Galway Recessionomics

Amik

Does anyone have an "Recessionomics" tips for Galway to help people save money during this recession?

I'll start: I noticed that every evening near closing time at the hot tables in Dunnes stores you can buy the food there at ridiculous prices.

For example I bought a large steak & kidney pie at closing time for just 50 cents!

MattKid

Go to Gourmet tart when they're closing up and get all the pain au chocolat they are throwing away

Eviledna

This reminds me of the days when M&S used to sell off their near-date supplies at the end of each day, my god I used to have to pole-vault over the grannies to get to the bargains

Think they've stopped that now though. Pity.

Recessionomics? Go to aldi, have a set meal plan for the week, and buy from a list (don't deviate!).
Terryland fruit and veg often do 30 medium eggs for 1.79, which is brilliant value.
Dunnes stores do a bag of frozen chopped peppers for ~€1.50 which are just the handiest thing to throw into any dinner to add colour and vitamins. So much cheaper than the fresh thing.

You can buy home heating kerosene on the pump by the litre (~76c per L) in Loughatallia petrol station. If you don't have the funds to get hundreds of litres at once, or you don't want a payment plan with an oil co, you can buy €20 worth to get you through a given week. They rent the 25L containers there for free, just a deposit needed of €20 which you get back when you return it. Or you can buy a container in woodies for a tenner.
I've found this very handy.

inisboffin

Just be aware of those past 'sell-by' items, sometimes they are actually off! I had to bring a couple back to Dunnes that had created their own gaseous atmosphere in the pack! The wan in Dunnes even had the cheek to say 'well it's past sell by'. I pointed out to her that despite this point food still needs to be EDIBLE! Still, got some great stuff in Marks.

Mrs OBumble

Oven Door in Middle St: yesterday's scones etc for 50c.

fifib

inisboffin wrote: »

Just be aware of those past 'sell-by' items, sometimes they are actually off! I had to bring a couple back to Dunnes that had created their own gaseous atmosphere in the pack! The wan in Dunnes even had the cheek to say 'well it's past sell by'. I pointed out to her that despite this point food still needs to be EDIBLE! Still, got some great stuff in Marks.

Apparantly it is illegal to cover up the use by date with a discount or mark down price sticker. i see they do this all the time in dunnes!
Used to work in Marks and selling off the produce that was out of date the next day was great when you seen what they didnt before they brought that it! they threw it all into large bags and pured blue dye in it so no1 would use it.we asked could we send over to that place by rail station for the homeless but we werent allowed. then after a while we had regular customers swanning round the shop all day waiting for us to start reducing stuff! they thought they were inconspicious but we knew exactly what they were at! I remember one lady was buying loads after being in and out all day waiting and the fire alarm went off.she wouldnt move fromt he till til she had all her food scanned and paid for, we practically had to push her out the emergency exit..without her food.she was raging at us and it was a real fire that day!! the lengths people go to! :rolleyes:

kraggy

MattKid wrote: »

Go to Gourmet tart when they're closing up and get all the pain au chocolat they are throwing away

What's pain au chocolat?

Edit: must google imaged it. Looks yum.

Ficheall

It's like a "lesser" version of 'death by chocolate'.

[-0-]

Make sure you make enough dinner so you can have it as your lunch the next day. This saves me a fortune.

inisboffin

Do a dinner night swap one night a week with mates instead of going out. Pick easy things like pasta or a meat/veg stew, cook for 4 instead of 1 or 2, and rotate who hosts. Cheaper sometimes to cook from scratch for a few folks. Nice to have communal meals too. Get adventurous if you have a big gaff and have it for more people, and do a pot luck

hal9000

MattKid wrote: »

Go to Gourmet tart when they're closing up and get all the pain au chocolat they are throwing away

followed by a pain au the stomach

inisboffin

Yeah, it's mad how a lot of places won't donate 'waste' food to homeless shelters etc. There are some legalities as if the food made you sick, etc etc.. but still.

