Living on the Cheap, how can it be done?

El Siglo

This is a crucial skill, if you're studying anthropology to zoology living on the cheap is something to get into early. This will probably be the hardest transition to make, but if properly executed, you'll be sorted for the year.
Some points to start things off:

• Never eat at the arts café/Insomnia.Elements, they're far too expensive.
• SU Shop, €1.15 for coffee, and even less if you bring your own cup (about €0.80).
• Indo, Times, Guardian are something like €0.80 in the SU Shops, but better still go on the website themselves fore news etc...
• Avoid shopping in small shops (i.e. if it's not a medium to large supermarket, it will be expensive) so avoid Spar, Centra etc... for big shopping.
• Learn the location of your nearest Aldi, Lidl etc...
• Don't buy books.
• Invest in a lunch box.
• Invest in a thermos (I know it sounds pathetic but you'll save about €15.00/week on average).
• Beans are full of protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals, excellent supplement to any meal, and are about €0.65 in Lidl.
• Eggs are dirt cheap, full of protein worth supplementing any 'carb fest' (i.e. lots of pasta).
• Aldi: 2 kilos pasta = €2.00 and 4 jars sauce = €4.00.
• Bring pasta/ham sandwiches into college for lunch or cycle home for lunch.
• If you smoke, cut down or quit. If you have to smoke, learn how to roll packet of drum will set you back €4.00.
• If you drink, start at home first - always, it's really cheap then going out.
• Buy cans from Lidl or Aldi, get used to drinking Excelsior and Buckfast.
• 'Liberate' food from back home, if you meat this is very important.
• Start having porridge for breakfast. A large bag of it will set you back €3.00 and lasts about 3 weeks.
• Same goes for weetabix, 48 pack in Lidl will set you back about €3.83 in Lidl.

This is all I can think of at the moment, feel free to add to it!:D

remus808

Curry Chips in the Forum Bar in the Student Centre are really cheap and will leave you stuffed.

Extrasupervery

I like this thread

Mardy Bum

El Siglo your a bit of a legend. First years should be re-paying you!

Pride Fighter

There is a William Hill in Donnybrook. The 78 club is in town, it is a good casino for over 21's.

Screw saving every penny. Gamble your way to a life of luxury and decadence.

Mardy Bum

Colossus the be all and end of all of casinos. Sound croupiers, destroyed souls throwing their dole away. Stick your weeks money on red and watch the cash flow in!*
May not be true

munchie14

Pride Fighter wrote: »

There is a William Hill in Donnybrook. The 78 club is in town, it is a good casino for over 21's.

Screw saving every penny. Gamble your way to a life of luxury and decadence.

do you know where the nearist casino/poker rooms are to campus for over 18s

RandolphEsq

munchie14 wrote: »

do you know where the nearist casino/poker rooms are to campus for over 18s

Fitzwilliam Card club. Get the 10 bus to Baggot Street and hop off outside the barbers there. It is right at the junction.

Living on the cheap;
- Condoms from www.discountcondomking.com
- Acquire the taste of straight spirits
- Walk home from town after a night out. Only 50 mins walk from D'Olier street to UCD
- Weetabix + porridge = the breakfast of champions
- Society nights = free food and/or alcohol
- Delivered pizza is disgusting and extortionately priced too
- Learn not to eat as much, so then you don't need to eat, and then you don't have to buy as much food!

Mardy Bum

Fitzwilliams lovely but can't beat colossus' charm!

Cook you're own dinner is the best bit of advice. SU bar food is sh*t!

JoeyH

How much is smirnoff in dublin? Can u get 2.5 ltrs there?

El Siglo

Mardy Bum wrote: »

El Siglo your a bit of a legend. First years should be re-paying you!

Cheers!:pac:

In general:
Yes I will be accepting payments* from freshers outside of the forum bar; cash only, no cheques!:D




*If you're a bird and a bit of a looker, we can 'negotiate' payment options...

Mardy Bum

*If you're a bird and a bit of a looker, we can 'negotiate' payment options...[/QUOTE]

No dude no im not a bird, almost feel like retracting my comment now:eek:

Tom65

Discarded pizza boxes are an excellent source of cheese.

El Siglo

Mardy Bum wrote: »

*If you're a bird and a bit of a looker, we can 'negotiate' payment options...

