Foreign correspondent
Choose a neighborhood in your city that you’ve never visited and go exploring (if you live a small town, take a drive to a neighboring one that you are unfamiliar with). Large cities tend to have a plethora of ethnic enclaves with delicious and inexpensive food to sample and interesting shops to browse. The new sights and smells, along with the sounds of a foreign language, will give you the feeling of being in a faraway land. If you prefer your vacation to be more planned, avail yourself with citysearch.com. There you will get a breakdown of what each neighborhood has to offer, with editorial reviews to guide you.

Turn your friends’ rags into your riches
Organize a group of friends and have everyone bring all the clothes, shoes, and accessories (even lipsticks and nail polish) that they can’t stand the sight of anymore, and do swaps. This is a great way to update your wardrobe without spending a dime. Add some snacks, beverages, and music and you’ve got a party.