London is one of the most fascinating cities in the world, but it is also one of the most expensive as well. The good news is that there are a number of ways to save money while visiting here. It is still possible to enjoy London without a lot of cash.

Transport

If you are from far away, the first thing that you will need to do is to get to the centre from the airport. If your goal is to save money, then you need to avoid getting taxis. Getting a taxi from Heathrow airport will cost you at least $70 and about twice as much from Gatwick.

It is going to cost a lot less to take a train or the tube. Take the Piccadilly line from Heathrow for less than $8 and you will pay about from Gatwick $13.50 on a Southern line. Other options would be a coach, which is $8.50 from Heathrow. Just remember that these are extremely slow, so do not opt for this route if you are in a rush.

[Image source: telegraph.co.uk ]

Getting your hands on an Oyster card is a very good thing to invest your money in. This card can be used to save you lots of cash on buses, the tube, tram and even the river bus. It will only cost you $28for one card. You end up paying $5 for the card and $23 credit. Visitor Oyster cards will save you time by cutting out having to stand in queues. Simply swipe the card at the specially designed readers and the machine will automatically select the cheapest price.

On top of all the savings you will already get with the Oyster card,  all children between the ages of 11 and 15 can travel for free anytime on buses and . An Oyster Photocard is an extra $16. Children under 11 travel for free if they are with an adult who has a card. The cards never expire, so if you have any credit left over, you can keep it for the next time you are in London.

Sightseeing & Entertainment

Sightseeing in London doesn’t have to be expensive. Vouchers can be bought online and have the ability to save you tons of cash. There are vouchers that will get you half-price entry to the London Dungeons – a place you really do not want to miss out on seeing.

If you book early enough online, it is also possible to get 2-for-1 offers on many of the top attractions such as London Eye. Combination tickets that include a River Cruise down the Thames before going on the Eye are also available, but you need to get in quickly.

Walking tours are another great and cheap way to explore London and all that it has to offer. There are a number of wonderful walking tours available, where you can see all the hidden sights that the city has to offer. Many of these tours include maps and an audio accompaniment to help you get around better. Walks are from $9.50 per walk. Some take you through Whitehall, Trafalgar Square and Westminster, while others take you to the Royal Parks, the Malls, Buckingham Palace.

Also, why not try a treasure hunt as a way to see the city? London has various different treasure hunts available where you can explore the sights using a rented tablet with a GPS app installed that challenges you to test your knowledge of the attractions. You’ll see all the main attractions and have to find clues, answer questions and take photos during your hunt to find your next location. Visit the Wildgoose website for more info on treasure hunts in London.

Most of the time, the walks can be found on the internet, which allow you to browse and download them to your MP3 player when you need to. There are also maps that you can download, which mark an easy-to-follow routes.

Keep an eye out for “tkts” booths. These booths are where you will be able to get your hands on official tickets to West End shows at discounted rates. The one option is to get  an ‘advanced purchase’ for tickets up to a week in advance and the other is to ‘tickets for today’ if you want to watch a show at the last minute.

There a number of free attractions in London such as Buckingham Palace, Parliament and Big Ben. There is also the Natural History Museum, the Science museum and the Tate Modern Art Gallery, which are all free to visit throughout the year.

Eating

Buying a special Tastecard allows 50% off and 2-for-1 meals at over 5,500 restaurants across London. This is a great option if you are the type of person who enjoys eating out more than getting fast foods.  At $110 for the whole year, it is the card that food lovers need to get as soon as they get off the plane.

With creative thinking and a good planning your coming holiday trip will be more exciting and adventurous than any trip that you have even gone before. All you have to do is to sit down and think of ways in which you can make your trip better, surely a cash ISA will help you on having more money.

This article will help you on how to save enough money for your holiday plans.

To start with, open an account to save money. Remember that this account should only be meant for your holiday plans and not for shopping or for any other things that you don’t need. You should also limit yourself and never withdraw money from this account as you will be cutting your holiday budget.  Set a certain amount to deposit on that account at the end of each pay day with out failing, this will help you save money and can take you to anyplace depending on what you want to see and where do you want to go.

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How to Make your Holiday Better

With this tight budgeting,  the only way you are going to reach your goals and get all the money that you need for the coming holiday  is you should give up nasty habits such as smoking and drinking. You should realized that you spend so much money on these useless thing without getting anything on return.  Stop these habits and  instead deposit all the money and add them into your holiday pot.

Budget from your spouse

If you are married then you should not ask for any gift during special occasions,  instead ask your spouse to save that money for the holiday trip you are planning.  Doing this, you will save enough money and you will surely enjoy your trip to the fullest without setting limitations on what to spend.

Furthermore,  you should also analyzed your budget at home and check the money that comes in and what goes out. By doing this you can evaluate  what are things you cannot live without buying and will  help you save more money for the coming holiday trip.

Hearing the term “car loan” sends some people into a bit of a panic. They cannot imagine taking out a loan on a vehicle when they could just purchase a less expensive car right off the lot. However, consider the following reasons as to why a car loan really isn’t as bad as you think.

The Value You’re Getting

Generally, with a car loan, you are going to be able to purchase a better vehicle than if you just bought one in cash. As a result, you do not constantly have to worry about paying for repairs on an old vehicle. Furthermore, if you buy an older car, you are likely going to have to replace it in just a couple of years or so. With a car loan, you are absolutely getting more value for your money.

The Road to Freedom

Being trapped with an old, run-down car is not a fun situation for anyone. You might find yourself unable to get to work on various occasions, and you may be missing out on a lot of social events. With a car loan, you are finally able to obtain the freedom that you desire and need to live as a member of society and the workforce.

Fair Interest Rates

Sometimes, people are afraid of car loans because they think that the interest rates will be astronomical. Well, remember, interest rates are heavily influenced by your credit scores. Of course, these rates are going to exist; however, if you have high credit scores, then the rates are going to be much lower than someone who has poor credit scores, check out this page for more information.

An Opportunity to Grow

Maybe you are one of those individuals who has either fair or somewhat poor credit scores. As long as you are able to qualify for the loan, hope awaits. By paying off this loan on a regular basis and not missing any of your monthly payments, you may begin to see your credit scores soar to new heights. When this particular loan is paid off, you could very well be in a better state of finances than ever before.

Automatic Payments

Another issue individuals have is that they will forget to make the payments. In today’s world of technology, this concern really does not even have to come into play. Find out if your loan provider offers automatic payments, and the amount will be taken out of your account on a certain date of each month.
As you can see, car loans really have the opportunity to make a positive impact on your life. No matter what is holding you back from obtaining one, take the time to find out if a car loan really might be the best fit for you.

Jenny Jones has been writing articles on finance matters for a number of years.  If you would like to see more of her work then head on over to Motoring Money or Frugal Plex.