CINDY, INCIDENTALLY:

On a recent visit to a friend’s house in Fountain Valley, I decided to attempt my own version of Rachel Ray’s “$40 a Day” approach and see how much fun could be had while spending as little money as I could.

I called it, “$20 a Day with Cindy.” OK, not super original, but you get the point.

Fountain Valley may suffer from a small case of city envy as it is sandwiched between Huntington Beach with all of its beach fun and bars, and Westminster, a well-known ethnic enclave home to some of the best Vietnamese restaurants outside of Vietnam.

But Fountain Valley has its own scene going on that requires either a local tour guide or a little curiosity for exploring.

Fresh snack: I started the day in search of a small farm stand recommended to me by friends attempting to eat locally. Smith Farms on Ellis Avenue sells fresh fruits and vegetables, which is ideal for a healthy and affordable snack to munch on while you make your way through Fountain Valley.

A pound of Rainier cherries: $2.99.

Bowl away: Everyone I know who lives in or near Fountain Valley has a Fountain Bowl/ karaoke experience to share. The bowling alley on Brookhurst Street has a lounge (karaoke, pool, shuffle board and darts) and a restaurant where one can get a fix of greasy and fried foods. On Wednesdays Fountain Bowl has an all-day $1.99 “Hump Day” special.

Rent a lane for $1.99 and bowling shoes for $4; Total: $5.99.

Dress up: A friend introduced me to Fashion 21, a clothing store where you can walk out with a brand new top, belt or purse for under $10. This shop on Brookhurst Street is a Forever 21, but the name is different when not inside of a mall, according to a well-dressed sales girl.

Brand new T-shirt found on the sale rack: $8.12.

Great outdoors: Running along the beach is a perk, so I try to do it as often as possible, but now that I have been introduced to Mile Square Regional Park I may have to mix things up. The urban park — 640 acres of land — is home to three golf courses, two soccer fields, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, an archery range, fishing lakes and a paddle-boat operation.

There’s also a great four-mile running/walking trail if you complete the entire square. Cost: Free.

Tart treat: We opted to make dinner at home, but for dessert we headed to the city’s version of Pink Berry: Wild Berry Yogurt on Brookhurst Street. The 2007 fro-yo craze has resulted in a jillion frogurt cafes all over Orange County; this spot has a small selection of tart yogurts from blueberry, chocolate, mango and plain tart. This place is self-serve, and you are charged on what you serve yourself. This means you can monitor how much you eat and spend. I was able to walk out of there with a small yogurt with three toppings for less than $3.

At the end of the day, I had warm and snugly feelings toward Fountain Valley. I had done a lot, had fun and best of all spent $20.10, which was only 10 cents past my budget for the day. I found a dime in the seat of my car and felt better about going over.

I wonder whether Rachel Ray ever does that.

CINDY ARORA is a freelance writer for the Huntington Beach Independent.