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Not bad for a hump day evening out.

Tuesday Apr 19, 2005.     By Erin Brereton

Lifestyle Feed

Since purchasing a condo (or rather, part of a condo, and a fairly large loan) several weeks ago, my spending has gone from spring splurgalicious to every-penny-counts. I've stopped buying the little extras, you know, brunch, shoes, soap, and began budgeting like nobody's business. I will sacrifice splurging. I will sacrifice shopping. But there's one thing I won't give up: my weekly night out with friends to dish, dine and drink until we leave, laughing, ready to face the rest of the week.

Curbing my martini cravings hasn't been easy. But luckily for me, I have thrifty friends who are all too willing to agree to my beverage budget. Because, as they well know, nothing can break a budget faster than a big night out. Factor in cabs, food and the big expense, the bar tab, and a night catching up with friends can quickly turn into a night of catching up with the nearest ATM.

But scour the weekly drink deals in your neighborhood and you'll find you can save money and still have a social life. My favorite cheapest of cheaps? Redmond's Wednesday night special, offering up $1 Miller Light, Miller and Miller High Life beers all night long. That's right, just one buck for bottles. It may not be Cristal on the 95th floor of the Hancock, but if you're saving up for new window dressings, well hey, they don't call High Life the champagne of beers for nothin'.

Redmond's, located smack-dab in the middle of Wrigleyville, also offers ample seating, TVs tuned to games, booths in back and pool, if you bring a crew. Ample street parking is available on the side streets west of the bar; there is also a lot across from Redmond's with a $5 flat-fee parking special. And if you're hungry, Wednesday is also $4 wrap night at Redmond's. After all, what says "I'm getting crazy mid-week" more than chicken gently rolled in a tortilla? Not much, my friends.

Of course, Redmond's isn't the only place with a weeknight deal. If you're looking for drink specials in the Wrigleyville area, you can also cruise by Coobah (3423 N. Southport), which on Tuesday night has $5 pitchers of sangria that are as tasty as they are cheap (and bathrooms that look like they were lifted from a J. Lo video).

To satisfy your sweet tooth, Sopo (3418 N. Southport) has $3 chocolate martinis on Tuesday nights, and the spring-break-themed Trader Todd's (3216 N. Sheffield) has $3 mai-tais on Wednesdays, and nightly karaoke.

But if even those oh-so-cheap specials are making your wallet start to sweat, there is a Chicago evening out that will cost you less: Just one penny gets you a bottle of house Chardonnay, Merlot or Cabernet at Strega Nona (3747 N. Southport) on Tuesday nights, as opposed to everywhere else, where a penny gets you…absolutely nothing.

Slap down some George Washington's for Millers Wednesday nights at Redmond's, 3358 N. Sheffield. Call (773) 404-2151 for more information.

Erin Brereton is our resident urban cowgirl on a bi-weekly search for life on the cheap.