london on a budget
DESCRIPTION
London on a Budget. Jennie Long and Rajandeep Singh International Office. Have a think…. Why is budgeting useful?. Why is budgeting useful?. Prevent running out of money. Develop good spending habits for future. Spend more money on what you want. Concentrate on studies. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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