Money Saving Tips

[ThroughCycle]

This is just a start, please add to this and maybe we can have a permanent section (or a downloadable .doc/.wri/.txt/.pdf etc. for this on the website.

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Lighting in the home
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Today is the best day to remove those old light bulbs that should really be called heat bulbs.

Replacing all your bulbs in one go is the cheapest way to invest in lower electricty bills and longer living bulbs.

Just to give you an idea of the range of CFL bulbs out there then I suggest some inspiriation at:

http://www.bltdirect.com/products.ph...ng+Light+Bulbs

Philips are very good but Solus are Irish made and are also very good value.

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Cooking in the home
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Don't be fooled by all that convienence food, the goodness per cent you achieve by cooking real food slowly, saves money spent on vitamins, diet pills and doctors visits.

Heavy based pots and pans are ideal as they retain heat and you use less energy to cook your food.

When using gas flame or electricity hob to cook make sure that the flame or hob is heating the bottom of your pot/pan only and not wasting energy by heating the air.

Use lids (glass is ideal) when boiling food, a lot of energy is wasted by heat loss otherwise.

As the pot/pan/oven will retain heat after you switch off heat then switch off before the end of cooking time.

Think about using a pressure cooker as it is faster and more efficient and thus saves energy.

Regards, Simon

[cormie]

Recycle and Compost!
In January I moved into my own place, the first week I had to put out a full bin of waste that had been here before I came and stuff that couldn't be recycled etc. I changed bin providers to Panda as they collect plastics. More than 6 months have passed and my regular sized black wheelie bin is not even 1/5 full. If I keep going at this rate it'll be about another year and a half at least before I have to put my black bin out for collection. Recycling saves so much money. Most of our waste is recyclable or is able to be composted. More so than saving money, it is much better for the environment.

[jenniferalan]

This is something we all should be taking into consideration especially after Christmas.

I have a few ideas which i will post later.

[jenniferalan]

ok so i google this and got some tips which ive edited and put together, they are very useful

• Cut out buying newspapers everyday. Some of them you can read freely on the internet, if you cant chances are the most interesting stories will be available on rte.ie or other websites anyway.

• Magazines are a drain on finances also, if travelling by bus buy an mp3 player with a radio or print off interesting articles off the net.

• Cut down on the booze, if you are a habitual weekend nightclubber, try leaving home an hour or two later than normal. Amazing how much this saves!!

• If you eat choc bars everyday see what 6/10 packs are available in the supermarket (although danger here is that you end up consuming more)

• Downgrade your car & exit the car loan trap / Don't fall into the car loan trap / Always use your savings to purchase or upgrade your car when you can afford it. Decide if you need to drive your current car, if its a larger engine but you only do 10-20 miles a day could you realistically downgrade to a smaller car? Lower road tax, insurance and running costs are worth it if you can then buy your dream car a year or 3 down the line without having to borrow!



• Set up an automated direct debit to pay the full amount on your credit card. Don't buy anything on your card, unless your bank a/c can cover it. To avoid a large direct debit, and help keep with budget consider manually transferring money to your credit card during the month. If you find it difficult to manage your credit card stop using it.


• Practise minimising your costs starting with the largest average monthly spend. e.g. are you on cheapest mortgage, cheapest loan, cheapest credit card, are you on the cheapest mobile network and package for your usage, should you cancel your landline, should you use skype more, (use skype for calls – its free!!)do you need sky digital, are you heating your house and water effectively? are you using the cheapest broadband provider, are you getting free banking?


• make a shopping list and stick to it


• Make use of advantage cards/ clubcards every time you shop. You will get vouchers in return for points built up --which are very handy!


• Cook your own dinners! Keep the takeaway for the occasional treat. For the price of a large pizza & extras you could cook dinner for 4 days. Freeze extra portions for the days you don't feel like cooking;
• Invest in a smoothie maker or hand-held blender - it saves loads of money in the long run if you like smoothies and it means you won't throw out your leftover fruit;

• Keep a spending diary, or at the very least check your balance regularly, you should be able to estimate your balance before you check at the ATM;

• Have a kettle @ work - cuts out buying teas & coffee. Eat losts of fruit instead of (more expensive) sugarery snacks.

• Make sure that you are reclaiming all your entitelements from the Tax man i.e. medical exps, rent, refuse charges etc.

• Have your hair cut/coloured in a hairdressing school.

• make sure that your charitable / religious donations are made by standing order, so you can pay out less & fill in the Revenue form @ end of the year to allow the charitable body claim your tax back.

• walk/cycle rather than driving. "win/win".

• If you are eating out decide on a starter and main, or main and dessert - you don't need to kill your social life, but just make wiser decisions.

• In winter time, turn down the heat a few degrees and put a jumper on.

• Hand wash the dishes rather than using the dishwasher.

• Buy a travel coffee cup and make yourself a cup of coffee to take on the bus/train rather than buying expensive coffees on the way to work.

[elbo]

You can print out the money off vouchers for groceries from Pigsback.com

[kiara]

[QUOTE=jenniferalan]

• Set up an automated direct debit to pay the full amount on your credit card. Don't buy anything on your card, unless your bank a/c can cover it. To avoid a large direct debit, and help keep with budget consider manually transferring money to your credit card during the month. If you find it difficult to manage your credit card stop using it.

(Why not just cut it up and use a debit card? I don't have a credit card and I don't want one!)

• make a shopping list and stick to it

(Shop in Lidl or Aldi or if you must shop in Dunnes/Tesco buy own brands... much cheaper, same product!)

• Make sure that you are reclaiming all your entitelements from the Tax man i.e. medical exps, rent, refuse charges etc.

(must check this out!)

• Have your hair cut/coloured in a hairdressing school.

(I trained as a hairdresser, this is not asways a good idea!)

• Hand wash the dishes rather than using the dishwasher.

(Get the kids to do it, lol! My mum only bought a dishwasher after I moved out! tut tut... slavery!)

[bluecurlygirl]

In reply to something Kiara said - NEVER EVER CUT UP YOUR CREDIT CARD. It's actually a crime and you can be fined plus the fact that you will still be charged for using something you don't have. Just ring the bank and cancel it.

[cascais]

hi jennifer,

your ideas are good but for some can t be done.
my work doesnot allow me to bring a kettle in because it is not safety tested. ( i tried before).
i now bring instant coffee to reduce on coffee spend and get the hot water from the canteen, but they are catually speaking of charging us 30c a cup for hot water !
the other solution would be cut coffee at all, but hey, i am afraid i don t have that kind of willpower !

regarding the free banking, make sure you checked they havent charged you if you are using their free banking, that happened to me before. i claimed and got the money back.

discounts :
i am very mean with money.
this means i try to get a discount every time i shop for larger unusal items ( ie when we got the kichen appliances in the old house for the kicthen, we got 5% discount and another 5% because one of the items was a demo unit).
i also managed somehow ( i still can t believe it) to get 20 % discount when i bought 200 enveloppes for the wedding ( they were sold individually), but hey if you don t ask you can t have it, and it works 95% of the time.
same for computers, printers, cameras, any of the like, buy more than 2 or 3 things or over a certain amount = ask for a discount...
.
take-aways and restaurants : never break the 1 euro tip barrier, if the change is 80 cent, he egts 80cent, but if the change is 1.20, then i only give 20 cent. mean yes, but very effective.

credit union : i am a big fan of credit unions, for various reasons, their openeing hours are way better than banks, and their rates for lending are way better too. only drawback is that savings dont earn that much % interest, but i still love it, save 20 euro a month or 500 and before you know it you ahve enough for the summer holidays or for that new tv/couch/kitchen/car...

holidays, shop around for flights, you may get the exact same flight at 2 different prices , this happened a good few times before, we just used different countries traveling comparison sites...
shop around for hotels and b&b, depending on the country, this can also save you a lot of money, ( i try to avoid pakcage holidays at all costs, and end up booking it all myself, but at least i have no bad surprises...)

presents for birthdays, anniversaries, for the crafty ones, make them yourselves, i always try to make preents for new births, weddings, and so on , as they are more personal, and also cost way less !

hope i don t sound too too mean...
all the best

cascais

[jenniferalan]

hi cascais,

u have very good ideas! 30c for electricity is too high but it is still a lot lower than buying coffee.

just out of curiosity where have u got discounts from before? ive never even thought of doin this

[gillo]

Hi cascais, your ideas are quite good, apart from the tips one. As the wife of someone who relies on tips to help make ends meet, I really feel that 20c is more an insult than anything else. If you feel so strongly about not tipping much it would perhaps be better not to give anything, which is what I do if I feel the service wasn't up to scratch, but if someone gives exceptional service I like to reward that with at least 10% of total bill. Just my opinion on this matter, not everyone might agree. Regards, gillo

[betsy10112000]

Right a have a few tips or ways to save money, might not be great for some but work great for me :)

1: TESCO - as in their motto every little helps and it sure does - Tesco have a motto that if when you purchase something at the til and then realise on your receipt that you paid more than it said on the shelf or special offer sign(even 1c more) then they will refund you the full amount and give you the item/s free. eg if you go in tesco and see a bottle of wine,on the shelf it says 9.99 for this exact bottle so you buy it and then AFTER you have paid for it check your receipt and it says 10 euro for the wine,take it to customer services and you get a FULL refund AND the wine aswel :) happy days. tobe honest i use this alot.in the last 6 months i have got full refunds and the item free on the following items to name a few : A lexmark wireless printer (it was supposed to be 89.99),vacuum,beans,coffee,hot chocolate,soup,clothes,underwear,dvds,ps2 games,cds,perfume,toilet rolls,chicken fillets,ham,pork plus many many more

2:TESCO yet again (tesco's will ban me soon,lol)- clubcard points - if you dont already have a clubcard get one,also sign up for tesco wine club and babyclub and finest food club,yeah you might not drink or have a baby but some of the vouchers they send are great,i got the baby club vouchers through and there were general vouchers on them,spend 40 euro and save 5 euro or spend 20 euro and get 1000 clubcard points all these on the baby vouchers :)

3: TESCO When you get your tesco club card vouchers through dont spend them in tesco,they can be used for so much more.recently i went to the UK with my partner,2 kids and took the car aswel and all it cost me was 2 euro,yes 2 euro.how I did it - i had 4500 tesco point (most acheived with the free vouchers i got through in baby club statement and wine club and i dont drink),i saved it because there valid for 2 years,3 months later another 4000 points,equivalent to 85 euro to spend in tesco BUT i got 4 times that amount if i used them for stenna line so i had a total of 340 euro to spend at stenaline.it cost me 342 euro t take us all and car to UK - bargain :)

4: THE INTERNET Anything that i cant get free or cheap in tesco I buy on the internet. I can get flights all around the world for as little as 2 CENT return :) you can get a discount code for almost everything just search on any search engine for discount codes for whatever,say if you wat to buy flowers from interflora put in discount codes for interflora and hey presto.I recently sent a bunch of 40 red roses to my mother in law in england,i found discount codes and i sent - 40 red roses in a glass vase,teddy bear,chocolates and free delivery for wait for it - 6.99 euro.

i have many more trade secrets so keep checking, Im gonna try out some of the other money saving tips aswel,oh and i only have a regular bank account,no laser or visa card,no credit cards just a paypal account and thats all you need - costs nothing
:)

[gillo]

Hi betsy, this all sounds brilliant especially the internet shopping but I'd love to know how you pay for stuff on the internet without either a credit or laser card. I'm really curious to know, it would be brilliant to do this. Recently, on a trip to Scotland my husband and I tried to rent a car and simply could not do it without a credit card, (we got rid of ours a year ago), none of the companies would even accept laser cards. It was so frustrating, so I'm really interested to know how it's done. Thanks, gillo

[irishrose]

Regarding not being able to bring a kettle in to work - why not invest in a thermos? You can make your coffee at home and drink it at work!

[betsy10112000]

Hi betsy, this all sounds brilliant especially the internet shopping but I'd love to know how you pay for stuff on the internet without either a credit or laser card. I'm really curious to know, it would be brilliant to do this. Recently, on a trip to Scotland my husband and I tried to rent a car and simply could not do it without a credit card, (we got rid of ours a year ago), none of the companies would even accept laser cards. It was so frustrating, so I'm really interested to know how it's done. Thanks, gillo

to be honest gillo it can be quite difficult,unless you really do your research.we rented a car without a credit card.i have a paypal account,but i was able to pay cash when i got there.im not sure what there policy was but i read all the t&c before i booked.I booked it online and didnt have to pay a deposit and paid cash when i got there and it was the cheapest rental i found aswel,all i need to bring was a recent utility bill and 2 forms of ID(eg passport and driving licence)
cant remember who it was now but i just searched the net,it was def a rental company that supplies just outside dublin airport but comes to collect you from airport and takes you there,only 5 minutes away.

[betsy10112000]

Hi betsy, this all sounds brilliant especially the internet shopping but I'd love to know how you pay for stuff on the internet without either a credit or laser card. I'm really curious to know, it would be brilliant to do this. Recently, on a trip to Scotland my husband and I tried to rent a car and simply could not do it without a credit card, (we got rid of ours a year ago), none of the companies would even accept laser cards. It was so frustrating, so I'm really interested to know how it's done. Thanks, gillo
oh yeah gillo get yourself a paypal account,most online stores accept paypal or search the net and find a store that sells what you want and accepts paypal,99.9% sure you will find one.paypal is free.all i do is set up a tansfer from my bog standard bank account to my paypal account, say i want to buy something on the net for 50 euro then i just transfer 50 euro online from my bank to my paypal account.it does take about 3 days to transfer but sometime if i have a few quid spare i just transfer it into my paypal account anyway just incase i find a last minute bargain,the money is there staright away then.

[gillo]

You're a star, betsy. Thanks for that info, I'm delighted to know that. We had to ask friends to rent the car on our behalf and pay them back, how annoying. I'll definitely look into the paypal account. Thanks a million, gillo

[betsy10112000]

another thing i do is:

Search engines: i search for money off coupons.I get loads and loads of printable money off coupons online from loads of different sites.This could be anything from 50c of butter or 2 euro of cereal or 5 euro off razor blades (things that most people use everyday) and you just print them off and take them with you when you do your shopping,simple :)

i also get lots of freebies online - from toothpaste to sanatary towels,creams and clothes.again search engine for freebies and away you go,all you have to do for 99.9% of them is fill in your address and they send them out to you FREE,i dont have to sign up to any of the poxy scams like get them free if you rent 5 dvds etc(you get my drift,lol)

OH I LOVE THE INTERNET

[jenniferalan]

hi betsy would u be able to post links to the sites u get the coupons off?

[betsy10112000]

hi betsy would u be able to post links to the sites u get the coupons off?
i will try and sort out a few but to be honest each one has different things and may not suit everybody,so just get on google aswel and type in things like printable coupons,money off coupon roi etc etc different ways that it could be worded,they will also bring you up blog results from different sites etc that are worth a read because people often put links on there.mark your favourite site in your nline favourites on your computer and just pop back every week and see whats new, most of these offers have valid to dates aswel so just check first.

but will go a hunting for you all now :)

[betsy10112000]

Right guys here is one to have a brouse at www.couponmaster.ie

they have a few printable coupons and also some freebies.just have a brouse

[betsy10112000]

here is another one http://www.mysavings.com/free-product-samples/user-favorites/

mainly for freebies but hav printable coupons aswel

[betsy10112000]

here's anothe that may be useful for the online shopper

http://deallocker.com/

[Ocker]

Dominic Littlewood had a great programme which included how to get a discount. NEVER say "is that your best deal" Always say " I like the item but I dont like the price" Then shut up and let them reply.If the item is €799 you say " I would really like it to start with a FOUR. ie €499........then shut up !
Keep at it and you'll be really surprised. But remember......SHUT UP after you say something , even if the delay is uncortfortable. Let him/her reply. Ive tried it and it works. I didnt feel at all embarrassed...after all it's my money. Good luck !

