Living Cheap On The Tube

Save your pennies and go enjoy London in a way you didn't think possible. Fashion, Features, Entertainment and Food, all suited to your limited budgets. Authors Emily Waddell Luke Shekerali Richard Lawless

[cheaplondon-blog]

"Music has lost its mystique"

Ben Gilbert, music journalist and frequent 'Yahoo!' blogger today claimed that we are now in an "era of convergence", where new forms of reporting, receiving and consuming music have been replaced by the new.

This revelation barely comes as a shock, as new forms of media, have steadily been replacing the old for years. What is shocking, however, is the speed at which older forms of discovering music have been overtaken. "Over the course of fifteen years, we've moved from tapes and cassettes to having your whole music collection on your iPhone". Gilbert proceeded to claim that collecting CD's, rather than downloads is "almost like having a book collection, something to be proud of". Gilbert claimed that music piracy is an area which has affected the mystique of music, with many people choosing to illegally download, rather than purchase CD's. 

Lady Gaga, a 'YouTube' phenomenon. Not shrouded in mystery like artists of a different rera, however. Image courtesy of  youtube.com

Gilbert also raided the issue of the exposure that artists get in this era. He claimed that "over-exposure has lead to the loss of the mystique surrounding music", a claim supported by the amount of YouTube exposure many artists now have. An element of music which was apparently the key to Gilbert's initial interest.

In this prevalent era of music piracy, the future of music looks uncertain. How much is music really worth when a band like Radiohead can give their album away for free?  

Richard Lawless & Luke Shekerali

[cheaplondon-blog]

Interview with Ben Gilbert, Yahoo! Music

Photo courtesy of thequeensplayground.wordpress.com

Ben Gilbert is a music journalist for Yahoo! in an interesting time for music journalism and music in general. Here at Cheap London we asked him all about how music is surviving in an increasingly cheap world, with dirty scroungers like us stealing music from ‘the man’.

Cheap London: “Hey Ben, it’s seems like less people are going to gigs because its expensive nowadays, what do you think?”

Ben Gilbert: “Gigs are expensive. Fortunately for me, I rarely have to pay for gig tickets. I haven’t been going to that many in the last few years but I think the recession is being reflected in the concert prices although that hasn’t stopped the fans. I wanted to buy Sufjan Stevens tickets but they were sold out for half an hour, my girlfriend wanted to see Paul Simon in Nottingham and it was going to cost 65 quid, and that’s in Nottingham! Guitar music hasn’t suffered; the fans are still there.”

CL: “It seems more underground music is cheaper to see live, do you think downloading and piracy is pushing up gig prices?” 

BG: “Playing live for a lot of bands is their main source of revenue. Although I have no sympathy, record companies have been charging so much for cd’s for so long and now no one buys cd’s so they up the prices for the tickets. They’ve moved so slowly and handled the whole piracy in such a ham fisted way. I’m still a believer in bands being happy that their music is just, out there.” 

CL: “How do you feel about music being downloaded, like us dirty students?”

BG: “Band’s do make their money that way. I don’t download stuff illegally, I get a friend to do it for me! I get most of my music for free anyway but my generation is mostly a CD way of life. I’ve built up a huge CD collection over the years; I think it’s interesting new and old media coming together. You can now walk around with your entire music collection on your iPhone. It’s nice to won a physical collection of music. I appreciate vinyl and everything that comes with that, amazing designs on the album and all the lyrics. “

CL: “So any advice for us budding journalists with no time and no money?”

BG: “I didn’t start writing about music until after university but you definitely need an online presence.  People are wrapped up the music industry nowadays; although the internet is a great platform for music media it has affected the mystic of music. Dupstep has blown up because of its underground nature; there is a scene out there and as a budding journalist, you need to be immersed in that.”

  By Emily Waddell

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How I learned to stop worrying and love dumpster diving

  Image courtesy of gothamist.com

Here at Cheap London we’re covering all the bases of the cheapest way to live in the capital city. Cheap gigs, pubs, food, fashion and entertainment. But what happens when you’re really skint, searching your entire house for penny’s broke, eat out of a dumpster?

.... 

Well, yeah.

Dumpster diving is something that has been going on for a long time. Big supermarket stores like Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s etc… have a huge amount of food and sometimes its deemed unsellable by them. Huge amount of food is wasted everyday and it doesn’t go anywhere but a landfill somewhere. This isn’t just a way to get free food and goods, its also environmentally helpful and politically sound, you help our consumer led society get a little less consumer by hitting back at ‘the man’. I learnt how to Dumpster Dive and the rules by a friend who was a ‘freegan’, someone who tries to live completely without money, sounds awesome but incredible hard.