Friend of mine used to work in a bakery/cafe in town (gone a number of years, another cafe there in its place...). They weren't allowed give away the stuff to be tossed (croissants and cream cakes are one such thing), they could take home one item each.

What they used to do is make a 'special' bag of rubbish, boxing the cake carefully, bagging the croissants, put it out with all the rest of the black bags, but have a special mark on it. Then they'd swing back after 8 or 9 and grab it! There were so many 'croissant parties' that we got sick of them eventually! Also, they'd pass them out to street folk (there was so much waste each day), I remember regularly seeing a man or 2 on the street swaying in a doorway and munching a cream cake!:D:D

Xiney

Same thing used to happen at the "hot foods" counter in the grocery store I worked in.

Throwing out perfectly good cooked rotisserie chickens simply because of stupid rules and people are starving elsewhere in the world...



ugh. I was glad to leave that place.

Aiel

Supervalu on Fr.Griffin Rd has a deal in their deli counter:6 Chicken Fillets,6 Pork Chops and 12 Meatballs for only 10Euro.Take them out when you get home and wrap them seperately then pop them in the freezer so you only have to use what you need each day.It lasted us for over 2 weeks for only 10euro.

inisboffin

There is dumpster diving (or skip shopping, food foraging, etc). It's not done as much here as it was in the UK and US, but with times like these it may come back!

Elevator

inisboffin wrote: »

There is dumpster diving (or skip shopping, food foraging, etc). It's not done as much here as it was in the UK and US, but with times like these it may come back!

I know a couple of people who regularly dived into m'n's in town

used to have the best of food in his fridge from it!!

win win really innit

civis_liberalis

Ficheall wrote: »

It's like a "lesser" version of 'death by chocolate'.

'near death by chocolate' if you will.

Seaneh

take a few hours once a week and cook 2 or 3 big meals. A stew, a curry, a roast join of beef with gravy etc. Portion it all up into take away containers and put it in the freezer, then each night take out whichever you fancy the next day and let it defrost in the fridge and you only have to cook the rice/spuds/whatever to go with it the next day. Cooking 7 portions is a lot cheaper than cooking 1 portion. the more you make the more you save in the long run.

Buy your meat in the meat market in terryland, veg in the place nextdoor.

Buy the rest of your stuff in telco, lidl or aldi.

Aiel

Aiel wrote: »

Supervalu on Fr.Griffin Rd has a deal in their deli counter:6 Chicken Fillets,6 Pork Chops and 12 Meatballs for only 10Euro.Take them out when you get home and wrap them seperately then pop them in the freezer so you only have to use what you need each day.It lasted us for over 2 weeks for only 10euro.

Is this across all Supervalus or just this one?

padraig71

Most of what follows is not specific to Galway, but since I have lived happily on a shoestring for many years I will share what I have gleaned from experience. A lot of things that save money are ecologically sensible as well. Also, you can learn a lot of new skills. Apologies if a lot of this seems like common sense - it should be, but there's an awful lot of common nonsense going around.

To reduce food and cooking expenses:

* Learn to cook and avoid processed food - this will also improve your nutritional intake - e.g. a recent report found that as a nation we eat far too much salt, which is largely found in prepared foods. If you make it yourself, you know exactly what has gone into it.

* Reduce the amount of meat in your diet if you are not vegetarian.

* Grow what you can (and shoot/snare/catch/pick wild food as appropriate to your skills and location - e.g. mackerel, blackberries, nettles, dandelions, mussels, fungi if you know what you are doing…)

* Bake your own bread - I can fit four loaves in my oven, which I then cut in half and freeze till required. Much cheaper than equivalent bread from bakeries, much tastier and more nutritious than most 'bread' in shops.

* If you have to heat the oven, economise by cooking several dishes in it at the same time, e.g. stew and baked spuds with an apple crumble to follow.

* Buy what is in season, past its sell-by date, fruit & veg offer of the week in Aldi etc.

* Recommended shops: health-food shops and Asian supermarkets are the cheapest places to buy herbs and spices.

To reduce heating bills: invest in some thermal underwear - much more economical than the equivalent in oil, turf or other fuel.