[kilk]

i wonder would that work in reverse.. say if you were trying to sell something?

[Ocker]

Crikey Kilkie, I was nearly going to think of that !

[kilk]

i hope i never try to sell you anything Ocker or we'll never agree!!! we'd have to get comfortable with the uncomfortable silence!

[jenniferalan]

Right guys here is one to have a brouse at www.couponmaster.ie

they have a few printable coupons and also some freebies.just have a brouse


this website is brill, i ordered loads of free samples!! :)

thanks for the link

[Sabrinabray]

Right guys here is one to have a brouse at www.couponmaster.ie

they have a few printable coupons and also some freebies.just have a brouse
I ordered loads too! Thanks

[jenniferalan]

I just thought of something else that i do!

The Body Shop provides samples of products, that is if u ask very nicely! i get samples on a regular basis but i also buy at least one item so i dont feel guilty lol

[cascais]

betsy the website are great, great work,
i also done the tesco money back thing, i was charged 4 times the price for a bear in a big blue house dvd so i got the money back and the dvd for free...

in reply to gillo,
i don t really tip 20c, if the bill is 29.80, i ll leave 30, that is what i mean by it. (i think that equals to no tip)
i have to say i don t really believe in tips, whay should the customer have to pay 10% more, if they want 10% they can charge me 10% more on the initial price.
people shouldn t relly in them, example for a delivery guy. this person is still getting paid ( yes the salary is porbably rubbish) but they are getting paid, why should i give them more money ? if they want more morney , they should ask for a raise!
if the service is good, i will still tip 1 euro or under, i agree this is very mean, but this is a voluntary contribution, like it or not like it.
someone always said " mind the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves..."

jennifer,
i got discounts from did electrical for sure (lucan), woodies ( lucan) the craft shop in the blanch shopping center ( can t remember the name), curry's, (arramount furniture (300 euro discount on a 799 furniture) but this one bit back, the delivery crew was rubbish and broke a good few things in the house when delivering) and some others can t remember the name. they do not like doing it and make you believe this is "exceptional", but believe me... it works wonders and happens regularly...

i often get samples too.
when this was running i got the free kitten food pack out of whiskas, for my cats too ( not kitten anymore, but heuy , it still has food in it)...


in reply to the person ( can t rember who) who sh=uggested to bring a thermos, i have tried it before, unfortunatley, even if you get up early to make your coffee in the morning ( which is extremely hard in my case) the coffee is cold by lunchtime...

hope i am not offending anyone with the tips suggestions, these are after all only my personal experience...

cascais

[gillo]

Hi cascais, I take it you must be on a good salary as you don't believe in tips, and you say you would rather pay 10% on the original bill than tip your server. Well restaurants/bars who do charge service charges, never usuall give it to the person who really earned it, it just goes to line the pockets of the owner/franchise holder. You also say people shouldn't rely on tips, well if you ever visit the USA or if you have already, you will encounter a very hostile attitude to this way of thinking, and not a very good reception on repeat visits to establishments where you didn't leave a decent tip. You are entitled to your opinion, and fair play to you for admitting to being mean, unlike a lot of people with this opinion who try to justify it. For example, like the lady who recently stood at her door waiting for her 1 euro 10 cent change out of 60 euro for her takeaway, while my husband rooted around for coins in the soaking wet and wind, and making sure her food arrived hot and dry, saying she needed the change for her coffee machine next morning. She would have been better off saying nothing. Regards, gillo

[cascais]

just a little reply to the previous post from gillo

yes i admit to being mean and quite proud of it actually.

as you seem to have taken offense by what i said in my posts, i will not make any further comments after this ( and also not to takeover the post) .

the various takeways i order from cleary state in the front page what their delivery charge is, nowhere is it written that i am expected to tip the delivery man.

you have no idea what i do for a living or what my husband does, or what we earn. i find it quite offensive to assume i am on a good salary.
to clear things right out , i can tell you i am on 2 jobs at the moment, one of them involving door to door activities.
still i do not expect to get tips, i will take them if they are given, but i do not expect them and always come prepared with my change ready and always say to the people that offer them that they do not have to tip me.

you also have no idea whether the woman that ordered the takeaway for 60 euro was alone or was with 5 or 6 other friends and each scrapped the bottom of their bags to make the total because it is the only takeaway they ever had as they cannot afford them. she may have said she needed the change for her coffee in the morning but may have thought it was polite to share the change with her guests...


this is all a matter on how you percieve things i guess.
some may say that it s a culture thing, and may be right i suppose.
my behaviour actually tends to compensate my husbands how tends to overtip ...( so the delivery guy can get lucky or unlucky depending on who shows at the door)

i do not intend on visiting the USA anytime soon so i think i should be safe enough on that front.
(although i agree that i have read that it was good practice to tip quite a bit over there)
if io was to go over and be received with mixed reactions because of this , i would just reply that there are plenty more restaurants, and if one does not want my business, well maybe the next one will. (i always make sure i am happy when i am the customer paying the bill)

i hope i am not overshadowing the great thread started by jennifer and those dcomments will not offend anyone else, (apologies in advance if they do)

this will be my last contribution to this post
kind regards

cascais

[Ocker]

I have always asked bar owners, restaraunts owners etc in the USA why they don't pay their staff properly. They look in disbelief when I say that I am subsidising the pay rate of $2 per hour by also paying for the meal drink etc. A taxi driver told me a fare would be $20 plus tip then asked me how to get to a major street in Boston. What a joke ! I only tip when I get exceptional service.

[gillo]

Hi, Ocker, I totally agree that tips should only be given for a top service, which was my point in the first place, Everyone knows that it is not compulsory to tip, just a kind gesture to show appreciation,much the same as this site stands for. Personally, I always like to give a little gift (nothing elaborate, just a packet of biscuits or cakes eg) when I collect an item, after all the person is giving it to you instead of selling it. But it's only right that tips are not given for lousy service and I wouldn't care where in the world it was. Long live goodwill gestures that's what I say,sure where would jumbletown be without it! X

[erica]

For budgeting and money saving advice, check out the Money Advice and Budgeting Service MABS website, www.mabs.ie . You can use their budget spreadsheet to calculate outgoings. If you find yourself in financial difficulty, you can make an appointment with a trained money advisor. The service is free and confidential. They can help you to negotiate with your creditors to come to an acceptable and affordable repayment plan.

For those on very low incomes or totally dependant on social welfare, the Community Welfare Officer can offer help, in the form of an Exceptional Needs Payment for many different things. They can also help with grants for First Holy Communion and Confirmation expenses.

Family Income Supplement is a payment made to families on low incomes, where at least one spouse is in employment of 19 hours or more.
FIS income limits in 2009:
From January 2009, if you have: And your family income is less than:
One child €500
Two children €590
Three children €685
Four children €800
Five children €920
Six children €1,030
Seven children €1,160
Eight children €1,250

So if you have one child and your income from is say, €400
you would qualify for €60 FIS.

It's important to be aware, that no matter how little you may qualify for, you will still get a minimum of €20 each week.
Check out www.welfare.ie

If you are a single parent, you can claim an additional tax credit. If your child lives with your ex and spends only part of the week/weekend with you, you are still entitled to claim the allowance.

[HappyHunter]

I make sure to keep my expenditure to a minimum, on €212.00 a week I don't have a choice.

I bring a flask of coffee or hot water and some fruit with me when going out so I am not inclined to buy snacks.

If I do get the urge to buy snacks I read the ingredient list and that is one sure way of putting me off.

I encourage people to visit & have food here rather than going to restaurants to eat. This way they are sure of good service, no tips expected unless it's tips on fun things to do or doing something in the house.

I hand wash dishes because I gave the dishwasher away to save on electricity.

I use energy saving light bulbs all over the house & turn off lights when room not in use.

I never use immersion to heat water, the oil central heating heats that.

I installed a wood burner which heats all rooms if I leave the doors open into the rooms so central heating is only needed to get temperatures up and then it's turned off.

I get my wood from local woods and forests, from ditches where limbs of trees have fallen. Also buy from local person who provides chopped logs by the trailer load for €50. Thus cutting out the need to buy bags of cut sticks in stores.

Bought locally mined Anthracite for little or nothing which does the job.

Air dry clothes as I don't own a clothes dryer - reduces electricity costs.

Use bottle gas cooker which costs €30 x 3 a year.

Make big pots of delicious vegetable soup which are nutritious and healthy. Freeze some, eat some. No MSG or other flavour enhancers.

When cooking spuds, I boil a big pot, mash and save, some for freezer some for fridge & some for dinner.

I mainly buy my clothes in Charity stores, except for more personal items.

Do all large grocery shopping in Lidl.

To feed the desire to shop, I window shop online :) It saves the feet and conserves energy - no need to go buy coffee, drive or wait for public transport.

Get local people to do work on your house that you cannot do yourself. Word of mouth is the best adverti*****t.

[unapam]

A friend of mine has had to cut back to the bare minimum as she is saving really hard for a deposit on her first home.

She says "We thought making sacrifices would be hard, but quite unexpectedly, we came to see these things as obstacles to living a fuller life. Lack of money brought/bought us a valuable commodity...time"

Nicely put.

Some of the things she did to save money was..

Use the local library to borrow books and movies.
Make lunch and use a flask
Swap clothes with friends to change her wardrobe
Sold as much as possible of her possessions at flea markets (She lives abroad)
Make presents (nicked some of my ideas for this) for Christmas and birthdays
Grew vegetables...organically
Bartered her skills for other peoples skills
Entered as many competitions as possible (and won some)
Babysat for friends and took in dogs for friends going on holiday (all for the going rate of babysitters and kennels)

[MandyD]

another thing i do is:

Search engines: i search for money off coupons.I get loads and loads of printable money off coupons online from loads of different sites.This could be anything from 50c of butter or 2 euro of cereal or 5 euro off razor blades (things that most people use everyday) and you just print them off and take them with you when you do your shopping,simple :)

i also get lots of freebies online - from toothpaste to sanatary towels,creams and clothes.again search engine for freebies and away you go,all you have to do for 99.9% of them is fill in your address and they send them out to you FREE,i dont have to sign up to any of the poxy scams like get them free if you rent 5 dvds etc(you get my drift,lol)

OH I LOVE THE INTERNET


Hey Betsy,
Can you give us a link or an example of these sites you can get free creams and things?

[HappyHunter]

Lack of money brought/bought us a valuable commodity...time"

Nicely put.

Nicely put indeed and I totally agree

Some of the things she did to save money was..

Use the local library to borrow books and movies.
Make lunch and use a flask
Swap clothes with friends to change her wardrobe
Sold as much as possible of her possessions at flea markets (She lives abroad)
Make presents (nicked some of my ideas for this) for Christmas and birthdays
Grew vegetables...organically
Bartered her skills for other peoples skills
Entered as many competitions as possible (and won some)
Babysat for friends and took in dogs for friends going on holiday (all for the going rate of babysitters and kennels)

Yes I do barter, like for instance last year I spent time searching for a shed for a friend who is a tiler, I managed to get a shed for him and he did some tiling for me.

I also sorted out his laptop which is to be paid for by more tiling.

I have actually bartered with people around the world, some of my own formulations of natural creams for something they can send me - exchange of energy :)

The idea of babysitting and pet sitting is a good one :)

rowing our own organic veg and fruit is in the pipeline this year.

Also I'm not sure where I read the idea of creating vouchers as gifts. My 18 year old niece had no money to buy gifts for her parents and siblings this Christmas so I suggested she create a book of vouchers for each of them.

She had the following in the voucher books she created:

For her mom:

Foot massage x 3 vouchers
Shoulder massage x 3 vouchers
Make over x 3 vouchers
House cleaning x 3 vouchers
Brother sitting x 3 vouchers
Car cleaning x 3 vouchers
Yard Cleaning x 3 vouchers

For her dad she had vouchers for Poo patrols, dish washing, cooking, car cleaning and so on.

For her brothers she has vouchers for cleaning their rooms, play time, football playing, story reading, and so on.

For her sister she had Girls afternoon, make overs, room cleaning and other similar promises.

The idea is they give her a voucher when they want to claim the offer.

When they visited me they were full of chat about the gifts she had given them and all agreed they were the best they had received :)

This idea can be used for birthdays also.

[betsy10112000]

im on the hunt for the freebie websites aswel for you.

another one i thought of that i use alot aswel instead of having a credit or laser card

I have a 3V Card - a bit about it if you dont already know

its a prepaid credit card
you can order them online free from www.3v.ie
basically if i wanted to book flights or tickets or pay for anything online etc i just top up my 3V card.
so if my flights are gonna cost me 50 euro total i just go into the shop(i know Byrnes toystore top up but not sure who else) ask them to put 50 euro on the card,there is a 2.50 euro charge to top it up.they give me a receipt with my visa number on it and then they email the expiry date to me straight away.i pay for the tickets in the same way i would if i had a credit card.simple.

saves me buying stuff on a credit card that i know i cant afford to pay back- only buy what i have cash to pay for.
there are charges to top up the card,i think its something like this:
2.50 euro if you top up upto 100 euro i think
5.00 euro anything over this - dont quote me on this but its something like this.

hope this helps some people kerb their spending habits :)

[betsy10112000]

for all those looking for freebies here is another website i found
http://www.100megsfree3.com/arlana/FreeStuff.htm

now alot of them are for US and canada but there are quite a few thats for ROI and UK. sign up for alot of the UK ones aswel just put in your address and postcodes as EIRE or ROI,it works i still get all the free stuff sent here aswel.perfect.

still on the hunt for other sites for you

[betsy10112000]

here is a link for a free pack of seeds
vegetable seeds or flower seeds - for all of you JTers out there that want to try and grow your own food :)

https://www.hiddeneden.com/free-seeds.aspx?

oh my god i have found loads and loads and loads of freebie stuff sites,am i allowed to put all of them on here or what? or is that just going off the initial subject all together.

let me know what people think - i could start a new thread for all te freebie sites and all the freebies we can all register for?

let me know

[jenniferalan]

hi betsy ur doin a great job findin all these sites and passing the word on! Feel free to post here, I can't wait to see what kind of ones u find, I can only seem to find sites that trick u into providing info for free stuff!

Ps just wondering do u get many junk in the mail after the freebies come or any phone calls

[MandyD]

lol I can never find any good freebie sites either...just the ones who want something in return, as you said, Jennifer.

[Chris P]

oh my god i have found loads and loads and loads of freebie stuff sites,am i allowed to put all of them on here or what? or is that just going off the initial subject all together.

let me know what people think - i could start a new thread for all te freebie sites and all the freebies we can all register for?

let me know
Hi betsy10112000,

There's no need to post any more links to freebie/coupon sites or indeed to start a thread dedicated to them.

Members can simply do a Google search for them and decide for themselves what is of interest.

A word of warning: there are a lot of freebie/coupon sites on the net. Many are excellent but some are not; in other words, you could be spammed or worse. Some sites expect you to register but before you do, you should check out the page content, level of updating, and link titles (don't click on them unless you're pretty certain that they're safe).

Regards
Chris P
Admin

[betsy10112000]

hi betsy ur doin a great job findin all these sites and passing the word on! Feel free to post here, I can't wait to see what kind of ones u find, I can only seem to find sites that trick u into providing info for free stuff!

