Money Saving tips for London

I know its expensive here and London is even more expensive so here are some ideas on making the most:

1. Buy your train ticket for off-peak times and save more with a rail card.
2. Use the Oyster Card for traveling on the tube and buses. It will NEVER cost you more than a travel card but can cost you less!!!!
3. Walk- sometimes you miss the be sights being under ground. Here is a favourite walk of mine. You see the most important sights.
4. Don't take black cabs, but if you have to for the experience, take a short trip.
5. Have a picnic, you don't have to carry the food with all day just pop in a grocery store and head to a park. I love to do this on a sunny day.
6. Use your your Tescos Club Card  and Nectar points to get into places or eat out.
7. Bring a water bottle.
8. You can go to a show half price if you go to the ticket booth in Leicester Square. 
9. Or buy tickets here or buy standing tickets at the Shakespeare's Globe.
10. Get into London sells tickets for Jan to Feb at a good price.
11. Go to a free concert at Royal Opera House, National Gallery and National Theatre.
12. Attend a talk at the British Academy.
13. Go to the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London.
14. Go see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
15. Free talks and courses on mediation here.

Hope this is enough!

Kimx

American to Britain

Saving money on days out

I love to get out and about but it can get expensive. Here are ways that I save money on my outings:

1. Become a member. If you are going to going to sights become a member. I recommend doing English Heritage one year and National Trust another. They have different types of sights so they are worth it. Also you get free parking at their locations. Another one that is worthwhile it the Historic Royal Palace Membership. You get into Tower of London ,Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace.
2. Take advantage of Heritage Open Days. These are every September and sometimes you get to see things that are not open all of the time. They are also free!
3. In Cambridge, there is a Bridge The Gap walk. This is a great way to view the colleges as you get into over 10 for a round £15!
4. Also if you live within 12 miles of the St Mary's Church, you can get into Kings College for £10 for 3 years! You just have to get a resident's card.
5. Go to local events. I love to go when there is a local festival. You don't have to buy anything but I just like to have a wander.
6. Bring a picnic. I usually pack something to eat while I am out and about. Also bring a water bottle, there is always somewhere to fill up. You can even bring food in to the cinema as long as it is not hot.
7. Remember when I said collect your Tescos Club Card  and Nectar points and not use them on food? You get a better value if you use them for days out. I always try to see where we can go on a voucher. 
8. Many museums are free and really good ideas for rainy days!
9. Go for walks, there are so many footpaths, look one up and get out there!

Hope this gets you started on planning your next day out!

Kimx

American to Britain

Twilight at the Museums

Twilight at the Museums is an annual event usually held during half-term. The museums are lit up and children are asked to bring their 'torches' (flashlights). It is a free event and a great way to go see some of the museums if you find it hard to get there during their normal opening hours. Also you get to see the museums in a different light.

A great way to break up the short days in the spring!

Santon Downham

Santon Downham is a great 6 mile walk in the area near the RAF Lakenheath and Mildenhall that makes for a nice afternoon out with the family and the dog.

When I did this walk, I was on a guided walk but the link included in this blog takes you to a place where you can print out a map if you go it on your own. Also there are directions so I think you will be set.

You can park at the Forest Office Car park (free) and there should be information about the walk there for you as well. So really this could be a free day out if you pack a picnic.

Great views, nice church, go for it!

Thankful for Varagesales

Not sure if you knew this but I started a Facebook group for people to be to sell, buy, exchange, or give away their stuff in the RAF Mildenhall/Lakenheath area. It was the first of the kind and my real motivation behind it was to prevent people from throwing stuff away. Well it grew into the biggest one and because we had so many members, we had rules to help it run smoothly. That created a lot of grief for me and the other admins.

Anyways, I came across this thing called Varagesales. I took a look at it and other admins of FB groups said how much easier it made their lives. So I made the decision to move my FB group over and it continues to grow!

Varagesales is a platform that makes managing your groups so much easier. It is integrated with your FB but makes uploading pics in categories so much easier, deletes sold items after 7 days and as an admin, makes my life so much easier. It has saved me so much time and effort.

So if you are in the area, come join our group in Varagesales and happy selling!

Institute of Astronomy

The Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge hold public evenings that are free during term time. You can see the telescope that is over 150 years old and if the sky is clear, you can have a look. I brought my brownies here so that we could do our stargazers badge so you can also arrange to bring a group here.

Twilight at the Museums

Twilight at the Museums is an annual event usually held during half-term. The museums are lit up and children are asked to bring their 'torches' (flashlights). It is a free event and a great way to go see some of the museums if you find it hard to get there during their normal opening hours. Also you get to see the museums in a different light.

A great way to break up the short days in the spring!