So where’s an amateur guide to Dumpster diving.

1.     Know your stores. You will have to do a little recon before you dumpster dive. Big stores are usually always locked up at night, the ideal time to root around bins, but look anyway some of them are unlocked during the day but this is only for advanced divers. You’re best bet is the smaller chain stores, Tesco’s express etc…

2.     Dress for it. Although these dumpsters are always incredible clean I would recommend wearing all black also to give you a bit of cover at night.

3.     Take only what you need. These dumpsters are usually a treasure trove of goods but don’t spy a huge bag of unsold bakery items and take the whole lot. It will look suspicious holding a see-through plastic bag full of doughnuts on the tube. Also other divers may be in the area.

4.     Be nice! These dumpsters are emptied the next day and no garbage man wants to clean up a dumpster full of ripped open binbags because you couldn’t be bothered to untie them.  Also if you leave a mess, they will catch onto what you’re doing.

5.     Know the law. Dumpster diving in England is ‘illegal’ but it’s very rarely enforced.  Employees have caught me and police, it’s best to be very polite and explain what you’re doing, I’ve never had anyone get angry or even threatened to be arrested.

  Those are the rules, stick by them and you should be fine. Happy diving!

  Emily Waddell

[cheaplondon-blog]

Five Things to do with little money... When you've got that Friday feeling!

It's Friday and we're all feeling pretty excited for the weekend. If you're like us though, you've found yourself pretty skint. Not to worry though, here's a top five to make your weekend vibrant, yet cheap!

Get involved in some April Fool's madness! As always, April Fools is going to be huge in the city tonight. There's a host of activities, but the best of which is definitely tonight's 'Mencap' charity gig featuring none other than Mr Harry Hill. It looks like an amazing night of comedy for a good cause, but it will set you back £40. Not perfect if you're on a budget! Definitely a memorable event though.

Pick yourself some bargains! Play.com is awarding those who are quick today with several one-off offers for April fool's day. There's some very nice bargains available, but you'll have to be quick - the deals end at midnight!

Go to a knees-up! If you're feeling more adventurous this weekend, you're best waiting for Saturday's events, particularly the knees-up at Bermondsey Street. The arts and music event described as a 'mischevious follie' seems to be a definite highlight for this weekend. With several curious installations and bands.

Go Free! If you're like us and have absolutely no money left, bar travel fare, you're best hitting one of the many free events available this weekend! There's more than usual going on, due to the April Fool's weekend. The best of which are 'The Ministry of Found Dance and Music Exchange' and the 'Absolutely Free Comedy Night' in Piccadilly Circus. Both are pretty alternative, and seem to be exciting ways to spend your Saturday night!

Go Pubbing! Pub crawls are a no-brainer this weekend, but if you want something more fulfilling with your drink this weekend, hit the 'Old Blue Last' in Shoreditch. The Vicemag-owned pub has a nice little chilled music session going on this Sunday. A good way to spend your afternoon, after a mad April Fool's!

Have a good one!

Richard Lawless

[cheaplondon-blog]

Is There A Big Live Music Shaped Hole In Your Life?

You're always strapped for cash and can't afford to go to any gigs? Not to worry, there are venues in London which put on affordable events.

The Wheelbarrow, Camden

If you're a fan of hearing the up and coming acts first, this is your place. A short walk from Camden station, this venue often puts on free, last minute shows so it's best you keep your eye out and you might just catch someone you've been wanting to see. Just recently Frank Turner played a free last minute gig here, and when he's at a point where he can sell out a 5000 capacity venue months in advance, that is something special!

The Hippodrome, Kingston

Usually hosting an impressive line up of acts at a strangely cheap price means The Hippodrome should be a regular haunt for you students. Coming up in May, David Rodigan and King Blues (a strange mix of acts, you might say) play here for a measly 8 quid! At as little as £1.70 a pint, that leaves you with plenty for a pint or ten.

Camden Underworld, Camden

If you're a fan of heavier music and find yourself stuck for where to go, you can always rely on the Underworld to be putting on a good show. Pretty much every decent Hardcore, Metal and Punk act around has played here, and usually at totally affordable prices. They usually sit around the £8-10 mark, and with The World's End pub just upstairs, you can get a few in before/ after the gig!