Ps just wondering do u get many junk in the mail after the freebies come or any phone calls
nope never give my phone number - if it is a must to provide a phone number for a freebie cream or something stupid or small like that i just put in any old number that comes off the top of my head - lol

very rare that i get junk mail through post but the few every couple of months i do get is either money off coupons or more freebies so happy days all round :)
sometimes you do have to give your email addres and do sometimes get stupis emails but most ask when you sign up for the freebie if you want to receive their newsletter.

if you do plan on getting loads of different freebies then i advice you to download a software called ROBOFORM.its a free software and basically you fill out all your details on the form,name,address,email etc etc and then when you find a freebie you like just press the roboform icon on the top of your screen and it fills all your details out for you.ingenious :)
because it does become a pain filling out the same info over and over.
if you google roboform or try roboform.com you should be able to download it free:)
enjoy and i will post loads more freebie sites for you now :)

[betsy10112000]

nope never give my phone number - if it is a must to provide a phone number for a freebie cream or something stupid or small like that i just put in any old number that comes off the top of my head - lol

very rare that i get junk mail through post but the few every couple of months i do get is either money off coupons or more freebies so happy days all round :)
sometimes you do have to give your email addres and do sometimes get stupis emails but most ask when you sign up for the freebie if you want to receive their newsletter.

if you do plan on getting loads of different freebies then i advice you to download a software called ROBOFORM.its a free software and basically you fill out all your details on the form,name,address,email etc etc and then when you find a freebie you like just press the roboform icon on the top of your screen and it fills all your details out for you.ingenious :)
because it does become a pain filling out the same info over and over.
if you google roboform or try roboform.com you should be able to download it free:)
enjoy and i will post loads more freebie sites for you now :)

sorry guys headmaster chris says im not allowed to post anymore links - s you will have to do the legwork yourself :( meanie)lol

if you do want anymore help i am well aware of what sites to use etc because i dont like receiving spam either PM me and i will sort you out :)

[MandyD]

One thing I did to help me sort out my finances (I'm a terrible treasurer - I spend, spend, spend!) and take some of the weight off my shoulders each month, bill wise, was to get ESB and Bórd Gáis token meters installed. It's a pain in the sense that if I'm short of cash some week for whatever reason, I can't leave my meters slide until the next week, but at the end of the month I have no bills to pay, as I'm basically using a 'pay as you go' system.
I'd recommend a meter to anyone who's useless with money, like me lol

[betsy10112000]

One thing I did to help me sort out my finances (I'm a terrible treasurer - I spend, spend, spend!) and take some of the weight off my shoulders each month, bill wise, was to get ESB and Bórd Gáis token meters installed. It's a pain in the sense that if I'm short of cash some week for whatever reason, I can't leave my meters slide until the next week, but at the end of the month I have no bills to pay, as I'm basically using a 'pay as you go' system.
I'd recommend a meter to anyone who's useless with money, like me lol
hi mandy
the pay as you go ESB meters - will they install thm for free or is there a fee for having one put in do you know:

[jenniferalan]

hi mandy just wondering along the same lines as Betsy is there an installation fee and is there a big box for the metre? do u have to go to ESB office to get tokens? its a brill idea :)



The idea of giving personal vouchers as presents is a brill idea and very useful, must try that one in the near future!

[MandyD]

Hey guys,

Usually there is an installation fee, but if you contact MABS, they'll get them installed for you for free!

I buy my tokens in the Eurospar here in the town...anywhere you can buy 3V vouchers, or anywhere advertised as a paypoint, will sell the tokens.

You get a card, which is much like a bank/3V card, that you must present on purchase, especially for the gas, as it's put onto the gas card. The ESB one is mainly for show..they give you paper tokens for that.

I usually spend around 20 a week on ESB and 20 on gas...which is a good sight better than getting a 100+ bill in the post!!

I think someone mentioned MABS on here already?

[MandyD]

Oh and, there's no big box for the meter..it's just a lil gizmo that attatches to your regular EBS and gas meter....the ones in the white boxes outside?....and they only take like ten mins to install!

And if you run out of either, unexpectedly, there is an 'emergency credit' system too..you get a fiver of emergency credit which is good for at least a day...and pay it back when you top up again.

[jenniferalan]

Hi Mandy just wondering where u get the paper tokens for esb metre - is it from esb themselves or can u get it in a shop like Bord Gáis?

i have heard of MABS but what exactly do they do? (i know erica outlined but still dont know what u need to claim, how u go about it etc and can u just go in for advice? i need help budgeting and so does my family and me and partner are saving for a house so need all the help we can get )

[jenniferalan]

I make sure to keep my expenditure to a minimum, on €212.00 a week I don't have a choice.

I bring a flask of coffee or hot water and some fruit with me when going out so I am not inclined to buy snacks.

If I do get the urge to buy snacks I read the ingredient list and that is one sure way of putting me off.

I encourage people to visit & have food here rather than going to restaurants to eat. This way they are sure of good service, no tips expected unless it's tips on fun things to do or doing something in the house.

I hand wash dishes because I gave the dishwasher away to save on electricity.

I use energy saving light bulbs all over the house & turn off lights when room not in use.

I never use immersion to heat water, the oil central heating heats that.

I installed a wood burner which heats all rooms if I leave the doors open into the rooms so central heating is only needed to get temperatures up and then it's turned off.

I get my wood from local woods and forests, from ditches where limbs of trees have fallen. Also buy from local person who provides chopped logs by the trailer load for €50. Thus cutting out the need to buy bags of cut sticks in stores.

Bought locally mined Anthracite for little or nothing which does the job.

Air dry clothes as I don't own a clothes dryer - reduces electricity costs.

Use bottle gas cooker which costs €30 x 3 a year.

Make big pots of delicious vegetable soup which are nutritious and healthy. Freeze some, eat some. No MSG or other flavour enhancers.

When cooking spuds, I boil a big pot, mash and save, some for freezer some for fridge & some for dinner.

I mainly buy my clothes in Charity stores, except for more personal items.

Do all large grocery shopping in Lidl.

To feed the desire to shop, I window shop online :) It saves the feet and conserves energy - no need to go buy coffee, drive or wait for public transport.

Get local people to do work on your house that you cannot do yourself. Word of mouth is the best adverti*****t.




Hi HH, just wondering how ur oil heats ur water? we have to use immersion!


U know how i said we dont use a lagging jacket cos we use hot air to dry clothes...well we will def get a lagging jacket now as bet it is costing us more in the long term!

also my mum leaves the immersion on all the time as she thinks that it takes more energy to heat the water when it is stone cold and she thinks that once the water is hot it is barely using much energy if it is still switched on as tank stays hot and stays the same if u know what i mean? do u think this is true or would it be better just to try on immersion once or twice daily for specific amount of time?!

When i have my own house i think ill get a range as it provides heating, something to cook on and hot water - i think it will be good all round!

[MandyD]

i have heard of MABS but what exactly do they do? (i know erica outlined but still dont know what u need to claim, how u go about it etc and can u just go in for advice? i need help budgeting and so does my family and me and partner are saving for a house so need all the help we can get )

Here's a link to the MABS website. Anybody can go to them for advice on budgeting and arranging finances. They will intercede with any creditors you may have and get you a more manageable payment rate, if you need it. They will also help you map out your spenditure and help you to cut out needless spending. The service is free and confidential, and can be a life-saver to those who really need to curb their spending, or have to manage on a low-income.
http://www.mabs.ie/

[Stuarty]

Hi HH, just wondering how ur oil heats ur water? we have to use immersion!


U know how i said we dont use a lagging jacket cos we use hot air to dry clothes...well we will def get a lagging jacket now as bet it is costing us more in the long term!

also my mum leaves the immersion on all the time as she thinks that it takes more energy to heat the water when it is stone cold and she thinks that once the water is hot it is barely using much energy if it is still switched on as tank stays hot and stays the same if u know what i mean? do u think this is true or would it be better just to try on immersion once or twice daily for specific amount of time?!

When i have my own house i think ill get a range as it provides heating, something to cook on and hot water - i think it will be good all round!

I dont think its true that leaving the immersion on all the time is more efficient, my mum tells a story that when we were younger she would leave the immersion on all the time and had large ESB bills. She just thought it was because there were 6 kids and we used more ESB than everyone else. Then someone told her that it wasnt more efficient and when she turned it off the ESB sent an inspector out to check the meter because the change was so great...My radiators are linked to my hot water so if they are on it heats the tap water, I dont use it much though because we only have a shower and no bath

[gillo]

Another way to be more efficient is when refuelling your car, never fill the tank, always only 3 quarters fill it, as the car actually runs more efficiently with less weight. Trust me to come up with this tip just when the price of oil is gone down lol!

[kiara]

In reply to something Kiara said - NEVER EVER CUT UP YOUR CREDIT CARD. It's actually a crime and you can be fined plus the fact that you will still be charged for using something you don't have. Just ring the bank and cancel it.


Wow really I didn't know that... Eddie Hobbs did it lots of times on telly! Oh he's in trouble now!

[kila2008]

Yeah I never heard that about cutting up a credit card before and I worked for a credit card company for 2yrs 3mths in the past and thought I had heard most things about them...lol

[elbo]

We have two electricity meters. One for night and one for day.
In the summer the night one can be used between 12 midnight and 9 a.m.
In the winter you can use the night one between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m.
The night meters is much cheaper than the day meter, so we never turn on the dishwasher/washing machine/dryer/etc. until after the allotted time at night. Yes, there is an extra meter rental charge of I think roughly about €10 on your bill, but if you have a large family and use these appliances on a daily basis, it saves a lot.

[nanonano]

We have it as well but they are about 200 euro to get in the first place and they are only economical if you use a certain amount of electricity.
For someone that recently moved they should check their meter as you can't take them with you. Then the ESB charges you again to install a new energy saver meter! Happened to us. I complained, complained and kept nagging until they did it for free. The person in our old house is lucky however I don't know if they charge again.

[bluecurlygirl]

Yeah I never heard that about cutting up a credit card before and I worked for a credit card company for 2yrs 3mths in the past and thought I had heard most things about them...lol

Well maybe I got it wrong then (wouldn't be the first time) about it being a crime and all but check it out. It'd be hateful being charged for an indefinite peiod of time because you can't produce the card you want cancelled!!! Also, BBC Radio 2 have a guy on who gives money saving tips. He was on about not filling your car as well. Fill it only half full, empty your boot, make sure tyres are properly inflated, remove roof racks etc. Stripping down any unnecessary weight means your car burns less fuel. Also, (apparently) if you fill your tank in cold weather you get more fuel for your money as the fuel condenses in the cold!! Also, apparently, and I suppose it depends on the mileage you do over the year, but the above steps are guaranteed to save you a few hundred quid over 12 months!

[betsy10112000]

i use a site that has loads of money saving ideas and tips.it really is a good site,it is an english site so the special offers they have are for uk only but the ideas and tips are fabs. i use it all the time

its www.moneysavingexpert.com

hope this helps some people im more than sure it will

[bluecurlygirl]

its www.moneysavingexpert.com

hope this helps some people im more than sure it will

Betsy, this is the guy who is the money saving expert on BBC Radio2. I think he's brilliant and I just wish Ireland had someone like him. He gives great tips and sites for anyone living in the uk. But his general stuff is priceless too.

[betsy10112000]

Betsy, this is the guy who is the money saving expert on BBC Radio2. I think he's brilliant and I just wish Ireland had someone like him. He gives great tips and sites for anyone living in the uk. But his general stuff is priceless too.
yep i totally agree,he is good.
they have notice boards and threads and people add their own money saving tips,they are great also.i could spend hours each night reading stuff about how to save money and hey it all adds up

[punkrock06]

i use a site that has loads of money saving ideas and tips.it really is a good site,it is an english site so the special offers they have are for uk only but the ideas and tips are fabs. i use it all the time

its www.moneysavingexpert.com

hope this helps some people im more than sure it will


ya its a brill site always on it the oldstyle board and occasions board are great u could get lost on that site for hours:L:L
they have loads of clips on youtube as well

[jenniferalan]

Hey guys

Just found out an excellent way of saving money on petrol

The website is www.pumps.ie

Simply type in ur area eg galway city and check the cheapest rates of petrol in that area before u leave to get petrol.

Yesterday it was 101.9c in Galway and my partner got petrol for 96.9c as I had checked the site before we left the house, i would def recommend it!

[bluecurlygirl]

I just paid 101.9 for unleaded today and found one in Cavan town for 96.9. I'll be checking this from now on Jennifer. Thanks a million.

[lislaw]

Two tips that have come to mind today :

Instead of buying anti bac cleaning sprays fill up the empty spray bottle with a cap of bleach and water. Works just as well for literally a fraction of the cost. If the smell of bleach doesn't float your boat add a few drops of essential oil, orange or bergamot are good for the kitchen and have antibac properties of their own.

If you're making your own gravy keep the veg and use it as a base for soup the next day. I usually add any left over spuds and veggies as well.

Lisa

[lislaw]

erm - just a note on all the links that have been posted on this thread. I think one of them may contain something unsavoury. I'd opened them in separate windows as I went along to have a look later. They are the only thing different I've done today on this pc. A setup.exe file has just tried to run, luckily with vista you get a warning when anything unexpected happens so I was able to cancel it.
Lisa

[jenniferalan]

If u are going out - into work etc and u have all the neccessities bought already for the week (food, petrol etc) (excluding lunch money etc for that day) then don't bring ur purse with u.

I've tried this 2 days a week when i work evenings and i have saved so much money and have gotten to enjoy window shopping! I just keep change in my pocket 3 or 4 euro and then i def can't buy anything on impulse yet its enough for a cup of tea etc if u meet someone u know

try it, just leave all the bank cards at home and see how much u save!

[lislaw]

yep, like that one. I've done that a few times - by accident!! - and it is truly amazing how many things I would have bought which I either did not really want or need
Lisa

[bluecurlygirl]

That's a good one actually. Also, we're a curly family (hence the name!). My sister spent a fortune on a bottle of stuff in the hairdressers to spray on her daughters hair in the morning to detangle it (I think it was €10 for a small bottle - may have been more). I couldn't believe it. I bought a bottle years ago, it's for spraying plants and it cost less than a euro. I put a squirt of conditioner in it and top it up with water. Shake the living daylights out of it every time it's to be used and hey presto - much easier to brush. Of course my sister didn't believe me and continues to buy the expensive crap. Some people think you have to spend big money to get the results (and a hairdresser told me the stuff she's buying is the same as what I'm doing anway!). So a way to save money and to stop kids with curly hair screaming (or at least not quite as loudly!).

[Stuarty]

Two tips that have come to mind today :

Instead of buying anti bac cleaning sprays fill up the empty spray bottle with a cap of bleach and water. Works just as well for literally a fraction of the cost. If the smell of bleach doesn't float your boat add a few drops of essential oil, orange or bergamot are good for the kitchen and have antibac properties of their own.

If you're making your own gravy keep the veg and use it as a base for soup the next day. I usually add any left over spuds and veggies as well.

Lisa

You can do this with the more concentrated version of cleaning fluids, floor ones are more concentrated than the spray ones. If you dilute them according to the directions on the bottle they work fabulously exactly the same as the store bought sprays, except you havent paid the extra money and you dont have the bleach smell... (I use dettol 4 in 1 with the apple scent and the bottle is the last one I finished )

[cinderella]

another thing i do is:

Search engines: i search for money off coupons.I get loads and loads of printable money off coupons online from loads of different sites.This could be anything from 50c of butter or 2 euro of cereal or 5 euro off razor blades (things that most people use everyday) and you just print them off and take them with you when you do your shopping,simple :)

i also get lots of freebies online - from toothpaste to sanatary towels,creams and clothes.again search engine for freebies and away you go,all you have to do for 99.9% of them is fill in your address and they send them out to you FREE,i dont have to sign up to any of the poxy scams like get them free if you rent 5 dvds etc(you get my drift,lol)

OH I LOVE THE INTERNET


Tried your tip on the 'money off coupons' however I'm mainly getting sites for the US (i.e. dollars). Can you provide website details that you visit?

