Remember when going out didn't require financial planning?
You'd call a friend, agree to meet somewhere, have a drink, perhaps grab something to eat, and go home feeling that life was pretty good.
These days, you might need to check your bank balance before even suggesting it.
Just travelling around London can cost you nearly £10 in a day. Add a couple of beers, perhaps something to eat, and suddenly your innocent little evening out has cost £40 or £50.
And you haven't even done anything particularly exciting.
How is a young person supposed to make ends meet, pay rent, save a little money, and still have something resembling a social life?
Are we really expected to spend our twenties and thirties sitting at home, watching other people having fun on Instagram?
Surely not.
Because here's the thing: having fun should be about doing something interesting, enjoying someone's company, and creating memories.
So I've put together 10 affordable things to do in London, whether you're planning a date, meeting friends, celebrating something, or simply desperate to get out of the house.
And no, they don't all involve going to the pub.
1. Organise a board-game somewhere other than home
Cost: about £12
Go at The Pizza Room - Mile End, bring a competitive board game, order a pizza and ask to be seated upstairs… prepare to discover your friends' true personalities!
It's remarkable how quickly a perfectly pleasant person can turn into a ruthless monster over a game of cards. Much cheaper than therapy!
2. Explore a neighbourhood you've never visited
Cost: Free, apart from transport and optional treats
Pick a neighbourhood in London you don't know particularly well and wander through its streets, explore independent shops, discover little markets and look for unusual architecture.
Turn it into a challenge: try places without checking online reviews first… and see if they match with your experience afterwards! If you are in a Pizza Room’s neighbourhood… that will be your safe bet!
3. Make your own pizza at The Pizza Room
Cost: £19.40 per person
Now, we might be slightly biased here.
But we genuinely believe that one of the best ways to have fun with someone is to do something together, rather than simply sit opposite each other wondering what to talk about.
So we've created our Adults' Pizza Making Experience.
For £19.40 per person, you get your own pizza dough, Tomato sauce, Mozzarella, Rocket and Two extra toppings of your choice
You shape your dough, create your masterpiece (or complete disaster), and we'll bake it for you.
Then, naturally, you get to eat it.
Bring a date, challenge your best friend, or turn an ordinary gathering into a pizza-making competition.
Who makes the craziest pizza? Who creates the unexpected delight? And who will insist that their bizarre combination of toppings is actually genius?
Take pictures, have a laugh, add a drink if you fancy, and enjoy an activity that doesn't require a second mortgage.
Available every day at participating The Pizza Room locations.
Discover what's happening at The Pizza Room
4. Have a night photography challenge
Cost: Free
London at night is full of fantastic photo opportunities.
Choose a neighbourhood, bring your phones and challenge each other to take the best picture.
It could be the most beautiful reflection, the strangest shop window, the funniest sign or the most dramatic street scene. Some places may not be your typical instagrammable location, and only the best photographer will be able to make it shine!
The winner gets bragging rights and the loser buys the pizza!
5. Go on a sunset walk along the Thames
Cost: Free
Yes, it's just a walk, but London looks completely different in the evening. The bridges light up, the buildings reflect on the water, and even the most ordinary streets can become surprisingly romantic.
Start at Tower Bridge, walk along the South Bank, and see where the evening takes you.
Bring a Pizza Room pizza or something to drink. Sometimes the best conversations happen when you're walking rather than sitting opposite each other in a noisy bar.
6. Neighbourhood event
The Pizza Room Mile End organizes random events every month so you can and rediscover the joy of laughing, competing and accusing your best friend of cheating.
Stay tuned and read the newsletters for more details!
7. Dress up for a pizza
Cost: about £10
Chose a theme and invite your best friends to a pizza dress up dinner! Neon 70s, Royals, fairies, pirates… you chose! Nothing will be funnier than the looks of the whole restaurant on you!
Maybe the real luxury is spending time together
Living in London is expensive. There's no pretending otherwise.
And when you're juggling rent, bills, transport and the occasional supermarket shop that somehow costs £35 for three items, it's easy to feel that socialising is something you should cut back on.
But friendship, laughter, romance and shared experiences are what makes life worth living, and we should rethink what a good time looks like.
Snap out of the tiktok videos and Instagram posts about expensive tickets, elaborate plans or three rounds of £14 cocktails. They are often fake. All you need is a friend, a little imagination and the willingness to try something different.
And sometimes, of course, all you need is a pizza dough and someone to compete with.
See you at The Pizza Room!
Good pizza. Good company. Great memories.