Luke Shekerali

[cheaplondon-blog]

Cargo - No Lightweight

Last week, I set the free clubbing agenda (or at least attempted to) through encouraging you all to get yourselves down to Cargo for their 'house' night - 'Rhythmatic'. I know it's Wednesday, but I've only just recovered from the madness.

As was expected, and greatly appreciated- we managed to get in free before 10, but the dancefloor didn't open until at least half-past. Not a problem though, as the club had a nice bar where we sat until the music began. The drink prices weren't really nice. Luckily we had been drinking before hand ('Morgan's Spiced' from Sainsbury's - listed in shopping last week).

The music was solid but somewhat slow at points. Considering it was free though, it was far more than we bargained for. The atmosphere was great too, with people still coming into the club after 10, despite having to pay for entry!

On the first tube home, it became apparent that we'd all hit Cargo again, making it a worthwhile free trip. We wouldn't all pay for entry though!

If all this talk of clubbing has got you a tad excited, we've got news for you - it's only Wednesday. Behave yourself. If you're of the disposition to misbehave on weekday's though. There's a host of clubs having a free night tonight, including House music at Bar Vinyl, Trafik and our pick 'Some Night' at East Village. Have a free Wednesday.

Richard Lawless

[cheaplondon-blog]

Cheap eats

Just a quick shout cheap Londoners. 

Time out London has made your life a little easier by compiling the best deals on all London restaurants this week. Anniversary coming up? Birthday? But no money to go anywhere other then Nandos? Never fear, a small budget doesn't mean you cant dine in a swanky restaurant. 

Deals on restaurants : Indian, Gastropub, French etc...

Emily Waddell

[cheaplondon-blog]

Lend A 'Helppy' Hand This Summer

Worried about how you're going to survive this Summer without that trusty student loan of yours? Not to worry, Helppy is here to lend a hand.

This nifty little website is free to register with, allowing you to create a profile where you list the things you reckon yourself a dab-hand at; anything from walking the dog to holding guitar lessons. The list is huge, and potentially anyone, employer or not, can scout you for the things you have said you can do, and contact you and discuss your hourly rates.

Fair shout for a bit of cash in your pocket this Summer! After all, you don't want to find yourself stuck indoors on those sunny days now do you.

Go register now while it's still free, and put those hours spent figuring out how to put your Ikea flatpack furniture together to good use.

Luke Shekerali

[cheaplondon-blog]

'Where did I get this shirt? 50p, ebay mate'

  Its natures cruel trick that when you are 18-25 you want to look the best you can yes? Whether you’re single and taken, your image is the thing you’re probably spending far too much time obsessing about when you should be working and ‘being an adult’. Unfortunately unless you’re a lucky bastard, this is going to be the time in your life where you will be at your poorest. Especially in London where you pass stores with beautiful expensive clothes in the windows pretty much everyday. Taunting you about your jeans which you’ve had since you were 15. 

So here are Cheap London’s top tips to the thriftiest wayto pick up clothes, ebay. Don’t be scared we’re here to hold your hand.

 1. Search brands. As much you want to put in ‘vintage dress’ or ‘plaid shirt’ into the search bar because it seems like the most obvious thing to do, don’t. You are more then likely to spend hours trawling through dresses that aren’t vintage and plaid kilts before you find what you want. 

 2.Don’t order from overseas. Unless you find an insane seller in Hong Kong or America that charges you a small postage and packaging fee, its always going to have a sneaky £10 on top of your payment to ship it to you.

3.Set a maximum of money. On the left side panel where the different categories show up, you can also choose to show only items that are less then five pounds. Less time wasted going through items you cant afford, less chance you’ll give up and spend £20.

4. Don’t be scared of auctions. Although ebay is an auction website, a lot of people go for the ‘Buy it now’ option because you’re guaranteeing you have won that product. Auctions can be profitable if you snag a deal.

Here’s what we found.

  Image from ebay.

Vans t-shirt, £4.99. Cheeky.

Image from ebay.

Only £2.99 for this H&M gothic masterpiece. Bargain! 

Now Cheap London is going to go on a ebay spree, we hope this has inspired you to do the same.

By Emily Waddell.

[cheaplondon-blog]

You Just Realised There Are Actually Free Things To Do In London..

Here in our series of posts, we take the time to speak to those busy bees that buzz around London all day and night, to find out just what there is to do for free in London. I know what you're thinking; the words free and London don't go in the same sentence? Well prepare to be proved wrong.

