Seven Ways to Save Money in London

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Move-in expenses somehow always turn out to be bigger than initially expected. 

And especially if you are moving to London which, according to some reports, is the most expensive city in the world to live and work in.

The good news is, when you warm up your feet, you find London a bargain paradise.

Some Londoners agreed to give newcommers a few tips where to hunt for decent discounts or freebies.

1. Pay less for your food.

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Everybody agrees that good food is good mood. It becomes even better if you pay half price or less.

Many food stores in the United Kingdom hold sales before closing.

For example, half an hour before closing each Asian-inspired Itsu store holds sale. All sushi and salad boxes are half price.

Also look for yellow sticker discounts in Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and other food stores. The later the evening, the larger reductions can be found for bread, meat, ready meals, etc.

In some areas of London you can see a small crowd of people going to supermarket for yellow sticker bargains before its closing time.

2. Enjoy a free cuppa daily!

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Prefer your cuppa tea or coffee on the go? It’s possible to enjoy it for free daily if there is a Waitrose store on your way.

Some stores have stricter rules, while the others have a more relaxed approach to passers-by who pop-in for a free cuppa. All you have to do is register for a free myWaitrose card and check your local Waitrose for details.

3. Get very cheap or free haircuts.

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Foreigners often complain about eye-watering prices for a simple haircut in London’s hair salons. But it doesn’t mean you must grow long locks if you are short of cash. Be a model instead!

Many luxury hair salons need models for their trainees. So it’s a win- win situation. For instance, Hari’s Hairdressers offers a free haircut or discounted colour (from £10 – £25) for people willing to be models.

Toni&Guy Academy trainees can style your hair for £5 either 9.30am or 1.45pm Monday – Friday. Just make sure to book your appointment online or by phone.

4. Trip to another city for £1.

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Need a break from London? Visit another city or town! You can find very cheap bus tickets at Megabus (http://uk.megabus.com/) if you start searching as early as possible.

The lucky ones grab one-way tickets just for £1. We checked directions to Bath Spa, Birmingham, Hull (UK cultural city 2017), Coventry, etc. and were very happy to find £1 deals.

Such prices would increase your pre-trip happiness to the max, no doubt.

5. Save 30% off train fares. Save on tube, too.

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Travelling by train is convenient but quite expensive. The first rule for saving on train fares - plan your trip well ahead and buy your ticket early.

Also it is worth considering buying a railcard that costs £30 for one year or £70 for three years. Railcards save you 30% off train fares, which is a good deal if you travel by train several times a year.

There are various types of railcards (www.railcard.co.uk).

Young Londoners use 16-25 Railcard. But what lots of them do not know, is that it can save them 30% on tube journeys, too. All you have to do, is link your 16-25 Railcard with an Oyster card to get discounts on off peak journeys.

Those, who usually travel as a pair, can save on journeys with Two Together Railcard launched in 2014.

6. Send money home for just 99 p.

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One of the main reasons people give for moving to a new country is to make extra income which allows them to save money for such things as buying a flat or to make extra money to help out their family back home. In the past the only options for sending money back home were banks or via Western Union or MoneyGram.

Not only were these options inconvenient they were also expensive. TransferGo is the leader in low-cost money transfers. TransferGo offers low transfer rates at a fixed rate that are substantially lower than you will find elsewhere. The foreign exchange rate is also fixed.  Both the fee and the exchange rate are clearly displayed when you make a transfer, meaning there are no surprises for you or the receiver.

7. Call home cheaply.

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Living abroad can be tough because your loved ones are so far away. We guess it is not possible to cure homesickness, but there is a way to make symptoms easier.

Call home with MOREmins app whenever you want wherever you are. It is very cheap and convenient like calling in the same country.

MOREmins works without internet. It converts your local minutes into cheap international ones.