Broke-Ass of the Week

Broke-Ass of the Week – Laura Beck of Vegansaurus

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Every week we feature a different person from the community shedding a little light on their life of brokeitude.  Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something about the human spirit'probably not.

Wanna be a Broke-Ass of the Week?  Holler at us here and we’ll send you the questionnaire.

Laura is a vegan.  Despite this culinary handicap, she’s a pretty funny chick.  She also runs a website called Vegansaurus, an eating/living guide to the San Francisco Bay Area for vegans.  After reading her website, my favorite thing about her is that she’s a shit talker.  My least favorite thing about vegans though are their farts.  Have you ever smelled a vegan’s fart?  They are soul crushing.  When I asked her if there was anything she’d like me to say about her in this intro, Laura responded, “um…This is Laura!  She is amazing and rad!  Happy Tuesday!”  Yes, happy Tuesday indeed Laura.  Enjoy her answers below, they’re pretty hilarious.

Name: Laura Beck

Age: 30

Occupation: Non-profit wage slave/crazy animal lady

What neighborhood do you live in?: 94110

Best money saving tip: Be vegan, bulk bins at Rainbow, soy milk at Grocery Outlet (Gross out!), using ‘pons whenever possible (which should be always, if you’re good at it)

What do you refuse to spend money on?: SEX?  What kind of a question is this?  I guess parking tickets.  It’s my form of civil disobedience–I’m like MLK or Ghandi, except I’m a worse person.

Most expensive thing you’ve ever bought: Hazel! My Rocket Dog Rescue who has cost me several grand in vet bills.

How’d that feel?: Mainly awesome, she’s worth every penny!

Favorite cheap eat: Free Papalote burrito with frequent buyer card, free Maggie Mudd cone with frequent buyer card, I’m all about the frequent eater card.  Learn it, live it.  Oh and Ike’s sandwiches are like $10 but they’re two delicious meals and the vegan selection is the absolute best.

Favorite dive bar: El Rio (PATIO), El Trebol (LOCALS), The Attic ($2.50 Manhattans at Happy Hour…goes ’til 8!), The Eagle (the sweetest pleather daddies!), Bender’s (seitan tacos!), LiPo (just like a good dive bar, it’s got cheap stiff drinks, it’s dark, and it feels like a great place to make out/get stabbed.  Unlike most dive bars: juke-box filled with cantonese pop and 80s power ballads. BROKE-ASS TIP: you can rent the whole place out for like $40 a night. If you ever lose your apartment, this makes the LiPo an excellent alternative to your standard TL SRO.).

Best deal you’ve ever gotten: Free TV and desk on Magical Capp St., super cheap couches on CL, once we had a garage sale and tried to sell a bunch of legally-gotten plan b.  Thought it would be amazing but turns out, people don’t want to buy their abortions from two chicks on the street. KIDDING!  I know it’s not a real abortion, just a mini one!  KIDDING AGAIN!

Favorite free thing to do: It, Hulu, hanging out at friend’s houses who have one or more of the following: 1) TV 2) Pool table 3) food 4) central heating.

If you woke up a millionaire, what’s the first thing you’d buy? Everyone I know a meal at Millennium, Hazel a super blingy collar, Rocket Dog Rescue an Urban Sanctuary so that they could save all the dogs, a treat truck to sell vegan snacks from. I guess that’s lots of first things, I have wants!

Despite not having money, do you still love your life?: I GUESS.  It would be much better with money. Mo’ Money, Less Problems.

Do you own my book?: What’s your book again?  Does it cost money?

Best hangover cure: Excedrin, sleep and a dog you have to walk.  Then, more sleep.

Are you a hipster?: No; I’m popular on Yelp.

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Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

Stuart Schuffman, aka Broke-Ass Stuart, is a travel writer, poet, TV host, activist, and general shit-stirrer. His website BrokeAssStuart.com is one of the most influential arts & culture sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and his freelance writing has been featured in Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, The Bold Italic, Geek.com and too many other outlets to remember. His weekly column, Broke-Ass City, appears every other Thursday in the San Francisco Examiner. Stuart’s writing has been translated into four languages. In 2011 Stuart created and hosted the travel show Young, Broke, and Beautiful on IFC and in 2015 he ran for Mayor of San Francisco and got nearly 20k votes.

He's been called "an Underground legend": SF Chronicle, "an SF cult hero":SF Bay Guardian, and "the chief of cheap": Time Out New York.