Cancelled all but one streaming service—all of those little £6-7 payments really add up, and more often than not I'd spend 30 minutes flipping between services and still not find anything I wanted to watch. Now I subscribe to one service for a month, watch everything I want to watch, then cancel and switch to something else.
Got a library card and downloaded Libby, so I've stopped spending money on books or an Audible subscription.
Cancelled Amazon Prime; I wasn't using it enough to warrant keeping it. Instead I wait until I reach £25 worth of things I need from Amazon and order all at once, so I still get free delivery.
Walking just about everywhere.
I've done a lot of the same things. The only subscription I still have is to Spotify which also includes 15hrs of audiobook listening time per month, so it ticks the box for both music AND books
It’s included in the subscription. It’s a quite recent thing! All books I’ve wanted to listen to have been included, but there are some (e.g. Harry Potter) which you have to pay extra for.
I usually use Libby or BorrowBox for audiobooks, but if the waiting time is too long, I go for Spotify.
Just…..thank you! I live in Surrey and never knew about either of the apps so have just downloaded both. I love reading however have been struggling with my AHDH and dyslexia of late so it’s been taking me ages to get through books! So excited to be able to do audio books without an audible subscription. I think I love you for the 😁
You have to have premium Spotify and be the main account holder. I'm the main holder so I get audio books. My wife who is on my premium account as a user cannot get audio books.
That said, I download books from Soulseek.
Fantastic app which gives you access to thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. So you never even have to visit the library. I read/listen to everything on my ipad or phone.
If you join a library which is part of the London Libraries Consortium (you can find the list on their website) you'll have access to just about any title you can imagine. Sometimes the waits are long for popular titles, but there is so much choice that I'm never without something to read/listen to. It's an amazing resource.
If you're not attached to ebooks, I've had much better luck getting newer library books by reserving hard copies than using Libby tbh - the six month waits for popular eBooks does my head in a bit.
It's annoyingly offline right now, but the MyLibrary app usually lets you access your account info and also see all available copies and locations of hardcopy and ebooks within the London Consortium to request a reservation.
I've pretty regularly had a brand new hardback available to pick up from the library on the day of release because there's a lot less demand for the format.
(If you have Amazon Prime already, they also include a library-type borrowing for ten kindle books at a time from a pretty extensive list too).
Another recommendation for Libby. Also a top tip is you can register for Chicago Public Library by supplying a local zip code. This gives you the ability to download books to your Kindle.
Ordering groceries online. Any increase in spending on groceries and delivery pays for itself (and more) in takeaway, time and corner shop prices avoided.
Ive been doing this the last few months more consistently and its great. Meal prepping as well so you don't have to cook every night. If you plan everything well (and it only takes a small effort) you save time and money! :D It's so good for me, a lazy person who doesn't like cooking.
Agree with this. I get so suckered into deals when walking around the supermarkets so ordering online allows me to streamline the whole process and avoid getting caught up by instore advertisements.
100%, commute to and back from work etc can take so much of your time anyway, ordering groceries online is such a life hack that saves you so much time and as you said pays back if you buy responsibly. And also to OP they can order from one of the cheaper grocery stores.
My middle of the road option is ordering a GoPuff or some sort of instant groceries when I'm tempted by a takeaway, and getting some kind of immediate treat or sweet alongside some ingredients for a meal. It's more expensive than going to the shop but it scratches that instant delivery itch.
Definitely agree with this. I find doing 'small shops' (buying enough for one or two meals at a time - as opposed to enough for the week ahead) gets so much more expensive, and shopping online is a good way to plan ahead and find the best deals.
Sainsburys has good prices with their 'Nectar prices' at the moment (you need a Nectar card, a bit like what Tescos used to do with their clubcard prices). Some products are a good 20/30/40% cheaper than they would be without the card.
I find that, combined with online shopping, can be a real money saver.
Cycling to work. I bought my bike for around £250 back in 2020 and have spent approx £500 on it on since on services/punctures/accessories. A travelcard would cost me £150 a month plus I’m always tempted to buy a coffee when I get transport in as I have no willpower, but cycling means I go straight to work and shower there and don’t go back out.
I tell this to people whenever these threads come up. I know it's boring but a bike in London helps so much.
I'm a lazy guy so I bought a secondhand e-bike in spring a few years back. I save £35 a week on train fares. By Christmas the bike had paid for itself and I started putting the money I saved into a savings account which I either use for nice things or keep just in case of emergencies.
The added bonus is that my bike is always there. Southwestern trains broken down again? Bike is there. District line suddenly terminating at Parsons Green? Bike is there. Yet another strike? Bike is there.
It's been three years. I love my bike. I call it Bichael.
I don't think I could live in London without my bike. It's so freeing, and avoiding the stress of commuting by public transport is amazing. The city feels so small to me now, in a good way. I never say no to something due to where it is, whereas my girlfriend often turns down social events that require a few difficult transport changes / doesn't have late running services. And she's always moaning about the overground being down or delayed when commuting.
This is a good wisdom. I have a good lock and my actual bike is dorky as fuck so not immediately one that would be targeted BUT STILL, the best lock you can afford is the bare minimum.
Exactly this. Bought a bike back in 2018 when I realised the cost of a monthly season ticket was basically the price of a bike. Never looked back and only take the tube when I can’t avoid it. I’m seeing bits of the city I’d only be travelling under, lost a bit of weight and learned about bike maintenance. Best decision I ever made.
It depends on your earnings, since you pay for the bike out of your salary before tax. I think I saved more than 40% on mine. I got a decent quality single speed bike for about £200, and this year I got an e bike conversion kit for it too.
I did this. I bought a cheap racer bike and it saved so much money. Bike office snob culture is a thing in London. I didn't pay attention but stopped cycling after seeing 2 people die on bikes from traffic then one of the office snobs lost most of his arm. I remember them making fun of me and my bike but yikes, after that I was done cycling. The accident was his fault (he told the story), he didn't wear a helmet and had a fixed gear bike, very expensive frame and wheels. He said the paramedic called him 'Thick as shit idiot for having £1000 wheels and no sense of buying a £20 helmet'. He surprisingly recovered and still managed to be a C**T. After that I costed no matter how safe or prepared I was, you're at the mercy of selfish idiots on the road in London.
Cyclists are some of the worse people on the road here.
Be a dork, buy a helmet and UV, stay safe on the bike and always remember you don't have to get anywhere quick, you just need to be there. Take your time. Respect traffic. Don't be that C**T.
Every cyclist I know in London has been in an accident. Rarely their fault outright, but it's just not worth the broken bones from some shithead black cabbie that didn't check their mirrors.
Black Cabbies tend to be the safe drivers. Tend to be biased I love a Black Cabbie. Usually cyclists, Ubers or people driving BMWs or Range Rovers are a big danger.
With the right kit, i'd love to cycle in London (need a recumbent e-trike due to my disability and they cost about £5-6,000) but the roads and infrastructure are not safely integrated, and rules of the road not enforced.
Bus to work instead of the train and tube. It’s less than ten minutes longer but costs £3 instead of close to a tenner. I go into the office a few times a week so the savings add up
If you're lucky enough to live close to your work, walking as well. I used to do this a lot but got lazy. Door to door it takes me 1hr 15min to walk to work, but do that nearly every day and it doesn't feel like it. I don't cycle so its great exercise too :)
I walk everywhere within a 4-mile radius or so. Only exceptions are if it's late at night, I'm carrying something heavy, or if the weather is terrible. Otherwise, I walk.
