thrifty londoner

how to live a thriftier life in London, and beyond!

save money

How to get a refund on student loan overpayments

Some posts on thriftylondoner.com may contain affiliate links

student-loan-overpayments

In December 2018 it was discovered that hundreds of thousands of students had unknowingly been making student loan overpayments- and that they were entitled to receive a refund and get their money back.

I hadn’t been unaware of this until recently, when a friend’s partner was refunded over £900 for overpayments made! NINE HUNDRED great British pounds. Although this refund is at the higher end of what people have received, according to statistics from Money Saving Expert, the average amount claimed back is £330. Still very much worth enquiring about.

…

Read More »

The Best Charity Shops in West London

Some posts on thriftylondoner.com may contain affiliate links

best-charity-shops-in-west-london

If you’re looking for a guide to London’s best charity shops, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post I am going to give you the lowdown on the best charity shops in each major neighbourhood of West London so that you are armed with the knowledge to find the most beautiful pre-loved bargains in London.

…

Read More »

THE GUIDE TO A BUDGET WEEKEND IN LONDON

Some posts on thriftylondoner.com may contain affiliate links

budget-weekend-in-London

‘London’ and ‘budget’ are two words that you don’t often see put together, but if you are hoping to plan a budget weekend in London, the good news is that it can be done. London is full of cheap things to see and do, and the truth is, by doing London on a budget you will be living like a true Londoner. Let’s face it, not many of us can really afford to swig cocktails in Mayfair and buy shoes from Selfridges (at least, the people I know certainly can’t!) Most of us are trying to find discounts and cheap things to do at every opportunity we can get.

I’m going to share with you my top insider tips on how to live like a local and have a cheap weekend in London- without missing out on any of the good stuff!

…

Read More »

My Saving Journey- how I’m saving for a house deposit in London

Some posts on thriftylondoner.com may contain affiliate links

saving-for-a-house-deposit-in-london

Yep, you read that title correctly- my partner and I have taken on the challenge of saving for a house deposit in London, and we are hoping to be able to buy a property by the end of next year.

I’ve ummed and ahhed about going into detail about my savings- particularly sharing the exact numbers behind it all, and more specifically revealing how much I have saved already. This is because I have worried about judgement and the fact that it can be considered tacky or ungainly to speak so openly about the sum of money that is sitting in your savings account.

But then I thought, sod it, if I want to see change- see people talking openly about their finances, their worries and their wins, then I, a money blogger, should be paving the way for such conversations to take place. If I can save enough money for a deposit on a home in London, I’m sure that there are lots of people who can do the same.

My hope is that by sharing these figures, someone might read this and feel that buying a property in London CAN be an attainable goal for millennials- despite many, many, articles online telling us that it can’t be.

…

Read More »

How to find Cheap West End Tickets

Some posts on thriftylondoner.com may contain affiliate links

cheap-West-End-tickets

If you’re living in London or visiting London, I’ll bet there’s one thing on your bucket list for your time here- and it’s to see some good old London West End shows. People flock from all over the world to experience London theatre, and with good reason, but all that demand means that the cost of a popular show can reach the heady heights of over £200! I’m a firm believer that the arts should be for everyone, and luckily, there are a few ways to get round the hefty ticket prices. I’m going to let you in on some secrets to getting cheap West End tickets to the BEST shows, so that you can experience the magic without breaking into a sweat at the ticket price.

…

Read More »

Find Cheap Exercise Classes in London

Some posts on thriftylondoner.com may contain affiliate links

We all know that exercise is good for us, but do we always find the time and money to do it? No. Personally, I don’t enjoy the gym– I get SO bored and have been making excuses for pretty much my entire adult life about why I don’t go to the gym.

Exercise classes like yoga and spinning always appealed to me- but the price didn’t. In London most exercise classes will set you back by around £15 (or more!) which is money that I have never quite been able to part with. The thought of spending £60 a month for just 4 classes has never made sense to me– I have always been able to find things which I would rather spend my money on… like takeaways.

BUT after finally realising that 26 might finally be the age to transition from sloth to spinner, I spent some time looking into how I could find cheap exercise classes in London. Like most fantastic bargains, cheap exercise classes in London are not easy to come by, but I have created this list to help make your search that little bit easier.

…

Read More »

100 FREE THINGS TO DO IN LONDON

Some posts on thriftylondoner.com may contain affiliate links

100-free-things-to-do-in-london

London is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in- but that doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on your lifestyle whilst you are living in or visiting the capital.

There is quite literally no end to the events and activities that you can enjoy in London- and the best part is that a crazy amount of cultural attractions are free to visit.

It is so important not to get swept up with ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’ whilst in London (only, the Jones’s are no longer your neighbours with a white picket fence, they are now anonymous strangers on Instagram) as at the end of the day you will only end up struggling to make ends meet.

Whether you’re looking for a budget weekend in London, or you live here full time and you’re looking to make some savings- you will be sure to find something wonderful to do for free on this list.

…

Read More »

What 25 UK Money Bloggers Wish They Knew in Their 20s

Some posts on thriftylondoner.com may contain affiliate links

Our 20s are often years of change- for the most part we are figuring out what we want to “do”– where we want to live and work, who we want to live with, our relationships and our friendships.

With so much going on, these years of our lives can become quite the money-minefield, and cash can seemingly disappear into a black hole when our backs are turned.

…

Read More »

50 Money Tips to Start the Year off Right

Some posts on thriftylondoner.com may contain affiliate links

50-money-tips

Have you ever heard of the term ‘swallow the frog?’ I hadn’t either until a colleague introduced me to this saying- it essentially means doing something that you’ve been putting off, or getting a horrible task done. Once it’s done, it’s done, it’s swallowed and gone!

At work, this might mean dealing with a difficult email from someone, but more generally, these can be things like finally getting round to applying for a refund on a delayed train journey- something that is a pretty mundane task, but once it’s done, you can reap the benefit of it.

In January, it is the perfect time to get these little niggling tasks out of the way- especially if there is some money to be made or saved. Been wanting to start a side hustle for like, ever? January is the perfect time to do so- no one else has any money, and you can begin a project during these long dark evenings.

Here are 50 money tips to help you start the year off right- I know that I am certainly needing to swallow the frog on a few things on this list. Anyone else been meaning to swap their energy supplier since the dawn of electricity?!

…

Read More »

DIY Pom Pom Garland

Some posts on thriftylondoner.com may contain affiliate links

Welcome to the 12 DIYs of Christmas! Today is the 12th December which means I am sharing my 12th and final Christmas DIY with you.

Christmas can be a seriously expensive time of year and so I will be sharing DIY Christmas gift ideas as well as some thrifty decor ideas to help you to stay on budget this December.

On the 12th DIY of Christmas Thrifty Londoner sent to me…

…

Read More »

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial