London on a Budget: 7 Crucial Tips to Save Your Cash

Living in London is incredible but let’s be honest: it’s expensive. However, the good news is that London has tons of smart, local hacks that help you stretch your budget without giving up your quality of life.

Here are my go-to money-saving tips that I use regularly, starting with one of my favorite foodie secrets.

1. Find the Cheapest Pint Near You

The aptly-named webpage cheapestpint.uk has a vast library of pint prices for pubs all over the city. Pubs are ranked from green (cheap) to red (expensive), and you can sort by the specific type of beer you like to sip on. There’s even a tab to show Happy Hours happening near you, right now. It’s genius, honestly.

2. Get Cheap Surplus Food with Too Good To Go

The Too Good To Go app is one of the best local not-so-secrets. It connects you with restaurants, cafés, and bakeries that sell unsold food at the end of the day for a fraction of the price.

How it works: You buy a “Surprise Bag” in the app, usually for £3–£5, and pick it up during a specific time window.

Expect surprises: You won’t choose exactly what you get, but the value is typically 2–3x what you pay and can contain an array of fruits, veggies, pastries, and more.

Variety: You’ll find your chains, of course (think Gregg’s, Pret, etc.), but there are also tons of local gems that you might not notice on your day-to-day. It’s a great way to find new favourite spots in your neighbourhood!

You’ll be saving the world by reducing food waste while saving your hard-earned cash — and you’ll get some delicious food out of it too.

3. Use a Railcard, Even If You Live Here

Most people think Railcards are for tourists or students, but locals can save too.

Get a 26–30, 16–25, Senior, or Two Together Railcard for £30/year.

Link it to your Oyster or contactless card at any Tube station and get ⅓ off all off-peak fares and rail journeys outside London.

Find out more here.

4. Check Out Paace

Paace is an app where you can earn free or discounted food and drink from local businesses by just walking. Literally, Paace tracks your paces each day and awards you points based on your ranking in public and private leagues.

• Good for you: Paace gets you moving and rewards you for staying active.
• Good for the community: Paace features local restaurants and cafes and encourages you to explore your neighbourhood.

Get on it early — many places sell out of their offers each day. Today, more than 95,000 Londoners have joined, earning rewards from 200+ local London vendors.

5. Visit Markets at Closing Time

Borough, Broadway, and Spitalfields Markets often reduce prices on fresh goods near closing. You can pick up:

• Discounted cheeses
• Pastries and baked goods
• Fresh produce that’s about to be cleared

It’s not always guaranteed, but worth timing your visit for last-hour deals. Many local farmer’s markets do something similar too!

6. Use Community Refill Stations for Cleaning Supplies

Shops like The Source Bulk Foods, Bygram, and Planet Organic allow you to bring your own containers and refill things like laundry detergent, shampoo, and hand soap — and it’s usually cheaper per ml than buying new bottles.

Plus, it’s a great way to reduce plastic waste.

7. Check OLIO and Freecycle for Free Stuff

Before you buy anything new, check OLIO (for food and household items) or Freecycle (for furniture and more).

You can often get:

• Bread, fruit, unopened groceries (on OLIO)
• Furniture, kitchenware, clothes (on Freecycle)
• Items from people moving out or decluttering

London is transient. Take advantage of that!

Final Thoughts

Living in London doesn’t have to break the bank. With a little local knowledge (and a few apps), you can eat well, enjoy the city, and still save money for your next adventure.

Know another London money-saving tip we should try? Drop it in the comments or send me a message.