Paul Carragher, a 22 year old from Camberwell says that his favourite free thing to do in London is to visit St. Paul's Cathedral, simply because not many people know how to get in without paying. This crafty fox claims there are a number of ways to get into St. Paul's for free:

Visit St. Dunstan's chapel, just past the queue where people are paying to get in.. keep left and you come to the chapel, frequented by visitors and used by many for prayers, this area is totally free and always accessible. 

You can attend a service for free in the cathedral, and these are held at various times through the week, and are a sure-fire way to see the cathedral for free. 

Whilst visiting the cafe/toilets, it is possible to view the crypt for free, as there is simply a gate between the cafe and the crypt. 

So there you have it, go visit somewhere you'd usually have to pay for, for free, thanks to the help of the friendly public!

Luke Shekerali

[cheaplondon-blog]

Cheap Nights out; Worth the Travel Fare?

As we mentioned  in a previous post, in London, there's always something to do on a Friday or Saturday night out. The question is though, are these nights worth their while? We did a little digging and came up with some answers for you.

Normally, the biggest issue with these nights, and it can't be avoided really, (unless you're especially drunk) is that the DJ's are never anything spectacular. This doesn't mean we think they're useless, but they're not as smooth on the wheels of steel as some of the 'Fabric' regulars, for example. 

Image courtesy of londonvenueguide.com.

The second major issue with the free nights is the atmosphere of these free nights. Damned if we know why it is, but in our experience on free nights, the atmosphere is never as great as when people have paid to get into a club. Obviously we understand that when you've paid money for something, you want to make it last longer, but surely when it's free, you feel the need to dance your blues away, regardless of the music. 

Of course, the big counter argument in favour of free clubbing nights is simple; you've paid nothing to get in, so neither of the above factors are too important. This is especially the case if you've headed out to the club with no great expectations. In that case you'll only be surprised. 

Cargo this Friday is a prime example of everything I've discussed here. The club is in Shoreditch, and is easy walking distance from Liverpool Street station. Admittedly, it's regular house night isn't the best thing in the world, from our experience, but the DJ's at 'Rhythmatic' have a habit of getting the crowd going. An atmosphere which is maintained by the fact that it's free before 10pm, meaning you'll get those who want to get their money's worth, and those who want to make the most out of a free event. A joyous mix indeed!

This is Cargo though, and it's got an infamously small dance floor, with an entirely mixed and unpredictable Shoreditch crowd. Last time that we went, back in November, the dance floor reached peak capacity at around 11:30pm. That's a fair bit too early, for you non-frequent clubbers! Plus, drink prices were through the roof. I still get recurring nightmares about the £4 single Jack Daniel's and Coke I bought. These prices, on the upside though, seemingly manage to keep out trouble-makers. The interior alone is probably worth paying that much for a drink to see - it's pretty alternative.

Are these cheap night actually worth their travel fare though? We'll tell you next week, as were off to Cargo tonight to get a definitive answer. Maybe see you there!

Image courtesy of cargo-london.com.

Richard Lawless

[cheaplondon-blog]

Alcoholic and broke

Image courtesy of The Queen of Hoxton. 

Everyone likes a drink right? Who doesn’t, it’s the end of the day and you’ve handed in a 3000 word essay you wrote 20 minutes before it was due in and it had a word in the question you didn’t even understand. I think that calls for some much needed liquid refreshment right? That’s hard to do in London when the only money you've got left is in your piggy bank you’re mum got you when you were 12.  So here’s our guide to best nights, happy hours and pubs in general to keep you liquored up with change to spare for a kebab on the way home.

Morpeth Arms (Map) www.youngs.co.uk

The Morpeth Arms is a bit south of the river but has a wide selection of ales, cider and beer all for a very decent £3 a pint. It also used to be where prisoners were held in the 19th centuries, and it’s rumored that the ones that died still haunt the pub…

Good for: After a day of sight seeing, as it’s located conveniently near the Tate.

Lock 17 (Map) www.lock17-camden.co.uk/

Lock 17 in Camden actually houses three bars with each bar serving its own distinct purpose. Also home to the music venue Dingwalls and Jongleurs comedy club it’s surprising that this little slice of heaven in punk paradise does very reasonable drinks all day and night.

Good for: If you can’t decide between music/comedy/drunkenness. Don’t choose. Pick all three.

Queen of Hoxton (Map) www.thequeenofhoxton.co.uk

Hoxton seems to have a build up of very trendy pubs with surprisingly low prices, the Queen of Hoxton is close to the Red Lion and Hoxton Pony both with drinks deals, live bands and art showings regularly.

Good for: The start of a messy pub-crawl

 That’s a taste of the best of the best, check out Time Out’s feature on cheap nights out and view London for a comprehensive index of bars and pubs for thrifty nights out.

