAMOND BILLIARDS
321 S. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg; 847-891-7665
Diamond Billiards is a pool hall located inside a desolate strip mall. That’s about as grungy as it gets. The pool hall is both smoke- and alcohol-free, with snacks and pop available for teens. I spent $5 for an hour on one of Diamond’s 15 pool tables.
Time spent: 1 hour
Money spent: $5
WENDY’S
1750 E. Higgins Rd., Schaumburg; 847-605-0225
For the ride home, I picked up a 99-cent crispy chicken sandwich from the Super Value Menu and a small coffee.
Time spent: 10 minutes
Money spent: $1.86
Conclusion: Even with its glut of shopping centers, you can enjoy a relaxing day in Schaumburg without hurting your wallet.
Total money spent: $10.02
Total time spent: 4 hours, 10 minutes
— Glenn Jeffers
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3. Mag Mile
This stretch of Michigan Avenue roughly between Oak Street and the Chicago River hosts some of the most high-rent spots in the Midwest. But if you know where to look, you can find plenty of culture, chow and fun for under $10.
L’APPETITO
875 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-337-0691, www.lappetito.com
This gem in the lower level of the Hancock Building offers cheap, high-quality Italian fare. We had the crispy breakfast panini for $3.
Time spent: 50 minutes
Money spent: $3.31
BORDER’S
830 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-573-0564
With its four floors of books and music, this is a great place to browse and get lost. Events include an 11 a.m. Friday storytime (in Spanish). Try for a comfy chair.
Time spent: 50 minutes
Money spent: None
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DISNEY STORE
717 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-654-9208
There may not be a lot of really cheap stuff to buy, but there’s plenty of entertaining ancillary movie merchandise.
Time spent: 20 minutes
Money spent: None
APPLE STORE
679 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-981-4104
Try out dozens of products and pepper the Apple experts with questions about what you should buy when you have some dough.
Time spent: 40 minutes
Money spent: None
SUBWAY
535 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-527-3978
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Enjoy the $5 foot-long sandwich at this restaurant whose entrance is right off the Mag Mile and keep the second half for when you’re hungry later.
Time spent: 20 minutes
Money spent: $5.51
TRIBUNE TOWER
435 N. Michigan Ave.
If the weather is nice, take a self-guided (brochures are at the security desk) tour of the many stones the Tribune has stuck in the outside walls. Also check out the cool quotes on the lobby walls.
Time spent: 15 minutes
Money spent: None
TRADER JOE’S
44 E. Ontario St.; 312-951-6369
Need a jolt of java and a nosh? Stop in at this Trader Joe’s and check out the free samples — we had stir fry and coffee.
Time spent: 20 minutes
Money spent: None
Conclusion: Even if you don’t have lots of money, you can spend time on the Magnificent Mile without hungering for food, culture or shopping (mostly browsing).
Total time spent: 5 hours, 5 minutes
Total money spent: $8.82
— Monica Eng
– – –
4. Hyde Park
The irony of being limited to a $10 budget in Hyde Park is rich — quite literally rich. Having left a privileged life in New England, Paul Cornell pictured a small enclave eight miles south of the city that would do for the South Side what Evanston did for the North. But it was all marsh and dune when he named the land Hyde Park in 1853. In other words, here’s a guy who knew how to stretch a buck. With that sort of ingenuity in mind, I arrive in Hyde Park on a Saturday morning, overwhelmed with affordable choices.
DUSABLE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY
740 E. 56th Place; 773-947-0600
I had always wanted to check out that stoic brick of a structure at the eastern end of Washington Park. At the moment, its big exhibit is of recently acquired African artifacts. My ticket is $3. The museum is small and charming and after an hour I leave and I’m standing on the front steps, looking across lonesome fields.