Many thanks for sharing these tips!

[betsy10112000]

Tried your tip on the 'money off coupons' however I'm mainly getting sites for the US (i.e. dollars). Can you provide website details that you visit?

Many thanks for sharing these tips!
hi if you want a list of some of the sites i have found just send me a quick pm with your email address and i will send you the links

[glowmama]

This link was sent to me and I was dubious - but you get a full money back guarantee so I thought what the heck. The website says you'll save 15% to 27%, but I have to say that my husband and I have found a 10% reduction - still good. You can get them on www.fuelsaver.ie, the price is in dollars but there's someone here in Ireland distributing because we got ours four days after purchase with an Irish postmark. We've noticed benefits ... may be worth a try.

[glowmama]

That's a good one actually. Also, we're a curly family (hence the name!). My sister spent a fortune on a bottle of stuff in the hairdressers to spray on her daughters hair in the morning to detangle it (I think it was €10 for a small bottle - may have been more). I couldn't believe it. I bought a bottle years ago, it's for spraying plants and it cost less than a euro. I put a squirt of conditioner in it and top it up with water. Shake the living daylights out of it every time it's to be used and hey presto - much easier to brush. Of course my sister didn't believe me and continues to buy the expensive crap. Some people think you have to spend big money to get the results (and a hairdresser told me the stuff she's buying is the same as what I'm doing anway!). So a way to save money and to stop kids with curly hair screaming (or at least not quite as loudly!).


Wow! Your sister should listen to her big sister!

[glowmama]

Has pigsback.com been mentioned for food vouchers? By the way, petrol is 84.9c in Clones, Co. Monaghan. There seems to be a bit of a price war there between the two petrol stations out the Monaghan road. If yous are in the area, it'd be worth a visit.

[bluecurlygirl]

This link was sent to me and I was dubious - but you get a full money back guarantee so I thought what the heck. The website says you'll save 15% to 27%, but I have to say that my husband and I have found a 10% reduction - still good. You can get them on www.fuelsaver.ie, the price is in dollars but there's someone here in Ireland distributing because we got ours four days after purchase with an Irish postmark. We've noticed benefits ... may be worth a try.

Hi there,

Went to the link there. Was it hard to install? Has it cut down on your emissions do you know (or does anyone here on jt know how you'd check that). Also, if it's being supplied from Ireland then surely they should give you an address for claiming your money back if it doesn't work. It'd be a pain in the ass if you had to send it back to the usa. Quite good price though. Would love to hear more info on it. Has it made your car run smoother?

[bluecurlygirl]

Wow! Your sister should listen to her big sister!

Who said I was her big sister!?!? Size is irrelevant (or so men would have you believe anyway). Anyhoo, back to subject.

[kiara]

That's a good one actually. Also, we're a curly family (hence the name!). My sister spent a fortune on a bottle of stuff in the hairdressers to spray on her daughters hair in the morning to detangle it (I think it was €10 for a small bottle - may have been more). I couldn't believe it. I bought a bottle years ago, it's for spraying plants and it cost less than a euro. I put a squirt of conditioner in it and top it up with water. Shake the living daylights out of it every time it's to be used and hey presto - much easier to brush. Of course my sister didn't believe me and continues to buy the expensive crap. Some people think you have to spend big money to get the results (and a hairdresser told me the stuff she's buying is the same as what I'm doing anway!). So a way to save money and to stop kids with curly hair screaming (or at least not quite as loudly!).


Are you talking about 2phase? I love the smell of it but it's ridiculously priced! The salons make a fortune from products and the majority of salons give commission to stylists/improvers/even juniors for products sold so they will always push them on you! Still I love that 2phase lol, Kiara x

[bluecurlygirl]

Hello Kiara my little pet, you caught me before going to bed. Long drive to the coldest town in Ireland (birr!) tomorrow. I don't know what it's called. But it's ridiculously priced when you think you can make up a litre of stuff for a couple of cent (one decent squirt of conditioner and water - which is free for now!) And it still smells good and it conditions your hair.
Anyway, night night jt. Sweet dreams.

[kiara]

Nicely put indeed and I totally agree



Yes I do barter, like for instance last year I spent time searching for a shed for a friend who is a tiler, I managed to get a shed for him and he did some tiling for me.

I also sorted out his laptop which is to be paid for by more tiling.

I have actually bartered with people around the world, some of my own formulations of natural creams for something they can send me - exchange of energy :)

The idea of babysitting and pet sitting is a good one :)

rowing our own organic veg and fruit is in the pipeline this year.

Also I'm not sure where I read the idea of creating vouchers as gifts. My 18 year old niece had no money to buy gifts for her parents and siblings this Christmas so I suggested she create a book of vouchers for each of them.

She had the following in the voucher books she created:

For her mom:

Foot massage x 3 vouchers
Shoulder massage x 3 vouchers
Make over x 3 vouchers
House cleaning x 3 vouchers
Brother sitting x 3 vouchers
Car cleaning x 3 vouchers
Yard Cleaning x 3 vouchers

For her dad she had vouchers for Poo patrols, dish washing, cooking, car cleaning and so on.

For her brothers she has vouchers for cleaning their rooms, play time, football playing, story reading, and so on.

For her sister she had Girls afternoon, make overs, room cleaning and other similar promises.

The idea is they give her a voucher when they want to claim the offer.

When they visited me they were full of chat about the gifts she had given them and all agreed they were the best they had received :)

This idea can be used for birthdays also.

My teenage sister gave me a voucher for two free nights of babysitting for xmas, great idea! I hope I get another for my birthday :)

[glowmama]

Regarding www.fuelsaver.ie - the company is in Fermanagh. You can see this at the bottom of the page.

[SantasLittleHelper]

There on eBay for only 5.95 - looks like the same kind of thing. There giving a 30 day money back guarantee. Think I'll grab one.

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270338617058

[xmillyx2007]

Hi betsy, this all sounds brilliant especially the internet shopping but I'd love to know how you pay for stuff on the internet without either a credit or laser card. I'm really curious to know, it would be brilliant to do this. Recently, on a trip to Scotland my husband and I tried to rent a car and simply could not do it without a credit card, (we got rid of ours a year ago), none of the companies would even accept laser cards. It was so frustrating, so I'm really interested to know how it's done. Thanks, gillo



Hi Gillo, I do not own any credit cards myself, i do have a lazer card and a paypal account, but my partner also has a 3V card it works excatily the same as a credit card you just order it online on 3V.ie and they post it out to you within 5 working days normaly. All you do is whenever your buying anything via the internet you top this card up with the ammount you need and it gives u a ref no to print in where you normaly print in ur credit card number, expiary date ect... There is a small fee for this card though like any credit card, but the thing i find good about it is that you cannot over spend because you can only spend what you put on it, excatily like a lazer but you can use it for everything, well everything i've tried so far, like stuff on ebay, trips to england ect... You just top them up in most shops...
Hope this is off interest to you, regards Milly.

[xmillyx2007]

For budgeting and money saving advice, check out the Money Advice and Budgeting Service MABS website, www.mabs.ie . You can use their budget spreadsheet to calculate outgoings. If you find yourself in financial difficulty, you can make an appointment with a trained money advisor. The service is free and confidential. They can help you to negotiate with your creditors to come to an acceptable and affordable repayment plan.

For those on very low incomes or totally dependant on social welfare, the Community Welfare Officer can offer help, in the form of an Exceptional Needs Payment for many different things. They can also help with grants for First Holy Communion and Confirmation expenses.

Family Income Supplement is a payment made to families on low incomes, where at least one spouse is in employment of 19 hours or more.
FIS income limits in 2009:
From January 2009, if you have: And your family income is less than:
One child €500
Two children €590
Three children €685
Four children €800
Five children €920
Six children €1,030
Seven children €1,160
Eight children €1,250

So if you have one child and your income from is say, €400
you would qualify for €60 FIS.

It's important to be aware, that no matter how little you may qualify for, you will still get a minimum of €20 each week.
Check out www.welfare.ie

If you are a single parent, you can claim an additional tax credit. If your child lives with your ex and spends only part of the week/weekend with you, you are still entitled to claim the allowance.

Hi Erica,
I just read your tread and am very interested to kow how this works my partner has no work at the minute so we are currently on bennifts, But he get his son from a previous relationship at the weekends, either friday till saturday or saturday till sunday. He pays maintenance of 60 euro a week and as i said were on bennifts so were struggling to make the payments each week but have to as its court order. So does this mean he can claim for his son too? As 60euro a week is crippling me... regards milly...

[kiara]

Hi Erica,
I just read your tread and am very interested to kow how this works my partner has no work at the minute so we are currently on bennifts, But he get his son from a previous relationship at the weekends, either friday till saturday or saturday till sunday. He pays maintenance of 60 euro a week and as i said were on bennifts so were struggling to make the payments each week but have to as its court order. So does this mean he can claim for his son too? As 60euro a week is crippling me... regards milly...


If 60euro was court ordered when he was employed he can appeal it now that he's not, kiara x

[xmillyx2007]

If 60euro was court ordered when he was employed he can appeal it now that he's not, kiara x

Hi Kiara
Yes it was ordered when he was working, Don't get me wrong i belive everybody should pay for there kids i'm not saying anything like that but if your struggling to keep your head above water there should be some leyway...
He is in the process of trying to come to an agreement because neither of them want or need the hassle of going back to the courts.(but they can't agree on anything) So looks like there will be a trip back and soon. Milly.

[Redrubies]

Hi betsy, this all sounds brilliant especially the internet shopping but I'd love to know how you pay for stuff on the internet without either a credit or laser card. I'm really curious to know, it would be brilliant to do this. Recently, on a trip to Scotland my husband and I tried to rent a car and simply could not do it without a credit card, (we got rid of ours a year ago), none of the companies would even accept laser cards. It was so frustrating, so I'm really interested to know how it's done. Thanks, gillo


Check out www.3v.com

[gillo]

Thanks xmillyx2007 and Redrubies for that info. Will be checking all that out, regards, gillo

[bluecurlygirl]

Check out www.3v.com


Before you get a 3v card check out what the annual limit is. I had one of these when I joined ebay first and I can't remember what the limit was then but I know I exceeded it unknowingly and was left in a right mess paying a fortune for sterling bank drafts etc. So worth checking out first.

[bluecurlygirl]

Regarding www.fuelsaver.ie - the company is in Fermanagh. You can see this at the bottom of the page.

I couldn't find it at the bottom of the page until I went into the link to "verify". So was it hard to install and does your car run more smoothly? Just one other thing, if the company is in Fermanagh why was there an Irish postmark on it?

[bluecurlygirl]

There on eBay for only 5.95 - looks like the same kind of thing. There giving a 30 day money back guarantee. Think I'll grab one.

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270338617058

That's the same company that's selling through the link that glowmama put up. I wonder why the difference in price?

[bluecurlygirl]

Don't forget the thread on paper briquettes. If you search for it on the first page you should find it. I haven't done it yet but I fully intend to start soon. I have an old clothes horse that's warped which I'll be putting over the bath and that should give me loads of room to make a good few. And please don't put up links to the sale of the paper-briquette makers on ebay. The above-mentioned thread tells you how to make them without machines.
Also, the thread on natural cleaning products. I'm still using a few bottles of detergent/cleaning fluids/polishes that are in my press but once they're gone they won't be replaced. Cleaning my range & electric cooker has never been so easy. Plaster on the bread soda & washing up liquid paste, leave it for 10 minutes and BRUSH IT OFF - don't wash it off or you'll be there all day. No elbow grease involved & they come up shining. And a lot cheaper. I'll certainly be needing all these tips now after the hammering we've taken today. I'll be losing between €60 - €70 p.w. thank to Cowen and his p****s. I can't understand how someone earning 8.5 times my salary is only paying 1.5 times the levy that's being put on me though. P****d off as hell so not staying on long guys. So mad and don't know how the hell I'm gonna make ends meet. It's been tough enough lately but it's just gonna be impossible after that slap in the face.

[Wizzzer]

Check out www.3v.com

A better option is to go for Wirecard. It is a pre paid credit card and it has no limits, you can get the online verson free of charge or get the proper plastic card for I believe 25 euro and you have it in 5 - 10 working days.

https://www.wirecard.com/wirecard/

[jenniferalan]

I couldnt keep up with what Cowen was saying today as he moved so swiftly from one topic to another. I couldn't keep up with him so don't know how much it will effect me. Guess it will be in the papers tomorrow

[kiara]

Before you get a 3v card check out what the annual limit is. I had one of these when I joined ebay first and I can't remember what the limit was then but I know I exceeded it unknowingly and was left in a right mess paying a fortune for sterling bank drafts etc. So worth checking out first.


I've just got one of these cards, the limit on what you can top up at any one time is 350euro, I wasn't aware of an annual limit though, please enlighten me before I shop myself into financial crisis! :) Kiara xxx

[bluecurlygirl]

I've just got one of these cards, the limit on what you can top up at any one time is 350euro, I wasn't aware of an annual limit though, please enlighten me before I shop myself into financial crisis! :) Kiara xxx

It's €2500 per annum now. I've just looked up the website. So unless you're a shopaholic it won't bother you (hopefully) but you'd best be careful that you don't become "flush" all of a sudden and buy a few big things. Although sites like this will hopefully prevent us all doing that too often.

[xmillyx2007]

I've just got one of these cards, the limit on what you can top up at any one time is 350euro, I wasn't aware of an annual limit though, please enlighten me before I shop myself into financial crisis! :) Kiara xxx


Hi Kiara,
As far as i know that just means you are only allowed to top up the pre paid card with 350euro at one time in the shops, it does not mean you are going to be charged that to use the card...
The charges are paid in the shop when you top up.
I think the least you can top up with at any one time is 40euro and i think the charge for this is 2.50cent mabey 5.00 not too sure but can ask partner...
Any shop that tops up 3V cards are able to tell you whats the least and max ammounts are for topping up ur card at any one time and what the charges are...
I hope this is of some help, Milly

[rossadrehid]

If u ever get to new york they will put manners on u.
the staff in restaurants, bars etc just get paid a basic not like the basic here more like $5 so need tips to live on its the system . it makes good workers and good service so if u do not tip it means (the poor staff who work flat out) u are telling them they are useless.

[kiara]

Hi guys, thanks for that, I haven't actually topped it up yet and I saw that I can transfer money directly from my bank account to paypal, that might be a better option? x

[betsy10112000]

Hi Kiara,
As far as i know that just means you are only allowed to top up the pre paid card with 350euro at one time in the shops, it does not mean you are going to be charged that to use the card...
The charges are paid in the shop when you top up.
I think the least you can top up with at any one time is 40euro and i think the charge for this is 2.50cent mabey 5.00 not too sure but can ask partner...
Any shop that tops up 3V cards are able to tell you whats the least and max ammounts are for topping up ur card at any one time and what the charges are...
I hope this is of some help, Milly
hi have have and constanting use my 3V card.the minimumm you can top up is 10 euro and also i have toped up my 3v card by more than 350 euro on many occassions and never had any problem.the charge is 2.50 euro for up to 150 euro i think then 5.00 euro after that.

[chakes]

Betsy...did you say you can get cheap flights????

I don't have broadband where I live - no surprise - but I am looking to travel to Asia in Oct...and its taking me ages to go through the sites.

...any hints or useful website to get CHEAP FLIGHTS???

Love all you ideas.

Thanks

[jenniferalan]

hi chakes, try www.lastminute.com and click the button "flights only"

[emmaj]

Try Ethiad Airlines directly also - they seem to normally have some very good deals. IF your own internet connection is very slow nip into the local library - they all have broadband and you can get loads done in an hour. Then you can always go back later once you have the details gathered and have made your final decision.

Wish I was going to Asia !

[Proteavalley]

friend told me about this recently here you can get coupons and money off vouchers, I have just celebrated a birthday (yesterday) and got an extra 1000 points

[cheddarlane]

take a flask to work cassias and keep it in your drawer?

I used to be PA and I held the keys to all the posh executive suits and I would be sipping a hot chocolate and latte most of the day!!

I especially loved the English breakfast tea.. I still buy earl grey as it is the best tea.. it is gorgeous.. but the breakfast one was great during pregnancy..!

I also took over managing the book people orders when one of the office girls left.. and for every 10 books you would get a free book!! I had 3 books one christmas!!
I thought in advance and got 2, for at the time by bump, but she is getting the enjoyment from them now!

Not many perks these days..

I cannot cut back on food shopping as I try and buy organic. but I might try and grow some of my own veg this year and little one can see her veg grow too! peas etc are great!

I have also started to cheat and I am taking a risk, but wool washing things that are dry clean only.. not suits of course.

But only last week I rammed my goose duck down duvet into the washing machine on a wool wash.. loads of fabric conditioner.. gave it a big shake outside and hung it over the airer and it has came up a treat.. beats paying dry cleaners 40e+!!

But not recommended if your favourite item!!

[betsy10112000]

Betsy...did you say you can get cheap flights????

I don't have broadband where I live - no surprise - but I am looking to travel to Asia in Oct...and its taking me ages to go through the sites.

...any hints or useful website to get CHEAP FLIGHTS???

Love all you ideas.

Thanks
chakes looking into at the moment,is there a max price you want to spend? do you mind flying budget travel?also what airport do you want to travel from?
just to give me an idea of the sites i know:)

[irishrose]

take a flask to work cassias and keep it in your drawer?

I used to be PA and I held the keys to all the posh executive suits and I would be sipping a hot chocolate and late most of the day!!

I especially loved the English breakfast tea.. I still buy earl grey as it is the best tea.. it is gorgeous.. but the breakfast one was great during pregnancy..!

I also took over managing the book people orders when one of the office girls left.. and for every 10 books you would get a free book!! I had 3 books one christmas!!
I thought in advance and got 2, for at the time by bump, but she is getting the enjoyment from them now!

Not many perks these days..

I cannot cut back on food shopping as I try and buy organic. but I might try and grow some of my own veg this year and little one can see her veg grow too! peas etc are great!

I have also started to cheat and I am taking a risk, but wool washing things that are dry clean only.. not suits of course.

But only last week I rammed my goose duck down duvet into the washing machine on a wool wash.. loads of fabric conditioner.. gave it a big shake outside and hung it over the airer and it has came up a treat.. beats paying dry cleaners 40e+!!

But not recommended if your favourite item!!


I've been doing that for years with a lot of dry-clean only stuff. I wouldn't do a suit or any wool tailored item because one never knows what the linings/interlinings are made of. But I have a coat I wash in the washer every so often - it's synthetic but says dry clean only. And I wash woollen jumpers by hand in the kitchen sink in warm water with shampoo or with washing up liquid. Then I rinse them, squeeze out the excess water, roll them up in a towel and air dry.

I wash bed pillows in the washer too. They're better off dried in a dryer though, I think. They can take a long time to dry otherwise.

[xmillyx2007]

hi have have and constanting use my 3V card.the minimumm you can top up is 10 euro and also i have toped up my 3v card by more than 350 euro on many occassions and never had any problem.the charge is 2.50 euro for up to 150 euro i think then 5.00 euro after that.


Well i don't know but i asked my partner and he said its 20euro min, i thought it was 40euro and max is 300euro...
Thats what we were told so anything after that i dunno we never topped up with more than 300euro so i could'nt tell you if you if you can thats just what i was told...

[rossadrehid]

I've been doing that for years with a lot of dry-clean only stuff. I wouldn't do a suit or any wool tailored item because one never knows what the linings/interlinings are made of. But I have a coat I wash in the washer every so often - it's synthetic but says dry clean only. And I wash woollen jumpers by hand in the kitchen sink in warm water with shampoo or with washing up liquid. Then I rinse them, squeeze out the excess water, roll them up in a towel and air dry.

I wash bed pillows in the washer too. They're better off dried in a dryer though, I think. They can take a long time to dry otherwise.

Companies put dry clean only on tags so that if u wash it they are not liable.
IF IT IS 100% COTTON U CAN ABUSE IT.
OTHERWISE GENTLY DOES IT,

[jenniferalan]

anyone got any other tips they can share? If u know a lot of neighbours, u could all chip in together as a group and buy say 1000L of oil each saving u a lot of money as it is buying in bulk and they will give u a discount.

For eg: our neighbour organises this once a yr, he typically gets about 20 people to join and everyone has to get same amount - 1000L. He then rings around oil companies to get the best quote. Typically every household saves 100euro and the person who organises the whole thing could get their oil for free. Great idea!

[rosbabe]

Anyone ever hear of haggling. I did this with my car insurance and saved €200! I would never in a million years do this b4, but I was so glad I did. Here's how I did it. My insurance company sent me a renewal as my insurance was up, so I went on the internet to get a few quotes. I emailed my insurance company and gave them the lowest quote I got. I then rang them a few days later and they told me that they couldnt match the quote I got and gave it to me for €xxx which was €200 less than what they originally wanted. So there you are, it was as easy as that!!

[tradinghippie]

You're a star, betsy. Thanks for that info, I'm delighted to know that. We had to ask friends to rent the car on our behalf and pay them back, how annoying. I'll definitely look into the paypal account. Thanks a million, gillo

Get a pre pay credit card for buying stuff online. top it up like your phone.

www.3v.ie

[unapam]

One way you can cut costs is stop buying foreign magazines and just buy our own Irish produced Prudence Magazine. Better than anything produced abroad and jam packed with great ideas for a great lifestyle without breaking the bank. This month's issue has a feature on how to have a wonderful wedding on a budget and loads of ideas for having a great night "out" -in!

I am not connected to this magazine except as a reader. I just love it and have not bought any other mag since discovering it. You will love it -guaranteed! Oh, and the price is very reasonable too!

http://www.prudence.ie/

[Betty_Bubbles]

Right a have a few tips or ways to save money, might not be great for some but work great for me :)

1: TESCO - as in their motto every little helps and it sure does - Tesco have a motto that if when you purchase something at the til and then realise on your receipt that you paid more than it said on the shelf or special offer sign(even 1c more) then they will refund you the full amount and give you the item/s free. eg if you go in tesco and see a bottle of wine,on the shelf it says 9.99 for this exact bottle so you buy it and then AFTER you have paid for it check your receipt and it says 10 euro for the wine,take it to customer services and you get a FULL refund AND the wine aswel :) happy days. tobe honest i use this alot.in the last 6 months i have got full refunds and the item free on the following items to name a few : A lexmark wireless printer (it was supposed to be 89.99),vacuum,beans,coffee,hot chocolate,soup,clothes,underwear,dvds,ps2 games,cds,perfume,toilet rolls,chicken fillets,ham,pork plus many many more

2:TESCO yet again (tesco's will ban me soon,lol)- clubcard points - if you dont already have a clubcard get one,also sign up for tesco wine club and babyclub and finest food club,yeah you might not drink or have a baby but some of the vouchers they send are great,i got the baby club vouchers through and there were general vouchers on them,spend 40 euro and save 5 euro or spend 20 euro and get 1000 clubcard points all these on the baby vouchers :)

3: TESCO When you get your tesco club card vouchers through dont spend them in tesco,they can be used for so much more.recently i went to the UK with my partner,2 kids and took the car aswel and all it cost me was 2 euro,yes 2 euro.how I did it - i had 4500 tesco point (most acheived with the free vouchers i got through in baby club statement and wine club and i dont drink),i saved it because there valid for 2 years,3 months later another 4000 points,equivalent to 85 euro to spend in tesco BUT i got 4 times that amount if i used them for stenna line so i had a total of 340 euro to spend at stenaline.it cost me 342 euro t take us all and car to UK - bargain :)

4: THE INTERNET Anything that i cant get free or cheap in tesco I buy on the internet. I can get flights all around the world for as little as 2 CENT return :) you can get a discount code for almost everything just search on any search engine for discount codes for whatever,say if you wat to buy flowers from interflora put in discount codes for interflora and hey presto.I recently sent a bunch of 40 red roses to my mother in law in england,i found discount codes and i sent - 40 red roses in a glass vase,teddy bear,chocolates and free delivery for wait for it - 6.99 euro.

i have many more trade secrets so keep checking, Im gonna try out some of the other money saving tips aswel,oh and i only have a regular bank account,no laser or visa card,no credit cards just a paypal account and thats all you need - costs nothing
:)


I'm gobsmacked...that's just amazing....will you come shopping with me and teach me all your tricks!

[cheddarlane]

Hi Betty

I would love to know more about the stena tesco thing

I save my points up for christmas, and I am going to the uk in the summer.

I would love some info on this..

Also my car insurance is due up soon.. Existing company quoted me more than I am currently paying???
they want 1,170e?

not paying that!!! I was paying less as a prov driver 3 years ago!!

so rang around and got the best deal from esure, for 400e!!

[bluecurlygirl]

This link was sent to me and I was dubious - but you get a full money back guarantee so I thought what the heck. The website says you'll save 15% to 27%, but I have to say that my husband and I have found a 10% reduction - still good. You can get them on www.fuelsaver.ie, the price is in dollars but there's someone here in Ireland distributing because we got ours four days after purchase with an Irish postmark. We've noticed benefits ... may be worth a try.

Seeing as glowmama never got back to us on any benefits she (I presume you're a she!) saw I decided to do some checking online and this is what I found:

http://www.energeticforum.com/renewable-energy/1591-magnetic-fuel-savers.html

You can check it out for yourselves and it gives you a very cheap way of experimenting with this method for yourself without buying any device. There doesn't seem to be significant improvements in mpg but you can judge for yourselves. Apparently mythbusters did a program on it.

[chakes]

Hi Betsy,

I will travel from any airport, the cheaper the budget airline the better.

It would suit me best to travel Sep - Nov or Jan - Mar.

Thanks a mil....

[jennie]

Anyone that shops in Supervalu, there's coupon booklets on each till full of money off coupons for loads of different items.

[betsy10112000]

:O.... Why am I only finding out about that refund & free item thing now!! I could have got everything for the house free lol

Anyway I googled that & it says they stopped doing that policy after they were robbed blind on xbox 360s & shoppers purposely taking advantage of the offer by seeking out wrongly priced products so they changed it in 2007 to "double the difference"
thats strange,it still happens in my tesco anyway,(great for me)it still has a sign up behind customer services in my tesco(gorey)and also in tesco arklow.
have a few more things that i just have to find out a bit more info and the t&c's before i spill all the beans to u lovely bargain hunting jumbletowners :) lol
if people wanna try and find out more about it than i can then thats great,just let me know aswel,lol
i heard that if tesco do not display a price label on the shelf with a barcode on it then they are obliged to give you the item for free.know im not to sure if this is just in the uk and also not sure if is just tesco or other supermarkets but i heard it was a new law brought out stating supermarkets had to display a price label with a barcode on the shelf for each product they sell.if anyone could have a check around and see what they come up with and let me know :) oh and let everyone else know,lol

[jennie]

I'm going to investigate that! I never saw it displayed in any Tesco that I've ever been in & I wouldn't mind I know a woman working in Tesco & she's been there yearrrrss & she never mentioned it... tho she wouldn't be the brightest bulb in the house so that may answer why she said nothing!

[jennie]

Anyone who has pets or a dog on expensive food if you buy via the internet & pay for it in sterling you save a fortune.

I've a list made of stuff to order from one site, to buy here in the shops would cost me around €250 if not more to buy, yet to buy in sterling via the internet it'll only cost £127.00

[nono]

Hi Jennie,

Just wondering what site online you buy the petfood. I feed a lot of cats as I was let down badly by the Galway SPCA and its really expensive. I'd be really interested in this site. Best Wishes, Nono

[irishchick56]

Anyone that shops in Supervalu, there's coupon booklets on each till full of money off coupons for loads of different items.

I sometimes shop in supervalu and have never came across these coupons maybe i could ask at the information desk, thanks for letting us know!

[irishchick56]

Simple things like switching off things we dont use! Change our bulbs, recycle...

A good tip is to only use 1 helping of shampoo when you wash your hair, if you leave the shampoo on your hair for a few minutes before you wash it off you get the same effect as if you washed it twice :-)

[Moeby]

Hi just noticed this was first posted in July 2007, before all this talk of recession so well done for bumping it now, when people are really needing to cut back and save money. I know this recession is very tough on a lot of people, but really it's a matter of getting back to reality and saving where you can. I filled my car (it's a 7 seater so all seats fold down to make it like a van) with all recycling things and took it to the recycling centre where it cost me only 2 euro to dispose of unwanted items. I then filled it again with things I could not recycle (2 old torn matresses and 2 old carpets) and took them to the dump which cost me 20 euro. There is a huge difference, so it definately pays to recycle where you can. Another thing I have done to cut down on energy costs, is to revert to old fashioned ways, like not using the dishwasher, not using the tumbledryer only when necessary. Turning off the immersion and using the solid fuel cooker for heating water (don't have central heating). Turning off lights that are not in use and also making sure the computer and broadband is turned off at the mains when not in use. Plugging out chargers etc. This actually saves me 15-17 euro a week ( I know because I pay by cards weekly and where it was costing about 35 euro a week it went down to 20 euro). (My ESB bills would be fairly high because I work from home as a hairdresser so I would be using dryers etc.), but if you put in a small amount of effort it creates huge savings. Kind regards.

[Costellon]

Avoid parking tickets by leaving your windscreen wipers turned to 'fast wipe' whenever you leave your car parked illegally.

Housewives. I find the best way to get two bottles of washing-up liquid for the price of one is by putting one in your shopping trolley and the other in your coat pocket.

Heavy smokers. Don't throw away those filters from the end of your cigarettes. Save them up and within a few years you'll have enough to insulate your roof.

Don't waste money buying expensive binoculars. Simply stand next to the object you wish to view.

Smokers. Save on matches and lighters, by simply lighting your next fag from the butt of your last one.

[jpmum]

ha ha ha costellon, best advise by a mile LOL!!!!!
very good!

[nono]

I sometimes shop in supervalu and have never came across these coupons maybe i could ask at the information desk, thanks for letting us know!

Hi Irishchick,

These books of coupons are left on the checkouts in my local store. If you havent managed to get one, I'll post one on to you. Best Wishes, Nono

[erica]

I saved money on my bin charges by sharing a bin with my neighbour. I also use a compost bin and a wormery and go to the bottle bank regularly.

When I take the kids out for the day, we pack a picnic, drinks snacks, fruit, etc. When we go to the cinema, I also bring our own drinks and snacks in a small backpack, cos snacks & drinks in cinemas cost a fortune.

I usually bring a packed lunch to work, because going out for lunch costs at least €10 per day.

I shop in Lidl and Aldi for most of my groceries, they are much cheaper than Tesco or Dunnes, in my opinion.

[lislaw]

As we are trying to cut back on our expenses I just rang Sky to cancel the subscription on my second sky box which costs me about €15 per month.
The very nice man on the end of the phone informed me that as I've had the box for so long they could offer me half price subscription on it rather than cancelling it altogether. So I've saved myself €7 per month, still have the same service and don't have to worry about paying reconnection fees at a later date.

