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“You see, Lainie, this is all we need - a couple of smokes, a cup of coffee and a little bit of conversation. You and me and five bucks."

If you’re between, roughly, 25 and 40, you’ll remember that’s what Troy (Ethan Hawke) said to Lelaina (Winona Ryder) in “Reality Bites.” And he had a point. When you’re with someone you like, there’s no need for pricey entertainment. With that in mind, and the fact that we’re all spending money we don’t really have on stocking stuffers and electronics, Seacoast Connects wants you to take it back to the basics. Here are our picks for inexpensive outings – none of them related to shopping.

Martini Night at Isis
106 Penhallow St.
Portsmouth
www.isisonpenhallow.com
From 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays at Isis on Penhallow, the restaurant just past Commercial Alley offers complimentary appetizers with specialty cocktails. It’s a nice date option, or just something different to do when the five o’clock whistle blows.

$1 oysters at Jumpin’ Jay’s
150 Congress St.
Portsmouth
www.jumpinjays.com
Oysters are usually purchased from $2 to $5 (for the most hard-to-find) each, so if you’re sweet on shellfish, this is a deal – also on Thursday nights. Save your money for a crisp white wine, and order a dozen or so of the cold and slimy creatures to share with someone else.

Cut rates on hair, nails and facials
Portsmouth Beauty School
140 Congress St.
Portsmouth
www.portsmouthbeautyschool.com
Walk-ins or appointments (436-7775)
You know that feeling when you leave the salon? There’s something about the way that a professional blows out your hair. You’ll never be able to do it, no matter how closely you pay attention to the type of brush, dryer and product. At the Portsmouth Beauty School, even if you don’t get a cut, you can drop in for a shampoo, blow-dry and style for only $5! Combine that with a $14 facial and a $9 manicure and you can get glam for under $30.

99 cent Tuesdays
Movie Scene
1500 Lafayette Road
Portsmouth
Make popcorn the old-fashioned way (on the stove — it tastes better) and rent some flicks. While Blockbuster is spinning rentals for under $5 as being a good deal, you know better. You can rent at least two DVDs with just the change under the passenger seat in your car. Some comedies we like: “Kinky Boots,” “Strangers with Candy” and “Cars.” Get the skinny on these movies and others at www.imdb.com.

$2 PBR Tall Boys
Daniel Street Tavern
111 Daniel St.
Portsmouth
Pop-in at D-Street for a cold one. Or three. You can afford it.

Never a cover
Spring Hill Tavern
15 Bow St.
Portsmouth
www.dolphinstriker.com (click on Spring Hill Tavern)
The Spring Hill Tavern (down under at the Dolphin Striker) gets a bad rap. It’s seemingly overlooked as a live music venue, when it has more music than 99 percent of other clubs in town and management doesn’t charge a thing for it. Sometimes the clientele can be slightly older, and you’re not going to hear any hip-hop, but get a grip – gather your friends, secure a large booth in the corner and make it your own. Just a sampling of the local music favorites at Spring Hill this week: Nov. 30: Tom Yoder; Dec. 1: the Ken Clark Organ Trio, Dec. 2: Crazy Maggy, Dec. 3: New England Bluegrass Band — and did we mention there is never a cover charge?

Portsmouth Public Library
8 Islington St.
Portsmouth
www.cityofportsmouth.com/library
Why don’t more people have a library card? Borrow books, DVDs, check your e-mail, read magazines — it’s worth stopping in once in awhile.