No dude no im not a bird, almost feel like retracting my comment now:eek:
[/QUOTE]

I wasn't referring to you, I was referring to any females present, I probably should have stipulated: "Not referring to you personally Mardy Bum.":pac:

Tom65

El Siglo wrote: »

No dude no im not a bird, almost feel like retracting my comment now:eek:

I wasn't referring to you, I was referring to any females present, I probably should have stipulated: "Not referring to you personally Mardy Bum.":pac:[/QUOTE]


Nice recovery

Mardy Bum

El Siglo wrote: »

I wasn't referring to you, I was referring to any females present, I probably should have stipulated: "Not referring to you personally Mardy Bum.":pac:

Sound. You should start a thread, get the ball rolling like! Highest bidder and all that...

El Siglo

Tom65 wrote: »

I wasn't referring to you, I was referring to any females present, I probably should have stipulated: "Not referring to you personally Mardy Bum.":pac:

Nice recovery

Thanks!

El Siglo

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Sound. You should start a thread, get the ball rolling like! Highest bidder and all that...

Ooohhhhh that could be slightly risqué....;)

Mardy Bum

El Siglo wrote: »

Ooohhhhh that could be slightly risqué....;)

Start if off ambiguously!

El Siglo Appreciation thread:

Tom65

Jesus, get a room you two.

Mushy

That cheap, sand-paper-esque toilet paper...its now your friend!

Agree on cereals mentioned, altho if ya want variety, do get it. But buy the cheaper stuff, Tesco-brand stuff. Actually, buy all Tesco brand stuff(or of equivalent cheapness).

Ginja Ninja

Where's the nearest/handiest tesco/aldi/lidl/cheap as chips and pretty crappy shop to UCD?[on-campus]

33% God

Ginja Ninja wrote: »

Where's the nearest/handiest tesco/aldi/lidl/cheap as chips and pretty crappy shop to UCD?[on-campus]

Nearest Tesco is on Nutley lane. It's about 15/20 minutes walk from the front entrance
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=53.309262,-6.217875&daddr=Tesco+Supermarket+%4053.318621,-6.213455&hl=en&geocode=%3BFd2TLQMdsTCh_w&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=15&dirflg=w&sll=53.311724,-6.215172&sspn=0.019615,0.055747&ie=UTF8&ll=53.312134,-6.216717&spn=0.019615,0.055747&t=h&z=15

You can of course get them to deliver, and considering they usually either have free delivery going on on some sort of offer for online shoppers it can work out as cheap.

munchie14

my advice for living cheaply
dont get sick:P

shanegj

Also some clubs and societies will have coffee mornings etc, where you can get free tea, coffee and sometimes biscuits

El Siglo

munchie14 wrote: »

my advice for living cheaply
dont get sick:P

Or you could fill this form out and see if you can get your healthcare sorted that way.

El Siglo

Folks I heard a slightly funny story of cases of scurvy occuring with freshers, if you don't know what scurvy is have a read of this. Anyway, apparently first year students in another college I'm working in started to develop scurvy because they lived on a diet of toast and no real fruit and vegetables etc... So learn how to cook properly and make sure you supplement any cheap diet with sufficient fruit and vegetables, or you could end up looking like this:

Ginja Ninja

^^Not sure how much of that is BS.But,anywho,if your lacking on vitamins:Grab some nettles[not literally] and boil them ,then drink the liquid.Very high in iron vitamin D and vitamin C.If there's any pine trees on campus do the above with the needles,gives a tonic[that tastes like a air freshener] and has a higher Vitamin C concentration than orange juice.



............I'm gonna miss the country :cool:

damselnat

El Siglo wrote: »

... So learn how to cook properly and make sure you supplement any cheap diet with sufficient fruit and vegetables, or you could end up looking like this:

and if you're going to buy fruit and veg, Moore Street is suddenly your destination of choice....

dyl10

Get yourself a student travel card and a bus ticket!

Extrasupervery

I wouldn't mind looking like Pete Doherty

(even though I'm a girl)

captainspeckle

Extrasupervery wrote: »

I wouldn't mind looking like Pete Doherty

(even though I'm a girl)

:eek:

why?? is it the horrible complexion or greasy hair that does it for you?