[betsy10112000]

hi guys
i wanna cut down on my bills as much as i can.i dont have sky tv etc.
when i moved into my house last september i got a phone line off eircom just so i could get the broadband,now its costing me 80 euro a month just forthe phone that i never use!!
does anyone know who i can get fast reliable broadband from without having a phone line?
i live in gorey,county wexford.i tried chorus ntl but they dont cover my area.
please any suggestions?

oh and just to let people know.i changed every single bulb in my house to energy saving light bulbs and i got my esb bill through,its normally 120 euro every 2 months but now its 62 euro every 2 months.what a massive saving.
buy you bulbs reallly cheap on ebay,save even more this way :)

[jennie]

hi guys
i wanna cut down on my bills as much as i can.i dont have sky tv etc.
when i moved into my house last september i got a phone line off eircom just so i could get the broadband,now its costing me 80 euro a month just forthe phone that i never use!!
does anyone know who i can get fast reliable broadband from without having a phone line?
i live in gorey,county wexford.i tried chorus ntl but they dont cover my area.
please any suggestions?

oh and just to let people know.i changed every single bulb in my house to energy saving light bulbs and i got my esb bill through,its normally 120 euro every 2 months but now its 62 euro every 2 months.what a massive saving.
buy you bulbs reallly cheap on ebay,save even more this way :)


Hi,

If your not using the phone would you consider disconnecting it & buying the mobile broadband from any mobile phone operator?? 3G used to be the cheapest, you paid around €100 for your modem & €20 a month then. Just go into any carphone warehouse & pick up a brochure & you'll see the pricelist in the back for all operators & what they offer you each month. Plus they can check your area for you to see if you have enough coverage in your area to avail of the mobile broadband.

jennie

[betsy10112000]

Hi,

If your not using the phone would you consider disconnecting it & buying the mobile broadband from any mobile phone operator?? 3G used to be the cheapest, you paid around €100 for your modem & €20 a month then. Just go into any carphone warehouse & pick up a brochure & you'll see the pricelist in the back for all operators & what they offer you each month. Plus they can check your area for you to see if you have enough coverage in your area to avail of the mobile broadband.

jennie
thanks for that will go to carphone warehouse tomorrow :)
can i cancel my eircom even if i havent been with them 12 months?

[jennie]

Well I can't see why they wouldn't let you cancel it, seen as they cut you off anyway when your late paying a bill!!

Also I looked in to Perlico a while back & for a basic package for broadband & unlimited irish calls it was it was wayyyyy cheaper than Eircom, the saving was unreal... & the do special offers a fair bit too

:( we couldn't switch tho cos himself has a business listing with eircom & if he moves he'll lose that, even tho we're paying mad money for the broadband when it's as slow at times & keeps disconnecting!

[susannn10]

Hi Just said i reply in relation to the mobile broadband, i was on the 3g site a couple of days ago getting the broadband. I was charged €1 as an adminstration charge,which you've to pay online with your credit/debit card, modem was free and it's €19.99 per month, you just set up a direct debit to pay it. And it's delivered mega quick too. So you're not waiting ages. Hope this proves usefull. Susan

[jennie]

Some of them offer Bill pay at the PO as well.

[betsy10112000]

Hi Just said i reply in relation to the mobile broadband, i was on the 3g site a couple of days ago getting the broadband. I was charged €1 as an adminstration charge,which you've to pay online with your credit/debit card, modem was free and it's €19.99 per month, you just set up a direct debit to pay it. And it's delivered mega quick too. So you're not waiting ages. Hope this proves usefull. Susan
thanks for that but wont go back to 3G.i had them for 1 month and had nothing but trouble and such slow internet.when i cancelled within the allotted time i was told i wouldnt be charged and i canceled my direct debit.but twice they went into my account and took out money!!
i still have an ongoing investigation about this.

[noni]

Hi Betsy,
Your Eircom bill shouldnt be around 80 euro when you dont use it, it should be the phone line charge which is 20 something euro . I changed to BT a couple of years ago both our phoneline and wireless broadband and we are pleased with the service it costs 40 something euro per month which includes phone line rental, calls and broadband.

[jenniferalan]

I would advise talking to the Revenue about this, www.revenue.ie

[jennie]

QUERY

Hallo everyone, i dont know, can i ask about road taxes here? Problem is that i pay verry big road tax for ford transit van. Is not big van, everyone who haves van like this, says road taxes cost 200-300 or more per year.. I payd 265 per 3 monts, i asked price for 1 year-900 eur!!! My van ensured privatly, but if i will ensure for commercial use, they says i will pay about 500 per 3 monts, dont know how much per year... Whats the f..k here? Someone, let me know whats wrong here... Im unemployed, i use my van with expired tax disc, dont have money, and i know, something wrong here... Thanks to everyone..

Your best bet is ask the motor tax office anyone taxing a transit for a year for €265 probably has it classed as a mobile workshop. If it's a crew cab transit you have it could explain the cost, they don't see them as a van they get classed as passenger carrying vehicles same as a car & cos the van weighs so much you fall in the high bracket

[jennie]

Once again, I placed the monthly pet order online, on account of buying off the English site & paying in sterling plus a 10% discount (I cheated the discount again lol I managed to get 1 for 1 on the cost cos of it tho), Plus free delivery.

I got 33 items off the English site where as I would have only got 3 off the Irish site for the same price. So lots of spoilt happy pets next week & a happy purse as I have been saving up all my spare change the past month to stock up on the 4 leggys.

[ssauliuss]

Thank u Jennie, i will try to find best way...

[Sabrinabray]

Once again, I placed the monthly pet order online, on account of buying off the English site & paying in sterling plus a 10% discount (I cheated the discount again lol I managed to get 1 for 1 on the cost cos of it tho), Plus free delivery.

I got 33 items off the English site where as I would have only got 3 off the Irish site for the same price. So lots of spoilt happy pets next week & a happy purse as I have been saving up all my spare change the past month to stock up on the 4 leggys.
Hi jennie
Can u pls give me the name of the site?
Thanks!

[jennie]

Hi,

The name is www.zooplus.co.uk. Never use the Irish site, things are over priced & some the same as what you'd pay in a shop here & you only get a 5% discount on your first order where as the English one gives you a 10% discount. The discount worked wonders for me the exchange rate was horrible when I ordered but thanks to the discount it left it one for one on the price.

Examples: I got a bag of dog food €38.80 on the irish site where as £28.99 on the Uk one, automatic saving of €10, I got a multi-pack of hamster bedding (3 bags per multi pack) for the same price of just one pack out of the pet shop, therefore 3 for the price of 1 here. Everything I got on it was a bargain. & 10 free 9KG bags of litter type stuff to use for the hamsters as they don't sell the woodchip.


Also anyone interested in ordering from zooplus, if I refer ppl they'll give you a £3 voucher to use on the site

[Sabrinabray]

The name is www.zooplus.co.uk
Thanks jennie! Off to have a gander now!

[jennie]

I know!! Ignore those "Save Private Euro" posters you see every where... go north instead lol

[sparkwell]

My money saving tip to Jumbletown is washballs! I bought eco washballs at Christmas. You use them instead of washing powder. I have found them very good for washing all types of clothes except whites. I continue to use washing powder for whites as the wash balls contain no bleaching agents so the whites appear dull. If you have obvious stains you are better to pretreat but I got into the habit of doing that years ago! I find them excellent and at €37.50 see www.ecoshop.ie, I haven't needed to top up the balls with refills given yet - washing for a family of 4. The other brilliant thing is they are very good at prolonging the life of your clothes as they do not wash out the dye and also they are good for people with allergies. I have found less need to iron and you can shorten the wash cycle thereby cutting on water consumption win win!!! I bought my Mother some for Christmas and she too is delighted with them.

[jennie]

washing powder - If your still addicted to Bold, Daz, Persil etc Dunnes & Supervalu get the big boxes all the time for around €19.00 although I bought a cheap box of Supervalu Nice Price washing powder 4KG under €4. Got it for washing pet bedding but I chanced it one day on my clothes as I'm sensitive to most washing powers & I had no reaction to it. Tested it on filthy oily work clothes which the boyfriend kindly left me & it washed them every bit as good as the leading brand if not better!

Kitchen Roll- We buy in bulk usually 20 or more rolls for €7.50

Toilet Roll - You can get 40 rolls for around €9 - €12, most are of same quility as the leading brands

Saved a fortune compared to when I think back & remember what the shopping bill in the supermarket used to be!

[sparkwell]

Another thing I did to save money was buy a moonlight! You plug it in and it can be used 24hours for a whole year and it will only use the equivalent of 50p electricity. I have one in our hallway and leave it plugged in all the time. It gives off a lovely green glow and means you don't have to leave a light on or keep switching on and off. They can also be used as nightlights for small children. I bought it from the following website which I love http://www.naturalcollection.com/natural-shop/Eco-Money-Savers-page2.aspx

I think I also came across it on an Irish website but can't remember which one. Anyway I think it is a brilliant idea!!

[bluecurlygirl]

Another thing I did to save money was buy a moonlight! You plug it in and it can be used 24hours for a whole year and it will only use the equivalent of 50p electricity. I have one in our hallway and leave it plugged in all the time. It gives off a lovely green glow and means you don't have to leave a light on or keep switching on and off. They can also be used as nightlights for small children. I bought it from the following website which I love http://www.naturalcollection.com/natural-shop/Eco-Money-Savers-page2.aspx

I think I also came across it on an Irish website but can't remember which one. Anyway I think it is a brilliant idea!!

It's on the ecoshop website as well - £9.95 on english website and with ecoshop it €11.95 (special offer by the look of it at the minute).

[cinderella]

washing powder - If your still addicted to Bold, Daz, Persil etc Dunnes & Supervalu get the big boxes all the time for around €19.00 although I bought a cheap box of Supervalu Nice Price washing powder 4KG under €4. Got it for washing pet bedding but I chanced it one day on my clothes as I'm sensitive to most washing powers & I had no reaction to it. Tested it on filthy oily work clothes which the boyfriend kindly left me & it washed them every bit as good as the leading brand if not better!

Kitchen Roll- We buy in bulk usually 20 or more rolls for €7.50

Toilet Roll - You can get 40 rolls for around €9 - €12, most are of same quility as the leading brands

Saved a fortune compared to when I think back & remember what the shopping bill in the supermarket used to be!

Where are you getting 40 toilet rolls for €9 ? Same for kitchen rolls?

[jennie]

fairyhouse Market,
Country Store in Clane
Other shops dotted around the place, any of them shops that look like over priced pound shops always have them, you know the type of ones that sell ornaments, garden bits, household items, toys, office bits & pieces etc etc

They all tend to stock the toilet roll & kitchen roll cos alot of them drive up north to buy the shop stock

[bluecurlygirl]

Where are you getting 40 toilet rolls for €9 ? Same for kitchen rolls?

I get 12 toilet rolls in centra for €3 and I like my comfort (if you catch my drift) - they're grand. Does anyone else here think that kitchen rolls are unnecessary? Waste of trees in my opinion.

[jennie]

When you have four dogs & one prone to sickness kitchen rolls are a must! And the comfort of the bulk t roll is the same as leading brands lol one you know which brand of the bulk to buy lol I wouldn't allow it into the house other wise lol

[unapam]

In these depressing times one needs to do what one can to make life easier. With this in mind I have trawled the Internet for money saving tips for you all. ....The simple logic of these small changes. that all of us could easily make to our lives , is astounding.

TIPS FOR SURVIVING THE CREDIT CRUNCH

- Don't waste money on expensive iPods. Simply think of your favourite tune and hum it. If you want to "switch tracks", simply think of another song you like and hum that instead.

- Don't waste money on expensive paper shredders to avoid having your identity stolen. Simply place a few dog doings in the bin bags along with your old bank statements.


- Save money on expensive personalised car number plates by simply changing your name to match your existing plate. Mr. KVL 741Y,

- Don't waste money buying expensive binoculars. Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.


- Save electricity by turning off all the lights in your house and walking around wearing a miner's hat.

- Housewives, the best way to get two bottles of washing-up liquid for the price of one is by putting one in your shopping trolley and the other in your coat pocket.

- Old telephone directories make ideal personal address books, simply cross out the names and address of people you don't know.

- Save on booze by drinking cold tea instead of whisky. The following morning you can create the effects of a hangover by drinking a thimble full of washing up liquid and banging your head repeatedly on the wall.


- Old people, if you feel cold indoors this winter, simply pop outside for ten minutes without a coat, when you go back inside you will really feel the benefit.

- Why pay the earth for expensive jigsaws? Just take a bag of frozen chips from the freezer and try piecing together potatoes.



- Make your own inexpensive mints by leaving blobs of toothpaste to dry on a window sill.

- Shoppers, when buying oranges, get more for your money by peeling them before taking them to the counter to be weighed.

- Mix tea with coffee, and leave in the fridge to cool. Hey presto! Toffee.

....and always remember....laughter is a great tonic and is free! :-)

[Jen]

This isn't a green so much as just a money saving tip, and only really suitable if you live near Bray in Wicklow.

There's a new "discount" store opened called www.cheepcheep.ie The deal seems to be, order on line and then pick up in x days.

I haven't used it yet. I wouldn't see it as an option for a weekly or even monthly shop. They have a limited range, but they do have main brands at reduced prices. I can see myself stocking up on toiletries/dried goods say every 6 months.

Certain things work out far cheaper, e.g. special on can's of diet coke - 30 for 8:89 (30 cent each), versus Tesco's 12 pack for 6:69 (56 cent each). I just took this as an example.

A green/healthier example would be Bunalun Organic Fusili 500g - 1.07, or by two for 1.98 in cheepcheep versus 1.53 in Tesco's.

I compared a few things, all came in around a 25 - 30% cheaper. Though some brands I didn't recognise.

Note - Saw it advertised on www.cheapeats.ie which is another fun one, they list out all of the deals of the week for the different supermarkets amongst other stuff.

[TickTock]

After reading Unapam's tips..............I was paralysed with laughter!!! Thank you so much for that.

My own humble money saving tip - Skype - everyone should be using it.

In the last recession in the 80's I bought a cookbook called "Cooking on the Breadline" by Jo Hatcher. Then I realised that I could have written the book myself as I was already following the thrifty lifestyle taught to me by my mother. My mother's favourite sayings were "you can't spend more than you have" and "you must cut your cloth according to your measure" which is the same thing of course. I've always following her advice and it has always worked for us, especially with the amount of unemployed people in our house right now.

Just one more thing - like me, does anyone else miss Roches Stores? I am still feeling bereaved since it disappeared from Henry Street in Dublin. If anyone finds it would you please return it immediately.

[sparkwell]

In my previous post I put down the wrong price for the wash balls I bought. They cost me €11.78 for the Ecoballs 150 wash system and I expect them to last me in total with the top up provided about 9 months washing for a family of 4. I think that is brilliant value and as I said I am saving on rinse time therefore electricity, water and ironing! I would heartily recommend them to anybody especially people with sensitive skin.

Unapam I loved your tips. I tried the jigsaw with the frozen chips but had mashed potatoes by the time I was finished!!

[keep-it-tidy]

i find the wash balls are brillant for washing the clothes, just one problem i paid 152 in dunnes for 2 and last week i came accross them in my local pound shop for 2e for 2 surely they would do the same thing?

[sparkwell]

Keep it tidy I know in the leaflet I got it said that not all wash balls are the same and some of them are not so eco-friendly. I would say if they are 2 euros they are more than likely not as good as the others you have been using! If I can get 150 washes from mine for just 11 euros I will be more than happy!! I bought a refill for them at the same time so it looks like my washing bill is sorted for a while!

[jenniferalan]

bump for more tips!

[mariusstanley]

Try sourcing supplies from local community workers.
Example: country markets, neigbhour boards, layity.com, bankofworks.com

[Milky_moo]

was soooooo tired of throwing out bananas - I always have the intention of using them to make banan bread, and sometimes never get round to it. Out of curiosity, I wondered if they could be froze, and they can!
So, freeze your bananas that have gone too ripe! they can be used for banana bread and smoothies!

