The (Unintentional) $50 Challenge - Rhode Island
Traveling can be expensive.
I won’t lie to you and try to tell you that it isn’t. My goal here isn’t to provide you with never-ending content about my fabulous and unattainable lifestyle. For one, it’s not fabulous (what with the buses in NYC and the tours in Paris and don’t get me started on the planes in Los Angeles).
Also, it’s not unattainable at all.
Not only is it possible, but it can actually be affordable to travel. While I was in Rhode Island this past weekend, I decided to challenge myself once again and prove to you all that traveling on a budget doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing your priorities.
It’s time for another $50 Challenge.
As much as I sometimes try to deny it, I'm such a Rhode Island girl. Without my chowder and my beaches and my Del's, I think I would actually go insane.
To anyone who might be new to the concept of the $50 Challenge, it’s fairly straightforward. Basically, I take one of my friends or family members out with me for a day and give us a maximum budget of $50 (I don’t count transportation in that total because it can vary so much from person to person). If we go over, the day doesn’t end. But the Challenge does get noted as a failure and I’m deeply disappointed.
You know, the usual.
What I love the most about this specific Challenge is that it was completely unintentional. When my mom and I headed out for the day, we didn’t have a set budget in mind. We just knew that we wanted to go down to the Narragansett/Jamestown area and spend the afternoon there.
In fact, the $50 Challenge I tried to do the following day in Providence failed miserably. We ended up changing our plans at the last minute so we could incorporate some errands we needed to run and the day got cut incredibly short. Between grocery shopping for my new apartment and all the activities we had already spent money on, we ended up way over budget. We scrapped the whole project, but I plan on doing a Providence $50 Challenge soon.
But back to the day before.
I wanted to write this piece because it really goes to show how much money you can save when you get out of the city. Providence is expensive (as I’m sure the future Challenge will show you), but you can find so many free things to do around the Narragansett/Jamestown area that it’s almost laughable.
In a good way.
The Fantastic Umbrella Factory
My mom had never been here before so of course we had to check it out. It’d been years since I had last visited and I forgot how much I loved it.
What I enjoy the most about this little hidden gem is how cute and quaint it is. It’s eclectic and hipster and well-priced. The jewelry has some of the lowest prices I’ve ever seen, and the main gift shop had us in stitches (I’m so sorry to the person behind the counter. If it’s any comfort, we’re always like this...).
The other thing I love about The Fantastic Umbrella Factory is that it’s a great way to support small business, while also finding some truly one-of-a-kind trinkets. I struggled not to buy anything, but my mom caved and bought a cute little Christmas present for one of her friends.
I’ve been told that I can’t say anything more than that for fear of giving it away.
Running Total: $4
The aesthetic of this place is just so cute and bohemian. Everything is so eclectic. There's really something for everyone.
The Towers and the Narragansett Seawall
The next thing we did was head to The Towers and the Narragansett Seawall. It’s one of the most beautiful spots in Rhode Island, in my opinion. The only downside to visiting this location on a Saturday was the parking.
It’s terrible.
I would love to go back here and walk around first thing in the morning (after going to Allie’s Donuts and grabbing a half dozen for the road, of course). This place was super crowded on a Saturday at 3pm, so you should definitely plan on doing something early on a weekend or going midday during the week if you want to try and avoid the people (and be able to wander around without feeling bad for being in the middle of the sidewalk). It will also help solve your parking problem.
Otherwise, plan on parking a few blocks away and walking over.
The perspective of this photo was so cool for me that I couldn't not post it...
The other warning I want to give about this location is the rock stacks/sculptures/things. They’re beautiful. But, in order to build them and add to the frankly enormous collection there currently, you need to climb over the Seawall and onto the rocks.
Do this at your own risk.
I’m not going to tell you what to do one way or the other (because I would be a hypocrite), but make sure you are safe if you do it. Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes; watch where you’re putting your feet to make sure you don’t twist your ankle; move slowly.
You know, don’t die.
Running Total: Still $4
I'm serious guys. I was wearing sneakers and testing every rock before I stepped on it. Don't risk your safety for a cool shot. It's not worth it.
Iggy’s
I learned after the first $50 Challenge that a lot of readers thought I forgot to include food! So this time, we changed up the routine and moved on to one of my favorite restaurants in all of Rhode Island: Iggy’s.
Now, some people will try to tell you that Aunt Carrie’s is better than Iggy’s.
Some people are wrong.
I think Iggy’s is a Rhode Island rite of passage. Every person I’ve ever hosted in my home state has been brought here and loved it. After all, what’s not to love? The food is decently priced, not to mention absolutely delicious. My mom and I each got a cup of clam chowder and three clam cakes, and I got a stuffed quahog to boot. The total for the whole meal was $18.
If you do go, don’t forget the doughboys! They’re fried squares of goodness covered in granulated sugar and they are actual perfection. We just skipped them because we thought we were getting Del’s (it was closed. I was sad. And doughboy-less.).
Running Total: $22
You can't tell from the way I set up the photo, but I'd already taken a couple bites of the stuffie before I remembered to take the photo and had to turn it around so you couldn't see where I dove in like an animal...
Scarborough Beach
If you’ve never been to the beach in Rhode Island, then you won’t know this awesome tip: parking at state beaches is free after 6:00pm. This is because the lifeguards are only on duty from 9:00am to 6:00pm.
Sometimes, though, the parking attendants will leave a little early. When my mom and I got there around 5:45, they had already cleared out.
Rhode Island beaches are beautiful. Yes, there’s lots of seaweed, but there’s something for everyone at every beach. For example, Scarborough is more laid back and has a pretty youthful vibe (to me at least). Wheeler is a great family beach because of the playground. Narragansett Town Beach is overrated - they might have nicer facilities, but not that much nicer. And the water is the same as what you’d get at a beach where you just need to pay for parking.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
In all seriousness, if you’re just going to the beach to take photos or to enjoy the water and the sunset, wait until later in the day when the crowds have started to dissipate and the parking is free!
Running Total: Still $22
I'm happiest when I'm by the water. I don't know why, or how it even started. But if I'm in RI these days, I'll typically find my way to a beach (and then take a metric ton of photos to prove I was there)
Beavertail Lighthouse
Now I think this might be the most beautiful spot in Rhode Island. I’ve been coming here for years and the best part about it is that it’s absolutely free!
The best time of day to go, in my experience, is for either sunrise or sunset. Both are beautiful, but the sunsets here are unparalleled. Even the photos I managed to capture don’t do it justice. It was so serene and peaceful - a perfect, quiet ending to the day.
The best view is from the rocks but, like I said earlier about the Seawall, be careful. You could slip and fall if you’re not cautious.
I don’t want to be on the hook for that.
Running Total: Still $22
Once you get onto the rocks, you have a completely unobstructed view of the sunset. It's absolutely breathtaking.
And that’s it! We left the house around noontime and got back around 8:00pm. Our total for the day? $22. Even if we do include the money we spent on gas, then maybe it was around $32. The fact of the matter is, almost everything we did that day was free. And we got to see some of the most iconic spots in Rhode Island in just one afternoon.
All in all? I’m marking this $50 Challenge down as a win.