 By Emily Waddell

[cheaplondon-blog]

Going out Big... On a Budget

When you're short of money, it's often difficult to prioritise. The biggest case of this has to be the going out or staying in debate. Admittedly, staying in is always slightly cheaper, but it's still possible to have a big weekend with not much money - there's always free or cheap events.

This week-end is no exception. The cream of the cheap night out crop for end of the week though, is Cargo on Friday night. The monthly house night 'Rhythmatic' is what's on the agenda, and it's due to last from 10pm til 5am. The real highlight of it is it's totally free if you get inside the club before 10! 6 hour clubbing for nothing!

If you fancy some alternative clubbing though, head to Rhythm Factory. On Friday, the East london hot-spot is playing host to the popular 'Jungle Syndicate' party. That's wall-to-wall Jungle if you hadn't guessed. It's free too, 10pm-6am.

If clubbing isn't you're thing, but you still want to sample the nightlife this weekend, there's a free reggae and ska night at 'Hootananny'. The best live music club of 2010. Perfect for a relaxed Friday night. Plus it's easy to get to from Brixton tube.

Richard Lawless

[cheaplondon-blog]

Bargains For The Fashion Conscious

Charity shops are something which not many people consider as acceptable, for fear of seeming "cheap." Vintage clothing more often than not is overpriced, but we don't think it should be. We've gone out and tracked down some of the best charity and thrift shops in London and broken them down into the top five shops we found, to save you the hassle of wading through heaps of overpriced rubbish.

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Three Pound Shop (Map)

This great little find is just by Notting Hill Gate station, although you will have to sift through a lot of stuff you don't want, you're guranateed to uncover some treasures. We found some Nike Dunks for £15 a long with a sweet Max Mara cashmere sweater for a mere £3!

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The East End Thrift Store (Map)

Although the stripped warehouse isn't much to look at, this hidden away place a short walk away from Whitechapel tube station is a real pound saver. Find most of the stock around the £7 - £10 mark, with some items such as a silk scarf that we found for as little as £1. If you're willing to stretch to £15 you can pick up evening dresses which could be ten times that on the high street.

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Octavia Foundation, South Kensington (Map)

Find generous donations from the wealthy locals here in West London. For those of you who crave those designer names for bargain prices, find things such as a Louis Vuitton handbag for £40! This is perhaps one for the fashion students more, with many of you other schools of study not wanting to spend your beer money on designer brands, but nevertheless, mooch down for a designer bargain!

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Oxfam, Dalston (Map)

This ex 1950's cinema has ample floor space as you would expect, full of modestly priced clothing, books, records and homeware. You can expect the average garment to be around £3, which is great for you penny-pinching students, we all know it's hard taking pride in your appearance when you're a student, but for those times when you can, you can rely on this branch of Oxfam.

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Thea Vintage (Map)

Located in the Camden Stables Market, this on trend, seasonally relevant shop hosts an array of good value vintage garmets which avoid false economy - selling items that aren't new 'vintage inspired.' We found a Dolce and Gabbana best for £15, along with many raincoats for similar prices, worth nabbing for the upcoming April showers!

Luke Shekerali

[cheaplondon-blog]

Eat For Less. Don't eat Less!

When it comes to affordable living, there aren't many essentials. Unfortunately though, eating is. Doing it cheaply isn't too easy though, especially with the amount of brands, and varieties of food to choose from.

On the bright side though, there's always our friends at the cheap supermarkets, specifically ASDA, Aldi and Iceland where you can get your favourite brands for low(ish) prices. The personal favourite is Icleand (bar the alcohol!) due to the bargain basics. 

For those of us without one of these bargain beauties though, we took a trip around a premium one - Sainsbury's and picked up some bargains for less than ten pounds. That's a week's shopping for a tenner!

Pepsi; not essential, but for just £1, it's hard to say no.

2.72kg's of chips for £1.31. Versatile and hard to get wrong.

For breakfast, cereals are normally expensive, but this box of 'Crunchy Nut' is on offer for £2.

Pasta and sauce are easy to cook, and cheap at 53p for both. We got several of each.

  Soup is an easy one again, and at 17p, it wouldn't hurt to pick up a few for a warm, quick meal. If you get lazy though, there's always ready meals for 75p, too.

  A weekly shop wouldn't be the same without some treats though! There's a 6 pack of McCoy's for £1, and the bottle of Morgan's Spiced rum is just £6. Both much cheaper than usual.

  Richard Lawless