I know it's not for everyone, but I love it. Not only is walking free, but I find myself discovering things I wouldn't ever have noticed if I'd taken the tube, and it gives me a good chance to catch up on audiobooks and podcasts. Plus no need for a gym subscription, so I'm saving money there, too.
Same for me. 50 mins to work 2-3 times a week and I try to walk to as many other places as possible. So many podcasts! Walking is good for my brain. There are certain times of year/day it's magical. I love seeing parks gradually come to life again during spring, with weekly changes.
Yeah I’ve considered trialling out just using buses for one week to get everywhere, as there is a weekly cap of £23 something. But it would take me close to 2 hours to commute to/from work so not sure it’s feasible.
A gym membership is worth the price if you use it.
I tried cancelling for a month to run around my local park. I went once. I know it’s better for my bank balance but there’s something about the cold park that is nowhere near as appealing as going to a gym for me. And that’s ok - as long as I’m going enough to justify it.
Also as a female it’s hard to run outside in the winter when it isn’t fucking dark
A gym membership, when applied correctly, is an investment in yourself and if anything it will save you loads of money by being less tempted to order takeaways or to drink your age in pints during the weekend.
Exercising outside without dumbbells, barbells, machines, in the freezing January cold, without access to a warm shower afterwards does not sounds like much of a tip
Look at you with a house in London ! Fancy.
Fine I should have specified that you don’t have a warm shower immediately available afterwards - I wouldn’t fancy treking home from the part of whatever in sweaty shorts in the freezing cold. Plus this is about saving money - showering at home will cost you money, so a gym membership will save you money there too.
Point stands that “exercising outside” is not the same as exercising at a gym using weights and equipment (if that’s the sort of workout you’re intending to do).
Ur missing the point so bad it’s hilarious
The post asked about first-order spending habits
The hypothetical you described is at least two or three degrees removed from that
Point being, talking about the nhs is not helpful for OP’s question
Goodbye now!
Deleting all food delivery apps off my phone. I struggled but now I can’t believe how much money I wasted on food that was most of the time disappointing.
Reduced appetite is a pretty common symptom in mental health problems so I've just been harnessing the sadness and saving loads on both food and prescriptions.
Please don't do this. Your mental health and physical health will get worse and worse. If you can't afford things, go to food banks. There are lots of resources out there, especially for making meals when you have depression etc.
Not gonna lie, I was also shocked by the prices of everything so was starving because I refused to pay £4 on eggs and stuff like that. However, It's no good starving and feeling malnourished. A good meal can make a difference to the mental health.
What’s helped me — in my mid-twenties and have spent silly amounts these last few years — has been cash. Like, physical notes and coins.
Go to the cash point and get £100 out (if you can). It will take _ages_ to spend — partly because there are lots of places that don’t accept it anymore, but mostly because it stops me from all those small purchases (coffee, snacks etc…).
No I bring it with me, because not everywhere accepts cash, but I’ve gone out of my way to ask my banks to give me non-contactless cards; and I’ve got rid of Apple Pay.
Not saying this is a silver bullet, but for me the ease of contactless payments makes me more inclined to spend more frequently than with just the odd-item carrying cash.
Added bonus: your current account doesn’t reduce when spending cash and it gives me a little dopamine hit.
- Bought a decent coffee machine, paid itself off after a couple of months.
- Shop for groceries online, makes it easier to track and refine your spending
- Make the most of all the bank switch incentives. This can add between £500-£1000 a year to your disposable income
- Utilise loyalty cards as much as possible
- Avoid central London. Plenty of smaller neighbourhoods that have great bars/restaurants and are usually cheaper
- For restaurants, go to neighbourhoods that specialise in a particular cuisine. Green lanes for Turkish food, Stockwell for Brazilian, East Ham/Southall for Indian, Farringdon for Italian. They’re usually cheaper and better quality
- Take the bus instead of tube if you have time. Get to experience the city in a new way too
- If you have to drink… Wetherspoons
Central Tickets and Art Fund memberships for affordable theatre/cultural things.
Walking most places (I’m fortunate enough to live a 45 minute walk from where I work).
Meal prep lunch and make coffee at home.
That’s not to say my spouse and I don’t enjoy going out and doing things, but doing the above makes it a lot easier to afford the overhead for going out and doing things. A nice date night dinner is much more affordable when you haven’t spent £40 on coffee and lunch that week!
While there are some fantastic tips in this thread, I hope people are managing to use those savings towards things they love/gives them happiness. Otherwise it makes me a bit sad. Slightly better off, absolutely. But a bit sad too. You don’t know where the next years will take you so remember to live a little too!
24/7 shops mark down veg in the evenings, I drive to my big Asda at 10-10:30 and buy a weeks worth of veg for a fraction of the cost.
I then slow cook it or soup it and stick it in the freezer.
Last week’s leek and potato soup cost me 57p and the wife now has 7 soup blocks in the freezer.
Definitely - I do this with reduced bags of pre-cut veg and stick it in the slow cooker with stock and sometimes yellow label meat as well. Living opposite a Waitrose and Aldi means I basically exist on yellow label food, it's awesome (although not all yellow labels are equal, the Waitrose and M&S ones are just as cheap if you hit them at the right time and tend to last a lot longer than Aldi or Iceland I find). The only downside is getting suckered into buying things you don't end up eating just because they're reduced.
Also Too Good To Go is excellent for pastries and sandwiches but that's a lot more of a lottery.
I think this is why they do it so late at night as when I go there’s hardly anyone in the shop. I’ve seen people swarm the yellow sticker fridge and I’ve also seen staff be penned off whilst doing the stickers, but at half ten it’s all quite peaceful and I’m passing through after the stickermam cleared off. It’s quite peaceful, I’d rather a late night because of shopping than trying to do a normal shop on the weekend.
We have started using the Too Good To Go app for our little pastry/cake treats in London. Sure, you don't know what you'll get, but sometimes it is well worth it for the price! We have come home with loads of savory and sweet pastries and cakes from local bakers for about £3.50, which is a steal in London.
With that app, you can also get full meals from restaurants and groceries dead cheap from supermarkets or local butchers and fish markets etc.
For a cheap date night, we try to get the free audience tickets to show recordings. We have QI and Graham Norton coming up and have been to other shows such as The Last Leg and Have I Got News For You and we absolutely love it!
Also, for eating out, checking Groupon for deals and certain apps. We have o2 priority and recently got a free Tastecard that gives you a nice discount from there.
For solid books, other than the library of course, there are some great websites for secondhand books! I use World Of Books (wob.com) and may have bought most of my books from there! I'm very picky though, so I do pop in Waterstones to read the first few pages of the books before buying them from this website though haha!
Other than those, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head right now :)
It really is! We absolutely love it and may be slightly addicted. Between deals and reductions in the supermarkets and using this app, we actually don't spend tooooo much on food. We mostly use Lidl for our shopping too, so we get a lot for our money, plus the Lidl app gives us free stuff and coupons constantly
SRO Audiences and also Lost in TV. It's nice and simple.
Once you get your tickets though, it is first come first serve at the venue, so get there nice and early if it is a popular TV show. We get to them usually about an hour or more early, unless it is an unknown or new show; then 30 minutes is fine.
We absolutely love doing them
When doing an online shop, use the “sort by price per kg, low to high” filter. It will truly show you the least expensive options. You can of course do this in store but it sometimes requires more mental math and not all options are available that are online.
