Bargain Bin Bonanza
Cinema tickets
Located off Leicester Square, the Prince Charles cinema has the cheapest seats in town. To see what's on tonight or to check out its programme, log on www.princecharlescinema.com
Free concerts
If you fancy a free performance, visit The South Bank's (www.sbc.org.uk) and The Barbican Centre's (www.barbican.org.uk) websites. These major art centres offer free lunchtime and evening performances, covering different types of music, from jazz to world, through dance. You'll also find a poetry library at the South Bank and an art gallery and general library with movie and music sections at the Barbican.
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CHEAP OR FREE ENTERTAINMENT
Cinema tickets
Located off Leicester Square, the Prince Charles cinema has the cheapest seats in town. To see what's on tonight or to check out its programme, log on www.princecharlescinema.com .
Free concerts
If you fancy a free performance, visit The South Bank's (www.sbc.org.uk) and The Barbican Centre's (www.barbican.org.uk) websites. These major art centres offer free lunchtime and evening performances, covering different types of music, from jazz to world, through dance. You'll also find a poetry library at the South Bank and an art gallery (not free) and general library at the Barbican.
BUDGET SHOPPING
Charity shops
Charity shopping has become trendy, so if you want to find a
treasure you have to visit often and have a good rout. Log on
www.charityshops.org.uk , a
clever site that links you with most charities.
Street markets
On Saturday, go to Portobello (Notting Hill tube) or Camden
Lock (Camden Town tube). On Sunday, Brick Lane (Aldgate
East tube) is London?s equivalent of a Parisian flea market.
Visit Columbia Road market for plants galore, gardening stuff,
small shops selling homeware and nick nacks. Opt for Spitafields (Liverpool St tube) for young designers? gear, homeware, some antiques, organic and ethnic food. Stroll down Petticoat Lane (Liverpool St tube) for clothes, shoes, bargain leather and fabrics. Best time is in the morning, so get up early!
COMPETITION CORNER
Metro, the free daily paper you can pick up at tube and train stations, is always offering luxurious holidays, gadgets or other juicy giveaways. Log on www.metro.co.uk to find out what's up for grabs today.
Cheapskate has found another compo site, with lots of enticing prizes and freebies listed in easy-to-browse categories, from money to music. If you don't enter, you can't win, so visit www.tapanda.com.
The Daily Draw is your chance to win a cool �1million every day. Check out www.thedailydraw.com .
FREE & CHEAP SIGHTSEEING, PLUS TRAVEL
Camden rocks
For information on what?s on in this funky borough, log
on www.camden.gov.uk/whatson .
I wanna get away...
Visit www.lastminute.com and www.priceline.co.uk for
cheap holidays abroad. If you want to travel in the UK, check
out www.gobycoach.com. The cheapest train tickets are called
APEX and need to be bought at least a week in advance, log
on www.thetrainline.com and book asap.
Free travel
It must be hitch-hiking! But then you have to find somewhere to stay. If you don?t want to spend a penny in accommodation either, go to www.globalfreeloaders.com. If you need advice and helpful pointers, visit www.bakpaka.com and www.packontheback.com.
Free museums
Cheapskate recommends The Imperial War Museum. Visit the Holocaust exhibition and the 1940s house, then cruise around the military paraphernalia (Elephant and Castle tube, tel: 020 7416 5321). If like both art and armoury, pay a visit to The Wallace Collection in Manchester Square, W1 (0207 935 0687). The tearoom-cum-restaurant in the glass-roofed garden is a must-see. Other worthy attractions are the Natural History Museum and the Museum of London. The former, located in South Kensington, is a haven for naturalists. The latter is in the City and offers ancient artefacts and everything connected to the history of our capital city. Log on www.nhm.ac.uk and www.museum-london.org.uk .
LONDON SERVICES
Looking for a flat to rent?
Try www.freeflats.com for free flat placements and free search.
Adult education
Learn a new skill or indulge in a hobby. Log on these sites for a bright, bolder you: www.floodlight.co.uk for a list of courses in Greater London; www.city-and-guilds.co.uk if you want to get a qualification, or www.citylit.ac.uk for cheap but excellent courses in central London. However, if you're a couch potato and love your sofa, visit www.bbc.co.uk/education/adults.
Get an interesting job
If you want to make some serious money, there's nothing as effective as hard graft. So get off your sofa and surf these sites. It doesn't have to be boring, though. If you want a job in the travel sector, try www.wanderlust.co.uk, a magazine with a good variety of positions on offer on its colourful site. If you want to work in the media, log on www.guardian.co.uk or www.mediamasters.co.uk.
MISCELLANEA
Best of British, plus London is calling
If you need info about anything in the UK, log on www.britishinformation.com and www.ukplus.com .
If you're in London, you can visit www.coventgardenlife.co.uk, www.whatsoneastlondon.com and whatsonwestlondon.com.
It's only words
To find out slang and colloquial expressions, including cockneyspeak, go to www.peevish.co.uk/slang.
If you need a dictionary, log on www.dictionary.com.
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