Welcome to Columbus on a Budget, where I find new and cool stuff to do for around $25.

For this round of Columbus on a Budget, my daughter, fellow budget ninja and cheapskate, tagged along with me. We spent a Saturday afternoon at Highside Market.

Located on 13th Street, Highside Market is restoring High Uptown to its former rep as one of the most happening places in town. It was formerly a very affluent neighborhood with lots of affluent Victorian homes, and is now a self-described “transformative development… inviting conversation and creativity, incubating industry and enlivening the soul of our community,” according to the Highside Market website.

All that is true, and the place is a pretty cool hang, for sure, but I had my eyes firmly fixed on my budget.

With only $25 in my pocket, I had to be fairly judicious about which of the many storefronts to visit. (She had to pay her own way - $25 wouldn’t cover us both).

The Masters, nine holes, and free beer at Daisy Park - ($5)

Highside Market often hosts in Daisy Park, which is super close, and the day we visited was “Putt Putt into the Masters.” A few local breweries were in the park, offering free samples of some of their tastiest selections.

All-in-all, it was an afternoon of putt-putting, beer tasting, Masters golf, and good ol’ fashion fellowshipping, all for the $5 price of a ticket. We got to putt nine miniature holes of golf and sample lots of locally brewed Georgia beer.

I wish I could say I won at putting, but the kiddo turned out to be way better than I could have expected. (Maybe she hustled me?)

There’s also a giant chess set, which we pretended to play, and I pretended to let her win, but she would have probably won anyway. There’s a giant TV, handy for the day’s Masters coverage and plenty of seating options where we enjoyed our beer samples and golf-watching.

Free local beer from Georgia breweries? Yes, please ($0)

Since all the beers were from breweries right here in Georgia, we tried to give every single beer at least a little taste.

Breweries represented:

Don’t tell the other beers I tried, but my favorite was the Line Creek Real Dill Pickle Sour brought to my attention by local distributor, Beer Hound, LLC.

We came for the beer at Ray’s Quickstop but stayed for the nostalgia ($4.99)

At Ray’s, the vintage feel of the eat-in counter and round stools is a callback to eat-in pharmacies where you could enjoy your milkshake while you wait for your prescriptions. (Kids, ask your parents.)

It’s giving ‘old school filling station’ vibes but the screwdrivers are for beer taps, not a lube and oil change and the attendants are serving up ice cold beverages instead of washing your windows.

It’s always Tamale Time in my heart ($7)

Aside from the free beer, I found the best bargain at It’s Tamale Time, where I got two tamales for a cool $7. (That’s one for me, and another for me. Sorry, kiddo).

If it was any other day, I would have ordered a cup of the Chicken Poblano soup, (which is $5) and one of my favorite things on their menu.

I even tried to make a version of the soup for my family once, but it was a huge disaster and did not taste good.

Parlour Doughnuts for the sweet tooth win ($3.95)

We’re not talking glazed versus plain at Parlour, folks. These doughnuts are fancy, layered donuts and they’re a sweet-lover’s dream.

I tried the Strawberry Shortcake, which is a reimagination of the classic dessert that “pairs our signature flaky, buttery layers with a strawberry glaze and fresh slices [and it’s] topped with whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs,” according to the folks at Parlour.

Columbus Naturals can solve your egg problems ($7)

Although Columbus Naturals is best known for its cannabis and THC-infused products, they have all kinds of other stuff that fit nicely into my budget. In fact, I grabbed a dozen eggs for $7, which, if you’ve been paying attention, is a real steal.

Because the eggs are sourced locally, they’re sometimes out of stock, but for good measure, I also grabbed a Beeswax Moisturizer lip balm for $5.

I didn’t count the lip stuff in my budget — I was having a real “treat yourself” moment.

What’s the damage to the budget?

I went a little bit over budget, but not by too much. Here’s the breakdown:

Ticket price for the putt-putt event: $5
Samples of local beers: $0
Cost of a 16 oz. lager: $4.99
Two tamales (both for me): $7
An extra-large, layered donut: $3.95
A dozen organic eggs: $7

The total came out to be $27.94 (before tax)

You can mix and match your picks at Highside Market

The items I chose are strictly my taste, but if you’d like to explore a little, there are plenty of other vendors.

Nonic Beer Bar & Kitchen — A Columbus staple, you can get craft beer, classic pubfare and a relaxed atmosphere.
The Flying Biscuit —Serving a Southern-style breakfast and brunch menu
Silver Hanger — A vintage clothing and streetwear boutique
Council Wardrobe Studio — Women’s clothing and wardrobe styling services.
Whit’s Frozen Custard — Offers creamy, made-fresh-daily frozen custard and creative toppings.
Cleaver and Cork — An upscale butcher and artisan market.
Rumble Boxing — A boutique boxing studio.
Mountain High Outfitters — Apparel for outdoor adventures.
Fox & Pheasant — Upscale children’s and tween boutique.
Club Pilates — Reformer-based, full-body Pilates workout.
Teased Hair Salon — Luxury boutique salon specializing in blinding services, extensions and color correction

I am always looking for cheap things to do around town. Send me some suggestions or advice. Email me at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on social media.

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