Extrasupervery

captainspeckle wrote: »

:eek:

why?? is it the horrible complexion or greasy hair that does it for you?

The combination makes for some pleasant charm....:D

Nah he looks nasty there but at Glastonbury he was a-okay.

Ginja Ninja

captainspeckle wrote: »

:eek:

why?? is it the horrible complexion or greasy hair that does it for you?

or the fact he can't sing for s***?

I've seen him live,not a fact I'm proud of

Extrasupervery

He did it for me anyhow

bnt

Anyway, if I may go back on to the topic: visit the Asian Market on Drury St. downtown for bargains. Highlights include:
- Noodle bowls for around €1. Like Pot Noodles, but better, bigger, and spicier. You won't be able to read the packs, but it doesn't matter.
- Boil-in-bag Indian veggie curries from under €2. Indian as in imported from India, no Balti-type stuff.
- Rice: big bags for much less than the supermarkets.
- All kinds of weird frozen stuff, like fish balls, dumplings, samosas, and so on, for not much.
- Lots of weird spicy stuff, like Sweet Chilli Sauce, or Lime Pickle, which is to

Get some kind of steamer (e.g. double pot) and you can do rice or noodles in the bottom, fish and veggies and dumplings in the top: cheap, healthy, filling. Burp.

994

Mushy wrote: »

That cheap, sand-paper-esque toilet paper...its now your friend!

Agree on cereals mentioned, altho if ya want variety, do get it. But buy the cheaper stuff, Tesco-brand stuff. Actually, buy all Tesco brand stuff(or of equivalent cheapness).

No, cheap toilet paper's no real saving because (1) there are fewer sheets on the roll and (2) you need to use more of it.

El Siglo

994 wrote: »

No, cheap toilet paper's no real saving because (1) there are fewer sheets on the roll and (2) you need to use more of it.

Toilet paper, if you want to be really scabby (not judging anyone) about it you can just 'liberate' some from the college toilets. If you can access the odd roll (i.e. don't do it all the time) then you can save yourself a few bob. Or you can 'liberate' some toilet roll from back home. On average though, the big green packs of toilet roll from Lidl are okay, there's some lasting out of them, I haven't averaged it out but I've found them to have some lasting.

bebeebutterfly

head down to the shop in the Clonskeagh mosque, 10-15minutes from UCD
nice fancy food, fairly well priced and usually in bulk!

And the restaurant is fairly cheap if you feel like treating yourself, after saving all that money from toilet paper :P

Also, if you go out! Don't drink! 10euro for the night if you live near UCD and get a taxi with a few people back!

I know some people who bough mini heaters they plug into the socket, for about 15quid so they don't have to pay expensive heating bills!

bebeebutterfly

El Siglo wrote: »

This is a crucial skill, if you're studying anthropology to zoology living on the cheap is something to get into early. This will probably be the hardest transition to make, but if properly executed, you'll be sorted for the year.
Some points to start things off:

• Never eat at the arts café/Insomnia.Elements, they're far too expensive.
• SU Shop, €1.15 for coffee, and even less if you bring your own cup (about €0.80).
• Indo, Times, Guardian are something like €0.80 in the SU Shops, but better still go on the website themselves fore news etc...
• Avoid shopping in small shops (i.e. if it's not a medium to large supermarket, it will be expensive) so avoid Spar, Centra etc... for big shopping.
• Learn the location of your nearest Aldi, Lidl etc...
• Don't buy books.
• Invest in a lunch box.
• Invest in a thermos (I know it sounds pathetic but you'll save about €15.00/week on average).
• Beans are full of protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals, excellent supplement to any meal, and are about €0.65 in Lidl.
• Eggs are dirt cheap, full of protein worth supplementing any 'carb fest' (i.e. lots of pasta).
• Aldi: 2 kilos pasta = €2.00 and 4 jars sauce = €4.00.
• Bring pasta/ham sandwiches into college for lunch or cycle home for lunch.
• If you smoke, cut down or quit. If you have to smoke, learn how to roll packet of drum will set you back €4.00.
• If you drink, start at home first - always, it's really cheap then going out.
• Buy cans from Lidl or Aldi, get used to drinking Excelsior and Buckfast.
• 'Liberate' food from back home, if you meat this is very important.
• Start having porridge for breakfast. A large bag of it will set you back €3.00 and lasts about 3 weeks.
• Same goes for weetabix, 48 pack in Lidl will set you back about €3.83 in Lidl.

