Exploring London on a Tiny Budget

London Budget Tips

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life” said Samuel Johnson. That’s all well and good, but back in Samuel’s day London wasn’t as expensive as it is today.

A recent study found that London now is the most expensive city in the world to live, with an average monthly rent for a 2-bedroomed property at £2,400 compared to £677 in the rest of Britain!

So with these words in mind, in this article I will highlight a few of my favourite things to see and do in London that require very little, other than opening your eyes and maybe if you’re peckish, a couple of quid for food.

Ridley Road Market | Dalston, East London

The best place to buy the cheapest fruit and veg in London, and soak up the city’s diversity.

From African stalls selling salted fish, curried goat, and delicious patties to stalls selling fresh eggs, meats, and clothes. The fact that you can arrive home with 6 huge avocado’s, a punnet of blueberry’s, raspberry’s, a bunch of bananas and a heap of kale bigger than your head for £4.00 is impressive.

Free Talks

One of the best things about living in London is there’s always something different to see and do. This includes being a hub for people wanting to share their knowledge and ideas with others. Over the past few years I’ve attended free talks by a wide range of people included writers, philosophers and scientists. They’re free because they usually take place at universities, however, you don’t need to belong to the university, you don’t even need to be a student to attend.

Keep up-dated with the latest free talks by visiting Eventbrite’s website.

Sundays at Brick Lane and Columbia Road Flower Market | East London

If you’re looking for a Sunday stroll head to Columbia Road which turns into an oasis of flowers and  plants.

Columbia Road is considered one of London’s most charming streets, filled independent shops Victorian shops selling a plethora of hand-made goods, pottery and perfume (the list is endless). However, they’re not cheap, but there’s no harm in window shopping!

Just down the road you’ll find Brick Lane brimming with market stalls and the largest selection of vintage clothing shops anywhere in London.

Soho | Central

Once upon a time, Soho was notorious as being the epicentre for London’s sex and crime industries. Soho folklore states that the pubs of Soho were packed every night with drunken writers, poets and artists, many of whom never stayed sober long enough to become successful, and would wander drunkenly afterwards to ‘The White House’, a brothel described as being a ‘notorious place of ill-fame’.

Nowadays, Soho has been completely gentrified, but you can still feel its past as you walk down its back alleys past book shops, record stores, tiny restaurants and independent clothes shops.

The Parks

Tips for budget travel in London

London has so many free parks, each offering something slightly different. Whether you’re staying in north, south, east or west London you’ll have a choice of parks to choose between.

For more information and where to go to lap up London’s green spaces, check out: London’s Best Parks.

The Barbican Complex

Designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in the Brutalist style, the Barbican complex consists of a performing arts centre in the City of London (the largest of its kind in Europe).

I can’t help but marvel at this Brutalist beauty every time I visit. Stepping inside the performing arts centre is like entering into the heart of an alien space craft; cascades of concrete weave in and out of themselves, broken up by sharp geometric shapes and boasts the most impressive concert hall I’ve ever seen. This is cubism in sculptural form.

Make sure whilst you’re there to visit the Barbican Conservatory, the second biggest conservatory in London and the home to exotic fish and over 2,000 different species of plants! Some people call this building too ugly and Brutalist but I think it’s a hidden tropical oasis.

Are you under 25? Then you’re in luck. Sign up for a Young Membership and get tickets to gigs and exhibitions for as little as a £5.

Less Touristy Museums

Though London is expensive in many ways for visitors, time and time again I hear how surprised visitors are when they realise how many museums operate without an entrance fee.

You could spend over a week in London without needing to pay for a single attraction if you’re a museum junkie. Since all the big establishments including the V&A, Tate Modern and Natural History Museum eclipse most of the smaller niche museums you may not have heard of. I recommend both the morbidly wonderful Hunterian Museum and Grant Museum of Zoology, as well as the unashamedly lavish Wallace Collection.

Wallace Collection, London

At the Wallace Collection with my oldest and and dearest friend, Verity.

Wallace Collection, London

The collection might be worth hundreds of millions, but it’s absolutely free to see it.

