Looking for some cheap thrills? Can't afford anything else? We can help.
Guide sent staffers out to find food and fun in downtown Dallas without breaking the bank, and they returned with these cost-efficient suggestions. Now a night out won't set you back a day's pay.
More cheap dates:
• 5/25/07 - Family outing has a sweet ending
• 5/18/07 - 'Dream'-y outing on a dreary evening
• 5/11/07 - In-town getaway leads to a tropical spa and Trader Vic's
• 5/4/07 - We interrupt this date at Uncle Julio's...
• 4/13/07 - Family Game Night at Lone Star Comics
Third Monday's the charm
Juan Garcia / DMN These shoppers at McKinney's Third Monday Trade Days found a pair of puppies irresistible.
TMTD, as it's known, is billed on its Web site as "the oldest and
largest monthly trade days/flea market in North Texas." The place is
pretty huge, which is a plus. And the fact that it's held in my neck of
the woods sealed the deal as a must-do cheap date. So I grabbed my
sister-in-law and some cash, and we headed north a couple of Sundays ago.
Now, from U.S. Highway 380, TMTD looks deceptively small. We only saw a
few vendors up front, including plant vendors who sold adorable mini
rose bushes. But as with any good shopping location, the deeper inside
we went, the more goodies we found.
After paying a mere $3 to park, we delved inside. Among the goodies we
found were:
• one Royal manual typewriter, circa 1920s, $15
• one teeny watermelon, about the size of a grapefruit, $3
• three hand-painted canvases, $180
Of course, going in we knew that it's easy to blow your budget at a flea
market, so we worked it out like this: We decided we would keep the flea
market admission (which turned out to be free), parking costs and lunch
to less than $50. But our budget for buying things had to be, well, you
know, made up as we went along. So that means those canvases, the
antique typewriter and the adorable melon didn't count.
With part of our remaining $47, I treated us to a relaxing lunch at P.F.
Chang's near Frankford Road and the Dallas North Tollway. We figured
since we didn't have to drive far to TMTD, we'd travel a couple of
highways for some crab won tons.
The bottom line:
WHAT: Bonding over won tons and bargains
WHERE:
• Third Monday Trade Days is held the weekend before the third Monday of
each month on U.S. Highway 380 in McKinney. For directions and info for
the next market (June 15-17), go to www.tmtd.com or call 972-542-7174.
• P.F. Chang's China Bistro, 18323 N. Dallas Parkway. 972-818-3336.
THE TAB: $37 ($3 for parking at TMTD, $34 at P.F. Chang's,
including tax and tip)
THE SCORE: The in-laws who shop together stay together.
– BRIDGETTE WILLIAMS / The Dallas Morning News
Published in The Dallas Morning News: 06.01.07
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