5 tips to make the most of your life in London – without spending a fortune

Whether you’ve already accepted your offer to study at King’s or you’re still thinking about it, by now you’ll definitely have heard so many people telling you how expensive it is to live in London – and it does get tiring after a while! At the same time, London is also one of the most vibrant, exciting and interesting places to live in the world. Have you already made sure that you’ll be able to afford living there? If you have, this is the perfect article for you, as I’ll be giving you some cost-saving tips to make sure not only that you can survive in London, but that you’ll be able to go out and make the most of it without having to spend huge amounts of money. Read on to find out more!

 

1) Buy a NUS Extra card

I did my undergrad in Scotland and everyone there was recommending me to get a NUS Extra card. While I did find it useful there, studying in London means you can take a full advantage of all the discount it offers. If you want to be able to eat out without spending a fortune, they offer discounts at 14 chains of restaurants, including 40% off at Pizza Express, up to 40% off at ASK Italian, and 30% off at Zizzi. If you’re looking at things to do, you can save and additional 25% off the price of a student ticket at ODEON cinemas, up to 43% off at SEA LIFE London Aquarium, and up to 41% off at the London Dungeon.

As a King’s student, you get even more additional benefits such as 10% off at Guy’s Bar, up to 20% off food at the Waterfront, and free entry all night to Last Friday Club night. With just £12 for an annual card, you’ll start saving money almost immediately.

Extra tip: with so many discounts offered, you’ll soon forget where exactly you can save money. Keep checking the discounts regularly on the NUS Extra page, and write them down on your phone or as a note in your wallet. You’ll be grateful you did!

 

2) Go to the movies without spending a fortune

Going to the cinema can be so expensive! Even with most chains offering student discounts, you might rather stay at home, watch some Netflix and save money. I was thinking the same, until I found out that the British Film Institute, one of the most important film organisations in the world, offers £3 on-the-door tickets for any film, at any time for 16 to 25-year olds! Just ask for the 16 to 25 discount at the counter next time you get there, and they’ll give you a handy discount card.

The Barbican also offers really cheap tickets when you sign up for free to Young Barbican, giving you £5 access to new film releases, as well as £5 to £15 tickets to art, music, theatre and dance. If you’re looking for something more mainstream and you live in South London, Peckhamplex is definitely the place to go as it was voted Best Value Cinema by Time Out magazine, with its unrivalled £4,99 tickets for any screening. Other cinema are also more affordable if you get there on the right day – check out this guide for the cheapest cinema tickets for each day of the week.

Extra tip: If you’re really obsessed with cinema, you might consider purchasing an Odeon Limitless or Cineworld Unlimited pass, both just under £20 per month – it might seem like a lot, but it definitely pays out if you go to the cinema more than once per week.

 

3) Visit some of the best museums in the world for free

While you might take this for granted as a UK student, as an Italian student I am often delighted when I remember that entry to all national museums is free in the UK – and London is definitely the best place where to take advantage of that. My personal favourites are the National Gallery, the Tate Modern and the British Museum, but you can find here a list of the top museums that offer free admission. The free entry will definitely make you want to do repeated visits, whether if it’s for the sheer quantity of the items exhibited, or because your parents are in town and you want to do touristy things with them!

Extra tip: There are still of course museums with an entry fee in London, but most of them offer concession discounts for students so don’t hesitate to ask! In particular, the amazing Courtauld Gallery, featuring world-famous Impressionists paintings, is something not to miss as a King’s student – entrance is free with your student card, and its location in stunning Somerset House means that it’s literally next door from the King’s campus on the Strand.

Courtauld Gallery
The beautiful Courtauld Gallery, home to world-famous Impressionist paintings and free for students.

 

4) Experience the West End

Whether it’s music, theatre, dance or musicals, London offers some of the best shows in the world, particularly in the West End – indeed, it might sometimes feel like there’s too much to see! TodayTix is a helpful app to navigate what’s on, with exclusive offers as well as curated lists such as Date Night, London’s Hidden Gems, or Catchiest Musicals. If you’re willing to get a standing ticket in some of the most iconic theatres in the world, the £5 standing tickets at the Globe Theatre will do for you, as well as Friday Rush tickets at the Royal Opera House – these are released every Friday at 1pm, and can be as low as £3 (although the best standing ones are usually £10). Similarly to cinemas, some theatres offer free membership schemes for people under 25 year old, including £7.50 tickets at the National Theatre and £15 tickets at the newly-opened Bridge Theatre.

Extra tip: with such a touristy city, it is very easy to find websites online that will offer you very cheap theatre or musical tickets. However, sometimes there can be hidden fees involved, or they might just not be as cheap as the official website of that particular show. When in doubt, always check the website of the theatre or the production, as the tickets offered there will always be reliable and might very well be cheaper than aggregator websites.

Thanks to the Friday Rush offer, you can access the stunning Royal Opera House for as little as £3.

 

5) Don’t stop looking

The more you experience London, the more you’ll find out about student, young people or general discounts that you didn’t know about – from 10% off for students at Tortilla, to 2-for-1 cocktails at Slug & Lettuce. As with the NUS discounts, always make sure you write these down so that you’ll remember to ask for your discount next time you’re in. If you want to become an expert at finding Eating Out and Things to Do deals, a website such as Groupon might do well for you. Showfilmfirst is instead excellent if you want to keep updated and get access to free film previews, as well as discounted theatre, comedy and music tickets – just register a free account with them.

Extra tip: some fashion stores and restaurants will offer limited or seasonal student discounts – be aware when entering the shop or visiting their website for any student discount signs!

 

And remember, London is one of the greenest cities in the world with so many parks to wander through or have picnics in. You are never short of things to see here in London, which you can discover for yourself by taking one of a number of free walking tours which asks participants for a small tip as payment. If you’re feeling lazy, you can also hop on a London bus which goes past some tourist sites and take advantage of the “bus hopper” fare. This lets you change bus any number of times in an hour for just £1.50. Although you won’t get the commentary of the city’s tour buses, you can still see London’s top landmarks and figure out how the city fits together. Good bus routes for that are the numbers 9, 11, 15, 74, 100 and the RV1. Also consider taking the DLR from Bank to Cutty Sark, and the Thames Clipper back to Westminster for a wonderful experience of the River Thames, Canary Wharf, and the contrasts between old London and new London.

I hope you enjoy your time in London as much as I am! Feel free to include your tips in the comment below. Also check out what you can do in London – for free!

3 Comments

  1. An amazing article if you’re a budget traveler and wish to visit London without spending much. Really appreciate your experience on budget travel and extensive knowledge about London.

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