Not the Onion: Self-important dink goes 24 hours without spending money. And lives to tell about it.

[charlie]

What would be it like to go a day without spending any money? I've thought about this before but I've never considered actually trying it. I couldn't imagine going a day without spending a single penny -- is that even possible? How would I get from A to B? What about food? Turns out, a day of living expense free is possible and you'd be surprised by the overwhelming sense of satisfaction and feeling of elation that comes from it.

On Tuesday night I had just returned home after a long day of work and I decided to order in from my favorite restaurant. Forty minutes later, the deliveryman arrived with my pasta primavera and a Greek salad and I handed him $32.50, including tip. Pretty steep for a dinner for one, I thought. I returned to my kitchen counter, brown bag in hand, and it was then that I had a moment: I reviewed my spending for the day and I realized that I had spent well over $80 over the course of the day on menial expenses. I hadn't gone shopping, I hadn't dined out at Cafeteria for lunch, and I hadn't joined my friends for drinks. It dawned on me that the taxicab rides, stops at CVS, the Starbucks lattes, the mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks, my take-out from the fabulous Italian restaurant, and other trivial expenses really added up; realizing the total cost of it all was a painful but eye-opening experience.

That night, I decided to go on a mission to live a full 24-hour day without spending a penny. A self-proclaimed female A.J. Jacobs, I pledged to wake up Wednesday morning and eliminate all expenses from my daily routine. It would be a feat but I was determined to test my discipline and my creativity. I would prove to myself and to those around me that a day of living expense free is possible - and a worthwhile experiment.
...

I arrived at my kitchen a bit fearful (let's just say I prefer eating over-cooking) yet I was excited for the challenge. I rummaged through my cupboard and fridge and sure enough, I had a box of unopened penne and an unopened can of tomato vodka sauce hidden behind some cans of soup. Penne vodka -- perfect. I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to use up those unopened cans or boxes that have been sitting in my cupboards. I discovered some frozen peas in my freezer and added those to the mix. Within minutes, I had donned my apron and found my inner Julia Child (Who knew I had one?), whipping up a delicious pasta dish at the stove and singing along to my Billy Joel favorites. My friends arrived, adding a salad, a bottle of wine and some baked Brie to the potluck dinner. We sat in my living room and laughed for an hour. Fun night...

Follow the rest of the chirpy Alexa von Tobel's inspiring journey at HuffPo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alexa-von-tobel/financial-challenge-go-a_b_566492.html

(This is the AJ Jacobs she likened herself to, BTW)