I have been working like a dog for the last couple of weeks trying to squeeze in every bit of overtime I can get my hands on because I’m determined to build up a savings fund and eventually get on the property ladder. We want nothing more than our own place with a garden to decorate as we please and to start living. This matchbox living can get quite tiring at times and to be honest, I miss having a lawn and to mess about in the flowerbed.

I can officially say that I am nekkid. Nekkid you ask? A term everyone in London use freely to explain how damn tired and exhausted they are.

Other than that, we’re planning, wait, let me rephrase. I am looking at holiday spots close to the beach in the United Kingdom to spend a weekend at before we miss the sunshine again for the year and it is such a pitty that the prices are so damn expensive, it’s much cheaper to fly to spain for a week than to spend a weekend in the United Kingdom. Guess with the credit crunch and all, we’ll all be spending our holidays in a tent next to the beach or something.

This latest post might be a bit depressing but we are currently facing the beginning of a recession or so the media says. It is only fair that we get it out in the open and stop painting this picture that living in the United Kingdom is everything we want it to be and more.

We have been mingling with a few people who have lived here all their lives and they all are in debt whether it is a small amount or they owe thousands. Most people living here will be able to tell you exactly how easy it is to get credit in the United Kingdom. Yeah, it might be difficult at first, but once you started, they’re bound to throw thousands at you and before you know it, you’ll be in that never end debt cycle which ruins lives. This is how this drama all started, people having too much debt and the economy not performing as it should.

In May this year the United Kingdom has seen a massive surge in people saving money. Everybody is tightening their belts and hope the credit crunch won’t bite them in the ass.  As you can see, there is money in the United Kingdom but everyone is too scared to spend their money in case it comes to the worst. This knock-on effect causes people not to buy houses and house prices falling and people not making any profit when they are selling up.

Best part of it all is that the average working class man / woman living in the United Kingdom will not be able to get a mortgage to buy a house for many years to come, unless you miraculously get a nice fat sum of money out of the blue. So, there you have it folks….start saving money, you might never know what happens in the future!

We’re also working on a revised guide of places to avoid living in London as we had a couple of people leave interesting comments about the areas we mentioned.

The Mayor of London and the entire Metropolitan Police force has been fire fighting the latest increase in the number of knife crimes. Their presence on the streets has definitely increased as well as their determination to cut down these figures. Don’t know if there is something in the air but everyone is going haywire and murdering each other, and for what?

The news of two French students being brutally killed in London does not do wonders for the city’s reputation; neither does four stabbings in one day. It is definitely time for anyone living in London to stand together as a community and to report crimes, be on the look out for anything suspicious and to look out for our fellow man in need.

Interact with as many people as you can, it will only broaden your views and understanding. I recently found a website for the local community I live in, and my oh my, have I found a few interesting jewels. You need to dig a bit deeper in London to explore the culture and to feel part of this great city. Try googling an area name of London and I am sure you’ll find a website dedicated to that area. They’ll discuss the crime in the area, upcoming events and local issues.

We’ve only started to scratch the surface of this great city, who knows what we’ll discover next? Oh, a quick reminder, be sure to browse around your council’s own website, they have tonnes of nuggets to dig through and to explore. If you can’t be asked to search for your council’s website, here’s a link to all the council websites in London. Have fun!

London - Council Website List 

Moving around in London can be a very stressful experience to go through and one I’d try to avoid as much as possible. It’s first finding a place that is affordable as well as in a good area. Each borough in London have their good side and their bad side, some are actually not as bad as the press makes it out to be. Then it’s the deposit and the estate agent fee’s all over again with their supposedly credit check fees which I think is bogus but you’re at their mercy so you’ll just go with it. If that is not bad enough you will have to make sure you leave the place in a suitable condition and move into the new place and sort out all the bills while you are at it.

People living in house shares have got it a bit easier as you only pack your bags and you’re off to the next best thing you find on Gumtree. So all in all, moving around in London can be a mission but if you plan it right and you’re not on a super tight budget, then it is very do-able.

