Broke-Ass of the Week – Jay H.
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.
Our Broke-Ass of the Week this time around is Jay Herrera, a “real-life Mexican”! I first met Jay a while back at a signing and reading I did, although I’m pretty sure we were yelp buddies before that. Considering that she’s lived in the City and the East Bay, she’s able to give us some insight into both places. Read below to get her take on $2 papusas and how it feels to buy a $1000 purse.
Name: Jay
Age: 29
Occupation: I’m unemployed now so I guess it’s Professional Cover Letter Editor
What neighborhood do you live in?: East Bay – Richmond (yes the BART stop) and NO you won’t die if you go there and NO I’m not scared I may be shot. I used to live in Inner Sunset before I got laid off from my non-profit gig because of budget cuts…loved that neighborhood.
Best money saving tip: Take the extra time to walk instead of riding Muni. Seriously…not only have my thighs begun to lose thier charming jiggle since I began walking down Embarcadero to Bart each day but I get to play “Count the Tourists Who Thought SF Had Warm Weather and Left Their Jackets in the Hotel and Had to Buy SF Fleece Hoodies!!!”
What do you refuse to spend money on?: I refuse to spend money on umbrellas, even cheap $10 Walgreens umbrellas. I hate carrying them, you always forget you have one and end up leaving it at some place you never go to but somehow ended up at on a day that was raining….like Chevy’s. Side note: As a real-life Mexican I can only endorse the happy hour margaritas.
Most expensive thing you’ve ever bought: Once upon a time in a financial economy far far away…I made money. I bought a Marc Jacob’s purse for my birthday for about a thousand dollars…it was completely & totally justified. Especially when you use The Purchase Theorem:
Times you wear or use the item / amount of $ spent = the REAL cost value of the item.
How’d that feel?: I wouldn’t do it again. That’s hella money to spend on a purse….but it is pretty.
Favorite cheap eat: East Bay: $2 Pupusas from La Bamba right off San Pablo Ave exit…..swear to god those things have crack in them. Don’t get anything but pupusas..it’s the only thing good there.
SF: Wrap Delight in the TL by the Courthouse…cheap ass $3 Bahn Mi sandwiches, they apparently have vegan tofu sanwiches, too. Soft bread and tons of veggies.
Favorite dive bar: East Bay: Hotsy Totsy in El Cerrito…Corona in a can, bitches. Recognize. Also…sometimes the surly woman owner will have snacks. By snacks I mean either cheeseburgers from McD’s, taco’s from TacoBell, cookies, peanuts, goldfish crackers….it’s a crap shoot on whaetever she either finds on sale or cares to pick up.
SF: Lucky 13 in the Castro….$2.50 pints at happy hour, great juke and dark dim liting without the douchebag factor.
Best deal you’ve ever gotten: That would have to be when I made a platter of Crab & Corn Enchiladas for a friend who can fix cars as payment for labor on my car. I saved hella money having him teach and help me change my break pads, get my rotors turned, changed the air fliter and oil. I just had to pay for the parts and the oil!
Favorite free thing to do: DUDE!!!! Take a sammie picnic in a backpack and go on a day trip to Alamere Falls in Pt. Reyes National Park..it’s about a hour and a half drive on the CA-1. Its an uber easy hike past three gorgeous lakes and it ends at a huge waterfall that falls right into the ocean. Arrive by 10:30 am though because all kinds of lazies show up around noon and it turns into a psuedo-nature walk tour with hella people. You’ll be back in SF by 3 or 4.
If you woke up a millionaire, what’s the first thing you’d buy?: A Painted Lady…because I want to run in Alamo Square like the kids from Full House.
Despite not having money, do you still love your life?: I’m not going to lie…I’d enjoy having a liveable wage for SF. However, caring about who your work reaches and what it says to them is way more important to me than buying all the Marc Jacobs purses I could carry.
Do you own my book?: No but I’ve read it many times while killing time at Borders. I think you’re hilarious! Sorry dude…seriously, I’ll buy it. Promise, cross my heart and hope to die, stick a hundred needles in my eye.
Best hangover cure: I heard that is was a banana to replace lost potassium and to drink lots of water….but I hate bananas, so I just drink water and make ramen – chicken flavored.
Are you a hipster?: No…I’m a sassy latina. I have adidas shelltops but also stiletto heels. I rock pencil skirts at work but love wearing Angry Little Girl t-shirts and jeans. I have no idea where I fit.
