Cut Your Dining Costs by Half!

Find delicious places to eat on a budget! Food can really add up, which can really make you mad if you spend money on a crap meal. Don’t assume there will be amazing food everywhere you turn. Find and book tables at dining venues in the UK and Europe and save money while doing it!

With TopTable.com, not only can you make reservations online, but you can see diner reviews, menus, get big discounts and accrue points for each reservation you complete to earn your way to a free dining certificate. Even if you’re already in the city and want to have lunch in an hour, make your reservation just to get the points credited to your account when you check in. You can do it on your smart phone via mobile web or their free phone and iPad apps!

It’s one of the best ways to check out those Michelin-starred restaurants run by celebrity chefs, too. Deep discounts on some of the best food in the world? Count me in. I’m totally using TopTable to eat at one of Gordon Ramsay’s London restaurants for less when I return. In the meantime, I will use their sister site, OpenTable.com, to make my reservations for Ramsay's Los Angeles restaurant.

Appetise: When Your Appetite is Talking

There are times, even on holiday, that I just feel like going back to my room and curling up with a book or in front of the telly. My feet ache and I’m sick of looking at people and I want to snuggle up in a blanket and wait to emerge until the next day. Of course, this isn’t useful if I’m also hungry. Usually, it means I have to pull on some decent looking clothes, look presentable and go out to get something. Do you ever have this problem? Cue Appetise. Browse hundreds of restaurants across the UK and order your meal right online. Convenient! You don’t even have to talk to anyone.

You can pay by credit card online when you finalise your order or pay cash when the food is delivered. It’s takeaway without the trouble! Some restaurants charge a small delivery fee, yet others charge nothing at all. On top of it all, Appetise is completely free to use. Restaurants are being added all the time and delivery areas are expanding as well. While you can easily order food in most regions, from Bath to Worcester, there are still some places where Appetise isn’t available…yet.

So, when you don’t feel like going out or just don’t feel like cooking, hop onto Appetise and search for some delicious takeaway from your favorite restaurants – or one you haven’t tried yet. Many restaurants offer specials and discounts, too, so no matter what, you’re a winner, and soon, no longer hungry.

Half-Off Dining With the Hi-Life Card

Dining out is often one of the most expensive parts of a vacation, and while I love getting a vacation rental or an apart-hotel, so I can make some of my own food, but I always want to get out and try some delicious local foods. Whether you’re dying to try haggis or just some crispy fish and chips, the Hi-Life card can allow you to do it for less. Get 2-for-1 meal at over 3,500 restaurants in the UK.

The best thing about the Hi-Life card is that it’s so easy. You only need the one card. You make your booking via telephone (at those restaurants where it’s required) and present your card when you dine. Use it for both lunch and dinner and enjoy an amazing food experience. Still not convinced? Your card is valid for a year from purchase and you can eat at restaurants owned and operated by celebrity chefs, such as Michael Caines.

New restaurants are being added all the time. Sign up for the newsletter to be kept updated on the ever-growing list or read the Hi-Life blog. You can even get discounts off things that aren’t food, like spa gift certificates, exclusive offerings just for Hi-Life card holders. Pretty cool, right? What about needing to find dining options on the go? Download the mobile app and find participating restaurants on your phone, using a customized radius, depending on how far you’re willing to go for your meal.

Get even more dining options when you sign up for the platinum membership. Either one you choose is pretty affordable and will save you a bundle on dining out all across the UK: Join for 12 months for £49.95 or get the platinum membership for £85.95.

Travel by Train and Save Big

Welcome to Shereen Travels Cheap UK, the official offshoot of Shereen Travels Cheap that focuses on all things United Kingdom related! Each post will bring you money-saving tips for travel to and within the UK and awesome places (activities, tourist attractions, restaurants, etc.) and products that will help you stretch your budget. Each week you’ll see three (shorter than my average) blog posts – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – that will enable you to plan a better and more affordable trip, get out on a “cheap” day trip or find something new in your own neighborhood. If you like what you see, tell others about it and subscribe via email or the RSS feed.

If you have photos you’d like to share, feel free to email me with a link to a Flickr, Picasa, Shutterfly or similar album. I’ll give credit where credit is due if I use them in a blog post! Bonus points if you also tell me about some great little place you visited and give me details on it. I want this blog to also be as interactive as possible.

For my first post, I found this fantastic website that saves you 50% off activities and more, just by presenting your train ticket! This is fab for those visiting other parts of the UK.

Who doesn’t love discounts? Unless you’re some fancy pants rich person who doesn’t need to save money, I think you’re with me in loving a deal. If travelling by National Rail, then you could get 2-for-1 discounts on top London attractions, theatres, exhibitions, restaurants and more cool stuff. How can that be? Days Out Guide has vouchers you can print out to get these amazing discounts, so you can holiday for cheap.

Using your vouchers are easy. Sign up for a free account on Days Out Guide. Search the county you are traveling in for the perfect activity and then fill out the short voucher application to get your discount! When you are able to print out your 2-for-1 voucher, bring it, along with your train ticket, to present at your attraction of choice and SAVE! Keep more pounds in your pocket, so you can do more or just travel for less.

What kind of awesome attractions are available? What about the London Eye, City Cruises, Benjamin Franklin House, Beatles Bus Tour and Dinosaur Isle? There are hundreds of choices throughout Great Britain, from Aberdeenshire to Yorkshire. Every time you travel, you can see new things for less money. Do the usual tourist stuff and then do some off-the-beaten-track activities your next visits. Pretty great, right? 

Do you experience with Days Out Guide? Did it save you a bundle?