Go Free

If you're planning a trip to England and fancy appearing on TV, there's a long line of shows looking to fill their studio audiences and the tickets are free. Sroaudiences.com is now offering tickets for comedian Sarah Millican's new show being filmed in Manchester from January 16-25th and for ITV's That Sunday Night Showhosted by Adrian Chiles in London from January 13th to March 2nd.

Jonathan Ross is recording his ITV shows in London from January 24th to March 21st or you could apply to go on Top Gear'sreserve list or be an audience member at a Celebrity Big Brothereviction on Channel 4 throughout January.

Catch:It's a bit of a lottery so wait to be contacted before booking any flights. Some production companies ask for details on everything from your occupation, your age to your preferred newspaper. Top Gearis very honest about its motives for demanding a "50/50 male/female split" in groups attending the show: "This is so we don't end up with a bunch of ugly male car geeks ruining everyone's Saturday night." Also be aware that recordings can take as long as three to five hours.

Take note:Websites for tickets include applausestore.com, sroaudiences.com, hattrick.co.uk, tvrecordings.com, clappers-tickets.co.uk, beonlive.com and lostintv.com.

Forward planning to avail of as many freebies as possible could be the way forward as Falcon Holidays reveals that arguments over money are the biggest source of tension for Irish couples and families while abroad. In a survey of more than 600 people, 29 per cent cited money as the biggest cause of arguments on holiday.

Falcon, unsurprisingly, says travellers can avoid disputes over money if they plan their holiday in advance to avail of early booking offers. Another solution could be an all-inclusive holiday where food and drink in-resort are included in the price.

Catch:If you're prone to arguments you could find yourself in a spat over who buys one and who gets one free.

LA might not be the obvious destination for the budget conscious but there are lots of free things to do, including downtown walking tours and strolls along Venice Beach where you can see chainsaw jugglers, swamis on rollerblades and street dancers. You can window shop and star gaze on Rodeo Drive or be part of a studio audience on game shows such as Jeopardy!and Wheel of Fortune. Tickets are free but must be obtained in advance. At Griffith Observatory the exhibitions and displays in the renovated Griffith Park are all free, as is an introductory video about the building and its contents.

Take note:See discoverlosangeles.com for more details.