For those of you reading this preparing to go to London in the near future, the situation is not as dire as it was when I arrived and the exchange rate was 2:1 but London is still expensive. Therefore in this section I will fill you in on all the ways to save money while you are there (so you can do more shopping).
1) Buy a week long travel card! You can get this on an oyster card but there is a £5 deposit so be sure to turn it back in at the end of your trip. Many people just 'top up' their card with an amount of money or even worse buy a daily travel card but that is not wise. Unless you plan on using the tube only once a day this is a good way to save money on travel. Also if you are doing pay as you go and you change from a tube to train or bus you get charged twice, not so when using a weekly (or daily) travel card!
2) London is full of adorable little sandwhich shops where you can get your fill for lunch without spending too much money. Find one of these independently own shops (avoid Eat and Pret, while I love them both they are more expensive) and you can save your money for a nice dinner. Also grocery stores such as M&S and Waitrose have really nice sandwhiches to go as well. Alternatively eat at the borough market (thur-sat) where there are loads of stalls full of good cheap food!
3) Don't bother buying theatre tickets in advance unless you are dying to see one particular show and it is really popular. Instead either go to the theatre itself or the Leicester Sq ticket box on the day of for tickets (just make sure Leicester sq is offering your show on a discount as not all are). This way you pay less as the theatre is keen to sell out its tickets (although sometimes this could mean standing room only). You are guaranteed to save money this way! Also avoid anyone else in the Leicester Sq area trying to sell discount tickets as they are not legit.
4) When deciding where to stay do not stay on the Circle/District line. The line is barely tolerable during the week and often is shut down on the weekend. This could mean taking cabs in order to get places or long walks instead.
5) Always ask for tap water! London tap water is perfectly fine to drink so always ask for tap water at restaurants. When they ask if you want still or sparkling water, unlike in America they will charge you (once it was a whole £5). So remember tap water it is with your meal!
6) If you know you are going to take a cab go to the TFL website and get a number of a local cab company and pre-book. While they are not as nifty as the london black cabs they are cheaper and therefore a smart choice! Remember though, if you are looking to get a cab after a night out it can be a major wait for either a black cab or pre booked cab so if you know what time you think you will want to head home pre book way in advance! http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/taxisandminicabs/taxis/1136.aspx
7) If you happen to be a bank of america customer rejoice! They have a partnership with Barclay's bank so if you withdraw from their cash machine you do not have any extra fees for withdrawing or converting so be sure to look for those. This will save you the usual $5 charges most banks have!
8) If you are looking to have a relaxing spa experience without paying London prices, go to London College of Beauty. Here trainees will do a perfectly good job and you wont have to pay nearly as much! They do everything from mani/pedis to massages to waxing and are nicely located off Oxford Street so easy to get to.
9) My best tip to enjoying London is not to think about the currency conversion because it will most likely drive you crazy and prevent you from having any fun. You only live once so be smart but don't hold back and not have as much fun!
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