[jjkbl37]

My brother in law used to always do the grocery shopping in their house, he reckons he saved a fortune by buying 8 dinners a week, freezing one, then once a month he only had to buy lunches. Didn't believe it would make a difference (reasoning you're out the same amount eventually), but after trying it, find it does work (if you're careful). Although I'm buying 8 dinners a week for five people, I still have the same housekeeping money, so have to be more careful, cos if I haven't got it in the purse I can't spend it. Try it and see, if I can do it, anyone can.

[myszak]

I think even better than buying dinners and freezing them is cooking more dinners at the weekend and freeze them. I started doing that recently and it works! I buy bigger packs of meat, veg etc and therefore it is cheaper (economy of scale!) and instead of cooking dinner for two I cook for four and freeze spare two dinners.

[garrazzaband]

ok so i google this and got some tips which ive edited and put together, they are very useful

• Cut out buying newspapers everyday. Some of them you can read freely on the internet, if you cant chances are the most interesting stories will be available on rte.ie or other websites anyway.

• Magazines are a drain on finances also, if travelling by bus buy an mp3 player with a radio or print off interesting articles off the net.

• Cut down on the booze, if you are a habitual weekend nightclubber, try leaving home an hour or two later than normal. Amazing how much this saves!!

• If you eat choc bars everyday see what 6/10 packs are available in the supermarket (although danger here is that you end up consuming more)

• Downgrade your car & exit the car loan trap / Don't fall into the car loan trap / Always use your savings to purchase or upgrade your car when you can afford it. Decide if you need to drive your current car, if its a larger engine but you only do 10-20 miles a day could you realistically downgrade to a smaller car? Lower road tax, insurance and running costs are worth it if you can then buy your dream car a year or 3 down the line without having to borrow!



• Set up an automated direct debit to pay the full amount on your credit card. Don't buy anything on your card, unless your bank a/c can cover it. To avoid a large direct debit, and help keep with budget consider manually transferring money to your credit card during the month. If you find it difficult to manage your credit card stop using it.


• Practise minimising your costs starting with the largest average monthly spend. e.g. are you on cheapest mortgage, cheapest loan, cheapest credit card, are you on the cheapest mobile network and package for your usage, should you cancel your landline, should you use skype more, (use skype for calls – its free!!)do you need sky digital, are you heating your house and water effectively? are you using the cheapest broadband provider, are you getting free banking?


• make a shopping list and stick to it


• Make use of advantage cards/ clubcards every time you shop. You will get vouchers in return for points built up --which are very handy!


• Cook your own dinners! Keep the takeaway for the occasional treat. For the price of a large pizza & extras you could cook dinner for 4 days. Freeze extra portions for the days you don't feel like cooking;
• Invest in a smoothie maker or hand-held blender - it saves loads of money in the long run if you like smoothies and it means you won't throw out your leftover fruit;

• Keep a spending diary, or at the very least check your balance regularly, you should be able to estimate your balance before you check at the ATM;

• Have a kettle @ work - cuts out buying teas & coffee. Eat losts of fruit instead of (more expensive) sugarery snacks.

• Make sure that you are reclaiming all your entitelements from the Tax man i.e. medical exps, rent, refuse charges etc.

• Have your hair cut/coloured in a hairdressing school.

• make sure that your charitable / religious donations are made by standing order, so you can pay out less & fill in the Revenue form @ end of the year to allow the charitable body claim your tax back.

• walk/cycle rather than driving. "win/win".

• If you are eating out decide on a starter and main, or main and dessert - you don't need to kill your social life, but just make wiser decisions.

• In winter time, turn down the heat a few degrees and put a jumper on.

• Hand wash the dishes rather than using the dishwasher.

• Buy a travel coffee cup and make yourself a cup of coffee to take on the bus/train rather than buying expensive coffees on the way to work.

I'm all for saving the planet, stuff and money etc.But here we are well into the new millenium and I've really noticed that the world is starting to go backwards, so sad. During the last 100 years we manged to to have people travelling on sheduled airlines faster than the speed of sound, now it's gone. We managed to create wonderfull bathrooms 'Inside' our homes and invented showers which dramatically saved hot water by about 90% now they ask us to spend less time in the shower. We have beautiful comfortable homes , highly insulated and they tell us 'turn the heat down further and 'put a bloody jumper on'. Then we have the most wonderfull invention after the washing machine, the 'dishwasher, now they're telling us to dump that and go back to washing the dishes by hand. Yes folks, we are all starting to go backwards. We'll all be back living in tents soon and washing 'ourselves' and everything else in the river. If the planet 'really is' in that bad a shape ,well we all might as well top ourselves now. Better than frying to death in the global warming. What we should be doing is taking a leaf out of Obama's book when he says "we make no apology for our way of life but we will find a greener way of doing it". So come on lads, don't take this stuff so far. relax in your 't' shirt in front of you tv, hopefully it's all running on wind energy!!.

[dee1]

i do my christmas/birthday etc.. pressie shopping all year round;;i make up hampers for different occasions,for example € shops buy baby products 1 a week for a new addition,body stuff for teens,pennies again 1 a week clothes hamper or accessories one,gift vouchers pennies or dunnes etc to whatever value you want.school stuff again over time and build up the supply in advance,usually everthing is done by halloween, then i start on the food larder for christmas.im talking about keeping a list and just getting one thing every week depending on prices. most places are good at allowing you to pay off over time if your consistant,you also end up having a stress free christmas or at least i know i do.. mind you due to some family health problems im a little behind , but hey if you try it i hope it works for you.. i almost forgot i buy a couple of saving stamps with whatever change ive left in the purse on shopping day before i do the weekly shop.

[bluecurlygirl]

Well I have started making my own jam - surprising how much you can make for not much spends! Had to make presents of some (which saved me the cost of a present in those cases). Saved me a bunch. Also did my little bit for the planet cos those jars are being lifecycled time and again - no transporting them miles to be recycled and no manufacturing of new ones... I feel a little proud of myself for that ;-) Make my own bread too - dead easy. My little munchkin makes all the "treats" - no more buying them and we have great crack. Some bits of the recession are fun!!!
I don't consider that going backwards though - I consider that going forwards. It's good that more and more people are trying to come to terms with the amount our greed has sucked out of this beautiful planet we live on. I want my munchkins children to see that more respectful kind of life instead of the one we've been living. So hey if it is going backwards - where is it written that we should always walk forwards - it might be fun to change directions!!!!
Nite nite everyone. I'll have to keep logging in here when I go to France. Yis are lifesavers ;-)

[dee1]

we're a household on disability for years, and i'd like to share a few more tips if i may,over the summer period when the fires do or dont get lit, we continue to buy the weekly fuel,and store it for winter, glad for in now with the way things are;we get the smokeless coal nuggets ,it gives off great heat. seed is there in the morning,throw a few lumps on every so often and have constant hot water,havent used the imersion in years,told a neighbour this year they tried it and said it saved on their bill too.;
Every week i buy toiletrolls wheather their needed or not.we buy the mouthwash for 69c everything thats used on daily or weekly basis gets bought regardless, even if its not need'ed then that way, when there is a bad week or at xmas etc..the bit of extra cash comes in handy.
We also have an electric cooker,perfect working oven but rings burned out, but also had a 2ring gas table top origionaly bought for when there might be a esb cut,since last xmas we are on our 2nd gas bottle,will need a new one for xmas,so there you go. lots more tips to post if anyone wants to check in from time to time, but i've to browse the other jumbletown sites.....I'm new to the computer and it takes me ages to figure out what to do but i'm a bit green and i cant work out the bumping bit..i know it tells me how but i still dont get it.so i keep logging in and out most of the evening..sorry sorry sorry i got side tracked....bye for now.......

[Chris P]

...i keep logging in and out most of the evening...
Hi dee1,

The system logs people out automatically if it detects they haven't browsed the site's pages in 15 minutes or so.

To prevent this, next time you log-in, tick the "Remember Me" box beside the log-in area. (If you are using a public computer, make sure to log-out at the end.)

TIP: Before you submit any post, copy it just in case there's a problem with the submission process or an internet dropout.

Regards
Chris P
Admin

[minnie pal]

I am on disability and have an easy pay card for gas and electricity and everytime i get my pension i pay my rent, and put in E10 to each other card. I am mega in cred for gas at the moment so a little more goes into the electricity. I do this all year round so i hardly am ever out of credit.

Other bills are paid direct debit.
I never go into a 'proper shop!" buy everything from charity shops or cheap shops.
Oh, about the weather, i had breakie on the swingseat outside this morning!
Wrapped up in everything, the hot water bottles, blankies (find a dog too, they are warm, if alive!!) and i found two fab pillow socks, just like pillows or duvets, tey are enormous and have duck down in them. got them for six euros in a charity shop, looked new, te sucker afraid to wear tem have missed out here!

Oh, it aint healthy to be hermetically sealed in in winter! bugs trive in heat, they are human after all!
good fresh air now.
People live in egloos and even go naked in them. Yep!
anyone emigrating now?
minnie pal

[mariusstanley]

Try sourcing supplies from local community workers.
Example: country markets, neigbhour boards, layity.com, bankofworks.com

I've founds more website please add to list:

www.wwoof.org
www.helpexchange.net
www.jobdone.ie
www.jumbletown.ie
www.dublincitywaste exchange.ie?
www.buyandsell.ie
www.gumtree.ie

[mw100860]

I'm all for saving money and I buy all my toilet rolls, kitchen roll, washing powder etc at my local car boot sale/ market. These are sold in catering/ commercial sizes and work out so much cheaper, eg, got a 16 pack of Plenty kitchen rolls; the really good stuff, for 12 euro, thats cheaper than any shop including Lidl, and I'm a Lidl devotee for everyday groceries.

[kam]

Keep a flask beside the kettle: it takes more energy to heat a kilo (1 litre) of water than to heat a kilo of steel to 100 degrees C.

Pour off the unused hot water into the flask and even if you require another cuppa 3 hours later it'll boil in about a fifth of the time when poured back into the kettle. Or use it for the wash up later!

[sparkwell]

I think this thread needs a bump after yesterday's savage budget!

One of my money saving tips is to work out when I'm doing the shopping for example whether a large tub of flora is really cheaper to buy than 2 small ones. I saved 40 cents the other day on Flora and 25 cents on cornflakes it might not sound like much but it really does all add up. Sometimes if you work it out buying 2 items because it is a special offer is not really a bargain.
One cheap and easy to make meal is pizzas out of pitta bread. I bought a packet of oval shaped wholemeal pitta bread the other day for 56 cents used a jar of tomato pasta sauce for spreading on the base, added ham, mushrooms and whatever else I had in the fridge which was pineapple and sweetcorn, then grated some cheese on top popped it in the oven @ 200 degrees for about 10 minutes and I had lovely pizzas and just served with salad (oh alright it was chips!!) and we had a meal for 4 for about 3.50 euros. It's a good one to make for fussy eaters too cos they can choose what they want as topping.

Anyone else got more money saving tips to share??

[julfren]

I don't always check my receipts, especially at this time of year when there's so much else to be done! But a couple of days ago I checked a local store's receipt and found I had been overcharged on 5 string bags of clementines at €2.19 per bag instead of €1 per bag, and on 2 pineapples I was charged €1.89 each instead of 50c each. In the case of the clementines, the price tag was on the bag, in the case of the pineapples, the price was overhead. I haven't brought my complaint to the shop yet but will do so today. I will let you know how I get on!

[julfren]

Hi and a very Happy New Year!

Re the refund : I went back to the store and got refund for the overcharged items. I got €8.68 in all off a total bill of €63. It is quite serious and wonder how many people it had happened to and they may not have even noticed. I didn't ask for explanation or didn't get one.

[insanechicken]

Hi All,
anyone planning a break and fancy a freebie. If you're quick because of the motorway opening to Galway they are giving away 2010 free nights in Galway(properly free now not stay for 2, pay for 1) lots of quality places. Couldn't believe my eyes. book a lovely place in Claregalway i've been before and paid €75 for and got a room for tonight for €0!! Had decided on paying €39 for boring old Travelodge!

Not sure how long it's being running for so far but seems to be good availability for weekdays - not so much for the weekend as it prob went first.

[sparkwell]

Hi insanechicken

How do you find this offer please

Sparkwell

[insanechicken]

Sorry!!! Such a silly girl go to irelandhotels.com (think they're the hotel federation but not 100% on that) and the special offer is on their home page - you enter the date you want and it gives you a list! best of luck!

[vonnie]

Hi all. I am new here and I was looking through a few pages of money saving tips. I am married with five kids and more often than not it can be quite a struggle. As like a lot of you here I have a paypal acount which comes in handy at times esp when I see something that is far more cheaper online than in the stores. You dont need a credit card to use paypal. There is a disposable credit card available from Permanent TSB. Its called a 3v card. Its very simple to use. Go to 3v.ie register online and they send you a card that you can top up. Its very safe and easy to use. And accepted by paypal. They charge very little to use this service too. a €50 top up costs €52.50 while a €100 top up costs €105. You dont have to worry about huge credit card bills as you can only use what is on the card and no more. You decide what you spend. :)

[cascais]

guys/ ladies,

i am very sad to say that the above tesco clubcard deal is indeed a SCAM.
well at least this has been confirmed for their offer in conjunction with Irish Ferries.
i have been looking for tickets to go to France in march to visit my family and thought.. hey? if i can save a few more bob with this i ll give it a go !
so i ordered 13.50 in in clubcard token worth of irish ferries, i received (a week later ), 50 euro in tokens, until there no problem.
the problem arises when you book it....
the tesco website and the offer tells you to enter tescoie on the promotion code area of the search. As soon as you do, the prices are hicked up !
here is my true exemple.
booking rosslare to cherbourg and cherbourg to rosslare 2 weeks starting end of march , price with vouchers around 480 or something like that ( can t remember exact price..(bear in mind 50 euro reduction) so total price 420
without any vouchers including 2 cabins ( one way in one way out) price 366 euro ! ( cheaper than the plane by the way)
it speaks by itself, you get a voucher of 50, but they rip you off by another 50, so really no benefit whatsoever...
in case you wonder if you decide to call to book, you are charged an extra 15 euro more as well.

just thought it was worth mentionning, trying to inform as many people as i can ..
hope that helps
cascais

[SLCB]

I had my hair done yesterday, full head of highlights, cut and blow dry for €25.00. I went to the hairdressing school in Limerick city, it took a bit longer that normal but that was the only difference from the normal city salon I normally attend who charged me €175 the last time for half the amount of highlights and a trim!! Two second year students did the colour and the beginning of the cut and the supervisor finished it while explaining everything she did to the students. It turned out as good as any salon I've every used and I will be going there in future, in fact the supervisor asked me to come back next week for an intensive treatment as my hair is a bit dry, I agreed instantly. Check the websites for futher eduction colleges etc to find these schools, I also emailed lots of salons regarding 'model evenings' but none of these got back to me, no matter I'm very happy with what I found.

[Mandolin]

I just found an appliance calculator on an Elect supply website, it tells you what each appliance costs to run depending on how long and often you use it - it certainly made me think twice about slapping on the washer, dryer, oven etc., without thinking. Amazing how it all adds up!
Mandolin

[garrazzaband]

Always remember, most of these appliances have been around since the 50s/60s and each decade that passes they get more and more efficient. Anytime now hopefully they will all be using energy created by wind or wave!.Sit and back and relax folks, I just wouldn't be without them...go on, let yourself go...stick everything on standby ,lol lol.
keep smiling.

