Spill the beans... What are your tips on becoming a Londoner?

Badger_Lady

superlative wrote: »

Another company that does the same Property Guardian thing as Camelot is Ad Hoc. I can't post links but it's www dot adhoc dot eu They are a Dutch company that came to London a few years ago.

That'll be this one then: http://www.adhoc.eu/AdHocGuardians/SignUp.aspx :beer:

mvk0016

gastronomix wrote: »

Just be aware that the prices in Metro/Local stores are often higher and you are possibly more tempted to buy treats each time.
It's about being organised and planning. Agreed transport may be an issue, so down to the individual.

That's what I meant for sure. If you're going to buy stuff for a whole family, you will usually need to do a big shop, if you're on your own it's a different case and a bike/on foot would definitely be cheaper. But NEVER EVER buy little things here and there from corner shops, I've found that they are 1/3 to 2/3 more pricey than ASDA let's say.

And of course you can find some cheap things in bulk in local markets, but if you live alone then buying 10 peppers for £1 might be cheaper than a supermarket, but not much point if you're planning to eat just 1 pepper a week. I hate how much food waste there is in London, and this is caused mostly by these kind of offers, so buy wisely, freeze what you don't use, and don't throw food away, that's bad budgeting!

[Deleted User]

but now live in Manchester. Way cheaper!

But you can live like a king in the big smoke if you know where to go. I used to buy pints for £1.20 and that was only five years ago if you go to Wetherspoons type bars. Sam Smiths are all excellent and very nice boozers to spend time in too. They don't spend anything on advertising so keep prices low, c. £2 even city centre like Holborn. (The Princess Louise is a must visit).

You can also get pizzas for about a quid in many suburban takeaways.

Richard

PS Brassic and flint = skint.

happy_chick_3

I'm a Londoner and I’ve looked through the whole thread – all good tips, especially with regard to transport. Here are some I can add:

• Eyebrow threading is hugely expensive if you don’t know where to look. Try Sajna’s in Tooting/Clapham where it’s only £2. It’s an Indian salon with a high number of girls coming through their doors so prices beat the £15 you will pay anywhere else plus the therapists are better than in the more expensive places.
• Green Lane is an Indian area with shops and markets that tends to have lots of bargains.
• Likewise Tooting has a number of Indian cash and carry places for spices and rice etc.
• The travelcard cap doesn’t always apply to bus journeys – check if buses are being taken into account alongside tubes and trains.
• Tube refunds – experience a delay of over 15 minutes and your journey is free. Just fill out the simple online form.
• Ridley Road market in Dalston Junction is good for fruit and veg bargains plus other stuff too. There’s a Turkish supermarket at the end of the market that sells excellent produce at excellent prices.
• Look for BYO restaurants – Paddyfield in Balham does excellent Vietnamese food.
• Check out the night bus route before you go out – much easier to have a plan and save yourself the £40 plus a cab would cost.
• Get to know poundland – there’s even one opening up in Putney now too!
• Try your local shopping area: Hammersmith has probably the best Primark in London – the same selection as Marble Arch without the crowds. Wandsworth southside shopping centre has most major shops, again without the crowds. Its also got a sizeable waitrose and sainsburys for end of day reductions.
• Join a running club - £40 for a whole year as opposed to £70 a month for a gym. Good ones include: Serpentine, Wimbledon Windmilers, Clapham Chasers and Mornington Chasers.
• Check gumtree for free events and free stuff. Often beauty salons advertise for models.
• Likewise there are a number of hairdressing academies that offer free/extremely discounted services. Look for Vidal Sassoon, Rush and Headmasters.
• Have a bottle of wine by the river before going out. If you want the atmosphere of a bar go to the grassy area at the Hayward gallery on the southbank and BYO. There’s a park at Embankment that you can sit in that also has free music performances.
• The southbank runs a program of free events – parkour, dance, music and other entertainment.
• Make the most of Groupon, LivingSocial and KGB deals.

And that’s all I can think of for now!

Littlejoan

cockney rhyming slang for being broke is not spelt brassic but Boracic which is short for Boracic Lint which equals skint. I'm old enough to remember when my mother always had, in her first aid box, Boracic Lint. When said quickly boracic can sound like brassic but how could that rhyme with skint?

tenuissent

Ha ha! I introduced my Singapore/Indian niece to Green Lane and she immediately spotted the threading shop. I had never heard of threading, and watched enthralled as she submitted to eyewateringly painful process. Then she ordered wonderful Indian food and helped me to buy Salwar Kamees for me and my daughter for her sister's wedding in Singapore. And she bought 2 trays of mangoes in the market. The point being that if you are brave enough to go to "ethnic" areas of London, you can buy all sorts of food, clothes and services for peanuts.

Robisere

I would hate to have to live in this dirty, overcrowded, polluted, overpriced city.
It isn't just London, although my own extensive experience of several areas of our capital convinces me that it is the worst place to live in Britain. I am and always have been, a country chap. I grew up in a village, surrounded by country, in one county, and I live in an even more beautiful village in another county. I hate cities and indeed any large urban conurbation.
I know this makes me fortunate, but I have met so many "townies" who move here from large towns and cities, to become 'Country folk'. Inevitably, most find that the farm animals are smelly, too noisy, and the supermarket is too far away. I travel 18 miles to a large supermarket when I need a big shop. But that is a 36-mile round trip with very little traffic, no traffic lights, no stops, and mostly courteous drivers who don't want to drive me off the road. (Accompanied by road-rage obscenities.)
I pity all city-dwellers, but most of my sympathy is reserved for Londoners.

bigblackdog

Robisere wrote: »

I pity all city-dwellers, but most of my sympathy is reserved for Londoners.

what use is your post ? none whatsoever
why not start a poll on usefull tips for bumpkins?

Sharon87

ziggycj wrote: »

Hi,

I'm under 25 but I'm a student at the mo so get a third off anyway. But when I graduate does this mean I could pay the £20-odd pounds for the rail card, I could still get the discount until I'm 25? Also can this be for annual tickets, or just pay as you go?

Is there an link for this info, I didnt know you could put railcard on oyster (should of gone for the Natwest account afterall)

Thanks

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/18343.aspx

It's only off peak travel it discounts. You can get off peak day travelcards apparantly! That's new to me, but I guess that's the same price as the off peak price cap.

It doesn't apply to weekly/monthly/annual travelcards though as these can be used at peak times.

The railcard costs £26 annually, and living in London it saves me loads! (when I don't have a travelcard, which I rarely have)

Sharon87

Robisere wrote: »

I would hate to have to live in this dirty, overcrowded, polluted, overpriced city.
It isn't just London, although my own extensive experience of several areas of our capital convinces me that it is the worst place to live in Britain. I am and always have been, a country chap. I grew up in a village, surrounded by country, in one county, and I live in an even more beautiful village in another county. I hate cities and indeed any large urban conurbation.
I know this makes me fortunate, but I have met so many "townies" who move here from large towns and cities, to become 'Country folk'. Inevitably, most find that the farm animals are smelly, too noisy, and the supermarket is too far away. I travel 18 miles to a large supermarket when I need a big shop. But that is a 36-mile round trip with very little traffic, no traffic lights, no stops, and mostly courteous drivers who don't want to drive me off the road. (Accompanied by road-rage obscenities.)
I pity all city-dwellers, but most of my sympathy is reserved for Londoners.

I'm a Londoner and can't see the point in living 18 miles from the nearest supermarket! I use to live in a mid sized town (54,000 people) and got so bored there, London is just full of excitement. Yes ok there's a bit of pollution, I'd personally rather that than the smell of manure in the countryside!

Each to their own I guess!