One thing which won’t come as any surprise to Londoners is that they live in a very expensive city – no, I didn’t think that anybody would be surprised. I actually saw a feature the other day which deduced that it would be cheaper to live in Barcelona and commute to London daily than to live in our fair city.
Money is tight for many people these days, Londoners included, so how can you stretch your limited budget in one of the most expensive (and exciting) cities in the world?
There was a big push a while ago about “staying in is the new going out” but it really is possible to have a terrific night out in London on a shoestring. There are so many different pubs, clubs and bars to choose from, all fighting for your business. Do a little homework and find out when they’ve got their happy hours and discounts, music lovers can enjoy lots of free gigs and there are plenty of inexpensive multi-ethnic restaurants in London where you can enjoy delicious, cheap food from across the globe – just steer clear of Central London.
Shop around; there are so many fabulous shops in London that you have the opportunity to really shop around. There are some fabulous low priced shops where you can buy cheap clothes and shoes, don’t forget the fantastic markets too. Keep an eye out for end of season bargains at any time of the year.
Keep your transport costs down and improve your health in one simple step – buy a bicycle. You don’t need something new and flashy, a cheap, second hand bike can substantially reduce your transport costs and help you to lose pounds in other areas. If you use the bus or tube regularly don’t forget to buy a travel-card and substantially reduce your travel costs.