With such high prices for food, heating and overall, well…living, it’s often difficult to not spend loads of money when you leave the house. I myself have been victim to the urge of buying a ‘sweet treat’ or a coffee when looking to do some studying in a café. The problem is that as a student, it’s simply unrealistic to buy so much (needed) coffee when the average price of a latte is now coming up to roughly 4 pounds.
Luckily for you, I’ve made it my mission to find a way to spend a day in Newcastle without having to pay extortionate prices. As a fan of music, art and culture, I found that when you know the right places, it is possible to spend a day out, affordably.
So, without further or do, here is how I spent a day in Newcastle in under 10 pounds:
To begin with, I needed some coffee to get me through the day so thought I would stop at a coffee takeaway place ‘Hugo’s’ in Jesmond which is just around the corner from me and is relatively cheap compared to other cafes in Newcastle- with a cappuccino and iced coffee being priced at £2.65. However, on the way over I passed by a café ‘Country Whey’ which had put a chalk-board out reading ‘Special offer: Free croissant with any coffee’. I decided to go in as I thought if I could get some food alongside my coffee, for a decent price, that would be perfect. I ended up buying a latte for 2.65 and got a free warm croissant, which was delicious!
Amount Spent: £2.65
Image credit: Marina Snyder
I then decided to go to one of my favourite galleries in Newcastle: The Laing Art Gallery. I particularly wanted to go because I had read online that they had a painting of ‘Isabella and the pot of basil’ which is inspired by a poem I had studied during my A-levels. The gallery was free, a part from a special exhibition ” Yevonde: Life and colour” which I didn’t attend, but it costed 7 pounds with student concessions. I explored various sections, from the floor hosting 18th century oil paintings to the photographs capturing the rise and fall of shipbuilding as a trade in the North East during the 70s. There was also a “Northern Spirit” section which celebrated artists and their work from the North East. I thoroughly enjoyed this section as I felt I wasn’t just looking art art, but was also learning a bit about the history of Newcastle and it’s culture throughout time.
Amount Spent: £0.00
Image credit: Marina Snyder
After the gallery, I had built up an appetite and therefore went to ‘DoughDaze’ on Ridley Place to get a large slice of pizza. I had never been in, but it seemed to be popular amongst students, who made up majority of the queue. The interior was very ‘instagram-worthy’ with large neon lights and posters giving the place a warm but stylish feel. I got a goat cheese slice of pizza which was fairly large, the goat cheese was hot and melted and therefore made a tasty lunch!
Amount Spent: £2.00
Image credit: Marina Snyder
I hadn’t had enough of some of Newcastle’s art scene yet so I then crossed the millennium bridge to visit the Baltic Art Gallery. Though I had been before, the Baltic constantly has changing exhibitions, and I had not yet seen the latest one. I began on the first floor, which took me to the ‘Residential’ exhibition featuring artwork by neurodivergent artists. The room was an explosion of colourful and vibrant paintings taking up the walls, and after watching snippets of a video explaining the power of art as a way to communicate, I think the exhibition soon became one of my favourites. Some of the other exhibitions included “Michael Rakowitz: The Waiting Gardens of the North” which was presented as a real -life garden with numerous plants and dried flowers. I found it to be a very calm and peaceful space. The theme of environment continued to run its course with the “Stepping Softly on the Earth” exhibition, which brought together the work of over international 20 artists with a focus on the connection between humans and nature.
Amount Spent: £0.00
Image credit: Marina Snyder
The Baltic not only features art but also has a new ‘front room’ which is a designated warm space with tables, chairs, books and free drinks including tea, coffee and juice. The space is used as a place for members of the community to talk and relax. When I visited at around 4pm, the sun was setting and I was feeling very cold and therefore welcomed the Front room and it’s free cup of tea and fruit. There was also some free gingerbread and icing to use to decorate, which helped to put me in a more festive mood as I iced a (delicious) gingerbread star with a jazz version of ‘winter wonderland’ in the background. After a busy day, it was a great place to relax, and I didn’t have to spend a penny!
Amount Spent: £0.00
Image credit: Marina Snyder
After making some dinner at home, I decided I wanted to go out with a friend and see some music. We therefore walked to “The Globe” which I had never been to but had heard they put on various events. When we walked in at 8pm on a Wednesday night we found ourselves watching an ‘open-mic night’ which featured various acts from a young Scottish man rapping to a Beatles themed DJ set to an elderly man singing Oasis fondly. I can’t say these acts were revolutionary are would ever make its way to an X-factor stage, however, it was a fun night out and was something a bit different to have attended. We soon left the venue and, not wanting the night to be over, got some drinks at Five Swans, a local Wetherspoons that is popular with most students. Five Swans had a new cocktail menu neither one of us had seen before so we decided to brave it and order a strawberry Daquiri for £3.99. The cocktail was absolutely delicious and had a generous amount of shots for only one glass, therefore, is something I would definitely recommend if you’re wanting to feel a bit classy, without having to spend the average cocktail price of 9 pounds.
Amount Spent: £3.99
Overall, I had a fun and busy day and managed to engage in different aspects of Newcastle’s cultural scene such as art, music and pubs. The best part was I didn’t have to spend too much, which proved that despite the cost of living crisis and absurd inflation induced prices, it is possible to spend a affordable yet enjoyable day out in the Toon.
Total spent: £8.64
Total Leftover: £1.36
If you want to see more, take a look at my Instagram page which features a video of the highlights of my day.
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