[Pepperpixie]

hi, i've just come across this website www.myvouchercodes.ie you probably all know about it already but just thought i'd post it up anyway, another one is www.pigsback.com where you can print off vouchers for your shopping.

[unapam]

PIF stands for Pay It Forward which means you do something nice for someone else or give away something and in return the recipient gives something to someone else.

Well, on Etsy.com they have 2,560 PIF items listed. Generally you just have to pay the postage and cost of the listing (20c) Check it out - here is the link.

http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=PIF&search_type=all

[noni]

Caiscais, re. Tesco Voucher Deals,


Just wondering Cascais if you had any more joy booking your ferry, would like
to get some vouchers for ferry for u.k. but was wondering if they would indeed save me any money on regular ferry price-or not!

Has any Jumbletowners used the Tesco Card Deal vouchers on Irish Ferries or
Stena Line?

[flerg]

I recommend the below hair schools and have used both the one on Grafton St and Stein House at Harcourt St. They are heavily discounted.


http://www.robertchambers.ie/

[TickTock]

I should think so too!! Have you seen the prices on their site? €80 for a C&BD! I have already been paying €60 and begrudge that much. So if Robert Chambers bring down their prices, it might be as low as how high I'm already paying! And €26-€33 just for blow-drying!! Good Grief!

[sparkwell]

Just to let anyone know who might be thinking of having a couple of days away that LIDL are doing special offers at the moment. I picked up a leaflet in there the other day and you can get B & B & dinner for only €49 euros. This works out even cheaper than the Supervalu breaks cos for 2 nights you get 2 dinners instead of one if that makes sense. The offer must be booked by 30th April and stay is up till 31st May and it is for all over Ireland.

Check out www.Lidl-Breaks.ie

[briansbgc]

Sell on ebay
on average 1 6th of all house hold stuff is un wanted. You can do it Practically for free, any time of day and from the comfort of your own home

[Pepperpixie]

not tried this website myself yet, but it's been getting good reviews in some of the national papers it's www.economiser.ie

Article below taken from Irish Independent.


Wednesday March 31 2010

A NEW website that promises to show householders how to save money on key areas of expenditure, such as groceries, energy and telecoms bills, was launched yesterday by the National Consumer Agency.

Economiser.ie is designed to enable people to compare what they are spending on these items with other households.

Around a third of the average household's spending goes on groceries, energy, TV, telecoms and mobile phones, the state-supported agency said. The website advises consumers how much more or less they are spending, compared with others who live in a similar home with the same number of children.

National Consumer Agency head Ann Fitzgerald said: "What's really valuable is that the Economiser does not take a 'one-size-fits-all' approach. Your results compare you to those with similar characteristics, meaning the analysis should offer relevant suggestions to achieve real savings."

She encouraged everyone, regardless of age, circumstance or income, to try it out

[TickTock]

Sign up for 300 free texts per month on the Vodafone website if your mobile phone is with vodafone. It's been a great help for the unemployed members of my family. You send the texts online. You can now send free texts internationally too.

You all may know this already here on JT but I am still amazed by how many people I meet who don't. Just thought I'd mention it anyway.

[Mumof3]

Hi Ticktock, they have actually increased this to 600 texts per month, I used this a lot and you can do the same with o2... not sure about the other networks...

[TickTock]

Thanks Mumof3 for letting me know. I didn't know that but its not so important for me as I would never even get to the 300 mark! Other members of the family might though!!!!

[Mumof3]

No problem tictock, as my name suggests I have 3 kids am and at home most of the day so I would use up a lot of these free texts... my little girl has got a mobile and she uses o2 webtexts to send hers so its very handy

[irishchick56]

In my previous post I put down the wrong price for the wash balls I bought. They cost me €11.78 for the Ecoballs 150 wash system and I expect them to last me in total with the top up provided about 9 months washing for a family of 4. I think that is brilliant value and as I said I am saving on rinse time therefore electricity, water and ironing! I would heartily recommend them to anybody especially people with sensitive skin.

Unapam I loved your tips. I tried the jigsaw with the frozen chips but had mashed potatoes by the time I was finished!!


Hi there, just wondering do you use fabric softner with these balls? They sound like a brilliant idea!

Chloe

[Pepperpixie]

irishchick, aldi had these (different brand) for 6.99 last week and they maintain the pack lasts 600 washes, i got them but have not tried them yet, but the packet also says you do not need to use fabric softener with them.

[sparkwell]

Hi Irishchick56

As Pepperpixie says there is no need for fabric conditioner. When your clothes are washed you won't have the traditional smell of washing powder or fabric conditioner. I find them particularly good for woollens and that they prolong the life of clothes too because they don't remove the dye.

[irishchick56]

Thanks for the advice !They sound great! I will have to give them a go!! :-)

[julfren]

Has anybody worked out where the best value in baby's nappies is to be found. My son and his wife have a little baby. They would have liked to have gone for cloth washable nappies, but haven't got the drying facilities or space. So will have to go with the disposables.

Has anyone any ideas on where the most economic and good disposable nappies can be bought.

Thanks
Jul

[jennie]

Gift cards like that are like Mastercard (example: the Blanchardstown shopping centre gift card that you can top up)

You can use the likes of these cards to book flights with Ryanair & don't have to pay card charges & you can also shop online with some of them, so you could get some great bargains with them.

Could be posted here already but so many pages I don't really want to have to read all of them to see!

[jenniferalan]

bump for more tips

[higgy]

Hi
I know that the admin said to search for sites on google but it can be hard sifting through the muck out there. This one is really good with promo codes and competitions and the like.

it's http://www.loquax.co.uk/

Be aware that some of the competitions don't apply to Ireland so be sure to read the terms & conditions!!

[Mandolin]

I don't have the money now to send the winter duvets for drycleaning so yesterday I 'hand' washed them. 3/4 filled the bath with hot soapy water, cleaned my wellies and stamped on the duvets for 15 mins, 2 rinses (more stamping)and then stamp the water out of them. I can't believe how clean they are! It's much easier than kneeling over the bath getting tired arms pulverising them and much cheaper than the cleaners. Pillows are next. Now all I need is a bit of nice weather to dry them...
Mandolin

[melissabell]

Cascais is right, joke with the attendant, sales rep who ever I always ask for discounts or if they say 400 if I've to get my car fixed I always jokingly say I'll give you 200, they know you're serious but can't pull you on it and they usually take the hint and give you money off.

P.S. This doesn't work in shops unless you buy several big items, then just ask " Can you do anything better on that??

DO NOT do this in Supermarkets etc, just in trade environments etc. as I can't afford to bail you out if it turns ugly lol

[Merienne]

Someone mentioned checking your receipt for overcharges, and I agree! In Tesco they have some policy that if you have been overcharged and go the customer service, you get your money back, and get to keep the item.

I also always compare prices to see what size packet is cheaper of the same product. You would think that the biggest size is cheaper, because of less packaging, but that is not the case in Ireland! Refills are not always cheaper either, which really makes me angry. You should have an incentive for buying the environmentally friendly one, especially since the package material cost is less for the producer! I still buy refills if they are the same price though, for the environmental benefit. Probably reinforcing the high price in the process, so maybe I'm stupid for doing so.

I always stock up on hygiene products and cleaning products when they are on offer. Things like that don't go out of date quickly, which can be a problem if stocking up on food.

I look at the "reduced" shelf for products that are about to go out of date. They often have ready meals, and these are fine a day or so after expiry, and good for bringing as lunches. If I'm not going to eat it within 2 days after expiry, I freeze it straight away, and it will be fine at least for a few weeks.

With all food items- don't just rely on expiry date, rely on your sense of taste, smell- and sight! In my native country, they have a huge campaign about this at the moment, because people throw out perfectly good food, just because it has passed the expiry date with a day or so. The only things I'm very careful about are meat and fish, especially if uncooked.

I travel a lot, and whether I'm going by car, train or plane, I bring sandwhiches or fruit, and a water bottle.

[Mandolin]

I agree with Merienne and always have to remind myself that 'Best Before' and 'Use by' are different things. I always keep 'Best Before' long after it's date. Also that racket of multipacks being dearer per kilo/litre than the smaller quantities seems to happen everywhere, I always look at the per unit price now.

[TickTock]

I agree with Merienne and always have to remind myself that 'Best Before' and 'Use by' are different things. I always keep 'Best Before' long after it's date. Also that racket of multipacks being dearer per kilo/litre than the smaller quantities seems to happen everywhere, I always look at the per unit price now.

Yeah I agree. I particularly noticed this with Weetabix 48/72 packs. Sometimes they have the 'per kilo' price on the shelf and the larger one is always dearer. I've taken to checking the prices using the calculator on my phone.

[chamallo]

Wow some really great tips and some excellent ideas cant wait to try these out and read some more................Chamallo

[bubbles747]

i buy two types of washing liquid, the one good brand for my clothes and the supermarket own valu range one <cheapest one> for washing bathroom mats and jeans and anything else rough!
saves my good expensive washing powder/liquid for clothes only and it lasts much longer

[corker]

Hi there, has anyone any advice on where I can get quantities 5L or more of white vinegar?
Many thanks, Corker.

[Fries-With-That]

Hi there, has anyone any advice on where I can get quantities 5L or more of white vinegar?
Many thanks, Corker.


Your local Cash and Carry sell 5 litre containers.

If you don't want to go to cash and carry ask at your local chipper.

[lushington]

I realize that this might be a bit off topic but I am so pleased with my deal (and it is greenish).
I have just got back from London, and I would normally stay in a hotel but a friend of mine recommended renting an apartment instead. I gave it a go and I would advise anyone and everyone to do it! The place I booked was nicer than any hotel I can afford and with the money I saved I could go to fancy restaurants and things like that. And my host was so lovely, I had the best time.

[Joewalshe]

Just found this thread and found some advice very useful. Here are a few of my tips;

1. Best way to save fuel is to list all the places you need to go to before jumping in the car. You could for example go shopping on the way to collect kids etc.
2. there are web sites out there that give practical fuel saving advice like emptying boot, correct tyre pressure, not filling fuel tank with heavy fuel etc.
3. My Wife, kids and friends all use the same mobile phone provider so we can call each other fro free as long as we top up every month.
4. When cooking food in a pot you can save time and money by bringing dish to a boil, turning off gas and covering pot with a towel or two. This stops the heat escaping and the dish slowly cooks while cooling down. Works best for rice, pasta etc. It is sometimes necessary to heat up before eating to cook through. I did this for years in when flat sharing. I would boil food in a pot, turn off heat, cover pot and go to work. Come home later and heat up.
5. Get car parts, or any appliance spare parts on-line. You can get mechanic to diagnose car problem, you get parts and mechanic fits them. I often get spares like side mirrors from scrap yards.
6. Having a community garden gets you socially involved with neighbours and you get to grow your own food. This is cheaper on materials but takes a lot of time. But is you enjoy it and enjoy the company then you are getting fresh air and exercise which is an added benefit.

[sparkwell]

Some money saving tips for you that I have started doing recently:

1) Break the dishwasher tablet in half if your dishes haven't food baked onto them. I do this all the time and the dishes come out perfectly and I use LIDL tablets. This means a box of tablets will last 2 months instead of one.

2) If you use liquid soap to wash your hands, instead of buying a new dispenser each time just refill them! I bought Tesco's own brand bubble bath for 79 cents and so far have got 4 refills from a 1 litre bottle, and as Tesco say every little helps! You can also use another refilled dispenser as shower gel saving even more.

3) If you are making a mince dish and need to stretch it a bit, just add some porridge oats. They soak up the juices of the meat and nobody will notice the difference!

4) When I buy a sliced pan I halve it and freeze one half as we were constantly throwing out half a loaf especially in warm weather.

5) I keep a bottle of diluted washing up liquid beside the sink and use that for items like saucepans. When I empty the saucepan I just squirt some of the diluted liquid into the saucepan add water and leave on the hob which is cooling down, normally just a quick run around with the washing up brush and the saucepan is clean.

[chamallo]

Wow love all the useful tips will have to try some of them............cheers

[bubbles747]

i am using the paper potatoes bags brown inside layer to cover school books comes up well when ironed! would also use it for posting parcels.

[barton]

If anyone mentioned that before, sorry for repeating ;)

What i find very useful when shopping is:
1. plan your meals for whole week
2. make shopping list based on your meals plan
3. do your main grocery shopping once a week.

Thanks that you reduce your spending on grocery and better use products you bought (e.g. if you buy minced meat you can use it for spaghetti and meat balls, or mushrooms for sause and pizza etc).

[Bibi]

Hi,

When ironing smaller items like pillow cases, table napkins, serviettes etc, iron them three/four at a time...ie, layer the items on ironing board & as you iron, heat will be transferred " down the pile". As each item is finished, the next item will take less & less heat.

Even if you only have one portion left over after a meal, do not bin it - cool & freeze it. If you manage this a few times a week - you end up with several meals & no effort!

[TickTock]

I don't think these have appeared already. Forgive me if they have.

Brillo pads - some jobs don't need full Brillo Pads, cut them in half.

Bread heels - my family still don't always eat them. Make breadcrumbs with the heels, and freeze to make stuffing another day.

[barton]

Make breadcrumbs with the heels, ...

I do the same:) I even share what I have with my family and friends:)

Plus, no one mentioned survey panels yet. I'm member of Irish Opinions (http://www.irishopinions.com). They pay usualy €0,50 - 2,00 per survey. When you reach €10 you can claim your rewards (e.g. Tesco €10 gift card, or £9 amazon code).

I usualy use these to vouchers, because I buy my main groceries in tesco and amazon because when you spend atleast £25 you have free shipping, so 3x codes from Irishi Opinions and you have your online shopping for free:)

There are some other survey panels (e.g. toluna) but you have to reach some high amount of stupid points there (60.000 or something) and it's not worth it, because some surveys (for 3000) should take you app. 5min when it actualy takes 20 :]

A small tip for these who are interested in online surveys: when you participate in a survey usualy one of the first questions is: which brands you're aware of? It's better to know less in the beggining ;)

[Torann]

If like me your weakness is buying magazines especially house or craft magazines etc stop and check out this site instead.

http://pinterest.com/ this site is where everyone pins the favourite pictures or articles online everything from art and crafts to home to garden and much more! just type in what area you looking for ie ideas for childrens rooms and wola or you can just scroll through pages of everything.

*warning* this site is very addictive! :)

[TickTock]

*warning* this site is very addictive! :)

Too late!! I've been hooked on this site for a while now, there is so much to see.

[dee1]

TESCO have changed their money back and keep item policy.....I found it confusing at first......

[SLCB]

*warning* this site is very addictive! :)

Glad to see I'm not the only one who's addicted to this site, I love some of the gardening idea - great recycling photos.

[Torann]

I know I have to limit myself to looking at only one page a day otherwise the day is gone! :P

[barton]

http://finesavings.blogspot.com/
few tips

[Marhen]

Work out a budget before going shopping. Take all necessary payments out and work on what is left. If there is something you need put a little by each week and save for it. To work out how much to put by you need to know when you need the item and divide this time by how much you need to save each week/month. When shopping it is important to ask yourself: do I want this or do I need it. When every penny/cent counts this is just as important as finding ways to save energy etc.

[dave586]

Swillyfuels top-notch online supplier of home heating oil in Donegal and around area at very affordable cost with instant and free home delivery.

[Anne27]

Has anybody posted this link, mydealpage.ie
Great site for all discount sites,cheap holidays,breaks,meals/days out, household items, etc.
Customise it yourself for ur area, I'm addicted.
Tip, dont just sign up to Cork if thats where u live, add in Kerry,Limerick etc.

[dave586]

your mention site is awesome that has great discount and all product is so nice one thanks for sharing i just place order for Brow Thread and Tint

[dave586]

thanks you so much your long-lasting tips points are so useful thanks for sharing