This week the Frugal Traveler attempts the impossible: Paris for cheap. And he succeeds! Through a little hotel-slumming, twitter restaurant advice, and the reliance on the all-important French institution that is the picnic.

“The picnic is the great democratizing institution of summer, when Parisians spill onto riverbanks and bridges and into parks and gardens, chasing away the memories of winter and rain with baguettes and bottles, sandals and sundresses.”

Follow Matt (his definite articleless title) as he makes his way around the former Jewish quarter, the Marais, one of his favorite haunts for shopping and lazy weekend wandering. Next on the zero-euro list, he heads to the Museum of Hunting and Nature, one of the many museums that are free on the first Sunday of every month (as are the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay).

For a little shopping, the Parisian flea markets and the A.P.C. surplus store in Montmartre, where clothes that have been on the shelf for over 6 months are 50% off, are a must for any bargain hunter or budget travel writer.

And what’s Paris without squirming your way into the restaurant of the city’s hottest chef? In this case, Spring (check out the live kitchen cams at the site!), the tiny, hyped joint where Matt takes advantage of the no reservations policy on Saturdays. And it’s all done on the cheap. Save your Euros for the next trip.