In the heart of London -- money saving tips

Having been in London, for one week I have learned various money saving tips that can be helpful traveling on a shoe string budget.

Travel with a buddy: If you have a friend or two that you can travel with, you can share expenses. Recently three of us went to Scotland, we split the hotel room and some other expenses making our journey affordable.

Concessions: Look for the word “concessions” at ticket booths… concession is a British word meaning DISCOUNT. I have a student International ID Card that has given me the privilege of saving money on 4 venues this past week just for being a student.

Year long passes: I visited the Transportation Museum and not only was I able to benefit from the student price, my ticket is valid for an entire year!

When eating out  “take it away”. A fee is added at some restaurants if you dine in on each item. My favorite restaurant charges a dine in fee per item! With that being said, if I purchase a sandwich, crisps, and some of those yummy chocolate covered macaroons (that I resisted as long as possible)  I  would be paying an extra $2. 10. It seems like the thing to do is find a park bench, side of a building to stand near or just eat walking down the side walks and eat --“When in Rome do as the Romans”.

Carry a water bottle in your bag. It can get pricey spending almost $2 for a bottle of water every day, not only at meals but when walking around and you want a drink. England has clean and safe drinking water from the tap.

Cannot decide what dessert to have? Or feeling a little on the thrifty side? Share a dessert with a friend. Or even more exciting, buddy up with a friend and each buy some kind of treat share. Or even better yet, visit a market, many give out free samples.

Public transportation: Transportation can cut into a budget. I have learned many tips this past week. Share a taxi – it can be cheaper to share a taxi with six friends than take the tube/train. The cost of transportation via tube is based on how far you travel. The bus is one fee for your entire one way destination. A hop on and off pass will save money and is ideal if you have many different stops to make or if you want to see the city.

Reward Cards: Yes, I have already shared this tip – but wanted to remind readers to check out their local stores to see if they have loyalty reward cards. Not only can they save money, reward cards may offer free perks such as a tea/coffee or newspaper!

The last money saving tip of the week: How much discipline do you have to pack a lunch on the go vs eating lunch out? I have had more peanut butter sandwiches this week than I have had in over a year. But, remember – this is what traveling on a shoe string budget is all about. Making sacrifices saves  money (in this country pounds!) all those drinks I gave up, allowed me to treat myself to those tasty little morsels of fun called chocolate covered macaroons.