Life gets a bit brighter in Brighton

 London is a beautiful city, but it's only the beginning. There are so many beautiful surrounding places to discover and explore.

And for as little as £10, you can be on a train for an hour and a half and end up in the beautiful seaside town of Brighton.

I spent a whole day exploring the streets of Brighton and it has reenergised my soul.

So things to do in Brighton.

Firstly you should take a stroll along the seaside and soak in the sea breeze. This is such a great remedy for energising the soul.

Along the seaside you can discover some markets and explore the local art and photography. 

You can continue your walk along the seaside until you reach the Brighton Pier.

Here you will find food and many sideshow games to play. You can play few games and enjoy some rides overlooking the Brighton sea.

Or if you are anything like me, you'll be a bit peckish after your seaside stroll and you can't leave Brighton without indulging in the typical local cuisine... Fish and Chips!

But, be warned, they are large servings!

You'll be nice and full after your feast and ready to take a stroll in the streets of Brighton. You'll discover an explosion of colourful houses, graffiti alleyways and more markets to enjoy. The best thing to do, is just walk. You'll discover little hidden gems along the way.

After a couple of hours of strolling through the streets, it's time to energise. And what better way to energise then a hot cup of coffee. One thing I was amazed at was the amount of cafés in Brighton. They all look amazing, it was hard to choose where to go.

I only spent 6 hours in Brighton, but it was enough time to re-ignite my love of exploring new places. I hope this day trip was only the beginning of discovering more of the places surrounding London.

Top 5 tips for surviving London on a budget

A lot of people complain about how expensive my home city of Perth is to live... Well, I have to say, London is even more expensive! And when you haven't earned your pounds yet... It's seems like you have a money pit draining from your wallet.

So here are my top 5 tips for surviving London on a budget.

1. Everthing is more expensive in Central London, so find accommodation further out into the suburbs. While this is a catch 22, you'll spend more money on commuting, you'll save money on accommodation, surrounding bars, restaurants and supermarkets. The benefits sure outweigh the negative.

2. Don't be afraid to shop at the cheaper supermarkets. There is an amazing place, I have only just discovered, called Poundland! Everything is only 1 pound... Amazing right? It's a good place to stock up on your toiletries,  non perishables and other basic supplies. It's a place where you can buy non branded products so you aren't paying for the label.

3. In the 1st point, I said it can get expensive when you commute into Central London, but you can buy Travelcards for the London transport system. This will be Zone specific so you'll pay a less amount if you stay within your Zone options. Just remember to stay within your selected Zones otherwise you'll pay a penalty!

4. If you are thirsty at a restaurant, ask for a glass of tap water not bottled water. The price for bottled water in a restaurant is ridiculously over priced. If you ask for tap water in a restaurant, they legally have to give it to you. Save your pounds for wine and drink the free tap water!

5. Don't take taxis in this city! It's definitely only for the rich and frivolous! If you miss the last train, don't forget about the many, many night buses you can take. It will be so much cheaper and it will be during the off-peak time so it will be even cheaper.

I am still settling in to London life, what are your money saving tips for surviving London?

Check out more from my London Series.

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Top 5 things I'd love to change about London

I've been in London for officially one month now and while I am still in the honeymoon stage of our new relationship, there are some things that I'd love to change about London.

So I've compiled a list of the top 5 things I'd love to change about London, to make sure we have a long and happy relationship for the future!

1. This is one seriously expensive city. And when I say seriously expensive, I mean, it's really, really expensive. If you are planning on moving to London to work and save (like me!), don't expect the saving part to happen right away. Whilst, I still love this place, it costs more than 10 pounds a day, to travel into Central London and rent costs almost your entire pay cheque, it takes some serious work hours to make ends meet.

2. You will feel like a tiny little ant when you are in Central London and you will be forever getting out of the way of crazy shoppers. There are so many people here. It's a highly populated place which is permanently hustling and bustling. If you are someone who hates really busy places, London isn't for you.

3. You will never, ever get a seat on the Tube during peak hour. Now as a young person, I know I shouldn't complain about standing on the tube for 20 minutes but when you work on your feet all day.... It's nice to be able to sit down during your commute.

4. You will work many, many hours in this city. While you may work a traditional 9 hour day, it will feel like an extremely long day when you add your commute to and from your work. If you are like me and can't afford living in Central London, you may be based in Zone 3 or 4, which makes your working day feel so much longer.

5. The city goes dark by 4pm. The first day in the city, I was in shock that the streets were in total darkness before I had my afternoon coffee! Seriously, why?

So, while I am super excited to discover a new city, I can see this being one of those love/hate relationships. 

Check back next week for more on the London Series.

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5 months away...

My holiday is well and truly over now!

I've been very fortunate to spend 4 months in France, travelling around the country and living in my Frenchy's hometown of Angers. While I had an amazing time which I will forever remember, it's nice for my life to have more structure here in London.

Since the age of 14, I've been working. I worked casually while in high school and University and then full time once I graduated. And during my 11 years of professional experience, I barely took any holidays.

So for me to take an extended holiday was a shock to the system! 

It was difficult for me to have no structure or purpose to my life. But now that I'm in an english speaking country, working hard, I feel more like myself.

So what is next for me and my Frenchy?

While it's our goal to work hard and save some money, we still want to travel and explore new places here in Europe.

Our next destination will be somewhere I can see and feel snow. Living in Australia, I wasn't lucky enough to experience snow. The only time I saw snow, I was 4 years old. I have a few pictures and a short video of me in the snow but I was too young to remember it and properly experience it. So, after Christmas time, we will save our money and plan our snowy escape!

For now, I am settling into my new position as the Clothing Specialist for a busy London store, our future aspiration is to take mini vacations around Europe, while continuing to earn and save our money.

For us, we have no time limit on London. If we love it here and find a successful work/life balance, we will work hard towards our future careers while enjoying much needed vacations in between.

To follow my 4 month vacation in France (and surrounding countries) click here for the full details.

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