The Moving Check List:

• Save enough or get a backup plan for the deposit, tenancy admin fee and first 4-6 weeks of rent.
• Change your address with everyone’s who’s got your address such as your bank.
• Move out at least two days before you should be out so that you will have enough time to clean the place properly and not rush into the new place.
• Take meter readings for any dispute that may follow.
• Double check your tenancy agreement to make sure you have complied with everything you signed up for at the beginning or before you enter a new agreement.

There are a lot of railway companies in the United Kingdom that are responsible for a different part of the railway network which is why you’ll always have different trains coming in and out of London. Most of the trains have the seat setting the same allowing people with laptops to plug in their power cable or their mobile phone charger whilst on the train. More and more train companies are providing free wireless access on their trains, which is a nifty feature I only discovered on my way back.

Travelling around the United Kingdom by rail is quite exciting but very expensive for some bizarre reason. Avoid travelling early morning as it tends to be double the amount than what you normally pay for in the afternoon. There are plenty of websites that will help you with discount tickets and remember that it is always best to book in advance as you will get some sort of discount. The advantage of trains are that there’s no baggage check in and you can take a seat anywhere on the train except first class, unless you forked out a fortune for that. Plus, you will see a different side to the United Kingdom other than London for a change.

A word of caution though, get your own snacks before boarding the train as they tend to be unbelievably expensive on the train and very limited. Own entertainment is a must, unless you want to sit there and count your teeth.

It is quite hard not to have any pets and it has taken a lot of will power not to adopt a cat or dog but I know it will be terribly unfair of me to keep them in the small flat we currently rent. I do not know how people can keep a lot of pets in these small flats while they are away at work. It is just something I can not bring myself to do no matter how badly we want a pet again.

So, we finally took the plunge and decided to get two goldfish but we’ll probably only pick them up once the tank has settled. Basically paid for the tank and accessories and now I’ll have to wait a week before we pick out our latest pets. I kind of have my heart set on a fantail goldfish I saw in the pet shop and they’re definitely going to get names from Family Guy.

I have mentioned that the flats and houses in London are quite small but that does not stop people from adopting animals to give them a good home to go to. I see tonnes of people walking their dogs before and after work in the parks around their homes. It can be done if you’re willing to go the extra mile for your pet.

London is way too big to experience in one year, there is always something new happening somewhere else. Each borough has their own thing going on, their own feel and their own hidden treasures. You might actually discover something that I’ve never even heard of, so get out there and start to explore.

Take a look at the photos attached at the bottom and you’ll see just how different London can be and what you can experience if you really want to. Remember that all the busses in London are connected so you will find your way home quite quickly if you read the maps properly. Do yourself a favour and get lost in London, it’ll be the best experience ever.

Think about it, convenience is big money because it makes it easier for someone to use and something less for you to do but it all comes with a nice fat price tag. A lot of people around me still seem to think that you can buy a bus pass in London for one zone only, uhmm no, you buy one pass and you can use it in all six zones which will save you a few pounds by taking the bus from zone 2 into central London instead of taking the train or the tube. That is just one of many things you can do to put more money back into your pocket.

Others do not bother getting a Tesco Club Card or a Nectar card for when they do shopping at any of the big stores in London. Little do they know that every time you swipe that card for a purchase above £1 you get loyalty points. Those loyalty points add up quickly and you can redeem them for almost anything you like. A lot of people make use of the air miles feature the Tesco Club Card has while others like to stock up on Nectar points to get a free monthly shop.

Most things in London can save you a few pounds if you are willing to invest in a bit of time and effort to set it up right from the beginning and you’ll be smiling all the way the rest of the time. Make your own money stretch further and still live like a king.

This is in a bid to tackle the increasing numbers of anti- social behaviour amongst Londoners. Would this be a good move or a bad move for the new mayor of London? In one hand I can see where he is coming from, making the TFL network a safer place for people during all hours of the day. On the other hand I can see a bit of problem enforcing this new ban when it’s 1am in the morning; you have a carriage full of drunken people drinking on their way to the next party. The only man on the platform will not want to stand up to them alone, neither would I.  

What do you think about the booze ban?