Going for almost broke: Super Bowl patrons can find an occasional oasis

PHOENIX -- Super Bowl ticket, check.

Hotel room, check.

Rental car, check

Uh-oh.

The game is still two days away and that wad of cash you came with is mostly gone. There's only one thing to do: Count out every last dollar and dime and str-r-r-r-etch it until kickoff.

Tough but not impossible in this town -- even on a $20-a-day budget. Here's how:

• 9:30 a.m. : Take a short drive east of downtown to 16th Street and Roosevelt. Pass a row of taquerias, park at the Ranch Market. Part grocery store, part paper-plate restaurant, it's a festival of Hispanic flavors. Breakfast today is a plump hojaldra de manzana -- that's an apple turnover because, as every fan knows, big games always come down to turnovers. Add a ripe banana and a cafe con leche. Sit at any of four long tables; overhead are two newly installed flat-screen TVs, tuned to the NFL Network. Total: $2.35.
• 11 a.m.: Feeling lucky? Hop on the 101 and drive 20 minutes into the desert, to Casino Arizona on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community reservation. There's an autographed Troy Aikman football for auction in the lobby. TVs are set to ESPN, and are showing highlights of the Giants beating Denver in the 1991 Super Bowl. I skipped right past the two-cent "Game of Life" slots and went to a nickel package. Hit on the "Deal or No Deal" machine and walked out a dime richer.
• 1 p.m.: Lunchtime. Head 15 minutes to the Arizona State campus in Tempe and hit The Chuckbox at 202 East University. Smoky, mesquite grill, tree stumps for chairs. Grab their version of the quarter-pounder, called the Little One. A big one, 299-pound Giants lineman Grey Ruegamer, fondly remembered the hangout from his days at ASU. "Great hamburgers," he said. Friendly spot, they gave me an iced tea for free. Total: $2.93.
• 2 p.m.: The sun's out. Ride 15 minutes up to Scottsdale and a true treasure, The Phoenician hotel. Time for a local tradition, favored by the younger set at fancy resorts -- pool hopping. Park for free, find a side door, dress like a cool guest. Hint: Do not ask which way to the pool.
• 6 p.m.: Take a quick detour to get gas at the Sinclair station off Camelback Road. Two gallons will cover these two days. Total: $5.98.
• 6:45 p.m.: A real treat for dinner: In-N-Out Burger. Located only in California, Nevada and Arizona, one bite can hook a person for life. Former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith swore by them when Ohio State played out here. Go for the No. 1 combo -- a double-double burger, fries and a medium drink. Total: $5.83.
• 8 p.m.: It costs $1,700 to get into John Travolta's party this weekend and $100 for the Paris Hilton/50 Cent bash. Save your money, park for free about a half-mile from the Suns arena and walk to the NFL souvenir stand next to the Convention Center. Pass on the $1,100 black leather jacket with team logos on the sleeves. Buy the silver mini-helmet with the Super Bowl XLII insignia. Total: $3.

First day total (minus the dime I won): $19.99.

• 10 a.m.: Matt's Big Breakfast is a perfect place to start, downtown at McKinley and First Street. Only seats 24, low slung brick building, easy to miss. Go with the Five Spot -- a roll with two eggs, two slices of thick-cut bacon, American cheese and grilled onions. Total: $8.55.
• 11 a.m.: Walk three blocks to the Westward Ho, a gem of the Southwest when it opened as a 16-story hotel in 1928. John F. Kennedy stayed there, as did Fred Astaire, Jimmy Cagney and Al Capone. Big, red block letters at the top spell out the building's name; there are stucco faces above the entrance and ornately tiled floors inside. These days, it's a home for the low-income elderly. A longtime resident, Erling Eaton, loves to give tours.
• Noon: Lunch back at Arizona State. It's almost a straight shot, 20 minutes east to Dave's Doghouse. The owner of this popular hot dog emporium grew up outside Boston -- fittingly, the TV was tuned to ESPN2 and showing Tom Brady this week. Buttered, grilled buns hold the house specialty: the Boston dog, with mustard, relish and onions. Throw in the fries, wash it down with a soda. Total: $6.50.

n 1 p.m.: Ready, set, hike! Go 15 minutes north to Echo Canyon Road, pull out a pair of rugged shoes and climb Camelback Mountain. It's not for mere amateurs, but well worth it. Bring water.

n 5 p.m.: A 20-minute hop west to the uptown section, for dinner at a local pizza chain called Streets of New York. Posters of the Big Apple on the wall, a television keeping tabs on the Giants. One slice of the New York combo is plenty, topped with sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, mixed bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and black olives. Dessert is free -- there are orange trees in the parking lot, full of fruit. Total: $4.12.

• 6 p.m.: Party time. Head downtown, taking the nearest parking spot without a meter. Stroll toward the Hyatt Hotel -- there's an elevated ESPN radio booth outside that's sure to attract stars and celebs. Lots of athletes are buzzing by -- Terrell Owens, Deion Sanders and Andre Tippett have been spotted. The TVs show the NFL nonstop, and it's easy to get into a football debate -- who's better, these Patriots or the great 49ers teams or the Steelers dynasty? Doesn't cost a dime to argue all night.
• Second day total: $19.17.

That's it, you're home free with plenty to spare. Heck, you can even put aside that extra 84 cents you saved -- it's bound to come in handy next year for the trip to Tampa.