A few sneaky tricks and smart choices mean you can have a fun
packed calendar, without breaking the bank! Read on to find out how…
The Your Choice guide to nights out on a shoestring:
First things first, this isn't about being tight, this is all about
getting the most for your money, thinking outside of the box and taking
advantage of the huge number of discounts and special offers being
promoted by businesses trying to get us to spend our money with them.
Cut price cinema deals.
Ticket prices generally vary for the latest movies, but going to the
cinema can still be an affordable way of enjoying yourself. Just don’t
pay full price!
- Two for one - If you're an Orange mobile customer, you can make
use of the ‘Orange Wednesdays’ deal and get two-for-one cinema tickets
every Wednesday. If you're not an Orange customer you don't have to
miss out. Just get yourself an Orange Sim card, top it up with £5 and
turn it on on a Wednesday to get your free ticket. Click
here for more information. (External website)
- Cheapday Tuesday Empire Cinemas (external
website) only charges £3.95 for screenings on Tuesdays and Cineworld
(external website) has Bargain Tuesdays when tickets are £4.50.
Films for free
If even two for one is too pricey, how does free grab you? There are a
host of hidden companies that allow you (and a friend) to see films for
zilch.
- Companies such as See Film First, The Film Factory, Momentum
Screenings and Tell Ten promote new films by offering tickets to
advance screenings of films before they’re released. To get tickets,
you need to sign up with the companies online and you’ll be sent a code
for free tickets when they become available, which you then enter into
the website to access the tickets.
- Another tip is that Nectar card holders can swipe their cards at many cinemas and
get a free seat for just 1,000 points.
Just a word of warning - cinema snacks are expensive so eat before you go in!
- Experience live TV.. for free! If you've got a favourite TV show
you can be there for the making of it and get a priceless yet cheap
night all rolled into one. Whether you're into entertainment, music,
comedy, chat, sitcom, reality or award shows, there’s something there
for you! To get your hands on tickets keep an eye on sites such as BBC
Tickets, ApplauseStore.com, LostinTV.com and TVRecordings.com. Tickets
are first come, first served and you'll need to be on the ball for the
most popular shows. Some websites will email you with offers of tickets
and the more recordings you go to, the better the tickets you are
offered will become.
- Grab theatre or concert tickets at a fraction of the price.
Whether you’re a theatre fan or want to see your favourite band, you
can forget all about paying top whack for tickets, as there are a host
of ways to save money. Firstly, ditch the middlemen (i.e. the ticket
agencies) and if possible, buy your tickets from the venue directly.
This will save you the booking fee for a start. Try to pay with cash or
a debit card as there is often an additional fee for using a credit
card. If you're under 26 check out the Arts Council's ‘A
Night Less Ordinary deal’ (external website) for free theatre tickets.
Take a bite out of your restaurant bills
Click here (external
website) for a regularly updated list of restaurant vouchers, deals,
and offers. All have been thoroughly checked to ensure legitimacy. Most
vouchers have restrictions, so check they're valid on the day you want
to go, and present them before you order. For other ways to cut the cost
of dinner, consider eating out early. Many restaurants have special
offers before 6pm or so. If your finances are limited, you could also
go veggie. Meat dishes are usually more expensive, so give your wallet
a break and opt for the vegetarian dishes.
And be savvy when it comes to what you drink when you're eating
out too. On average, restaurants ramp up wine prices by two and a half
times. So to save money, stick to soft drinks. Likewise, watch the cost
of water. Don't fall into the "and water for everyone?" trap. Ask for
tap water. It's free and well, water's water after all!
Other ideas
Film festivals, fireworks shows, open-air concerts, opening nights at
new restaurants, new exhibitions at galleries and much more are
available for little or no cost to people who stay on top of events.
Local papers and radio are a great source of information for when these
events occur and don't be afraid to read those leaflets people hand out
on the street and push through the door.
Ways to prevent a financial hangover.
Here are some further little cash-saving gems:
- Leave your credit card at home and pay with cash. You're less
likely to overspend (at least not unknowingly) if you're paying in
cash. Credit cards also charge you interest on what you spend and also
any balance you don’t pay off at the end of the month.
- Don’t be ashamed to ask for everyone to pay for themselves.
There’s nothing more infuriating than being saddled with someone else’s
alcohol bill when you’ve been on the soft drinks. If you agree to pay
separately then everyone is responsible for keeping tabs on their own
spending and won’t have to pay more than they can afford.
- Finally, think ahead a little. Arranging how you'll get
home
before you set off for the night could save you a hefty cab fare and is
a safer alternative. Arrange to share lifts or make sure you know the
time that your bus or train stops running.
For some great ideas for nights in, visit our Social
life on a shoestring: cheap nights in page |