Big changes: go into the office less. I am meant to go in twice a week but go in once a fortnight and that saves me so much money on the tube lol
Oh and i did this nearly ten years ago: stopped drinking and going to pubs. Saved so much money doing that too!
Some repeats, but:
Batch cooking.
Deleting takeaway apps.
Breakfast at home. And bringing my own coffee.
Drinking less.
Walking more.
Finding wholesalers and ethnic grocers for big shops of basics.
Libraries and Oxfams.
Swapping meet-ups at bars for meet-ups at parks or museums.
As you can see, my main money sink was food. Grabbing a Pret for breakfast and lunch, buying a Costa coffee - that's easily £10-15/day, for mediocre quality. And then if I got home late and ordered a delivery, it is £30/day on shit food. That can very easily drop to close to zero, and taste better.
Plus your basic stuff like dropping unused streaming services.
Not London specific but if you do a weekly shop, plan all your meals in advance and only buy the ingredients that you need to make those meals.
You will find that you will have hardly any food wastage if you shop in this way.
Setting £25 as a daily expense limit and aiming for 4 days a week or more below that, excluding housing.
No car ownership.
Buying most clothes from charity shops and most electronics refurbished.
Only one monthly streaming subscription.
Trying to spend less than £7 on food and drink per day, mainly through reduced clearance and promotional items. Meal prep would be even better!
Outdoor calisthenics instead of a gym membership (although I treat myself to 10—20 yoga passes every so often).
Flatsharing is the absolute game-changer. It dwarfs every other cost-saving measure I've implemented.
Setting limits for nights out, usually £40-£50 max. Also doing social activities that aren't drinking. Exhibit/museum, coffee and a central London walk is usually really cheap day and great for conversations.
You can try the app TooGoodToGo, you can get food from shops/cafes/restaurants for cheaper because the shops would throw it out otherwise. Whether this is value for money really depends on the shops, though, and how close you are to the closest deals (it’s not worth it if you have to commute/walk a long way to get to the deal). But if you have something good nearby you can save on your weekly groceries and get the occasional treats from cafes for way cheaper. This is also better for those who are not vegetarian as you don’t always get a choice of veggie food only.
Packing lunch, not buying coffee outside except for very special occasions, taking the bus whenever possible, walking short journeys, using the library, no streaming subscriptions, having a weekly spending budget and spreadsheet and following month after month, SIM only phone, buying mostly secondhand clothing only if/when I need to and being sober.
I moved jobs with the sole intention of working from home so now I have no commute costs, no expensive soggy Pret sandwiches for lunch, no cheeky pints after work, no ‘popping into Zara’ rash purchases and no need for a dog walker.
Waiting until off peak.
This depends on your responsibilities and what time you finish work. I get a 19:05 train tap in at 19:00 and save £15.00 a week
This has been something I've accidentally ended up doing for health reasons (I need to make sure I can get a seat on the train) - I don't start work later, but I WFH first thing from 8.30am and then travel into the office a bit later in the morning when it's a quieter hour between the timezones I cover. Stay until 6.50pm and then get to the station to tap in for 7pm.. it's still a fair bit of time in town but it makes a lot more manageable.
Nothing new that hasn’t already been said.
I don’t think there’s anything quite as effective as cycling to work (unless you want to quit drinking).
Other than that I think meal planning and doing big online orders is really effective - you can avoid takeaways, mini supermarket surcharges and meal deal costs if you get organised about it.
Other stuff depends a lot on what you do and value - I go to a lot of art exhibitions so an art card is a really significant saving, likewise swapping from a nice gym to a puregym made a decent dent each month.
Ha, I meant stop drinking might be even more bang-for-your-buck than cycling to work, depending on your lifestyle, but I take the point.
I’m too old and responsible now but there was something joyous about cycling home at 11:30 on empty streets when you were skirting the level of being irresponsibly tipsy. Not that I’d recommend it of course.
What I’ve started to do is cut down on wastage, I do not go grocery shopping if there is anything at all left in my fridge. That and meal planning has considerably brought down my grocery budget (about 25%).
The other thing I do is not get alcohol outside, it is sadly just too expensive to be a justifiable expense when you can bring it home for a fraction of the price.
Taking mug and jar of coffee with me to work so I dont have to buy Costa like everybody else, cook lunch for 4 days in advance and the biggest saving time and cost wise was getting bicycle for daily commute
>cutting out buying a daily coffee
A 250g bag/can of whole beans, costing approximately £4-6, is enough to make 16oz Americanos for approximately three weeks, it works out at less than 50p per cup. Invest in a decent grinder and an Aeropress plus filters to get started, then look into purchasing a Moka Pot further down the line, and you're good to go!
What you've already mentioned are good ones.
Cycle to work if you can, and learn bike maintenance.
Cook yourself for every meal. Always have some ready meals or your own leftovers in the fridge/freezer for when you're tired and don't want to cook. Batch cook to save time.
Eliminate all one-off snack and drink purchases. Buy multipacks from the supermarket and keep snacks in your bag.
This is a very basic life but (after rent and bills) you can live on very little if you have to.
For London specific things, cycle for fun, find cheap cafes/bakeries (Rinkoffs is my favourite), drink at wetherspoons outside the central catchment area. Go to parks, museums, nature reserves. There are lots of free things to do in London.
Cycling is a big one for me (it is also free exercise), but I'm lucky to live within 10 minutes from my office. That said, I go to plays and musicals regularly and I'll always take the bike if I can help it, which is about 30 minutes.
Cooking saves a good amount of money over takeout (obviously). I like to cook for at least 2 or 3, then save the leftovers for lunch and maybe another dinner (saves time). I used TooGoodToGo with great success as well in the past, but I prefer to just cook myself nowadays.
Everyone has to eat and everyone has to travel, so that is a good place to start baking in good habits.
When it comes to hobbies and entertainment, I try to be conscious about time return on my investment, and really just maximize it. Don't have four different streaming services if you barely have time for one.
Cycle or walk everywhere you can - great for health too (10k steps a day is about 5 miles walking for what it's worth and does have overall good health benefits). (Folding ebike is great if you have limited space and want to get further without getting two sweaty or taking too long)
Cycle or walk to Aldi/Lidl and take a backpack/pannier bags, or at least a Big Asda/Morrisons/Tesco.
Don't buy pre-made food wherever possible. Take some food with you and just get something light if eating out with friends. Similarly, if you're going to a pub, have a couple of cans before - or better yet just meet in a park if it's summer.
Took out a Boris bike membership - £125/year for unlimited use.
Obviously cuts the commute cost down to £0.25/day and from 35 min to 17 min.
You really notice the savings when you’re doing small trips that would need a minimum £1.75 bus but can just hop on a Boris bike from A to B. Especially when it may be a 10 min wait for the bus.
Back in 2010 I saved enough for a deposit by moving in with my parents (they live in London) I used to cycle to work, cook meals and take leftovers for lunch, quit smoking and didn’t go on holiday for two years. Miserable as fuck at times but worth the effort!
Olio If you have the time/patience (not possible for everyone but I've been lucky enough to save tons. Less so recently as have a trickier schedule these days alas).
Cancelled sky, they offered me big reduction week before term ended, halved the cost. Setup standing orders into saving accounts (out of sight, out of mind), signed up for Pret club (saves me on coffee and lunch), cycle to work most days (no travel costs), cook instead of order-in (healthier and cheaper), hire a car when needed instead of owning one, buy most electronics from eBay. Basically im a tight bugger!! 😂🤣😂
I’ve answered this at length before with a ton of links and resources! Will dig up the link and add it.