This is all I can think of at the moment, feel free to add to it!:D

Hey, you guys mind if I put these tips on my site??

994

Don't live on campus. €480 a month could get you a far superior room very near to college; a decent room can be found for under €400.

Mardy Bum

994 wrote: »

Don't live on campus. €480 a month could get you a far superior room very near to college; a decent room can be found for under €400.

try €300!

KeyLimePie

994 wrote: »

Don't live on campus. €480 a month could get you a far superior room very near to college; a decent room can be found for under €400.

Oh well I've failed

Mardy Bum

KeyLimePie wrote: »

Oh well I've failed

Miserably but you will have the best year of your life!:D;)

Thomas_S_Hunterson

bebeebutterfly wrote: »

Also, if you go out! Don't drink!

Sweet mother of god:eek:

El Siglo

Bump.

Tupamaros

Limit toilet paper purchasing. Try to save your 'toiletry needs' for places like college, pubs, cafés, restaurants etc If you have a purse or you are a metrosexual avec manbag, you may feel the need to pocket toilet paper. Of course I wouldn't advocate this.

I would also not advocate drinking unattended drinks in nightclubs. (Not a great idea, but I know some who have made good sport doing this). Don't go to pubs obviously before a nightclub, get cans. House parties > going out..and much cheaper.

Avoid takeaways as much as possible. Learn to cook simple things. A past housemate of mine could put a dinner on the table each day for €1.50. Students usually have crap eating habits, so get the odd bit of fruit into the diet too which is dirt cheap anyway.

If possible take a bag of food up from home, can save a lot of money and the parents usually don't look at it as a cash handout.

Don't buy members of the opposite sex drinks. They should love you for who you are.

If you can get away with it, as in the OP, don't buy books if you don't have to. For my undergrad degree I didn't buy a single book. Some books can be very expensive, especially law etc

Don't buy dvds to relieve boredom. I really got into repeats of the OC in college and deadliest catch as well.

scotty_irish

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1364/spicy-root-and-lentil-casserole

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pizza-recipes/pizza-dough - messy to make but tasty. really cheap and impresses people! tastes great cold - bring it in your lunchbox - but people will try scab it from you!

veg soup - kilo of frozen veg (carrot, broccoli, cauliflour and peas) from aldi/lidl - about a quid. boil (i use about enough water to cover, but add or drain as required - try not to drain too much cos you're losing vitamins), add two veg stock cubes and blend. about a litre and a half of tasty veg soup for less than a quid fifty.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6303/spiced-chicken-balti more expensive because there's meat in it but still not too bad and tastes amazing.

chili - 500g beef mince - doesn't need to be expensive because it's all about the cooking. two cans chopped tomatoes. tin of kidney beans, tin of carrots and peas. oven to 200C. in an oven dish fry two onions in a small amount of oil, add some garlic. add meat when onions are nice and soft - don;t burn them. with a spatula mash the meat up until it's all broken up. add the two tins of tomatoes and mix well. in the oven for as long as hunger allows you. cook for longer at a lower temperature makes the meat taste way better. stir regularly. towards the end add all the cans, some chilli spices, the sachets you can get in the supermarket are good but chilli powder and whatever you have lying around works too. mix it all in well. back in the oven until it looks ready. eat and enjoy. this works out and about a quid a portion.

everything here is cheap, tasty and reasonable healthy.

parker kent

scotty_irish wrote: »

chili - 500g beef mince - doesn't need to be expensive because it's all about the cooking

Nah mince (or any meat) requires decent meat. There's no comparison between mince from a decent butcher to a supermarket. Which leads to my top tip, find a good butcher! Decent meat need not be expensive and you can make things like lasagne which can last for days.

gypsy_rose

parker kent wrote: »

Nah mince (or any meat) requires decent meat. There's no comparison between mince from a decent butcher to a supermarket. Which leads to my top tip, find a good butcher! Decent meat need not be expensive and you can make things like lasagne which can last for days.

Serious plus one on this, I was living in Phibsborough last year and the butchers were all competing with the two local Tesco's so I used to buy a months worth of meat for 25 euro a pop, cheaper and far better quality than anything from the supermarket, I was a student eating steak!