£7 a day for 7 days

Accountancy SA, May 2008

SEVEN AWESOME NIGHTS OUT ON THE TOWN FOR LESS THAN £50 - TNT CONQUERS LONDON ON A BUDGET

London - it's awesome. With so much going on every night of the week, there's no excuse to be as bored as you were back home.

But without cash, and plenty of it to splash around, you might think the most fun you're going to have is another night on the couch, right?

Wrong! TNT is here to take the tight-arse challenge for you. We've paid the rent, bought a Travelcard and stocked the fridge with food. Now our mission is to have seven fun nights out on the town, with a budget of £7 to spend each night.

MONDAY-£6.20

It's Monday, so we need a laugh. Bring on open mic night at the Rhythm Factory (020-7375 3774; www.rhythmfactory.co.uk). Entry is free, two pints to wet the whistle set us back £6.20, and there's a handful of characters who provide some hilarious and some cringe-worthy comedy.

TUESDAY -£8

Time for some culture. We throw on a tie and jacket, duck into auction house Christie's (020-7839 9060; www.christies.com) and check out some multimillion pound canvases, including a couple by Renoir.

We feel like catching a flick, but bugger not-so-cheap Tuesday at the cinema. We head to the Roxy Bar and Screen (020-7403 4423; www.roxybarandscreen.com) instead, and watch their free nightly feature film while sipping a £4 Magners. Well, two actually.

WEDNESDAY-£0

OK, acupuncture and a raging night out in London don't exactly go hand in hand. But hot needles shoved into your flesh after a day at the office does feel damn good. We logged onto the British Acupuncture Council website (www.acupuncture. org.uk) a month ago and volunteered for a session at a teaching college. Tonight's the night - the only weird thing is being in undies in front of 30 students.

Afterwards, it's time to stretch our newly relaxed muscles on a stroll from Clerkenwell to Soho, drinking in the sights on New Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road along the way.

THURSDAY-£0

How cool is this? We're spending the night in the TV audience for car show Top Gear- for free. Again, it took a bit of advance organisation, but plenty of shows need an audience to laugh, clap and groan during filming. Book a seat at www.applausestore.co.uk or www.sroaudiences.com.

FRIDAY-£13

We're lashing out tonight, but it's worth every penny. The Comedy Store (0844-8471728; www.thecomedystore.com) has to be the funniest night out in London. We laugh till it hurts for three hours at six different comedians - all brilliant. They have the crowd in stitches.

SATURDAY-£18.20

For once we're not hungover on a Saturday, so at daybreak we go to Richmond Park (www.royalparks.org. uk/parks/richmond_park). where the rutting red deer put on a display of gladiatorial horn-locking combat.

After the walk we've got a raging appetite, so head to Borough Market (www.boroughmarket.org.uk). Forget the famous E4 chorizo roll and load up on free tastings of olives, cheese and salami.

Next, we're off to Beyond Retro (020-7613 3636; www.beyondretro. com). Every Saturday from 3pm emerging bands rock out at this chic vintage warehouse.

Finally, it's time to get on the booze with our mates. We buy eight cans for £5 at the of fie, sip 'em on a friend's terrace, then hit the Pitcher & Piano (020-7736 3910; www.pitcherandpiano.com) for four more cheeky pints before stumbling home.

SUNDAY-£0

We've always wanted to check out Westminster Abbey (020-7222 5152; www.westminster-abbey.org), but the £10 entry fee would bust the budget. Instead, we go to the 9am church service, mumble our way through a few prayers and check out one of London's tourist attractions for nix.

Then it's on to Speakers' Corner (www.speakerscorner.net) to listen to some entertaining soapbox rants about religion and why we shouldn't cook food in a microwave.

Afterwards, we visit the Grant Museum of Zoology (www.ucl.ac.uk/museums) for free, where there are 32.000 specimens to check out, including the extinct dodo. Bet you've never seen one of those in the flesh!