Interesting and unusual things to do for a fiver or less this week.
Monday 13 January
RIVER ROAMING: Take to the Thames for the day with the City Cruises Sightseeing Supersaver voucher, which allows ticket holders to bob down the river, off the boat, back on the boat, up the river, and any combination thereof as many times as they like, all day for just £5. Download voucher online, until 13 Feb
Tuesday 14 January
LANGUAGE: Fancy learning something new? Over the next three days, Linga Diversa is at Conway Hall offering introduction classes to German, Brazilian-Portuguese, Spanish and Italian. Tonight it's German. Du schaffst es! £5 per class, prebook, check website for timings
PUZZLED PINT: Have you heard of Puzzled Pint? They've been organising quizzes in London for the past three months but they're a bit dastardly, if you want to pop along tonight then you'll have to solve the (easy) puzzle on their website in order to learn the location. Free, just turn up, 7-10pm
Wednesday 15 January
ADVERTISING MUSIC: Dr Stephen Rose delivers a lecture at St. Sepulchre Without Newgate about classical music that has been created with advertising in mind, illustrated by live performances by a Royal Academy of Music chamber ensemble. Free, just turn up (early arrival recommended), 1pm
TUBE KULTURA: This is right up our street. Artsadmin hosts Tube Kultura, where seven guest speakers, each doing a weird and wonderful thing (or things) connected with the tube, have seven minutes to share their underground stories. Our secrets of the underground video maestro Geoff Marshall is on board. £5, prebook, 7.30pm
STORYTELLING: A combination between stand-up and storytelling, Natural Born Storytellers is at The Camden Head with the theme of 'broken promises'. Got a story to tell? Sign up! Just want to listen? Head along. Free (donations welcome), just turn up, 8pm
Thursday 16 January
SHOW'N'TELL: Grant Museum has invited UCL PhD student Suzanne Harvey to showcase one object from the museum’s collection of 68,000 and tell you what she knows about it. As she's completing her PhD in Biological Anthropology, we imagine she has no shortage of interesting facts to share. Free, just turn up, 1-2pm
Friday 17 January
OUT OF ICE: Scottish environmental artist Elizabeth Ogilvie presents a dramatic new exhibition at Ambika P3 made from ice and water. We're not sure what to expect but it sounds intriguing. Free, just turn up, until 9 Feb
Saturday 18 January
WASSAIL: Toast the trees in Rotherhithe at Brunel Museum’s Wassail with live music and singing and the Midnight Apothecary on hand to fix you warming concoctions. Wrap up warm, this one takes place in the garden. Tickets £5 inc bkg, prebook, 6.30pm
Sunday 19 January
CHINESE FESTIVAL: This sounds lovely. To mark the end of the V&A exhibition Masterpieces of Chinese Painting 700-1900, the museum hosts a day of traditional and contemporary Chinese culture, including music, dance, storytelling and craft workshops. Free, some performances ticketed – check full listings here, midday-5pm
AFRICA: Rich Mix hosts the monthly Mwalimu Express - a Pan African family get together "all about Music and Film from the Motherland" (2-5pm) - before offering up laughs at Africa Centre Comedy Nights (7.30pm). Both free, just turn up
Check out our map of free things to do in London for more frugal fun.
