Being a student in London may be financially daunting at times, but you are not facing it alone. Several techniques and tools will help take the load off of you; that’s where this blog comes in. Whether commuting, dining, shopping, or even having the time of your life in some recreation activities, this blog will introduce you to four ways that help you live more of a Londoner life for less right away.

1. 1. Apply for a railcard for discounts on train tickets, and more importantly, tube tickets

Travelling to another town for a perfect one day trip is an excellent way to spend your weekend. And railcard will help you do just that. By applying online, a full-time student is eligible for the railcard, which offers a discount on a train ticket by 1/3 on off-peak travel. What’s even better is that you can link your railcard with your registered Oyster card, giving you a 1/3 discount on tube tickets during the off-peak period. That is £2.40 reduced to £1.6! (as of January 2022).

2. Help reduce food waste with a huge bargain from Too Good To Go

So there’s this app called Too Good To Go. Here’s how it works. Every day, restaurants and shops have food that is about to expire and is not sold. They put together a wide range of this food as a “magic bag” in Too Good To Go, where you can purchase it without knowing what it is inside, but it is always less than its original retail price. So, for example, you can buy four pastry items for just £5 while the actual retail price of those items is £15. The only catch is that there is no delivery (you need to collect it at the shop), and you cannot choose what it is inside (but you can always choose the shop that suits your craving).

3. Search for deals and discounts for restaurants and shops with the top three student discount apps

Let me introduce you to your next three best friends: UNiDAYS, Student Beans and TOTUM. These three apps act as a central hub for student deals and discounts for various shops: restaurants, lifestyle, fashion, gadgets, sports, etc. Typically, they require you to register and verify with a school email address (@lse.ac.uk) to ensure that you are a student. After that, you will gain access to a wide range of deals and discounts; the only thing left to do is browse the app to look for the one that piques your interest.

4. Grab great seats on a West End show starting from just £15

As London is home to one of the largest theatre industries globally, you should take this opportunity to enjoy the great performances available in London’s West End. However, experiencing a spectacular show doesn’t have to cost you a fortune: introducing TodayTix. It’s an application that allows you to search for the “rush ticket”, basically the seat filler for the performance on that day on a first-come, first-serve basis. The price range is usually between £15 to £25. Still, the location of the seat is guaranteed to exceed its value, typically front row that is generally worth more than £50.

Also, you can try the lottery ticket on some of the top-rated shows where tickets are always sold fast. If luck is on your side, you can get a great seat with a significant discount.

On a final note, being a student has many benefits, so you should be on the lookout for the student discounts available at the shops you are visiting. And above all, don’t forget your student card!