Can You Live the London Life on a Budget?

We get tired of being asked how on earth we manage to afford to live in London. We don’t like this question because it is of course drawn from fact. Your friends in nearby towns pay half your rent for a place twice as big. However, one of the key reasons we stay is our constant pursuit of the London Life. This ideal seems the mental patchwork of an array of film and television- from eightees yuppies to Ab Fab to Johnny English and Rimmel cosmetics adverts. No one can quite define it, but we get the idea of cocktails, sushi, fashion and brunch. Lots of brunch.

The fact is, you have probably achieved this hashtagged enigma more often than you realise. Somehow, for all we complain  about having to survive in London, plenty of us in fact thrive. From rooftop bars to fine dining- just how is it possible to make the most of a minimal budget?

 

Drink

We all know the feeling of trying to shrug off that pain of a few pence pieces back from a whole five pound note. The good thing is, no one actually needs to drink. And no one needs to drink to excess. Prioritise when you drink- just like in our guide to wellness and drinking culture. Don’t go to that crap club night just because a few friends are. But if a group is going to a bar you have wanted to try that may enrich your experience of London, then join them. They might even have a 241 happy hour where cocktails work out at less than a fiver.

You are your own person, and drinking culture is a place where wanting to fit in can seem misleading. Don’t have five pints in an expensive place you don’t like just because it seems the done thing.

You don’t always need a £10 cocktail at three in the afternoon. Even if you’re on an exciting rooftop bar on a lazy Sunday, just get a coffee and enjoy the view. People go to Wetherspoons for a cheap drink, not atmosphere. Go somewhere for atmosphere and what you consume is no longer a priority. Tap water anyone? For anyone not aware, the last resort wherever you are is asking for tap water. It is free and gives you the image of self-discipline and clean living after a hedonistic past.

Fine dining

Surrounded by every chain from fast food to more casual dining, food is an easy way to both live the London Life but also sap your budget. You have many opportunities to eat out regularly, but even just £5-10 on food adds up. This idea we explored in our Dining Out guides. London has many high end restaurants like Rule’s, Simpsons, and Sheeky’s. These can seem out of reach to many of us mere mortals. But in reality, holding back the Macdonalds and Nandos for a week could mean a trip to one of these fine houses is actually quite easy. Some also offer set menus which is a good plan wherever you dine out in London.

Of course, Itsu is currently a very London cosmopolitan favourite for healthy food on the go. Fortunately, this can be enjoyed half price half an hour before closing.

 

Shopping

Shopping seems integral to the London Life. Various cultural influences seem to give us the image of strolling through Harvey Nichols with sunglasses, an immaculate outfit and several bags before going for a cocktail on the fifth floor. Sadly, this really is the preserve of the 1%. However, we can still enjoy a unique shopping experience in London despite your rent bill. TK Maxx has a regular stock of Gold Label stock from high end designers. Off the mainstream, various markets like Portobello and Spitalfields mean vintage and secondhand shopping is easy for rare and one-off pieces.

At the end of the day, even our Oxford Street Topshop, Zara and similar have more stock available than any other branch. This also means their sales hold all the more treasures with more need to get rid of them! Of course, we quickly learn the value of sample sales!

 

Travel

Those of us who have truly had to scrimp in London remember scrutinising if that underground trip was really necessary. Most of central London is only a 45 minute walk! Perhaps that is a push that makes two pounds quite worthwhile. Many of us still will not enter a black cab. Why? Most of us don’t mind making the most of an advanced integrated transport system. However, the black cab seems more the ‘London Life’ thing to do. Of course, these definitely have their place but should remain for when you have big luggage or need to get somewhere in style in a hurry. The option for Uber remains but people vary in their view.

As for the international aspect of London Life, travel is certainly a luxury. Crossing London by public transport in the early hours to get a train to Luton or Gatwick is certainly not desirable either. However, young people under a strained budget wishing to live the London Life with a weekend in Paris can easily do so with Eurostar Snap. Snap allows people under 25  to book £25 tickets each way by booking in advance and simply specifying travel in morning or afternoon of a particular day. The time and seat are confirmed 48 hours before travel.

As for wider travel, we are fortunate to simply lock our door and get to the airport for a budget early morning flight while the rest of the country has lifts and carparking to consider.

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