Life offers many occasions to celebrate, commiserate, or get toasty just because. Although the solo drink is sometimes appropriate, in general it's way more fun to drink with friends. We know footing the booze bill for a group can be expensive, so we're here to give you some pointers for doing it up bum-style.

I was very excited when Rent.Food.Broke. contacted me about writing an article for them about saving money on groceries. I know Rent.Food.Broke focuses on staying under a $10 limit. Well, I spend about $10 a week on groceries for each per person in my family. Yep, that's right, just $50 a week for my family of five. This includes all our food, diapers, toiletries and paper goods. If you'd like, you can check out my most recent shopping trip.

Memorial Day has officially come and gone and summer is on the brink of being here. In LA that means you exchange your Uggs for flip flops and expect to sport the swimwear. In most towns, bums would be exempt from the "gotta look good at the pool," but this is a tough town with high expectations. We're not dieters, exercisers, or sports buffs, but we do like to feel good (or close) when we strut our stuff. We aren't shooting for six packs (except of free beer), just a few ways to combine saving money with looking hot.

Our name is RentFoodBroke because we usually manage to feed ourselves before seeing a $0 balance in ye old checking account. We know that some months are tight. Like way too tight to keep on the lights and eat. It happens, it sucks, but don't starve. If you can't mooch off friends and family, take matters into your own hands by tapping into local resources. There's help available if you run out of food money and pride doesn't fill ye old belly. Bill Withers, Al Green, and The Temptations all said it "sometimes in our lives we all need somebody to lean on," and they're famous so it must be true.

We always recommend cooking at home or hitting up a small local joint with entrees under ten bucks, but we know there are special occasions when you end up splurging. If you have a special event coming up, budget for it in advance by putting a couple bucks aside every week. It may not seem like much in the moment, but it can add up to some serious cash. When you've got your funding, choose wisely and use a couple of our tricks to make the most of your funds. LA is a major city and, luckily for you, that means some major deals.

After reading our previous article on the movies, you know where to find deals, which is key to movie watching. However, for maximum fun, snacks are necessary. Concessions are super expensive so don't look there if you're on a budget (and we know you are). There are certain factors to consider for picking and packing the perfect nibbles, so read on for time tested advice. Despite what you may have heard, most theaters don't have a rule against bringing in food, especially if it was purchased in the same mall as the theater. Please note: we do not advocate for doing illegal things, so if the theater has a policy against bringing in outside consumables, we didn't tell you to.

If you didn't know by now that being green could help you save green you clearly haven't been paying much attention. We've written a whole bunch of articles on the subject. Here's one more for good measure, with miscellaneous tips for ways to keep our planet healthy and your wallet fuller. Yay environment!

Though LA hasn't had to cope with the brutal winter storms that slammed most of the Eastern Seaboard, Angelenos are starting to sniff spring in the air. And nothing says Spring like vegetables and flowers poking through the ground, especially following the research of Pollan and Kingsolver. You might live in an apartment and winter might be ideal planting time, but the magic of LA is that you can still manage to grow your own mini-crops. It's not the victory garden of the '50s or the back-to-the-land of the '70s, this is the broke-as-a-joke, fresh-food-loving, earth-friendly garden of today.

The Year of the Tiger began on Sunday with the Chinese New Year. (Did you make it to the Tet Festival in Garden Grove over the weekend?) The lunar New Year is the biggest of the traditional Chinese holidays, lasting 15 days, culminating with the Lantern Festival, this year on March 6. Keeping with tradition, it's time to clean your house or apartment, get some new clothes, and make plans to hang out with the family. Get ready for good food and buy gifts for friends. If you're lucky, you may even get a red envelope with a bunch of cash to blow in the new year. LA's got a whole slew of festivities worth checking out. Here's a rundown.

Most Americans probably haven't heard of Purim, with the exception of those who saw Christopher Guest's has-its-moments-but-is-otherwise-forgettable For Your Consideration. This year falling on Saturday night and Sunday, Purim is the Jewish holiday celebrating the Jews' escape from destruction at the hands of the evil Haman in the ancient Persian Empire. As an American, and moreover as an Angelino, there's really no reason that you too can't celebrate this holiday even if you're not a Member of the Tribe. Because when was the last time you didn't party on Cinco de Mayo/St. Paddy's Day/Oktoberfest/what-have-you?