Average college students like myself often don’t have the funds needed to indulge in our favorite comfort foods, especially the kind we turn to when stress gets the better of us: desserts.
So, I challenged myself to go on a cheap, week-long, post-midterms sugar spree to unwind—without destroying my bank account.
Monday
To begin, my friend Taylor Inram, a fellow Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) student, recommended I check out A Piece of Cake.
“[I] never knew caramel cake existed until my cousin took me to A Piece of Cake,” Inram said. “It’s so good at just $10.”
While Roswell Road’s location doesn’t have seating, the sweet smell of pastries makes up for it. It’s like on the last day of school when you get home to discover your mother’s baking your favorite cake.
I ordered a slice of pound cake to start my week off easy, and when you’re on a budget, spending only $5.75 is a break from financial worry.
Tuesday
I wanted to reward myself after pulling multiple all-nighters on a project I’ve already forgotten about. I wanted to feel important and fancy—or as Café Intermezzo’s founder Brian Olson put it, have all of my five senses appeased.
The café offered a warm welcome for a cheap price. My classic Intermezzo hot chocolate with rich vanilla ice cream only came out to $14.50
Olson said that with inflation, he’s aware that money is on people’s minds.
“Some restaurants got really crazy with their pricing,” he said. “We try to keep it fair with costs going up.”
After hours of sketching and planning, spending an afternoon here made my worries melt away along with my cocoa’s whipped cream. The soothing classical music was the cherry on top.
Wednesday
Thanks to Reddit user One-Impression833, I found my next spot. In response to my inquiry about the best Midtown dessert spots, they pointed me to Tea Leaf and Creamery.
“That stuff turns me into a bona fide toddler,” One-Impression833 said, “trying to hold one in each hand and spilling half of it on my shirt but too greedy and crazed to just order one.”
My ice cream strawberry tea was just under $10—glorious AND inexpensive.
After my strawberry heaven, I had a craving for cookies, so Insomnia Cookies was my next target.
Thursday
According to Insomnia’s website, founder Seth Berkowitz “imagined a business that catered to people just like him: Insomniacs.” I am not an insomniac, even for delicious cookies. But you don’t have to be to enjoy the tasty treats Insomnia has to offer.
I took a 30-minute afternoon walk to Insomnia’s Spring Street location. I decided against a classic late-night delivery, since delivery fees bring tears to my eyes.
Not only did I get good exercise, but also a delectable reward: a brownie and a chocolate chip cookie for just under $10.
I took them back to class with me. My cookie-brownie-combo was long gone once class started.
Friday
My journey ended with Sugar Shane’s.
SCAD doesn’t have classes on Fridays, so I didn’t have to worry about the 30-minute walk to its Midtown location. When I walked in, I was shocked: I wasn’t expecting cookies the size of my fist!
They had everything I could ever want, from jumbo cookies with buttercream frosting to cheesecake brownies. I wanted to try them all, but prices stack up quickly, so I settled for a jumbo chocolate chip cookie with blue frosting and a chocolate cake pop for $11.
As expected, they were amazing. It was the perfect sugar high I needed to end my school week.
