So you saved your pennies and finally made it abroad. You want to go out and do fun stuff, see the sights and take in the culture. Only one problem, you aren’t a Vanderbilt or Rockefeller and you’re on a budget for your time abroad. Never fear, here are ten easy tips on how to get the full experience without emptying your wallet.

1. Save souvenir shopping for the end of your trip. The last thing you need is to have all these rinky-dink knick knacks cluttering up your flat. And by waiting until the end of your stay to souvenir shop, you’ll only buy what’s absolutely necessary; and chances are you’ll have picked up some more meaningful souvenirs in some less than traditional places on your journey. For instance, I witnessed a pillow fight in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Instead of coming back with a German flag or a Soviet hat, I picked up a pillow in the street and brought it back with me.
2. Create a food co-op with your flatmates. Have a sit down dinner once or twice a week with your flatties where everyone chips in either money if you only have one chef or make it a potluck where everyone cooks a dish. You’ll save money and have an awesome bonding experience! Some of my fondest memories are of 2 pound fried chicken Mondays or Fajita Fiesta Fridays. We’d just get together and cook and eat and talk, it was the closest thing to a family dinner most of us had experienced since leaving home.
3. Eat in. I can’t say it enough, eating out will rip through your budget like nothing else. For what you pay for dinner and a drink at the pub by your flat, you could have bought at least, a whole day’s worth of groceries. Cooking is a cheaper, healthier and better tasting alternative to eating out. I mean, who knows better than you what you like and how you like it prepared?
4. Oxfam. Primark. Poundland. These three stores will give you the best deals for your money when it comes to clothes. Oxfam is a charity shop, what we call thrift stores in the states, and if you’re staying near UCL or LSE, you’re in a pretty posh area and many patrons donate designer clothes. Yes, that’s last season’s Valentino Pret-a-Porter pencil skirt, but pencil skirts are still in fashion and nowhere else will you be able to get Valentino for 25 pounds. Primark is the U.K.’s version of Forever 21 without the Evangelist slant. I’m always there getting 2 pound tights and 4 pound flats. The quality is a bit more decent than what you’d expect for cheap clothing, but avoid the one on Oxford Street during rush hour, it becomes an utter mad house and you can’t find anything! Poundland is exactly what it sounds like, our equivalent to the Dollar Store. Everything in the store is 1 pound or less and they have anything and everything under the sun. Shop to your heart’s desire, but don’t forget, all those pounds add up fast!
5. Sandwich shops and delis. If you find yourself out and about around lunchtime and you’ve forgot to pack a sandwich, check out the local delis. They’ll often have really good deals on sandwich and crisp combos, usually for under 5 pounds, and it’ll be hand made to your liking. It may not sound as enticing as fish and chips at the pub, but trust me, it’s just as filling and you won’t be having to either throw out or carrying around a take away bag for the rest of your day.
6. Uni Bars and Clubs. Try to find bars and clubs around UCL or LSE or any other uni in London. These bars and clubs will either be geared towards uni students[thus being less expensive] or they’ll have a “uni night” where they’ll have cheap drinks or great specials. I highly recommend The Rocket on Euston Road on Tuesday nights or The Court on Tottenham Court Road on Thursday nights. They have a one pound yellow card that saves you up to 3 pounds on mixed drinks and 2 pounds on pints. Totally worth it! Not to mention hanging around the local uni kids will let you go out and meet new people. You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll learn.
7. Carry your ISIC card/student ID all the time. Sometimes stores will advertise a student discount, but most of the time you need to flash your ID for up to 25% off. Movie theatres will usually give a discount on slow nights, like Wednesday or Thursday and you can use your ISIC card to get a rail card, which can save you 60p per tube ride during off-peak hours and up to 50% on train tickets around the UK. Don’t be afraid to ask for student discounts and always be on the lookout for the discounts offered here signs.
8. Markets. Markets are almost always a better deal than going to the grocery store, plus they offer a fresher and wider selection. Jubilee and Borough Markets are great for foodstuffs and Camden Market is great for trendy and unique clothing and accessory items.
9. Tesco vs. Sainsbury’s vs. Waitrose. Shop around. Not sure where you’ll get the best deal? Take the extra five minutes to walk to the nearest competitor’s store and comparison shop. There’s no shame in walking back into a store because they have a better deal.
10. Time Out Magazine. This is a must have resource for uni students in London. Time Out always has a great selection of things to do and check out for the month. I mean everything from the Oxford vs. Cambridge Boat Race to a Karl Marx themed pub crawl. They also publish a book of things to do in London for under 10 pounds. Definitely a great investment for your flat!