Having laughed myself silly at Paul Merton and the rest at
I wonder if it's too early to ask if she likes tap water?
Ticket booking basics
Theatre tickets cost cutting
Dining out
Theme parks and days out
Reely cheap cinema trips
Related Articles / Discuss
When booking tickets for the event, there's a huge variance in ticket prices and agency fees.
Always try direct from the venue first
Always find out the face value of the tickets so you can see exactly how the price is broken down. Next call the venue and ask whether it's possible to buy in person; you'll not only save on booking fees but cut out packaging & posting.
Yet even if the place is miles away or there's no box office it's usually cheaper to buy from the venue over the phone than go through an agency.
As an example, booking for a family of four to see Billy Elliot, for top price stalls seats with a face value of £55 each, Abbey Box office adds £14.50 per ticket booking fees, plus £4.15 in postage: a showstopping £61 in fees. Yet See Tickets is only charging £1 per booking in postage and £1.50 for postage, saving £55.
How to get sold out tickets at face value
It's an all-too-familiar story: tickets for your fave act on sale only to sell out in seconds; moments later they're changing hands on ebay for £100s. Yet there's a way to fight back. Ethical ticket exchange Scarlet Mist lets you buy and sell tickets for their face value.
First check if there are any tickets for your chosen concert available; they'll be highlighted in red. Remember popular tickets sell quickly, so it's worth checking regularly. Next click to register your interest and the site will put you in touch with the seller to complete the transaction. Most people do the exchange in person, though it is possible pay by ‘Escrow', where you pay money to the seller via a special account.
A word of caution though, while Scarlet Mist sets you up with potential buyers it really is just like buying off a bloke in a pub, so use some common sense. Ask to see the documentation that came with the ticket, such as the original receipt, envelope or 'stub', which shows the purchasers' name and address.
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Pre-planned theatre bargains
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Click on to Lastminute.com
Lastminute.com's* worth a look for its half price deals and tickets for a tenner, though often for less popular shows needing to get bums on seats. Yet contrary to the name you can't actually book them at the last minute, do it a few days before.
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National Rail's Go By Train scheme gets you 2for1 tickets for scores of
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Do the special offer thing.
It's possible to pick up tickets for
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BOGOF with Show-pairs.
Show-pairs vouchers give BOGOF tickets for hit shows, but you can only get them through your employer (organisations must have over 20 employees to qualify). If your workplace isn't signed up to the scheme, why not send the link to your HR manager and tell them it's free to join?
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Just don't mention the ‘offer' word.
If you have an offer from a newspaper or magazine which requires you to quote a code, don't mention the deal straight away. First state your preferred location and wait and see which seats they offer you, then mention you've a deal. This way they won't try and offload the cheaper seats on you.
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Lap up some fringe Benefits.
Ditch mainstream shows for fringe and pub theatre, and you can often have a really enjoyable, cheap night out, with tickets from £2 to £10. For up-to-date listings visit the Fringe section of the Theatremonkey site or check local papers.
On the day theatre bargains
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Grab a day seat.
Increasingly, theatres are keeping a certain number of seats aside and releasing on the day for a discount. Queues start outside the theatre at
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Or a concessions standby seat.
If you're over 60, unemployed or a student, many theatres give up to 70% off for tickets sold in the last hour before the curtain goes up. These are usually cash only.
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Get ‘em half price on the day.
If you don't mind waiting ‘til the day and are in
However, always check what is available online first; be aware of the general prices, so you can ensure you're not simply thinking you've got a deal when it isn't.
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Share your top theatre deals: If you spot a top theatre booking deal, then do let everyone else know Add yours/read others here.
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Book online
With a few tricks it's possible to eat like a king and pay like a pleb. The internet's a mine of dinner deals; several websites specialise in restaurant discounts – usually along the lines of 2for1 main meals, 50% off the bill or a free bottle of wine.
You'll find many post these vouchers in the Discount Vouchers section of the Chat Forum and the best ones will be included in the free weekly money tips email.
If you spot a top restaurant booking deal, then do let everyone else know. Add yours/read others here.
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Use your Tesco Clubcard points to get cheap tickets
For those who shop at Tesco, there's a way to get ultra-cheap days out. If you've collected up Tesco Clubcard vouchers on spending, there are two routes to redeeming them, spend them instore or spend them on Tesco Clubcard deals.
The real MoneySaving route is spending them on ‘deals' as while a £5 voucher only gets you a £5 discount if used in Tesco itself, it's worth four times that when spent on deals.
Currently these deals cover over 100 days out, such as
For tips on maximising your Clubcard points read Loyalty Schemes: tricks to improve your stash and Credit Card Reward Schemes: Find the very best payers.
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There's a sneaky loophole to get 2for1 tickets for a whole bunch of
For example a one way ticket from a Central London station (e.g. Marylebone for Tussauds/London Zoo) is £1.90, but entry to Madame Tussaud's is £23 – a £21 saving. You can print as many vouchers as you like and currently offers are valid ‘til
Oyster holders can also sometimes get a raft of two for 2for1 offers, including musicals, restaurants and shows.
Share your top days out deals: If you spot a top theme park/ days out deal, then do let everyone else know. Add yours/read others here.
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Orange Wednesdays
Cineworld cinema passes
Prices vary across the country so check with your local cinema to see how much you'd save. As an example, in
Finally remember that Cineworld makes its money back on expensive popcorn and drinks, so provided it doesn't break your cinema's rules, do ensure you buy your own snacks and take them in with you. And if you fancy a night in read DVD Tarting to find the cheapest online providers and rent DVDs for free.
Get permanent £1.40 cinema tickets
Plus I've confirmed with the Cineworld press office that its Unlimited Card works with
Family flicks from £1
The Odeon Kids' club works in a similar way and costs £2.50 per child, with one adult free per kid and extra adults £2.50. Finally, Cineworld runs a Saturday morning club at £1 a head for adults and kids; check with your local cinema for details.
Last minute tickets for London
Lastminute.com offer stand-by tickets for Vue cinemas in and around London for £5.50, a saving of around £3 per ticket. Stand-by tickets are available for Acton, Croydon Grant, Croydon Purley Way, Dagenham, Finchley Lido, Finchley Road, Fulham Broadway, Harrow, Islington, Shepherds Bush, Staines, Thurrock, Watford and West End on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays.
Simply go to Lastminute.com and book and pay for the day you want to go (it must be before 4pm if you want to go that day). Then take the confirmation e-mail to the cinema any time from 12pm and choose the film and seats provided there is availability.
Simply go to Lastminute.com and book and pay for the day you want to go (it must be before 4pm if you want to go that day). Then take the confirmation e-mail to the cinema any time from 12pm and choose the film and seats provided there is availability.
Many newspapers and magazines, such as the Telegraph, the Times and Heat, carry free cinema tickets. Commonly cinema deals are offered around the country at various times. Where possible the major ones will be included in the free weekly money tips email.
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