Celebrate the Olympics on the cheap

Next year is London Olympics year - but don't worry if you failed to get tickets as there are still plenty of ways you can celebrate the 2012 games on the cheap.

The ticket allocation for the Olympics might have been a palaver but there are still ways ticketless Brits can get involved with Olympics and even make money from it.

From getting a job at the Olympic Park, to attending free events, we’ve looked at how you can celebrate 2012 without breaking the bank.

Tickets

Although all tickets for the main games have been sold, there are still some tickets for the Paralympics games to be allocated and it’s happening this week.

Remaining Paralympic Games tickets will go on sale on a first come, first served basis, using Visa only (debit, credit and prepaid) at 1pm this Friday (2 December).

There were also some football tickets released on Tuesday this week (29 November) so it might be worth checking if there are any left.

Live Sites

If you can’t get to the Olympics you can still join in with the spirit of the games by watching the competition at a “Live Site”. These are big screens operating at locations across the UK at locations including Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square as well as many outside London. Working with the BBC and local authorities, they feature all the latest action and news from London 2012.

Watching events at a Live Site will mean watching them with other members of the community which will be fun – and best of all it’s free. There’s also a chance to participate at some venues.

For example, Victoria Park (East London) will be hosting sporting sessions between 27 July and 12 August. Evening concerts and cultural entertainment will also be scheduled each day and entry to the park is free at all times.

London 2012 Festival

To celebrate the Olympics, the London 2012 Festival will run from 21 June 2010 to 9 September 2010 (the last day of the Paralympic Games). The festival will include pop, film, visual arts, fashion and theatre as well as circus and carnival events.

In total, the festival will feature more than 1,000 events, some will be ticketed, but the majority will be free to attend.

Make your own fun

With a bit of forward planning you can stay at home and enjoy your own Olympic event. Fitness fanatics may want to re-create some of the key events and compete against their friends – jumpers for goalposts anyone?

For the less active you could set up a sports tournament on the Wii or run a sweepstake at work as to which country will top the medals table.

If money’s no problem….

If you’re desperate to see some live action, Thomas Cook is still selling some tickets and accommodation packages.

It’s pricey though, for example it will cost you £269 to watch men’s and women’s taekwondo and the men’s marathon over two days and stay in a hotel (in Woodford, Essex, not particularly near the Olympic Park) for one night.

Make money

If you live in London and own your home then you could take advantage of the millions of visitors descending on the capital next summer by renting out a room – or your whole property – to people needing a place to stay.

The nearer you are to the Olympic Park in Stratford the better; some homes within walking distance are already being offered at up to £5,000 a week. If you live further away or near other Olympic venues such as Greenwich or Wimbledon, you could still be able to cash in.

There are downsides, of course, such as strangers living in your home. And you’ll need to check your position with mortgage and insurance companies. Most tenants will find their contract prohibits sub-letting so they won’t be able to let any spare space to visitors.

Jobs

If you’re out of work, a student or just fancy a change from your normal nine-to-five routine, there are plenty of opportunities to work at the games.

More than 100,000 people will be paid to work on the Games, all of them with different backgrounds, skills and experiences.

From catering to IT, cleaning to ticketing, there are a wide range of paid roles, some starting now and some just during the games. The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is hiring as are a number of contractors including catering, retail and security companies.

More: This trick will double the cost of your cheap travel insurance | EuroMillions to create 50 UK millionaires by Christmas