A top tip for socialising on a budget in London

I haven’t been living in London for very long but, in the time that I have, there’s been one thing reaffirmed for me. It is EXPENSIVE: seriously expensive.

The well-publicised rent and housing prices is a great place to start but everyday living can also break the bank if it isn’t done properly.
Travel using an Oyster card caps at a staggering £11.80 per day for a standard adult. This is marginally cheaper than a monthly travel card for which you can hand over £227 but, if you were to only travel Monday through Friday, this would only save you 45 pence per day.  Students can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster which can save one £65 per month on a monthly travel card but most working adults don’t have the option to apply for such a luxury.

(Here is a more recent post with my other top tip for socialising without breaking the bank in London – How to watch shows for free in London )

Like most people I know, I’m doing my best to live on a budget but still be a social butterfly which is why I do my best to sniff out any bargains or special deals to make a day or evening out with friends that little bit cheaper.
I’m a regular reader of the usual London activity inspirers (especially the budget sections!): Visit London and Time Out London, the latter of which has a very good weekly section which details free things to do every week in London! I also often look on voucher websites: Voucher Cloud, Wowcher and Groupon (all of which cater to cities all over: not just London) and often find a good deal on there for a day out, a good meal or a comedy show in the city.

My big tip, though, is something that nobody else that I’ve spoken to has ever really known about before I’ve told them… Mystery Shopping!

Mystery shopping through Market Force is my absolute favourite and go-to tactic for enjoying a cheap and cheerful day or night out in the capital city. I’ve also used it a lot in the North and I’m sure it would be an excellent resource for anyone in the UK or beyond (they definitely have websites for at least: The UK, Europe and USA).
The concept is a simple one; big companies want to make sure their franchises and businesses are doing well and portraying them in a positive light. They ask normal people to go to one of their premises and purchase a product or talk to an employee. The ‘shopper’ then takes a photo of the location and any receipts to prove they’re telling the truth about being there and fill out a survey about their experience. After all of this, the company reimburses the ‘shopper’ a pre-determined amount for the product they purchased and pays them a fee for their trouble. In my experience, it’s normal to get back, for example, around £20 for meal for two between the reimbursement and payment.
Throughout my time using this website, I’ve completed assignments for restaurant and pub chains, sandwich shops and even a computer game. I’ve also seen assignments advertised for everything from furniture shops to bookmakers, TV and internet providers to bathroom fitters!

The website is pretty straight-forward to use once you’ve filled out the rather lengthy sign-up forms. The homepage will show you: the number of available assignments in your specified area; your amount to be paid (which is done twice per month, after you’ve completed assignments); and your ‘Score’, which apparently can allow you to apply for a wider selection of assignments, the higher it is.

When one clicks on ‘Available’ under ‘Assignments’ in the top right corner, a list of the current assignments in your area is brought up along with a map to show you how far these places are from your defined address.

In order to apply for and accept an assignment, it’s necessary to read the job description first and look at the assignment notes. You’re then asked to answer a short list of questions about the assignment to ensure you read the information correctly and then select the time you will visit. As mentioned previously, when you’re there, you’ll have to keep all of your receipts, take any pictures that you’re asked to and generally keep a beady eye out for which staff members served you. I generally try to notice something really positive about at least one staff member to relay back in my survey as I really believe people in the service sector are incredibly over-looked and under-appreciated. I’m sure it goes without saying but all of this must be done in secret: without the staff knowing your true purpose as a Mystery Shopper!

So, that’s that, for a cheap meal or day out, especially in the ever-surprisingly expensive world that we’re living in *cough* London *cough*, try Mystery Shopping! You’ll get a good deal, be able to speak highly of some hard-working chap or gal in the service industry and feel a little bit like a spy in the process!

Happy Shopping!