By Fritz Hahn washingtonpost.com Nightlife Editor Updated June 2002

Wear your badge with pride – just not with a blue blazer and khakis. (Illustration by Troy Witcher/washingtonpost.com; Flash graphic (above) by Eric Telchin/washingtonpost.com)

We know what it's like to be overworked and on a tight budget in this city. With that in mind, we present our Interns' Guide, full of tips and tricks for surviving "Camp Washington." Keep checking back, we will update it throughout the summer. And if you have any suggestions or comments, e-mail us.

• The bar scene: Find cheap – even free – food and beer at local bars.
  
• Restaurants: Eat Washington's best meals under $7 and half-price burger nights.
  
• Parents coming to town? These restaurants will impress them.
  
• Think you could live on free food for a week? One reporter tried.

• Read Washington Nightlife 101, an introduction to the city's hot spots, then see our picks for the Best of Washington Nightlife.
  
• Many bars and clubs are closed to people under 21. We've compiled a list of those that welcome an 18-and-over crowd.
  
• Summer in the city is perfect for outdoor bars: find our favorites in Adams Morgan, Arlington, Bethesda and Georgetown.
  
• Broke? You'll find plenty of free outdoor concerts around town, and daily performances at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage.
• Free movies are another option. The outdoor Screen on the Green series is a Washington staple, and you'll find a good mix of arty and classic films at the Hirshhorn and the Library of Congress's Mary Pickford Theatre.

• Get to know the city with our Visitors Guide: what to see, how to get around, where to feel like a local.
  
• Ask questions of the Entertainment Guide staff every Thursday at 1 p.m., or comb through the live discussion archive for tips.
  
• Find good ideas in your inbox every Thursday when you sign up for our free Entertainment e-mail newsletter.
  
• Life after internship: You need to read our career advice.