50% off at Itsu & other stores before closing time

When I first discovered this I felt like I had hit the jack-pot because the quality is pretty good and on-the-go sushi chains are comparatively pricey for the amount you get.  But with this insider’s tip it’s definitely worth finding out where the nearest store is to you. I used to go there on an evening and buy an extra box to save it for lunch the following day. Doing this works well if you’re staying in self-catering accommodation or an Airbnb apartment. Most Itsu stores close at around 9pm so head there from 8pm onwards and earlier on a Sunday.

I also recommend the Japan Centre in Soho. Some food 50% off (sometimes higher, up to 90%!) near closing. Min 1 hour for the good deals. They reduce their sushi and other bits more and more the closer it gets to closing time.

Explore the natural beauty of Greenwich

I bang on about Greenwich because that’s where I live in London and I think it’s absolutely stunning by any standards. If you’re looking for somewhere to escape inner London’s oppressive crowds then here’s your answer; green, relaxing and extremely historical.

Further reading: Top things to do in Greenwich.

Vanbrugh Park, London

Granted this isn’t the place where you go for a night out, but with its leafy suburbs and charming architecture, Greenwich is where you go if you’re looking for a mini-holiday away from London.

So if you’re a visitor, you’ll be having a holiday within a holiday – now that’s what I call good value!

Also free in Greenwich is the former Queen’s House which now houses a wonderful art collection and contains the first example of a tulip staircase in the Britain. 

Tulip Staircase, Greenwich

If your stomach is rumbling, head to Greenwich Market for global cuisine typically under £6. The only thing you’ll find difficult is choosing what to get because it all looks and smell so appetising. I make a bee-line for the Ethiopian stall almost every time, they do these deep-fried samosas filled with lentils which are utterly moreish, and there’s also a vegan stall that ticks a lot of boxes too. I like grabbing one of their veggie pots to eat in the park.

Greewich Vegan food

Greenwich Food Market

Getting food from the market and taking it to Greenwich Park where I can admire the view of London with a side of people-watching is my happy place.

London sunset, Greenwich Park

I hope these suggestions come in handy for some of you. London should not alienate those restricted by their finances, as Mr Samuel Johnson said, “It is not in the showy evolutions of buildings, but in the multiplicity of human habitations which are crowded together, that the wonderful immensity of London consists”. 

Greenwich viewpoint, London

Exploring London on a small budget

Do you have anymore budget-friendly ways to explore London?

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Hi, I'm Shing

Welcome to The Culture Map, a place where I share my travel guides, adventurous tales, and capture the inspiring diversity of our world.

8 Responses

  1. Ahh, I love Ridley Road market! I used to stay with a friend who lived down the road and I’d shop there every day. I’d come back with a bag full of avocados, blueberries, strawberries and amazing fish and spend less than £5! Dalston also has some great eastern restaurants too which are really well priced. I also stop and stare in awe at the Barbican every time I visit…Brutalism at its absolute finest.

    Great post Shing!

    1. Some of the Eastern restaurants are amazing in Dalston, it’s the best place to get my beloved tabbouleh salad and falafel! Mmmmmm

      Glad you’re a Brutalism lover too, what great taste you’ve got if I do say so myself 😉

  2. ‘Love this post Shing!
    I used to live in Ealing but my office was in Greenwich just above a pub, so we all used to phone in our orders of a “quick pint” at lunch time and if things were really doing well, we’d go to Greenwich Market and get some good old traditonal English eel, pie & mash!

  3. As a born and bred Londoner, it’s quite terrible I haven’t even been to all these places. Lol I do, however, love Barbican. I used to go there all the time during my uni days to watch my friends perform on open mic nights. Greenwich, is always beautiful to – I can’t wait to go back to London and feel at home again!

    1. If I was born and bred in London I would probably be the same Lily! The Barbican is wonderful, both visually and what it has to offer, the concert halls are amazing there!

  4. Found your post looking for budget-friendly options in London! Love this suggestion and totally agree on Greenwich. It’s so underrated! Can’t wait to go back in September after 3 years of leaving the UK :’)

    1. Have a super time in London when you visit! I’ve just re-read this post and I think it can be improved with a few more tips – so that’s exactly what I’m going to do!

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