It’s finally starting to get a little warmer in Boston, so as the days get longer, people are eating outside (socially distanced, of course) in the Common more often. The main part of a picnic is the food, of course, but it’s also fun to bring a game or two outside that all of your friends can play. Games like Uno, or even just a deck of cards, are relatively inexpensive and can provide hours of entertainment without being too difficult. Now onto the most important part: the food and drinks. In order to get cheap food, it’s important to look for deals or sales, as well as being alright with not getting the most expensive products. With a CVS card, you can often look at what deals they can give you with your account, and they sell things like cheese and crackers, drinks, chips, snacks, etc. If several of your friends have CVS cards, you can pool together your receipts and sales so that you can split the cost and all get deals on what you buy. They often have buy one, get one 50% off sales, or 2 for $5 off sales, among others happening, so depending on what’s available and what you choose to buy, you could save a lot of money.
While the Max may feel like a weird place to buy groceries, it actually has everything you need for a picnic. It sells sandwich bread, peanut butter, and jelly, so if you and your friends want to split the EC Cash or Board Bucks and make some quick and easy sandwiches, it’s a good place to stock up. You’ll probably only need one loaf of bread, one jar of peanut butter, and one bottle or jar of jam, so you’ll save money that way too. The Max also has snacks, drinks, and mini charcuterie board packs with cheese, meat, and grapes. An added bonus is that it’s right by the Common, so after going to the Max, you can go straight there to start eating and enjoying the sunshine. Everyone can pick out what they want and with a little prep work (or none—the Max also sells pre-made sandwiches), you’ll be on your way outside in no time.
Whatever your picnic of choice is, there are plenty of ways that you and your friends can put together your own picnic. There are several grocery stores nearby like Roche Bros, Trader Joe’s, or Jia Ho (the Asian supermarket on Washington Street) where you can get picnicking supplies for cheap. As it starts heating up, picnics are a nice way to get some sun and hang out with friends outside, while also being socially distanced and close to Emerson’s campus. All of the ingredients and supplies you need can be found nearby, so there’s no need to venture very far to create your own picnic. I mentioned Uno and a deck of cards earlier, both of which CVS sells for a few dollars each, so get out there, play some games, and eat food, satisfied that you’ve saved money.