I wonder, are you as sick of hearing the terms “credit crunch”, “economic climate”, “recession”, “banking crisis” and perhaps the most dramatic, “financial meltdown” as I am?

At the moment it seems that you cannot turn on the telly, radio or computer without some doom-sayer blustering on about what a terrible state our wallets are all in. Yes, we’ve all had to tighten our belts a notch or two, perhaps even downgrade from Heinz to Tesco’s beans, but the world is hardly ending is it? You can still have a jolly good time in the West End and not break the bank, all you have to do is follow a few little money-saving hints and tips.

1) A West End dinner does not have to be haute cuisine

London is a veritable carnival of flavours and you don’t have to book a table at The Ivy to sample a few of our capital’s gastronomical delights. Some of the best food I have ever eaten in London I have bought while breaking a rule I (stupidly) lived by for 18 years, “never eat from an establishment with wheels”. How wrong I was, from the simple hot dog to the veggie-friendly falafel there is very little you can’t get from London’s plethora of food carts, cafés and take-aways. If you’re lucky enough to spot a “yaki soba” cart, try some for dinner, it’ll cost under a fiver and you have my personal guarantee you’ll like it. If you are not quite ready to take on the food carts then ask around a few restaurants and see who does the best pre-theatre special, that should save you a few pounds.

2) Programmes

Everyone loves a good souvenir, that’s why I heart London t-shirts are selling well despite their obvious lack of good taste. When at the theatre do your best to fight the side of yourself that demands needless souvenirs. If you desperately want a programme then make do with the standard one, the big flashy one with extra pictures really isn’t worth the extra money. When perusing the show’s variety of lovely t-shirts ask yourself “will I actually wear that?” I have a t-shirt from Avenue Q that makes a bold statement regarding my choice of underwear, it is now a strictly in-house only piece.

3) Drinks

There is no easy way to say this, drinks at theatres are often ever so slightly expensive. After several unsuccessful attempts I have also learned that you can’t barter with the bar staff of theatres, they don’t like it and you are usually left feeling foolish. If you simply must have a little tot of something during the interval avoid champagne and spirits at all costs. The most expensive bottle of Möet I have ever had in my life (which incidentally was lukewarm and served with all the panache and grace of a hippo on ice skates) was sold to me in a London theatre which I shan’t name. Keep in mind how short the interval is, few things are less dignified than “downing” half a G&T as you hear the end of the interval bell, share a drink then you don’t have to guzzle and you save some money.

4) Travel

Plan your journey, if you are travelling by train then only buy what you need, resist the urge to top up your oyster card by £20 because that’s the only note you have on you. All that’ll happen is the card will sit in the back of your wallet for a decade complete with £10 of unused credit. You’ll only find it when you get a new wallet for Christmas and you’re doing the strangely satisfying contents transfer. Avoid taxis where ever possible, nothing in London is as far away as it seems and don’t be afraid to walk for a few minutes, it’s actually rather pleasant and you might spot a yaki soba cart. (see fig 1)

5) Ice Cream

Don’t do it, three pounds for a thimble of ice cream and a borrower-sized wooden spoon is not sensible spending no mater how you look at it. Contain your burning desire for icey creamy goodness and buy a magnum from a newsagents afterwards, they only cost a pound and they are roughly 1000 times the size of theatre ice creams.

6) Prebooking

Not to blow my/our own horn but companies like ourselves can save you a fair few bob. Book as far in advance as you can and bundle in everything you were going to buy anyway. Overnight stays, dinner, even a few cheeky extras like a spin on the London Eye and you could still save money compared to booking everything separately at short notice.