My first time to London was on my honeymoon. The dollar was a painful 2 to 1 and I’ll always remember my husband’s “you know that Pepsi costs $7 in American money” comment.

The second and third times I visited the city, the husband stayed behind. I’ve received some sarcastic “wow, it must be nice to be rich” comments from family but what they don’t know is that it’s quite easy to save some dough in the UK, you just have to do some research before leaving home. Here’s how:

• Travel in the fall or spring shoulder seasons when rates and crowds are lowest. Right now its mid October and there’s a 3 star hotel room on Hotwire.com in the Knightsbridge/Kensington area for $59 USD a night.
• Eat cheap for breakfast and lunch. Try sandwich shops like EAT or the french chain Pret a Manger. They are on every corner of the city and an entire DELICIOUS meal can be purchased for about $8 USD. I spend this much for lunch at work. Our favorite budget spot for dinner is Wagamama.
• Most museums in London are free. Go back in time at the British Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of London, and Sir John Soane’s Museum.
• Watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace is not only a quitessential London experience, but its free. Visit www.changing-the-guard.com for time and schedule. You may even get lucky and catch the horse guards parade, complete with marching band!
• Picnic in one of the city’s amazing parks: Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent’s Park.
• There are free concerts all over London. Try the National Theater, monthly concerts at The Opera House and Octave in Covent Garden.
• Get a pre-paid Oyster Card. Its the cheapest way to get around town and can be used on the bus, tube, overground and some rail services.
• To fly from London to other major European cities, visit Easyjet.com. A one way ticket to Paris is as low as 20 Euros.
• Check out the Portobello Road Flea Market on Saturdays. We brought home some treasures for pretty cheap and had a ball combing through vintage handbags, clothes, hats, tea sets and home decor.

Cheers, Lovies!