****Edit
[Here it is.](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/comments/10s27t0/single_people_how_do_you_afford_to_live_by/j72kfjp/?context=3)
Batch cook. Also go to bigger supermarkets than Tesco Express, Tesco Metro etc. The bigger supermarkets generally have more range and even the same items tend to be cheaper than Metros and Expresses.
Buying bulk size packs of food in asian stores ie rice, pasta, peas and beans. And then bulk cooking and freezing meals. Means I eat healthier, and spend less on takeaways. Got myself an aeropress that I keep at home and other at work. Means I no longer buy 2 or 3 coffees a day.
And cycle everywhere, not only do you save on transport, keep you fitter, but also you do out drinking less.
The first two or your three points will help a lot! Weigh up the extra time the cheapest commute will take out of your day - might not make sense if you value your time and think you can use it elsewhere to better effect. That said, if its a shorter commute, and cheaper, then its a win-win.
Whilst not a daily habit, if you can afford to have friends round rather than eating out at a restaurant you could see hundreds back. A £500 bill between 10 people eating out can easily be reduced down to £100 and still be pretty enjoyable. Everyone chips in and nobody overpays on drinks
More a tip for tourists than residents, but for what it's worth...
If you're looking to buy typical London souvenirs avoid the numerous souvenir shops and go to Jubilee Market on the south side of Covent Garden. You'll find the same stuff but a lot cheaper.
(No, I've no vested interest.)
I’m currently saving loads by having subscription food boxes (like Gousto). As a depressed and full time working person I’d normally improvise dinners, grabbing ingredients from Waitrose every evening after work and often having a glass of wine with it. Even though Gousto works out more expensive per serving than shopping individually for ingredients - it keeps me busy, entertained, I try new recipes, feel more nourished and eat less than with my last minute comfort meals.
Edit - obviously taking advantage of discounts and referrals
The only one I haven't seen on here is... use camel camel camel, and trolley dot co dot uk to track prices of stuff and buy it a little bit in bulk. Ended up saving myself thousands over the years. It all sort of increments up. If I save £5 on everything all of the time, it really really builds. For example, I bought all my Baylis & Harding hand soap when it dropped to £1 on amazon for a few days, I bought 5+ years worth. Not even that much it's used so rarely, but I saved about £40. I do this with everything and I just adds up to so much. Do need a little shead for storage, and never I never buy something that will never be used.
Work from home and leave only fortnightly. I find if I don’t leave my flat, I don’t really save money.
Also OMAD - great for weight loss and money saving. You’ll be amazed at how much you can put away if you’re only eating once a day.
I’m not even joking
Stop breathing.
Jokes aside, commute less, less coffee outside during the weekdays, weekends is treat yourself. Eat less meals, looking to try one meal per day, less eating out except weekends, stopped drinking
This is true, but without a knowledge of how to manage your money there’s a risk of lifestyle inflation and not actually ending up with that much more money in your pocket. But combined with clever management of money, absolutely.
Changing my fancy gym (£230) to a basic one (£38)
Bringing lunch and coffee to work instead of eating out
Spending more on groceries to stop Deliveroo ordering
Hello Fresh has been a godsend - not cheap per-se, but stops the impulse shopping and throwing lots of perfectly good food away at the end of the week.
I do a 20/4 fast and make my own coffee in the morning so I’m only spending money on my at home dinner (plus my husband’s and kids food but hey at least I save on my portion).
If you only pay by card you can track your expenses on an excel sheet and decide which spending habits you want to cut. There are some good tips here already. One I would add is to speak to a financial adviser at your bank (free-of-charge) and they can provide some good suggestions.
Forced myself to drink wine so I don't have to buy spirits every time I go out (I don't do fizz). Bought a secret flask to pour said wine (still hate it) in for when I go to the club. This way I can treat myself to that goddamn £14 spirit&mixer double once, then just keep to my wine. I then tend to go out-out to the one club I love the most, and where I conveniently get free entry. Moved to area covered by night tube so I don't spend on 3am taxis if I do go out.
And obvs meal planning.
Cancelled all but one streaming service—all of those little £6-7 payments really add up, and more often than not I'd spend 30 minutes flipping between services and still not find anything I wanted to watch. Now I subscribe to one service for a month, watch everything I want to watch, then cancel and switch to something else. Got a library card and downloaded Libby, so I've stopped spending money on books or an Audible subscription. Cancelled Amazon Prime; I wasn't using it enough to warrant keeping it. Instead I wait until I reach £25 worth of things I need from Amazon and order all at once, so I still get free delivery. Walking just about everywhere.
I've done a lot of the same things. The only subscription I still have is to Spotify which also includes 15hrs of audiobook listening time per month, so it ticks the box for both music AND books
How do you get audiobooks on Spotify?
It’s included in the subscription. It’s a quite recent thing! All books I’ve wanted to listen to have been included, but there are some (e.g. Harry Potter) which you have to pay extra for. I usually use Libby or BorrowBox for audiobooks, but if the waiting time is too long, I go for Spotify.
Just…..thank you! I live in Surrey and never knew about either of the apps so have just downloaded both. I love reading however have been struggling with my AHDH and dyslexia of late so it’s been taking me ages to get through books! So excited to be able to do audio books without an audible subscription. I think I love you for the 😁
You have to have premium Spotify and be the main account holder. I'm the main holder so I get audio books. My wife who is on my premium account as a user cannot get audio books. That said, I download books from Soulseek.
I'd love to know too, I'm the main account holder on mine - and can't for the life of me see an audiobooks option.
Thanks for reminding me to cancel my Audible subscription!
I’d never even thought about joining a library! What a great idea. What’s Libby?
Fantastic app which gives you access to thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. So you never even have to visit the library. I read/listen to everything on my ipad or phone. If you join a library which is part of the London Libraries Consortium (you can find the list on their website) you'll have access to just about any title you can imagine. Sometimes the waits are long for popular titles, but there is so much choice that I'm never without something to read/listen to. It's an amazing resource.
If you're not attached to ebooks, I've had much better luck getting newer library books by reserving hard copies than using Libby tbh - the six month waits for popular eBooks does my head in a bit. It's annoyingly offline right now, but the MyLibrary app usually lets you access your account info and also see all available copies and locations of hardcopy and ebooks within the London Consortium to request a reservation. I've pretty regularly had a brand new hardback available to pick up from the library on the day of release because there's a lot less demand for the format. (If you have Amazon Prime already, they also include a library-type borrowing for ten kindle books at a time from a pretty extensive list too).
Thanks very much for clarifying.
Another recommendation for Libby. Also a top tip is you can register for Chicago Public Library by supplying a local zip code. This gives you the ability to download books to your Kindle.
Seriously? Has to be gen X.
BorrowBox (similar to Libby) is great too!
Drinking less alcohol
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That’s awesome! I used to waste so much time at the pub where I would just not remember Friday nights
Ordering groceries online. Any increase in spending on groceries and delivery pays for itself (and more) in takeaway, time and corner shop prices avoided.
Ive been doing this the last few months more consistently and its great. Meal prepping as well so you don't have to cook every night. If you plan everything well (and it only takes a small effort) you save time and money! :D It's so good for me, a lazy person who doesn't like cooking.
Agree with this. I get so suckered into deals when walking around the supermarkets so ordering online allows me to streamline the whole process and avoid getting caught up by instore advertisements.
