Robin Hardwick - Cost-Conscious Connoisseur
My Broke-Ass Best-of-the-Year List
I am sure you will be saturated with best of the year list with every other critic and blogger, but I wanted to share my discoveries of the year. This is a hodgepodge list of media that I did/saw/consumed/heard this year. If you are not already up on this, I
Broke-Ass Nostalgia: Mallrats
One can’t mention the film Mallrats (1995) without giving a nod to Clerks (1994). Clerks was writer/director Kevin Smith’s low-budget, indie masterpiece. It isn’t necessarily a novel idea these days, but in the early nineties, a movies about hourly-wage employees based mostly on snappy dialogue and not much action was
The 2025 SF Beer Passport is Here!
Step into a world of adventure with the San Francisco Beer Passport. There’s no better way to explore San Francisco than to literally drink it in. This passport is amazing! Each one contains 28 coupons to buy one beer, get a second beer FREE at 28 of the finest locally
Broke-Ass Guide to Being Alone on Christmas
Spending Christmas alone is nothing to be ashamed of. Flights are expensive, maybe you don’t have the money to fly to see your family. Maybe you hate your family. Perhaps you are Jewish. Don’t let other people feel sorry for you- Christmas by yourself is awesome. If you find
Popuphood Pops Up in Old Oakland
I love this idea. Two business owners in the great but not-well-frequented neighborhood in old Oakland arranged for retailers to temporarily set up retail space in unoccupied retail storefronts. The results? Popuphood, a chance for more development and foot traffic for Old Oakland and support for small, local business owners
Uncle Dougie’s is the Real New York Deal
One evening when I was out in Downtown Oakland, the hunger set in at about midnight. A friendly fellow bar patron directed me to a place called “Uncle Dougie’s New York-style Italian Heroes” on 17th Street. A short walk from The Layover Bar and we arrived at a late-night diner’s
Broke-Ass Book List: Youth Gone Wild
Feeding your mind by reading is a Broke-Ass lifestyle essential. What other activity gets you so much for so little cost (i.e., free). I’m an avid reader, my hope is to share some of my best reads with you. Look, I admit I don’t love being around children or “tweens”.
Instant Watcher: Be a More Efficient Media Consumer
The sheer amount of media available stresses me out. It may not seem as big of a life issue as paying my rent, etc., but it is a very real stress in my life. I have so many shows and movies on my “to watch” list that I am overwhelmed.
How to Be a Broke-Ass Patron of the Arts
Whenever I played the “If I won the lottery…” game, my second act in my newfound wealth, after buying a modern loft condo in both New York and LA, was to be a patron of the arts; buy a museum wing, donate money to build a theater, etc. Being fairly