YPlan Blog Four tricks for cheap London cinema tickets

We asked top money blogger Andy Webb from Be Clever With Your Cash to share some of his top hacks to spend less on a trip to the movies.We asked top money blogger Andy Webb from Be Clever With Your Cash to share some of his top hacks to spend less on a trip to the movies.I'm a huge film fan. When I lived in Brixton I could be sat in the Ritzy five minutes after closing my front door - and I did this a lot. If the film I wanted to see wasn't showing there, I'd hunt down the cheapest place to see it, finding ways to cut the cost of an expensive movie habit.I've managed to get to the point where I rarely spend more than £6 to see a film, and often as low as just £2.50. Yes, even in London.So how do I do it? Well here are some of the tricks I use. And there's nothing stopping you from doing the same.1. Use the (YPlan) forceOkay, I know what you're thinking - YPlan paid me to say their cinema deals are good. Firstly, they're not paying me. And second, with their new Cinema Club app, you should never pay more than £9 to see a film at Vue - which is a pretty great deal.Right now there's also an offer to get a ticket to any Picturehouse (except Central) for just a fiver. A FIVER. It's only Monday to Friday, but the weekend is for box-set binges / pop-up beach bars / Pokémon hunting...right?Cinema Club also run flash sales on Vue tickets if you use Apple Pay, while the YPlan app and website often have discounts on pop-ups, outdoor screenings and special events.2. Know LondonLondon is full of cinemas, from state-of-the-art multiplexes to rooms above a pub. But knowing the deals and differences between them all is key to paying less.Now that I live east, I tend to go to the Stratford Picturehouse, where tickets are £5 every day for members, and a still decent £7 for non-members. It's not even a flea-pit - it's just in the shadow of the giant screens in Westfield.Here are some of my other picks to pay less:Vue's Super Tuesday takes one third off prices.South Londoners can get £4.99 tickets at the Peckham Plex all day, every day.The Barbican cinema, The Rio in Dalston and Shoreditch's Rich Mix are just £6 on Mondays.Genesis in Mile End is £4.50 on Monday and Wednesday.The BFI charges £6 on Tuesdays.Many of the Odeons in London (Covent Garden, Panton Street, Camden, Holloway, Putney) charge just £6 for all tickets Monday to Thursday. It's also worth checking out the Prince Charles Cinema membership scheme. Films are £4 before 5pm Monday to Friday, and there's a £1 movie every week.3. Be a student...even when you're not a studentWe all know the benefits of student life include the famous NUS card discount. Well deserved in the face of mounting student debts. But did you know that you can get a student card even if you've never set foot in further education?It's a legit trick I discovered a few years ago and I haven't looked back. The basics are you need to buy an eligible online learning course, and from that you can buy an NUS card. I've written about it in more detail on my blog, but it's well worth it for the cinema discounts alone.Top tip: you can get an extra 25% off Odeon student prices from Monday to Thursday.4. Find more offers you can't refuseFrom free tickets when you buy air freshener, to money-off gift cards, there are always offers to help you lower the price of your ticket.Some of these are short-lived, others are ongoing. Collect Tesco Clubcard or Nectar points? Swap 'em for cheaper Odeon, Cineworld or Vue tickets. Bought insurance from Compare The Market? Make sure you claim "Meerkat Movies" to get two-for-one deals every Tuesday and Wednesday.One of the best perks is through Tastecard. Get a 90-day trial of the discount restaurant card for £1 and you'll also get access to reduced cinema tickets. This is probably the cheapest way to get tickets to the fantastically sexy Picturehouse Central, just off Piccadilly Circus.By Andy Webb.For further cinematic inspiration, check out YPlan and Cinema Club.For more top tips on saving money, visit Be Clever With Your Cash.