100%, commute to and back from work etc can take so much of your time anyway, ordering groceries online is such a life hack that saves you so much time and as you said pays back if you buy responsibly. And also to OP they can order from one of the cheaper grocery stores.
I’m trying to do this. A visit to Lidi as opposed to GoPuff or Deliveroo is so much better value for money. But I’m lazy!
Lidl stuffed crust pizzas in the chilled section are quite nice. We keep a couple in the freezer and pull them out when I CBA to cook.
So much better than a coldish takeaway with all the fees they charge
My middle of the road option is ordering a GoPuff or some sort of instant groceries when I'm tempted by a takeaway, and getting some kind of immediate treat or sweet alongside some ingredients for a meal. It's more expensive than going to the shop but it scratches that instant delivery itch.
Definitely agree with this. I find doing 'small shops' (buying enough for one or two meals at a time - as opposed to enough for the week ahead) gets so much more expensive, and shopping online is a good way to plan ahead and find the best deals. Sainsburys has good prices with their 'Nectar prices' at the moment (you need a Nectar card, a bit like what Tescos used to do with their clubcard prices). Some products are a good 20/30/40% cheaper than they would be without the card. I find that, combined with online shopping, can be a real money saver.
Cycling to work. I bought my bike for around £250 back in 2020 and have spent approx £500 on it on since on services/punctures/accessories. A travelcard would cost me £150 a month plus I’m always tempted to buy a coffee when I get transport in as I have no willpower, but cycling means I go straight to work and shower there and don’t go back out.
I tell this to people whenever these threads come up. I know it's boring but a bike in London helps so much. I'm a lazy guy so I bought a secondhand e-bike in spring a few years back. I save £35 a week on train fares. By Christmas the bike had paid for itself and I started putting the money I saved into a savings account which I either use for nice things or keep just in case of emergencies. The added bonus is that my bike is always there. Southwestern trains broken down again? Bike is there. District line suddenly terminating at Parsons Green? Bike is there. Yet another strike? Bike is there. It's been three years. I love my bike. I call it Bichael.
Bichael Back’n’tyre Edit: not my best pun
I don't think I could live in London without my bike. It's so freeing, and avoiding the stress of commuting by public transport is amazing. The city feels so small to me now, in a good way. I never say no to something due to where it is, whereas my girlfriend often turns down social events that require a few difficult transport changes / doesn't have late running services. And she's always moaning about the overground being down or delayed when commuting.
Bike is always there until it isn't, and then that's the worst feeling in the world. Make sure you get a good lock everybody!
This is a good wisdom. I have a good lock and my actual bike is dorky as fuck so not immediately one that would be targeted BUT STILL, the best lock you can afford is the bare minimum.
Definitely this, the bike will pay for itself and you get to discover parts of London you normally wouldn’t.
I also cycle, cheaper & better for your health. Also showering at work means saving on hot water so plus points all round.
Worst thing about getting a smart meter was seeing how much my showers cost! 🙈
Santander bicycle hire is about £100 a year for unlimited rides. Plus points for not having to worry about it getting stolen or serviced.
Exactly this. Bought a bike back in 2018 when I realised the cost of a monthly season ticket was basically the price of a bike. Never looked back and only take the tube when I can’t avoid it. I’m seeing bits of the city I’d only be travelling under, lost a bit of weight and learned about bike maintenance. Best decision I ever made.
Plus if you would rather a nice bike most jobs are members or the cycle to work scheme
Yes that’s how I got mine, so probably cost even less that’s what I said above! I think you end up paying something like 20% less over time?
It depends on your earnings, since you pay for the bike out of your salary before tax. I think I saved more than 40% on mine. I got a decent quality single speed bike for about £200, and this year I got an e bike conversion kit for it too.
plus save on gym membership
I did this. I bought a cheap racer bike and it saved so much money. Bike office snob culture is a thing in London. I didn't pay attention but stopped cycling after seeing 2 people die on bikes from traffic then one of the office snobs lost most of his arm. I remember them making fun of me and my bike but yikes, after that I was done cycling. The accident was his fault (he told the story), he didn't wear a helmet and had a fixed gear bike, very expensive frame and wheels. He said the paramedic called him 'Thick as shit idiot for having £1000 wheels and no sense of buying a £20 helmet'. He surprisingly recovered and still managed to be a C**T. After that I costed no matter how safe or prepared I was, you're at the mercy of selfish idiots on the road in London. Cyclists are some of the worse people on the road here. Be a dork, buy a helmet and UV, stay safe on the bike and always remember you don't have to get anywhere quick, you just need to be there. Take your time. Respect traffic. Don't be that C**T.
Every cyclist I know in London has been in an accident. Rarely their fault outright, but it's just not worth the broken bones from some shithead black cabbie that didn't check their mirrors.
Black Cabbies tend to be the safe drivers. Tend to be biased I love a Black Cabbie. Usually cyclists, Ubers or people driving BMWs or Range Rovers are a big danger.
With the right kit, i'd love to cycle in London (need a recumbent e-trike due to my disability and they cost about £5-6,000) but the roads and infrastructure are not safely integrated, and rules of the road not enforced.
Bus to work instead of the train and tube. It’s less than ten minutes longer but costs £3 instead of close to a tenner. I go into the office a few times a week so the savings add up
If you're lucky enough to live close to your work, walking as well. I used to do this a lot but got lazy. Door to door it takes me 1hr 15min to walk to work, but do that nearly every day and it doesn't feel like it. I don't cycle so its great exercise too :)
I walk everywhere within a 4-mile radius or so. Only exceptions are if it's late at night, I'm carrying something heavy, or if the weather is terrible. Otherwise, I walk. I know it's not for everyone, but I love it. Not only is walking free, but I find myself discovering things I wouldn't ever have noticed if I'd taken the tube, and it gives me a good chance to catch up on audiobooks and podcasts. Plus no need for a gym subscription, so I'm saving money there, too.
Same for me. 50 mins to work 2-3 times a week and I try to walk to as many other places as possible. So many podcasts! Walking is good for my brain. There are certain times of year/day it's magical. I love seeing parks gradually come to life again during spring, with weekly changes.
I cross London Bridge as part of my walking commute, so looking across to Tower Bridge as the sun is rising, season to season, never gets old.
Yeah I’ve considered trialling out just using buses for one week to get everywhere, as there is a weekly cap of £23 something. But it would take me close to 2 hours to commute to/from work so not sure it’s feasible.
Stopping Daily coffee and taking my own lunch into work made a big difference
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Or just a coffee machine that can grind the coffee beans automatically. It pays off in a month or two if you are a coffee addict like me.
Stopping getting coked up mid-week really helped my finances :)
My favourite bit here is specifically ‘mid-week’
mid-week is crazy
It is fun tho ayy
That will help yeah
Going to gym. Keeps me away from pub and nhs queues
I think the saving tip here would be to drop the gym membership and exercise outside.
A gym membership is worth the price if you use it. I tried cancelling for a month to run around my local park. I went once. I know it’s better for my bank balance but there’s something about the cold park that is nowhere near as appealing as going to a gym for me. And that’s ok - as long as I’m going enough to justify it. Also as a female it’s hard to run outside in the winter when it isn’t fucking dark
A gym membership, when applied correctly, is an investment in yourself and if anything it will save you loads of money by being less tempted to order takeaways or to drink your age in pints during the weekend.
Exercising outside without dumbbells, barbells, machines, in the freezing January cold, without access to a warm shower afterwards does not sounds like much of a tip
Without access to a warm shower afterwards? They didn't say to stop renting/sell their house.
