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.

Don't let June gloom get you down. Soon you'll be baking under the hot summer sun with other sun worshipers. All that tanning does make a bum hungry, so make sure to plan ahead for feeding your crew. Barbeques are the hallmark of the season, so get your coals out and get ready for sheer tastiness.

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards are this Sunday evening, and if we know anything about LA, chances are you'll be watching it. But why just watch it when you can experience it? The best place to be on Oscar night is in the Kodak Theater. You're probably not special enough to be there. Instead, you can sit on the bleachers with the plebeians. Only problem is if you're just finding out about this now, it's already too late. Looks like you'll be stuck at home. But there's hope! Here's how to make your Oscars night a real party.

Like any good slasher film, so goes my love life: never is there a happy ending. Personally, I'm all about screaming "Die Cupid Die!" on the all too celebrated Valentine’s Day. So much so that I throw dinner parties with the same theme, and once even convinced a popular musician to paint the same phrase all over her shirt for a gig. Apparently, the crowd loved it. So with that in mind, get out your puffy paints and aprons as I present to you Little Brown Bag's version of DIE CUPID DIE! Yes, it's cheap. Just like those bastards you're going to invite.

As Will & Grace so wisely pointed out, everyone likes game night. We hope that's true because game night is fun and pretty darn cheap. Ring up a few friends, pop some popcorn, and dust off the games sitting in your closet. If you managed to get rid of all childhood relics, we've got a few suggestions for restocking your fun pantry.

What could be better than finding yourself in the possession of free flowers? Nothing! That’s what I say, at least. Imagine my surprise when I come to find my car inexplicably decorated one morning with what looked like the floral fallout from one crazy quinceañera.  No one knows where they came from, but this broke bum is not going to look a gift arrangement in the mouth. And neither should you.

Hi. My name is HeadBum and I'm an addict – to sugar that is. Being the broke bum that I am, it's sometimes challenging to share that dependent love/craving/omigodgiveittomenow with my friends. Lucky for me, lots of obese Americans and corn subsidies have helped drive down the price of my crack. Thus, I can ask my bummy friends to a sweet tooth orgy and feel no guilt about assigning them each a sugar-loaded wonder. And if they complain tomorrow, well, sweetness has its price. Cheap!

Italians know food and deals. America, in its grand tradition of bastardizing cuisine, has embraced a budget-friendly version of Italian food. There is a wide variety of Italian cuisine and many potentially expensive ingredients. But we all know that isn't what you're going to serve your bum posse when they show up.

I had the unfortunate luck of spending a significant amount of time in hospitals this past weekend visiting sick friends (an experience that is inexpensive, emotionally taxing, and fun if you've got the sense of humor for it). In the process I rediscovered one of the best kept secrets in cheap eats: the hospital cafeteria.

In the park, on the desk, or even just while searching the job boards — us bums gots to eat.  Don’t hit the commissary or the roach coach or any other place that costs you far too much moolah — it’s time to pull out some of them tasty groceries you normally let rot in your fridge and get to feasting. Here’s some ideas for what to do with them. I promise to keep it cheap.