What to do after you blow you budget on holidays…
I wouldn’t call myself a thrill seeker, but I do like to live in the moment and have a lot of fun while doing it. Recently, after a fantastic few weeks of summer festivals and the Spanish sun, we have come to the realisation that maintaining this kind of lifestyle on a holiday visa wage is somewhat difficult… so what do you do when you find yourself down to your last few quid and pay day isn’t for another week?
1. Change your priorities:
Your priorities change and your remaining funds are divided as follows:
- Rent and bills
- Oyster/Travel card
As long as you have paid your rent and have a loaded Oyster card you should be able to get by in London for at least a few days.
2. Shape up for next season
Under £10 will get you a bag full of fresh and delicious fruit and veggies that will feed you until pay day. Brixton Farmers Markets or Broadway Market in east London are a little more affordable than the famous Borough Markets at London Bridge. If you are lucky to have a little more spare cash, a £3.90 bottle of wine from Tesco’s and bread, cheese and ham from budget friendly Iceland will ensure you have a well-rounded, healthy diet for the next week.
Try some of these easy and budget friendly meals from Jacqui & Dan’s Cookbook.
This budget diet also gives you the chance to go on that health kick that you have been talking about in the months leading up to summer.
Save some cash and get fit by taking advantage of the extended sunny days by walking to destinations rather than catching the tube or public transport.
The London tube map gives you a skewed view of London. Did you know that walking between stops is sometimes faster than changing? By walking between stops you can see more of London and get more exercise without having to do the hard yards.
3. Keep Busy
Fortunately, in London there are many budget friendly and free things that you can do to enjoy the sunshine and summer.
- Meet up with your friends at the local common or park for a picnic. Make sure you take your cheap Tesco’s wine, left over’s from last night’s dinner and the free Frisbee that you got at the TNT Magazine Travel Show last March.
- Go for a walk and discover your area. Considering the sun doesn’t set until after 8pm (or as late as 10pm in July), you have more hours in the day to fill. Enjoy the sunshine, explore more of London by walking around and get fit while you do it.
- Be cultural and check out London’s free museums, especially the ones that have “Lates” – a free and adult only chance to explore museums at night. Usually there will be a bar, free entertainment and sometimes a silent disco or game of bingo.
- Check out more ideas here on keeping busy for FREE in London
4. Start Planning
To save yourself from holiday blues and forget about your money troubles, start planning your next holiday. Most hotels allow you to book now and pay later, while many flights and destination deals will be better last minute anyway. So start planning!
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