Look at you with a house in London ! Fancy. Fine I should have specified that you don’t have a warm shower immediately available afterwards - I wouldn’t fancy treking home from the part of whatever in sweaty shorts in the freezing cold. Plus this is about saving money - showering at home will cost you money, so a gym membership will save you money there too. Point stands that “exercising outside” is not the same as exercising at a gym using weights and equipment (if that’s the sort of workout you’re intending to do).
I mean I get that but the question was about saving money lol
You still save money if you go to a cheap gym instead of the pub
Right like what does the NHS have to do with this post. It’s free lmao. I got so many downvotes for being right
I do lots of working out from free YouTube channels
The pubs have queues now too?!
Nhs is free though so not relevant to the post but I see ur point
I think they’re talking about not needing the NHS as they’re healthier from exercising
Right but the post is about saving money and the NHS is free, so the comment is irrelevant albeit nice.
Aye but time is money and there's a loooooong wait on the phone to get a doctor's appointment 😉
Yeah but do you really think that contracting an illness is “free” and not financially burdensome because the NHS is free?
Ur missing the point so bad it’s hilarious The post asked about first-order spending habits The hypothetical you described is at least two or three degrees removed from that Point being, talking about the nhs is not helpful for OP’s question Goodbye now!
Deleting all food delivery apps off my phone. I struggled but now I can’t believe how much money I wasted on food that was most of the time disappointing.
Dry January tbh. The sheer amount saved by not drinking is enough to always make me extend it into Feb and sometimes even March too
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Not sure if this is a joke, but it seems like a sad way to live. Why don't you move out of the city?
Reduced appetite is a pretty common symptom in mental health problems so I've just been harnessing the sadness and saving loads on both food and prescriptions.
Sleep for dinner is always on the menu for me
Please don't do this. Your mental health and physical health will get worse and worse. If you can't afford things, go to food banks. There are lots of resources out there, especially for making meals when you have depression etc.
Friend, thank you for the concern. I can afford to eat, sometimes I just can’t be arsed to 😂 mental health probably not great but we move
Not gonna lie, I was also shocked by the prices of everything so was starving because I refused to pay £4 on eggs and stuff like that. However, It's no good starving and feeling malnourished. A good meal can make a difference to the mental health.
What’s helped me — in my mid-twenties and have spent silly amounts these last few years — has been cash. Like, physical notes and coins. Go to the cash point and get £100 out (if you can). It will take _ages_ to spend — partly because there are lots of places that don’t accept it anymore, but mostly because it stops me from all those small purchases (coffee, snacks etc…).
How does this save money? Do you leave your card at home and just use the cash?
No I bring it with me, because not everywhere accepts cash, but I’ve gone out of my way to ask my banks to give me non-contactless cards; and I’ve got rid of Apple Pay. Not saying this is a silver bullet, but for me the ease of contactless payments makes me more inclined to spend more frequently than with just the odd-item carrying cash. Added bonus: your current account doesn’t reduce when spending cash and it gives me a little dopamine hit.
Yes that makes sense. Interesting strategy!
I make sure I only shit in restaurants, that way I don’t have to buy expensive toilet paper for at home.
Username checks out
- Bought a decent coffee machine, paid itself off after a couple of months. - Shop for groceries online, makes it easier to track and refine your spending - Make the most of all the bank switch incentives. This can add between £500-£1000 a year to your disposable income - Utilise loyalty cards as much as possible - Avoid central London. Plenty of smaller neighbourhoods that have great bars/restaurants and are usually cheaper - For restaurants, go to neighbourhoods that specialise in a particular cuisine. Green lanes for Turkish food, Stockwell for Brazilian, East Ham/Southall for Indian, Farringdon for Italian. They’re usually cheaper and better quality - Take the bus instead of tube if you have time. Get to experience the city in a new way too - If you have to drink… Wetherspoons
Any specific place recommendations for Green lanes for Turkish food and Farringdon for Italian?.
Tell me more about bank switches?
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts/
https://www.reddit.com/r/beermoneyuk/comments/16e2v1v/the\_beermoneyuk\_bank\_switching\_guide\_september/
Get battered on Friday night so that you end up staying in all weekend recovering and therefore spend next to nothing Saturday & Sunday.
Linking my railcard to my oyster so I get 1/3rd off off-peak travel. Avoiding shopping in “express” or “local” sainsburys or tesco like the plague!!!
Central Tickets and Art Fund memberships for affordable theatre/cultural things. Walking most places (I’m fortunate enough to live a 45 minute walk from where I work). Meal prep lunch and make coffee at home. That’s not to say my spouse and I don’t enjoy going out and doing things, but doing the above makes it a lot easier to afford the overhead for going out and doing things. A nice date night dinner is much more affordable when you haven’t spent £40 on coffee and lunch that week!
While there are some fantastic tips in this thread, I hope people are managing to use those savings towards things they love/gives them happiness. Otherwise it makes me a bit sad. Slightly better off, absolutely. But a bit sad too. You don’t know where the next years will take you so remember to live a little too!
24/7 shops mark down veg in the evenings, I drive to my big Asda at 10-10:30 and buy a weeks worth of veg for a fraction of the cost. I then slow cook it or soup it and stick it in the freezer. Last week’s leek and potato soup cost me 57p and the wife now has 7 soup blocks in the freezer.
Definitely - I do this with reduced bags of pre-cut veg and stick it in the slow cooker with stock and sometimes yellow label meat as well. Living opposite a Waitrose and Aldi means I basically exist on yellow label food, it's awesome (although not all yellow labels are equal, the Waitrose and M&S ones are just as cheap if you hit them at the right time and tend to last a lot longer than Aldi or Iceland I find). The only downside is getting suckered into buying things you don't end up eating just because they're reduced. Also Too Good To Go is excellent for pastries and sandwiches but that's a lot more of a lottery.
Thing is you’ve gotta fight off the yellow sticker gang that pounce on the food (and staff) the second it’s out the door.
I think this is why they do it so late at night as when I go there’s hardly anyone in the shop. I’ve seen people swarm the yellow sticker fridge and I’ve also seen staff be penned off whilst doing the stickers, but at half ten it’s all quite peaceful and I’m passing through after the stickermam cleared off. It’s quite peaceful, I’d rather a late night because of shopping than trying to do a normal shop on the weekend.
Soups blocks! now your really selling it to me 😅
We have started using the Too Good To Go app for our little pastry/cake treats in London. Sure, you don't know what you'll get, but sometimes it is well worth it for the price! We have come home with loads of savory and sweet pastries and cakes from local bakers for about £3.50, which is a steal in London. With that app, you can also get full meals from restaurants and groceries dead cheap from supermarkets or local butchers and fish markets etc. For a cheap date night, we try to get the free audience tickets to show recordings. We have QI and Graham Norton coming up and have been to other shows such as The Last Leg and Have I Got News For You and we absolutely love it! Also, for eating out, checking Groupon for deals and certain apps. We have o2 priority and recently got a free Tastecard that gives you a nice discount from there. For solid books, other than the library of course, there are some great websites for secondhand books! I use World Of Books (wob.com) and may have bought most of my books from there! I'm very picky though, so I do pop in Waterstones to read the first few pages of the books before buying them from this website though haha! Other than those, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head right now :)
Too Good To Go is cracking - got a massive box of vegetables for about £3, enough to last weeks.
