complete a NY Times crossword without cheating

So I’ve looked at several books of Monday (easy) crossword puzzles and have about decided to spend the $7 or so to get in the practice. I’ve also been checking out some how-to books but the $15 seems prohibitive since I really only have the prestige need of completing one. I also need to think about what is cheating. I know looking up the direct hint would be… but what if I know, for example, an actor’s first name but not last? Or if I know the word but am unsure of spelling? I guess it’s a slippery slope I’ll keep examining.

So, I’m obviously to cheap/poor to actually subscribe to the NY Times. So, now I’m in search of practice to figure it all out. I really don’t know where to start but figured I could pretty easily let myself commit to looking around so I can count some progress.

So, seems silly but I’ve always wanted to say I did it. Not that it proves anything, but I do consider myself to be pretty up to date. I mean, my addiction to Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me has to be doing something for me. Besides that I love word games. On the downside, sometimes I totally blank on things I don’t care about or find the easy way out. This will be an interesting little challenge. It may take several puzzles, but I’m well on my way.