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Live
Well
(for less) 

Go ahead. Smile. We’ve figured it all out. Here’s how to get what you need (and even some of what you don’t really need) for the right price.



By Carla Jean Whitley, Jenny Watkins and Mary Ellen Stancill

GREAT Entertainment (for less)
Black & White card
Save on a night out using the free Black & White card. The discount card regularly offers deals to Alabama Symphony Orchestra shows, Alys Stephens Center performances, Jazz on the Porch at Rucker Place and more. Cardholders also receive a discount on purchases at the Birmingham Museum of Art museum store and several retail establishments. Sign up online at bwcitypaper.com; weekly emails notify cardholders of new discounts.

Dollar movies
With adult tickets creeping toward the $10 mark and children’s tickets not far behind, movie-going can become an expensive pastime. There’s relief for those who don’t have to see the newest film the minute it’s released. The Carmike 10, just off Lorna Road in Hoover, still offers $1 tickets for every showing, every day. You won’t find the fancy upgrades of full-priced theaters, but for a dollar, who cares? Check show times online at carmike.com or by calling 298-7777.

Alabama Symphony Orchestra
Attending the symphony carries a certain amount of inherent sophistication, but it doesn’t have to come at a steep price. The Alabama Symphony Orchestra schedules several bargain-priced shows throughout the year. Shows in the coffee concert series begin at 11 a.m. and cost only $15. The next performance is Emotions Recollected on May 16. Open rehearsals, which have concluded for this season, begin at 10 a.m. and cost $10. Not willing to give up your lunch break? Even regular symphony shows begin at as little as $15. Check the remainder of this season’s calendar at alabamasymphony.org.

Theatre on a budget
Love the theatre, but find your budget stretched thin by Birmingham’s many offerings? Lighten the load by attending shows at less-popular times in several area theatres. Birmingham Festival Theatre matinee shows, typically Sunday afternoons, are pay-what-you-can, with a $5 minimum. Take advantage this month with The White Rose. You’ll also find pay-what-you can on Thursday nights at Terrific New Theatre, with the exception of opening night. At Theatre Downtown, Thursdays are labeled Hobo Nights, again with a $5 minimum. Keep an eye on bftonline.org, terrificnewtheatre.com and myspace.com/theatredt for upcoming shows.

WorkPlay Wednesdays
You’ll find drink specials at happy hours all over town, but periodically WorkPlay offers a little something extra during its WorkPlay Wednesdays. Turn up in the bar and you might just find a free performance from a top-notch but lesser-known band. Past acts have included The Bittersweets, Shawn South, the Joel Pryor Band and Sean Henniger; watch workplay.com for future shows.

Bowl for less
Enjoy family-friendly fun on a budget at any area bowling alley. On Wednesdays before 7:30 p.m., Vestavia Bowl Family Fun Center charges only $1.50 per game and per pair of shoes. Brunswick Riverview Lanes charges $1 per game and $2 for shoes from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. At Lightning Strikes in Trussville, take advantage of $1.50 per game and for shoes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And at Center Point’s Super Bowl, you don’t have to plan ahead for a cheap game. Bowling is $2 per game daily, and shoe rentals are $3.

Flicks for free
Take your kids for an evening out this summer—without spending a penny!—as several cities in the metro area resume their free movie series. Pack a blanket and head to the park. Homewood offers Free Friday Flicks at Homewood Park beginning May 30. Alabaster’s program of the same name is held at Veteran’s Park—and this year, they’ll also launch a Music in the Park series. In Helena, residents vote on the movie selections before Sundown Cinemas begins at Helena Old Towne Amphitheater. Full schedules are online at homewoodparks.com, cityofalabaster.com and cityofhelena.org.

Jazz on the Porch
Combine atmosphere and music with food and wine the first Thursday of each month at Historic Rucker Place, a beautiful Southside house listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Jazz on the Porch runs from April to October, with a cover charge of only $5. An optional wine tasting is also $5. Look online for each event’s menu, also reasonably priced. Learn more by calling 558-2485 or online at ruckerplace.com.

Area attractions
Birmingham offers plenty of attractions to keep you busy, whether you’re a single twenty-something or a family of four. Regardless of how many people are in your party, planning ahead will allow you to take advantage of some of those without breaking your budget. Admission to the Birmingham Zoo is half off on Tuesdays, bringing adult admission to $6 while children and seniors pay $3.50. At Alabama Adventure, you’ll find deals every day after 4 p.m., when general admission drops to $15.99 Sunday through Thursday and $17.99 Friday and Saturday.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Golf isn’t cheap, but you can find discounts if you know where to look. Purchase a trail card from the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, and you’ll save at RTJ courses across Alabama. (Lakewood Golf Club is the only course not included.) The 2008 card costs $39.95, and the husband of one Birmingham magazine employee claims that discounted greens fees means the card will pay for itself within two or three rounds. Card holders also receive discounts on merchandise. You must be an Alabama resident or live within 100 miles of an RTJ Golf Trail site to purchase the card. Golfers can also save with the RTJ Passport program. In addition to discounted green fees and merchandise, passport holders will have their card stamped for each RTJ course they play. Play them all and exchange the passport for a trail vacation. The passport is $29.95. Buy both online at rtjgolf.com.

A night on the town
An evening out can get expensive, fast. Add ticket prices—whether to a concert, gala or play—to dinner and drinks, and the sky is unfortunately the limit. But over the past several years, some of Birmingham’s cultural institutions have created nightlife options that not only highlight the best of what the city has to offer—they’re also inexpensive. 2007 saw the launch of Cocktails at the Gardens, drawing people in to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for signature cocktails, hors d’ouevres and music for only $5. (Museum members were free!) The McWane Center also launched Science Uncorked, which unleashed adults in McWane’s science-filled fun, charging $10 for nonmembers and $5 for members. Watch bbgardens.org and mcwane.org for information on repeats in 2008.




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January Birmingham, Alabama

  

 
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