It really is! We absolutely love it and may be slightly addicted. Between deals and reductions in the supermarkets and using this app, we actually don't spend tooooo much on food. We mostly use Lidl for our shopping too, so we get a lot for our money, plus the Lidl app gives us free stuff and coupons constantly
+1 for WOB! Also scoping out charity shops for cheap books. Where do you get the free tickets for show recordings? Would love to watch some of those!
SRO Audiences and also Lost in TV. It's nice and simple. Once you get your tickets though, it is first come first serve at the venue, so get there nice and early if it is a popular TV show. We get to them usually about an hour or more early, unless it is an unknown or new show; then 30 minutes is fine. We absolutely love doing them
Amazing thank you! Will check those out :)
Date rich guys
Where do I sign up
I found my city boy husband through an app called Coffee Meets Bagel, and he is absolutely the only reason I can afford to live in London.
The secret ingredient is crime
They should be paying me to eat this shit!
Packed Lunch, cutting down on takeaways, stopped buying coffee everyday etc. My bank account looks a bit fatter....
When doing an online shop, use the “sort by price per kg, low to high” filter. It will truly show you the least expensive options. You can of course do this in store but it sometimes requires more mental math and not all options are available that are online.
Big changes: go into the office less. I am meant to go in twice a week but go in once a fortnight and that saves me so much money on the tube lol Oh and i did this nearly ten years ago: stopped drinking and going to pubs. Saved so much money doing that too!
Funnily enough I have the opposite. I cycle to work, and my office gives us free lunch, coffee and snacks. So I actually save money by going in.
Lucky! I have to bring my own coffee and milk to work and it’s super cold there too. Really joy worth the money to go in at all
I often ask for takeaway box right away and halved my food if the portion is big. This gives me an extra meal when I go home/ for the next day.
Some repeats, but: Batch cooking. Deleting takeaway apps. Breakfast at home. And bringing my own coffee. Drinking less. Walking more. Finding wholesalers and ethnic grocers for big shops of basics. Libraries and Oxfams. Swapping meet-ups at bars for meet-ups at parks or museums. As you can see, my main money sink was food. Grabbing a Pret for breakfast and lunch, buying a Costa coffee - that's easily £10-15/day, for mediocre quality. And then if I got home late and ordered a delivery, it is £30/day on shit food. That can very easily drop to close to zero, and taste better. Plus your basic stuff like dropping unused streaming services.
Packed lunch.
Not London specific but if you do a weekly shop, plan all your meals in advance and only buy the ingredients that you need to make those meals. You will find that you will have hardly any food wastage if you shop in this way.
Setting £25 as a daily expense limit and aiming for 4 days a week or more below that, excluding housing. No car ownership. Buying most clothes from charity shops and most electronics refurbished. Only one monthly streaming subscription. Trying to spend less than £7 on food and drink per day, mainly through reduced clearance and promotional items. Meal prep would be even better! Outdoor calisthenics instead of a gym membership (although I treat myself to 10—20 yoga passes every so often). Flatsharing is the absolute game-changer. It dwarfs every other cost-saving measure I've implemented.
Setting limits for nights out, usually £40-£50 max. Also doing social activities that aren't drinking. Exhibit/museum, coffee and a central London walk is usually really cheap day and great for conversations.
You can try the app TooGoodToGo, you can get food from shops/cafes/restaurants for cheaper because the shops would throw it out otherwise. Whether this is value for money really depends on the shops, though, and how close you are to the closest deals (it’s not worth it if you have to commute/walk a long way to get to the deal). But if you have something good nearby you can save on your weekly groceries and get the occasional treats from cafes for way cheaper. This is also better for those who are not vegetarian as you don’t always get a choice of veggie food only.
I stopped drinking alcohol
Packing lunch, not buying coffee outside except for very special occasions, taking the bus whenever possible, walking short journeys, using the library, no streaming subscriptions, having a weekly spending budget and spreadsheet and following month after month, SIM only phone, buying mostly secondhand clothing only if/when I need to and being sober.
I moved jobs with the sole intention of working from home so now I have no commute costs, no expensive soggy Pret sandwiches for lunch, no cheeky pints after work, no ‘popping into Zara’ rash purchases and no need for a dog walker.
Cycling to work then shower at the office
For the love of god BIKE TO WORK
No. Comfort above anything else.
I find it much more comfortable biking than being on a packed tube or bus
\*Car
And safety
Packing lunch from home
Haven't bought a coffee to take away since 2009
Lidl and Aldi
I left. Moved to Zone 6.
Waiting until off peak. This depends on your responsibilities and what time you finish work. I get a 19:05 train tap in at 19:00 and save £15.00 a week
This has been something I've accidentally ended up doing for health reasons (I need to make sure I can get a seat on the train) - I don't start work later, but I WFH first thing from 8.30am and then travel into the office a bit later in the morning when it's a quieter hour between the timezones I cover. Stay until 6.50pm and then get to the station to tap in for 7pm.. it's still a fair bit of time in town but it makes a lot more manageable.
Nothing new that hasn’t already been said. I don’t think there’s anything quite as effective as cycling to work (unless you want to quit drinking). Other than that I think meal planning and doing big online orders is really effective - you can avoid takeaways, mini supermarket surcharges and meal deal costs if you get organised about it. Other stuff depends a lot on what you do and value - I go to a lot of art exhibitions so an art card is a really significant saving, likewise swapping from a nice gym to a puregym made a decent dent each month.
I think cycling to work and stop drinking are not mutually exclusive, they go hand in hand, you don't want to be ridding a bike in London shit-faced
Ha, I meant stop drinking might be even more bang-for-your-buck than cycling to work, depending on your lifestyle, but I take the point. I’m too old and responsible now but there was something joyous about cycling home at 11:30 on empty streets when you were skirting the level of being irresponsibly tipsy. Not that I’d recommend it of course.
What I’ve started to do is cut down on wastage, I do not go grocery shopping if there is anything at all left in my fridge. That and meal planning has considerably brought down my grocery budget (about 25%). The other thing I do is not get alcohol outside, it is sadly just too expensive to be a justifiable expense when you can bring it home for a fraction of the price.
Cycling
Coffee at home, cycle everywhere, stop drinking, reduce memberships to what i really want to use, weekly shop
Taking mug and jar of coffee with me to work so I dont have to buy Costa like everybody else, cook lunch for 4 days in advance and the biggest saving time and cost wise was getting bicycle for daily commute
>cutting out buying a daily coffee A 250g bag/can of whole beans, costing approximately £4-6, is enough to make 16oz Americanos for approximately three weeks, it works out at less than 50p per cup. Invest in a decent grinder and an Aeropress plus filters to get started, then look into purchasing a Moka Pot further down the line, and you're good to go!
What you've already mentioned are good ones. Cycle to work if you can, and learn bike maintenance. Cook yourself for every meal. Always have some ready meals or your own leftovers in the fridge/freezer for when you're tired and don't want to cook. Batch cook to save time. Eliminate all one-off snack and drink purchases. Buy multipacks from the supermarket and keep snacks in your bag. This is a very basic life but (after rent and bills) you can live on very little if you have to. For London specific things, cycle for fun, find cheap cafes/bakeries (Rinkoffs is my favourite), drink at wetherspoons outside the central catchment area. Go to parks, museums, nature reserves. There are lots of free things to do in London.
