A trip to the theatre didn’t use to involve wearing a brain monitor, but when you are spending a year without spending money it’s the kind of thing you find yourself doing.
When I gave up spending my biggest worry was that I would be stuck indoors, unable to see my friends or enjoy much in the way of entertainment. Four months in, however and I’ve managed to find some surprising ways to fill my evenings.
I recently headed to the Barbican to watch The Encounter, a play about the photographer Loren McIntyre, who got lost in the Brazilian rainforest. Tickets for the event cost between £32 and £42, considerably higher than my budget of zero, but I managed to bag a ticket for free by volunteering to take part in an experiment.
With around 25 others I watched the play wearing a headband which monitored my every thought. The data will be crunched to determine whether a group of people can have a collective reaction to an event.
It was a great play with or without the headband, although it would have been even better if I had had a friend to go with. Socialising is an area that I used to spend a lot of money on, and I wondered how I’d manage without being able to pay for tickets, drinks or meals. I’m ashamed to say that previously I didn’t make enough of the free events that were at my disposal living in London. Instead I would often end up in a restaurant, easily spending £30 on a weeknight, when I could have been doing more for less.
Now pubs and restaurants aren’t really an option, unless I want to sit with a glass of tap water all night. I have to put more effort into finding events to attend that aren’t just free, but things that my friends actually want to go to.
Most of the major museums and galleries in London are free, and many have late night openings on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays, so I’m able to meet friends there for an evening. I’ve also discovered the First Thursdays event held in East London, where galleries open after hours and some even offer free workshops and talks. As long as I take my flask of tea or coffee, I’m set for the evening.
The London School of Economics lectures have also become a favourite, and you can pop in on almost any evening and find someone interesting to listen to. The only problem is that lectures are not particularly sociable events, so I’ve typically ended up in the pub - with my water - after.
I did get a drink by summoning my bar skills from my early 20s. I worked at the Beavertown Brewery’s fourth birthday party a few weeks ago. My reward for a shift behind the bar? Ten free drink tokens for use at the brewery and beers to take home as part of a goody bag.
I heard about the Beavertown event through a friend, but chatting to the other volunteers I found that there were a number of similar events held throughout the year, such as the London Craft Beer Festival, where you receive a reward for your time. I’ll definitely sign up again, because despite the long day it was a great event and I met some lovely people.
Thankfully, giving up spending hasn’t made me a social pariah and I’ve still received plenty of dinner invitations from friends, which I can return if I’m careful with my weekly food budget.
My friends, and husband, have all been very accommodating and I’m very grateful, but I’m also worried the experiment could start to grate on them. I’m not sure that people want to go a museum after a long day at work, knowing they’re not even promised a pint at the end of it. It’s a big ask of the people I care about to fit around my no-spend lifestyle and I don’t think I’d fully appreciated how much it would affect others when I started it.
I’m hoping the arrival of spring and more daylight will open up many more options. I’ve been making my way through the list of 101 free things to do in London on Visit London and am also looking forward to making some weekend trips to other cities to see what they have to offer.
The Time Out guides have been brilliant for tracking events in the capital and they’re equally comprehensive for other UK cities, although I’m doubtful I’ll make it to Edinburgh on my bike.
If you’re outside London and looking for free events, make sure you check family-focused websites like Day Out With The Kids. Even if you don’t have children they have great resources for local parks, places of interest and museums, and the site includes price lists.
After four months of not spending, I feel like I’m still only scratching the surface when it comes to making the most of what London has to offer. It would be great to hear your tips and hidden gems for where to visit - especially on a nice, sunny day.
