Darn, those Black Friday deals have left a serious dent in my bank account that is now going supernova because of all the quid I am burning through. The worst part? Christmas is only yet to come and with it all of the additional expenses on gifts and fun.
What oh what shall I do?
Perhaps I should spend less by sacrificing certain elements of my lifestyle, even if for a while? No, I don’t think so. What’s the point of living in the best city in the world if not to harvest its delicious, though extremely commercial, fruits?
If you are anything like me, you too are looking for ways to cut a few corners while still sparing some extra quid for that night out on Friday and today I am going to teach you a few handy tips and tricks. Use them all and you might actually pull it off – you will be living in one of the most expensive cities in the world without experiencing a constant need in money.
By the way, there already are countless guides on Oyster Card use, money saving apps and all that stuff that you’ve probably heard about for hundreds of times so I have tried to make this piece a little bit more creative. Hope you’ll discover something new from it!
Let’s deal with the tedious part of our journey straight away. You can save more simply by paying less, especially when it comes to your bills. Let’s take a look at what you have to cough up for electricity, water, and gas. Neither of those scheduled payments is too much of a big deal on its own, but – trust me on this one – they do stack up!
The easiest way to cut a few corners here would be to switch your provider for a less “greedy” company. Yes, you can do so at will. All it takes is a set of two documents – your banking details and information about the most recent payment. Feel free to check out all of the available rates on Switchcraft to make a well-informed decision.
Do note that this only works with gas and power bills, but not with water. Oh, and you have to be the one actually paying for the service, not your landlord.
Alas, the same can’t be said about water. You can install a water meter if you feel like it but it will only save you a few pounds in the case that you are using less water than what is accounted for. This is a fine solution for those who live in a flat all by themselves (oh, the lucky bastards) and not so much in a shared flat or a family home.
Oh, and by the way, if you are the only adult living in a flat feel free to apply for Council tax reduction.
Reduced water, gas, electricity, and council tax bills will save you up to 1000 pounds annually. Not too shabby for pocket money out of thin air, eh?
By the way, the same goes for your internet and phone bills as well as subscriptions to any and all online services. Everything has a cheaper alternative nowadays. Everything.
I know that you are probably exhausted after a long, hard day at work but so are many other Londoners. They won’t pull through with shopping in the evening but you will. Why? Because of all those juicy red and bright yellow discount stickers. You’ll be able to get the best deals on top quality foods in the evening and you should do so.
Not too fond of cooking your own meals? How about sushi then? A lot of amazing places like Abokado or Itsu offer amazing deals on their wonderful rolls in the evening as well. You are starving, the place doesn’t want to throw perfectly good meals away simply because they’ll be making new ones in the morning… Everybody wins. Except for, maybe, your diet?
There are also coupons and apps aimed at improving customer loyalty. Pick them up, use Groupon to check out all of the new amazing places for less, be creative with what’s available online and you will be sitting on a whole load of extra quid in no time.
No, seriously, just leave! No, not permanently, (why would anyone do that?) but for a relatively short shopping trip to, say, Europe. You can get to practically any point on the globe in no time from London.
Given the fact that you are currently living in one of the most expensive cities in the world, the money you’ll invest in tickets and accommodation plus an out of this world shopping experience may be less than what you would have otherwise paid in the Smoke.
Plan the trip in advance, book the tickets a bit earlier than you should use the full power of the internet to compare the prices and voila – you are now a smart and savvy international shopper. Plus you’ll get all the sightseeing in the world as a pleasant bonus. How awesome is that?
Now it’s your turn. Please share the secrets you are using to save up in our beloved yet overly expensive all you can eat buffet of a city! I’m sure that the community would love to hear some “insider tips” from people who have been there and done that! Be the hero everybody deserves. It only takes a couple of seconds on Twitter, so why the hell not?
