If It's Broke, Fix It

So, I realized that what I need to do about my current state of cash-strappedness is to pull a page from Dave Ramsey's playbook and do a budget specific to the next couple of weeks. Dave advocates a monthly budget, but the important concept here is that he advocates budgeting with a specific time period in mind, not just an abstract set of allocations. (This means that your February budget will specifically take into account expenses for Valentine's Day, as opposed to generic "entertainment" budget allocations.)

Here's how I'll be applying those principles:

I want a new pair of boots, badly (actually, I'm planning on buying the same pair in both black and brown). Do I need a new pair of boots within the next two weeks? Well, no. The boots can wait. So I won't be budgeting any money for clothes for this pay period. Instead, I'll be putting the $50 I would have put towards the boots towards the Metrocard. The only problem with the specific-budgeting thing is that it requires more advance planning than I usually can manage, but I do know that with all of the friends in town (I've just learned that another good friend, who's been teaching in France, will be in town next week), and the Valentine's Day, and the rapid approach of K's birthday (the 21st), I need to not cut back on the socializing budget. But clothes aren't a necessity right now, so that money is definitely getting reallocated.

I do still want to earn some extra money, though--it would be great if I could finance the Chicago trip without dipping into my existing budget,which is doable if I find some new source of income, even a small one. The suggestions in the comments are great--I'll let you know what I decide to pursue.