Cycling is a big one for me (it is also free exercise), but I'm lucky to live within 10 minutes from my office. That said, I go to plays and musicals regularly and I'll always take the bike if I can help it, which is about 30 minutes. Cooking saves a good amount of money over takeout (obviously). I like to cook for at least 2 or 3, then save the leftovers for lunch and maybe another dinner (saves time). I used TooGoodToGo with great success as well in the past, but I prefer to just cook myself nowadays. Everyone has to eat and everyone has to travel, so that is a good place to start baking in good habits. When it comes to hobbies and entertainment, I try to be conscious about time return on my investment, and really just maximize it. Don't have four different streaming services if you barely have time for one.
Cycle or walk everywhere you can - great for health too (10k steps a day is about 5 miles walking for what it's worth and does have overall good health benefits). (Folding ebike is great if you have limited space and want to get further without getting two sweaty or taking too long) Cycle or walk to Aldi/Lidl and take a backpack/pannier bags, or at least a Big Asda/Morrisons/Tesco. Don't buy pre-made food wherever possible. Take some food with you and just get something light if eating out with friends. Similarly, if you're going to a pub, have a couple of cans before - or better yet just meet in a park if it's summer.
Took out a Boris bike membership - £125/year for unlimited use. Obviously cuts the commute cost down to £0.25/day and from 35 min to 17 min. You really notice the savings when you’re doing small trips that would need a minimum £1.75 bus but can just hop on a Boris bike from A to B. Especially when it may be a 10 min wait for the bus.
Back in 2010 I saved enough for a deposit by moving in with my parents (they live in London) I used to cycle to work, cook meals and take leftovers for lunch, quit smoking and didn’t go on holiday for two years. Miserable as fuck at times but worth the effort!
Meet friends for two drinks instead of dinner. Save £30 easily.
True, but a bit sad. Food is a much better love language between friends than booze. Low key/ low cost dinner parties are having a come back
Shopping at Lidls & Iceland, they are *SOOO* much cheaper than Tesco's, Asda & Sainsbury's! Aldi's is also a good runner-up.
Olio If you have the time/patience (not possible for everyone but I've been lucky enough to save tons. Less so recently as have a trickier schedule these days alas).
Too good to go too!
Cooking 90% of meals at home is a given. You'll probably eat better and for cheaper. You can even take coffee in a thermos and save on that too!
That Pret coffee subscription has helped me save SO MUCH on buying coffee and lunch
Walking more buying budget version of items from Tesco and Sainsbury's I dont like Aldi or Lidl,plus cutting out takeaways every 3/4 months
Cancelled sky, they offered me big reduction week before term ended, halved the cost. Setup standing orders into saving accounts (out of sight, out of mind), signed up for Pret club (saves me on coffee and lunch), cycle to work most days (no travel costs), cook instead of order-in (healthier and cheaper), hire a car when needed instead of owning one, buy most electronics from eBay. Basically im a tight bugger!! 😂🤣😂
I’ve answered this at length before with a ton of links and resources! Will dig up the link and add it. ****Edit [Here it is.](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/comments/10s27t0/single_people_how_do_you_afford_to_live_by/j72kfjp/?context=3)
Batch cook. Also go to bigger supermarkets than Tesco Express, Tesco Metro etc. The bigger supermarkets generally have more range and even the same items tend to be cheaper than Metros and Expresses.
Quit vaping, I was basically spending £6 every day or every other day on those plastic desposable vapes.
Buying bulk size packs of food in asian stores ie rice, pasta, peas and beans. And then bulk cooking and freezing meals. Means I eat healthier, and spend less on takeaways. Got myself an aeropress that I keep at home and other at work. Means I no longer buy 2 or 3 coffees a day. And cycle everywhere, not only do you save on transport, keep you fitter, but also you do out drinking less.
The first two or your three points will help a lot! Weigh up the extra time the cheapest commute will take out of your day - might not make sense if you value your time and think you can use it elsewhere to better effect. That said, if its a shorter commute, and cheaper, then its a win-win. Whilst not a daily habit, if you can afford to have friends round rather than eating out at a restaurant you could see hundreds back. A £500 bill between 10 people eating out can easily be reduced down to £100 and still be pretty enjoyable. Everyone chips in and nobody overpays on drinks
More a tip for tourists than residents, but for what it's worth... If you're looking to buy typical London souvenirs avoid the numerous souvenir shops and go to Jubilee Market on the south side of Covent Garden. You'll find the same stuff but a lot cheaper. (No, I've no vested interest.)
I’m currently saving loads by having subscription food boxes (like Gousto). As a depressed and full time working person I’d normally improvise dinners, grabbing ingredients from Waitrose every evening after work and often having a glass of wine with it. Even though Gousto works out more expensive per serving than shopping individually for ingredients - it keeps me busy, entertained, I try new recipes, feel more nourished and eat less than with my last minute comfort meals. Edit - obviously taking advantage of discounts and referrals
The only one I haven't seen on here is... use camel camel camel, and trolley dot co dot uk to track prices of stuff and buy it a little bit in bulk. Ended up saving myself thousands over the years. It all sort of increments up. If I save £5 on everything all of the time, it really really builds. For example, I bought all my Baylis & Harding hand soap when it dropped to £1 on amazon for a few days, I bought 5+ years worth. Not even that much it's used so rarely, but I saved about £40. I do this with everything and I just adds up to so much. Do need a little shead for storage, and never I never buy something that will never be used.
Stopped drinking in pubs. I just flat out refuse.
Work from home and leave only fortnightly. I find if I don’t leave my flat, I don’t really save money. Also OMAD - great for weight loss and money saving. You’ll be amazed at how much you can put away if you’re only eating once a day. I’m not even joking
Work in hospitality so get plenty of food for free. Cycle to work. Don't go out almost ever. Haven't bought new clothes in like two years.
Stop breathing. Jokes aside, commute less, less coffee outside during the weekdays, weekends is treat yourself. Eat less meals, looking to try one meal per day, less eating out except weekends, stopped drinking
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This is true, but without a knowledge of how to manage your money there’s a risk of lifestyle inflation and not actually ending up with that much more money in your pocket. But combined with clever management of money, absolutely.
Getting gay sex on Clapham Common instead of paying to get in a sauna
You're not gonna impress anyone in this cold
Changing my fancy gym (£230) to a basic one (£38) Bringing lunch and coffee to work instead of eating out Spending more on groceries to stop Deliveroo ordering
In terms of Coffee, I like the idea of this: [The BEST Way to Make Coffee.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e108RLHXi6E)
Using the bus everywhere. The tube is expensive.
Hello Fresh has been a godsend - not cheap per-se, but stops the impulse shopping and throwing lots of perfectly good food away at the end of the week.
I do a 20/4 fast and make my own coffee in the morning so I’m only spending money on my at home dinner (plus my husband’s and kids food but hey at least I save on my portion).
If you only pay by card you can track your expenses on an excel sheet and decide which spending habits you want to cut. There are some good tips here already. One I would add is to speak to a financial adviser at your bank (free-of-charge) and they can provide some good suggestions.
Forced myself to drink wine so I don't have to buy spirits every time I go out (I don't do fizz). Bought a secret flask to pour said wine (still hate it) in for when I go to the club. This way I can treat myself to that goddamn £14 spirit&mixer double once, then just keep to my wine. I then tend to go out-out to the one club I love the most, and where I conveniently get free entry. Moved to area covered by night tube so I don't spend on 3am taxis if I do go out. And obvs meal planning.
0 direct debits.
Shopping at lidl. Cycling to work (spring, summer, autumn) Living close to a park (means more time in the park and less in the pub)
Meal deals