London on a Budget

Jennie Long and Rajandeep Singh International Office

Have a think….

Why is budgeting useful?

Why is budgeting useful?

Concentrate on studies

Prevent running out of money

Prevent wasting

money

Spend more money on what you want

Reduce stress

Develop good spending

habits for future

Make the most of being in London –

and have FUN!

Tools for Budgeting

http://international.studentcalculator.org.uk/

Spreadsheets

Set yourself a cash limit each week

Scrutinise online bank account!

Sit next to someone you do not know…

Introduce yourself

Have a 5 minute chat about these questions:

In which areas of spending would you most like to

save money?

Travel - Student Oyster Card

A full-price Zones 1-2 weekly travel card costs £29.20

For a student the cost is £20,40 Saving = £8.80

A full-price Zones 1-4 monthly travel card costs £160.60

For a student the cost is £112.20 Saving = £48.40• Apply online

• Card costs £10• Online: need digital photo,

CID number• www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets

www.tfl.gov.uk

Discounts of around 30%!

Other travel: Buses

A full-price monthly bus pass is £72.20

A student monthly bus pass is £50.40 Saving = £21.80

www.tfl.gov.uk

Buses 9 and 15 – historic Routemaster buses

Other travel

Young Person’s Railcard

£28 for 1 year£65 for 3 years

Can make your money back on one journey!

Other travel

Boris Bikes!

“Access Fee” = £1Up to 30 mins – free

30 – 60 mins = £1

www.tfl.gov.uk

Airport travel

Heathrow ConnectEasyBusHeathrow ExpressLondon UndergroundMegabus

Free London

New Europe: Free Walking Tour

Leaves from Hyde Park Corner

Covers all “major” sights!

Sandemans New Europe

Free London - Imperial

Free London: Museums

Museums• Science Museum• Natural History Museum• British Museum• Imperial War Museum• Many more…!

Art galleries• V & A• Serpentine Gallery• National Gallery• Tate Modern• Tate Britain• Many more…!

Street entertainment• Covent Garden• South Bank nr. London Eye• Bonfire night, New Year, Christmas

lights, Diwali

Parks• Hyde Park• Green Park• Regent’s Park• Richmond Park• Many more…!

Cinema and Theatre

CinemaCoronet in Notting Hill£3.50 Monday Student Night

If you have an Orange mobile phone (or a friend who has one!), you can get 2-4-1 cinema tickets on Wednesdays

Theatre

• Discount ticket offices (e.g. Leicester Square)

• Queue up for returned tickets on the day of performance

• Cheap nights – previews, matinees

• Travelex – National Theatre

• Metro and Time Out Time out magazine is now free!

• www.lastminute.com

• £5 standing performance tickets

• Cheap tickets for under 25’s

Drinking and nightlife

Use public transport – tube and night buses

Imperial Students Union

Student nights (generally cheaper)

Happy hours!

Drinks vouchers

www.studentbeans.com

http://yazabo.com

Imperial gym – ETHOS

£30 one-off fee, then FREE use of pool, sauna, steam room, spa, gym

Sport and Leisure

International Students House (ISH)

Imperial Union Clubs and Societies

Over 300 societies to choose from!

Sit next to someone you do not know…

Introduce yourself

Have a 5 minute chat about these questions:

How much do you think you will spend on food,

each week?

Shopping - food

Supermarkets

• Cheaper - ASDA, Morrisons, Tesco, Lidl

• More expensive - Waitrose, Marks & Spencer

• Own brands, value ranges

• Bulk buying

• Special offers – on display at end of aisles

• Reduced section – be quick!

• End of day reductions

Cook your own meals

• Sales (biggest in January, summer)

• Charity shops

• Carboot sales, jumble sales

• Markets – not always cheap though!

• Supermarkets

• Window shopping (Regent Street, Bond Street, Knightsbridge)

• Check for easy-to-repair faults and ask for discount

• Student discount

Shopping: Clothes

Eating out

If you are living on a budget, use a voucher when you eat out!

Useful websites:

www.myvouchercodes.co.uk

www.moneysavingexpert.com

www.toptable.co.uk

www.tastelondon.co.uk(Card costing £70, gives 50% off food in many restaurants)

Brick Lane (East London) and Chinatown (near Leicester Square) both have many cheap restaurants

Tipping

When should I tip and how much should I give?

Eating out

Going out

Hairdressers

Taxis

Introduce yourself

Have a 5 minute chat about this question:

What are your top tips for living in London on a budget?

Sit next to someone you do not know…

Top tips!

1. Get a PART-TIME JOB (most international students are permitted to

work 20 hours per week)

2. Get a student (18+) OYSTER CARD for cheaper travel

3. Look ‘off the beaten track’ – explore the unusual and the strange…!

4. Go to the IMPERIAL STUDENTS’ UNION – cheap food and drinks

5. COOK meals and RENT DVDS with your friends – saves money on

going out

6. Don’t shop when you are hungry and write a list before shopping

7. Take long WALKS – a great way of seeing the city

8. Subscribe to MONEY-OFF WEBSITES – Groupon, Wowcher

9. Buy an NUS CARD (£11) and get student discounts in many shops

Useful websites

Travel• www.tfl.gov.uk• www.easybus.co.uk• www.railcard.co.uk• www.nationalexpress.com• www.megabus.com

Cinema and Theatre• http://web.orange.co.uk/p/film/• www.lastminute.com• www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk• www.whatsonstage.com• www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/travelex

Food• www.asda.com • www.tesco.com• www.sainsburys.co.uk

Social• www.timeout.com/london• www.studentbeans.com• http://yazabo.com• www.ishevents.org.uk• www.hostuk.org

General/ VERY useful• www.moneysavingexpert.com

• www.lastminute.com• www.ish.org.uk

• www.hostuk.org.uk