Ah, birthdays. Aside from their annual nature, there’s always one thing I can count on when this glorious day arrives: elderly family members giving me small sums of money in the hope that I’ll visit them one more time before they croak. Except that sum is never the same, and this year it’s a measly $50. I turn 23 on Tuesday, and in an attempt to act my age, I’m going to be a little more utilitarian with my money this year, as opposed to my usual shtick of spending it all on a new videogame.

$10: Downloadable Content

Okay, the first thing I’ll buy is a videogame—so sue me. (I didn’t say I wouldn’t buy one at all.) In fact, there are plenty of bite-sized, independent games out there on Xbox Live or Steam that can give you just as much entertainment value as GTAIV at a fraction of the cost. One would be Everyday Shooter, an indie game made by Canadian Jonathan Mak, which you can pick up for $10 on your PS3, or through Steam if you’re one of those PC gaming enthusiasts.

$20: Two-For-One DVDs

Then again, I’m also a huge movie buff, and one thing I invariably seem to sink my cash into is the “two-for-$20” DVD deal you can get at your local HMV. While most of the films that bear this purple sticker of frugality aren’t worth your time, you can often find some real gems in there. If I can resist adding something to my candlelit David Fincher shrine, I’ll probably go for something I love but don’t own—like Terminator 2, the Die Hard combo pack, or maybe A Clockwork Orange.

$5: Frozen Marbles

Now that I’ve got the essentials covered, it’s time to really treat myself. Thankfully my birthday is right on the cusp of June, which, with the help of global warming, boasts some fairly hot days. My favorite way of moderating the heat on a sweltering 15-degree day is to get a big scoop of ice cream from Marble Slab on Whyte Ave. I’m not usually fan of the stuff, but there’s just something deliciously irresistible about almond slices kneaded into chocolate ice cream.

$15: Dashboard Confessionals

Of course, no birthday weekend would be complete without some sort of alcohol-fueled bonding with your friends. There are a couple ways to go about this; I tend to invite a good number of people to my home for a night of Rock Band and Mario Kart, and an ill-conceived but ultimately inevitable game of Sociables. The problem with that, though, is that there’s always that one idiot who draws a Jack, forcing everyone to chug their drinks (depending on the rules you play by, of course), which in turn leads to someone throwing up in my toilet and then clogging it with paper towels. So the better option is to let my friends take me out on the town, and spend my last $15 on the cab ride home.  

Wanna try it? Send your idea for 50Buck to stories@see.greatwest.ca.