Chicago on the Cheap?

Chicago is not a cheap city. Making the most of living in Chicago on a tight budget can, quite frankly, be a pain in the neck. I’m always on the hunt for free events, concerts, food, etc., but it’s a whole lot easier to come by that kind of thing in the summer than it is in the winter. Thank goodness the weather’s warming up, people are beginning to emerge from their winter cocoons, and outdoor Chicago will soon be bustling with (much free) activity again.

It helps that I have the luxury of attending, on average, two dance performances each season, as a reviewer for Clef Notes. This is enough to keep my soul from starving for the arts, but not enough sustenance to come close to satisfying my desire for culture. It’s always such a tease to receive the huge, jam-packed Excel sheet that my editor sends me just before we go to press each quarter, so that I can make my dance recommendations for the next season. Each monthly calendar teems with more cultural activity than one person could ever hope to consume over the course of thirty days. Plus, well, when I look at all those rows of events in the spreadsheet, I feel nauseated by how much money it would cost to even see a small handful of concerts/exhibits/performances. Let’s be honest: the arts ain’t cheap. Especially in this city.

Yet, if you follow the crumb trail, and do a bit of digging, I’ve found that you can satisfy your craving for the arts without breaking the bank. I still rely on Metromix and Yelp Chicago to help me navigate the events and venues of the city, but I was more than thrilled to discover this website for all things free in Chicago: ChicagoFree.Info. The month of March alone is filled with free jazz concerts, free wine tastings, free cooking courses, free lectures… you name it, and there’s something for everyone. I cannot believe I only just discovered this site. It might just become my Chicago Bible.