Cheese and Vegemite sandwiches

The one thing I've learnt, well really am still learning about London is how to save my money. It's so expensive to live here! I was thoroughly warned about how broke I would be while I was living in London by many different people before I left, so I did come over here with the expectation that I would never have any money. I thought I'd keep some of you amused by telling you about the way that I'm currently living in London and the things I am sacrificing in order to try and see some of the world. So one of the biggest things I found to be wasting money on was food, mainly buying my lunch. I might have spent anywhere from £3 to £5 buying my lunch, which I didn't think was that bad, then when I actually took a moment to think about it that's £60 - £100 a month! That's flight somewhere! So I quickly resorted to making my lunch everyday.

Vegemite you can buy here from most major supermarkets, granted it's only the small jar, but give me a small jar of Vegemite over none any day. Normally I would use Vegemite just for my toast in the mornings and maybe the odd roll, but the past couple months I've been making Vegemite sandwiches. I soon got bored of this and upgraded my lunch to cheese and Vegemite sandwiches which is something I do enjoy. Please note that it wasn't every single day I was eating these, there is the odd day every now and again where I might splurge and buy something for a few pounds, but I was definitely eating a lot of sandwiches, so many sandwiches in fact, that it has actually got to the stage now, that while writing this, even the thought of cheese and Vegemite sandwiches is making me feel ill. This morning while making my lunch I thought to myself that I would be fine to have the old trusty again for lunch today, but the fact of the matter is the weekend made no difference, I went to work, ate my sammies and actually felt yuck! Cheese and Vegemite sandwiches have taken a turn for the worst and now the old trusty snack I can't bear the thought of.

The things I am doing to try and scrape by, shesh! All in all there is definitely a positive to this and that is the travel. I am really starting to feel that I'm finally getting ahead and really getting to see more places, although these next two months are a bit crazy, as I did go a tad over bored on the travel and book a little too many trips away. Might have to resort to some extra budget saving systems, but tonight when heading home I did have to go via Sansbury's and pick up some ham, ham sandwiches tomorrow people! I'm moving up in the world! I know, not so budget, but it was ham or noodles at 10p a bag, and I don't think I could do the noodles thing right now especially since all I eat for dinner is mainly pasta, why? because it is cheap! .... next week budget noodles will be on the cards though *sigh*

I think to anyone who isn't traveling my savings way might seem a bit nuts, especially since I could quite happily go out and on a last minute decision just book a trip away. I often get the rather puzzled look which is a look that could only come from two thoughts "You must have a lot of money if you can travel so much" or "How the heck are you travelling so much, I thought you were meant to be poor?" To the people that think this your answer is the title of this page... Cheese and Vegemite sandwiches (and also not a lot of new clothes). Most of the time I feel like the only other people who understand this is my fellow travelling friends, who all know far to well that if you're going to travel so far around the world you may as well actually see it! I'd rather be poor and travelling places than have money and doing nothing, not that I would do nothing I'd spend it on clothes and waste it on nights out.

So as much as I can't stand the thought of a cheese and Vegemite sandwich again, there is a positive to come from this now very much love hate relationship and that is I'm starting to see the world! So dear cheese and Vegemite sammies, you do actually do a lot for me and I owe you big time for helping me save to see the world, but right now I don't ever want to see you again!

And that's my tip number 1 for saving in London.