Cheapskate's guide to Melbourne

Enjoying the best of Melbourne doesn’t have to cost the earth. Try our insider tips to wine, dine and enjoy more for less. And if you're driving in? Book ahead at key parking providers to get the best deal.

Find the last cheap movie night

Most cinemas have dropped cheap Tuesdays and discount tickets all together. But you can still score a deal every Monday at Cinema Nova. Tickets are $7 before 4pm, so you can catch the latest award-winning flicks on the cheap. Can't get out of work before 4pm? Evening sessions clock in at just $10 a ticket. Choose a later session and grab a happy hour drink in the Nova Bar from 4pm to 6pm.

Nab cheap street eats

Every Monday, Cambodian restaurant Samut dishes up $10 lunches to hungry passers-by. Seek out this neon-lit joint for hard-to-find dishes. Try fish ball noodle soup, fried pork on rice, stir fried noodles and more. It's also slinging classic South East Asian drinks like iced Milos and sweet sala pink milk.

Save money on Vic Market groceries

If lettuce ever gets back up to $12 a head, you know where to go. Every Thursday and Friday the Queen Victoria Market offers a range of rotating discounts on food, groceries and specialty items. Everything from oranges and mangoes to free range eggs, deluxe dinner ideas and vintage clothing is available for a great price. They even do a handy cost comparison to supermarket prices, so you can see exactly how much you're saving.

Score cheap theatre tickets

The theatre buffs at Arts Centre, tickets get discounted every Tuesday. Visit the Tix at 12 page to see what's up for grabs. There's a different show every week and the sale runs for 12 hours from 12pm.

Ice skate and mini golf for less than $20

Take a break from feasting and get the crew together for a day of epic activities instead. For just $12 per person, you can while away an afternoon at Australia’s first 18-hole glow-in-the-dark mini golf course. Don’t forget to drop into what is possibly the world’s smallest bar for post-putt refreshments. Or give ice skating a go at O’Brien Icehouse. If you visit on Tuesdays, entry comes in under $20 including skate hire.

Grab the best happy hour deals

Time things right, and a chilled cocktail can be yours at a bargain price. Visit The General Assembly for $12 margaritas from 6pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Prefer to mix things up? Venture down to The Moat for $14 cocktails every Wednesday to Saturday, between 4pm and 6pm. Try an espresso martini, a house-made lavender gin concoction and more. Or head to craft beer taphouse Amphlett House for one of Melbourne's cheapest happy hours. That's $5 pints and house wines, every day from 4pm to 6pm.

City-wide cocktail hour

From 4pm to 6pm every Thursday you can sip your way through $9.50 signature cocktails at every Lucas Restaurants venue in the city. Start with Yakimono's tequila, sake and lychee loaded Harajuku. Head to Grill Americano to try its namesake drink, the Americano. Down Japanese punch at Kisumé. And pair a zingy cocktail with a snack-sized version of Chin Chin's famous kingfish sashimi.

Score discounted theatre tickets

If you've always dreamed of winning the lottery, here's your chance. Download the TodayTix app (available on the App Store and Google Play) to try your luck at nabbing discounted tickets. You'll find some of Melbourne's biggest theatre shows including Moulin Rouge! The Musical for a steal at just $30. Halftix also has daily discounted tickets for shows across the city. Get in before they close at 6pm and pick up cheap entry to events at the Princess Theatre, The Comic’s Lounge, Athenaeum Theatre and more.

Feast on the best cheap eats

Looking for lunch deals? Get to little laneway spot Heartbaker Bun Mee for an entire menu of bahn mi under $15. Make it a combo with crispy pork and a legit Vietnamese iced coffee for the ultimate cheap lunch treat. Cult-status Japanese bakery Coppe Pan has sando from $6, and dinner is sorted at Udon Yasan (186 Bourke Street). The noodle bowls start at just five bucks!

Try unlimited yoga classes

Unwind and stretch your way through two weeks of unlimited yoga at Yoga Corner. Available to new yoga students, the intro offer is just $55 for all the yoga you can squeeze into your schedule. After the two weeks, drop-in classes are $30. The practice is made up of balance and movements to workout both your body and mind.