THE Australian invasion in London is continuing, as London begins to enjoy a recession recovery many young Australians are leaving home and coming to the Mother Land. Back in 2009, there was a record number of Australians working and living in the United Kingdom and this trend seems to be continuing with London a key location.
However, while London may seem like the place to be there is a worrying bit of Australia that seems to have come over with us. With the cost of living rising it sometimes feels more like Sydney or Perth.
Here lies the conundrum … the cost of living is just as high but the wages are not. With this in mind below are some tips that will help you save some money and do not involve getting on the next ship back to Oz.
Communal living
By combining forces you will save money. Share houses can work really well as long as there is enough space and likeminded people it doesn’t necessarily have to mean on overcrowded house. This will save money on utilities and the social living situation will provide hours of entertainment for free!
Communal eating
By living together you might as well eat together. While London is awash with plenty fine and cheap eating options it is still always cheaper to eat in. By combining forces it will not only decrease the cost of food but get your creative juices in the kitchen flowing.
Go vegetarian
Buying meat is becoming an increasingly more expensive process. Through cutting down on meat to eating it once or twice a week it could save you a lot of money in the long run. It will also provide an entry point to cooking new recipes that bring extra nutritional benefits.
Tip: Replace meat with a variety of pulses and lentils as they provide similar levels of protein.
Free socialising
Going out in London is expensive. However, it can also be the cheapest place to visit if you take advantage of the many free attractions on offer.
If you have the urge to get out the house and do something then leave the wallet at home and visit one of these FREE locations:
British Museum
National Portrait Gallery
The Victoria and Albert Museum
National Gallery
Tate Modern/Britain
Natural History Museum
Science Museum
Maritime Museum
Imperial War Museums
National Theatre (they host regular free concerts)
The Royal Opera House (for free lunchtime performances that can be pre-booked)
With these tips London can become a cheap playground for the many Australians living here.
As well as saving money on what you spend you can also save money by choosing what you spend it with. Amex credit cards can provide numerous benefits including free flights, 55 day interest free purchases and should you be booking your flight back to Australia, with an Amex card you will receive free travel insurance.
