The news from the economists isn't good. Gas is approaching $4-a-gallon and may hover around the $5 mark by midsummer. Also, the unemployment rate isn't showing any sign of dropping, and the cost of goods is rising right along with the petroleum rates.
What's a hardworking person to do? Tighten the belt-buckle and live on the cheap for a while, that's what. With that in mind, here are some of the Falls' best deals to achieve the bliss my grandfather implied when he would say, "A dollar in your wallet is better than a dollar in theirs."
Cheapest Movie Date
The Four Seasons Cinema, 2429 Military Road (behind Big Lots), is one of the best-kept secrets in the Cataract City. It is also the best value by far.
Tickets for any show, any time are just $4. The movies are all first-run, with just a slight delay, usually two weeks or so, from their debut in the full-rate movie houses.
There are four screens, and the theater has an old-school feel but has seen enough upgrades to not leave moviegoers feeling like they're being cheated out of modern amenities. The concession stand is underpriced by national-chain pricing standards, and a couple can catch a Hollywood blockbuster, with snacks and drinks, and get out for little more than a double sawbuck.
Best of all is the fact that movie watchers can bask in the warm glow of supporting one of their own, as the Four Seasons Cinema is the city's only locally owned movie theater. Visit fourseasonscinema.com for movie titles and show times.
Best Lunch Value
Full disclosure time -- I used to work at Frenchy's Pizza in the early 1980s when I was in high school. Well, it was Andre's Pizza then, but the original owner, Andre Miljour, opened Frenchy's and named it for his wife after he'd sold his original pizzeria to the Haick brothers (who also started the Papa Leo's chain in Western New York). Confused? Don't be. Just know that the current Frenchy's, located at 2210 Niagara St., and run by the Muto family, has one of the best lunch deals in all of the United States.
You can choose a sandwich and salad with a can of pop for $5.30, or a salad, two slices of pizza and a can of pop for just $4.30. You read that right, a full meal, including drink, for under a fin -- and you thought Subway had a deal with their $5 sandwiches.
If you drive past Frenchy's during lunch hours you'll see a bevy of vehicles out front, many belonging to city workers, and that is because the word is out that they serve a great meal at an affordable price.
The salads come in large wooden bowls and are chock-full of lettuce, diced tomatoes and a generous amount of mozzarella cheese. The sandwiches are served on large slices of crusty Italian bread and are stuffed with meat (the turkey is my personal fave) and toppings.
The dining area in Frenchy's was redone recently, and the service is fast and friendly. Why have fast food when you can have great food served fast and support a local business?
Best Dinner Value
When did chicken wings get so expensive? There was a time when the deep-fried bird appendages were one of the best values on the menu, but these days the cost of a single wing is nearing the $1 mark.
The good news is that the Lewiston Village Pub, located at 40 Center St., in the historic village of Lewiston, is running a deal that will have you winging their way over and over again.
Every Monday night, their fresh, never-frozen giant wings are just 25 cents each. That means 30 wings, enough to feed a small family, will set you back $7.50. Couple that with the 20 house-made sauces and rubs they offer, and you'll understand why the Village Pub is turning Monday into the night to visit Center Street.
Also, wings during any Sabres game are just 35 cents each, so watch the team make a push for the playoffs on one of the tavern's large flat-screen televisions.
Best Car Wash Deal
Delta Sonic has long set the standard as the top car-wash experience in Niagara Falls and Buffalo. Recently, a friend of mine got his ride washed at one of those automated car washes that cost anywhere from $6 to $9 per shot. When I asked him why he wasn't going to the home of the "Super Kiss," he said that he thought Delta Sonic was too expensive. I educated him just like I'm going to put you in the know.
Delta Sonic offers their basic wash for just $5. If you plan on returning and are good at remembering, the "Super Kiss Plus" is just $16.99 and offers the company's top wash with a choice of Rain X or body gloss, plus two more washes within a two-week period. That averages out to under $6 a wash for premium service.
If you are really into washing your ride and want to save some serious jack, the $22.99+tax per-month Unlimited Wash Plan is for you. Your credit card is billed monthly and you get as many Super Kiss car washes as your car can handle. A wash every day would work out to 43 cents per -- a price even a skinflint couldn't help but love.
Best Reading Value
A great way to close out this column would be to remind you that the only locally owned newspaper in Niagara Falls never has and never will cost you as much as one red cent.
That's right, your weekly edition of the Niagara Falls Reporter is full of stories that inform and expose, that stimulate and entertain, that probe and offer escape, and for 13 years we've made it Niagara's "must-read" event.
We're proud to serve this community, while not stretching our loyal readership's already-thin wallets, but if you happen to support our advertisers and let them know you appreciate their support of our publication -- well, that would be pretty cool too.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | Feb. 28 2012 |