Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

January and July bring the sales in their wake and the prospect of a little bargain shopping. All well and good but the reality these days is that most of us are feeling the pinch from our household bills alone.

So while a spot of retail therapy may be a tonic we crave, it makes little sense. Not when we know that credit card bill will land on the doormat, and that on top of everything else, going out in London seldom comes cheap.

Leicester Square is no cheap option

Take the cost of going to see a show. Front row seats for George Michael's concert at Wembley Arena were being sold for over Β£100 - and that was back at the tail-end of 2006.

And if you fancy a decent seat right now to see a West End musical such as Dirty Dancing say, on a Friday or Saturday night, you'll have to pay as much as Β£72.50.

Even the cinema, which used to be a cheap option for an evening's entertainment, is getting more and more expensive.

barely affordable

Figures from a 2006 report by London Assembly's Liberal Democrats revealed that Londoners can be charged up to Β£17.50 for a movie ticket, while film fans in other European capital cities pay around Β£4.95.

Add to this the price of a meal out for two, plus average babysitting rates and a night out in London begins to seem barely affordable.

Elizabeth, the first of our volunteers

But surely the capital doesn't have to be as expensive as it often is, and a good night out can be had on a shoestring?

We decided to put this to the test with the help of two guinea pigs - Elizabeth McPherson and Athos Athanasiou.

We were tipped off that Athos, a 33-year-old IT professional from Hendon, would be ideal for our challenge. He likes going out and has a particular passion for music and comedy gigs.

Also in the same mould is 24-year-old Elizabeth, an Australian and a marketing copywriter based in Clapham. She shares Athos's enthusiasm for seeing bands and loves eating out, too.

money-saving tips

Our two volunteers were sent out into the city on a mission to find a full evening's entertainment - specifically for Β£11.

Why Β£11? Well, that is the cost of a ticket for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ London's annual Children in Need Comedy Night at the Shepherds Bush Empire.Μύ

And our second, Athos Athanasiou

Surely it would be possible to find something similar - or better - for an equivalent sum?

Elizabeth and Athos were asked to pick a weeknight for their expedition and we threw in a Travel Card to help them on their way.

We also suggested they research their night out by Googling for free London entertainment, using established going-out guides like Time Out for cheap or bargain events, asking friends for money-saving tips, as well as relying on their own nous and ingenuity.

So what did our enterprising pair make of their evening? Use the link below to discover more.