Time spent: 1 hour
Money spent: $3
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CAMPUS
I hadn’t been to the campus in 10 years. I’d forgotten how quiet it is. It’s so quiet that smells seem to make sounds. The gargoyles at Cobb Gate on 57th Street draw my eye across the stone facades of the university buildings. I stroll by the Henry Moore sculpture marking the first controlled nuclear reaction; it’s beside a tennis court. I walk to the SMART Museum of Art (5550 S. Greenwood Ave.; 773-702-0200), which is free, and I linger before the disturbing murals of Henry Darger, a North Side native synonymous with outsider art. I spend 45 minutes in the considerable crannies of 57th Street Books (1301 E. 57th St.; 773-684-1300).
Time spent: 2 hours
Money spent: None
MEDICI BAKERY
1331 E. 57th St.; 773-667-7394
Growing hungry. Medici sells a biscuit for $1.50 that is large and moist and tastes more like a cookie, but unable to find a seat, I wander around the block eating this boulder from a paper bag. I find myself standing before the angular tiers of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House. Limited to $10 I can’t afford the $12 admission.
Time spent: 35 minutes
Money spent: $1.50
RIBS N’ BIBS
5300 S. Dorchester Ave.; 773-493-0400
A few blocks to the north, I grab a window stool at Ribs N’ Bibs. It’s been here 42 years and looks it. In the foyer they stack cords of wood, which I assume are for show until a cook walks out and grabs a few logs. But being at the end of my money I can’t actually afford ribs in any form. I try the hot links sandwich ($5), which is a fairly hot sausage cut lengthwise, assembled on a soft bun, drenched in a sauce with more bite than tang. It’s not a bashful meal. A half-hour later, licking my fingers, I silently applaud myself, having come in slightly under budget.
Time spent: 40 minutes
Money spent: $5
Conclusion: A man wanders in and explains his car broke down a mile away and he is not on crack and he needs some change to get to the bus station to make it to Detroit and this being the 1,725th performance of that story I’ve sat through, I hand over two quarters.
Total time spent: 4 hours and 15 minutes
Total money spent: $10
— Christopher Borrelli
– – –
5. Olympia Fields
About 30 miles south of the city, you’ll find this residential ‘hood that sprung up around a choice golf club — Olympia Fields Country Club — that was established back in the early 20th Century. Now it’s mostly housing developments — finished and under construction — strip malls and large stretches of green.
IRON OAKS ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER
20000 Western Ave., Olympia Fields; 708-481-2330
Worked up an appetite by walking around Iron Oaks’ pedestrian trails for about an hour; made note to self to suggest a field trip here to any teachers I know.
Time spent: 1 hour
Money spent: None
SHARK’S FISH & CHICKEN
3248 Vollmer Rd., Olympia Fields; 708-481-9900
I pulled into a strip mall parking lot and came face-to-face with Shark’s Fish & Chicken. After a short wait in their bright green and yellow dining area, I scarfed down a freshly made gyro, fries and drink and was refueled ready to trek onward again.
Time spent: 45 minutes
Money spent: $5.99
POST OFFICE
3033 203rd St., Olympia Fields; 800-ASK-USPS
The cute brick structure housing the local post office, situated by the Metra station, seemed like a reasonable idea. I parked and went in, hoping to get some insider tips from the employees, but first I found kitschy Illinois postcards on sale for 10 cents each, so I picked up three. The friendly postal workers insisted I could spend hours at the local Tuesday Morning … so off I went.
Time spent: 15 minutes
Money spent: 56 cents
TUESDAY MORNING
3410 Vollmer Rd., Olympia Fields; 708-748-4933
This discount store is full of all kinds of products you never knew you needed. As predicted, I spent far too long at this store, convincing myself into and then out of purchasing everything from new saucepans to gardening tools (I don’t even have a yard!) to stationery. I did pick up Sesame Street English-Spanish flashcards for my brother’s kids for 99 cents.
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Time spent: 1 hour
Money spent: 99 cents
Conclusion: For visitors not looking to tee off, there are still a handful of good ways to kill time and a few bucks in Olympia Fields.
Total time spent: 3 hours
Total money spent: $7.54
— Fauzia Arainz
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See also “$5 feasts for real,” At Play section, Page 5 and “Pro-budget boredom blasters, “At Play section, Page 4A