To reduce refuse charges: start a compost heap if you can (you can also pee on it to save water, which will improve the composting process); eat 'leftovers' rather than throwing them away; avoid products with lots of packaging where possible.

Recreational drugs:

* If you drink a lot of wine, consider doing an annual wine run to France. My partner and I drink about a bottle a night between us, and even if we buy cheap in Ireland - say a fiver a bottle - we can save about 3.50 a bottle by buying in bulk once a year and bottling it when we get home. This is a considerable saving over a year, which subsidises the cost of our holiday.

* Think about homebrew/winemaking.

* As with food, grow or forage what you can [ModEdit]at your own risk[/ModEdit]

Entertainment:

* Join the library - a fiver a year for books must be the best bargain in town. The library also hosts free concerts by the Con Tempo string quartet once a month.

Clothing:

* Check out charity shops. Learn to sew at least enough to patch worn jeans or replace buttons. Knit if you're that way inclined.

Good luck.

Eviledna

Don't forage for psychoactive plants. Hospital bills and prison can really cut into a person's wages.

On topic... Second the library, especially Westside library. Warm, bright and comfortable with all the latest magazines and books, they even run classes (knitting/crochet) for free in there too. Best place to be on a cold night with nothing else to do

wet-paint

Eviledna wrote: »

Don't forage for psychoactive plants.

Where do you recommend getting them so?


I went into Ryan's Home place on Market St there yesterday, and picked up a heavy blanket for twenty bucks. Hung it on a rail over the front door, which has a huge thin glass window. Felt the effect of it almost immediately last night.
Buy heavier curtains, and hang blankets on the door of the room you use most. It keeps in a lot of heat.

Amhran Nua

The bakery in Westside has a "yesterday's produce" basket beside the front door, all sorts of bread on the cheap. Also, our shower broke for a month or so last winter, so we just used the hot water from the oil heating to take baths. The ESB bill was ridiculously low for that month, although its a bit primitive.

inisboffin

For those involved in the arts and with the space, consider hosting and supporting house concerts and 'salons' for decent musicians, storytellers, actors etc.
There is a movement of this happening at the moment, and it's a win win situation for all.
Pass the hat for performers, and do donations for drinks, or byob.
A cheap night out with people you know, and entertainment too.

encyclopedia

inisboffin wrote: »

There is dumpster diving (or skip shopping, food foraging, etc). It's not done as much here as it was in the UK and US, but with times like these it may come back!

Its known locally as smurfing due to the blue dye, Tristram Stuart author of Waste-Uncovering the global food scandal refers to it as Freeganism, You would be suprised how much of this goes on in Galway, dead right too

As for saving money, make Sandwiches and Salads at home instead of buying a meal or a roll for lunch at work

M&S still do the reduced items, they just don't have a separate fridge for them, the stock is left in its normal section

Seaneh

Aiel wrote: »

Supervalu on Fr.Griffin Rd has a deal in their deli counter:6 Chicken Fillets,6 Pork Chops and 12 Meatballs for only 10Euro.Take them out when you get home and wrap them seperately then pop them in the freezer so you only have to use what you need each day.It lasted us for over 2 weeks for only 10euro.

This deal isn't on anymore. In the shop right now.

carmex21

To reduce heating bills: invest in some thermal underwear - much more economical than the equivalent in oil, turf or other fuel.

.

Got mine yesterday...toastie indeed

Wompa1

carmex21 wrote: »

To reduce heating bills: invest in some thermal underwear - much more economical than the equivalent in oil, turf or other fuel.

.

Got mine yesterday...toastie indeed

Dead sexy too!

My recession tip. Tesco do alot of 3 for's on meat. It's not the best meat but it'll do. You could get Chicken Fillet, Mince Meat and Pork Chops for 10 euro..

inisboffin

encyclopedia wrote: »

Its known locally as smurfing due to the blue dye, Tristram Stuart author of Waste-Uncovering the global food scandal refers to it as Freeganism, You would be suprised how much of this goes on in Galway, dead right too

Smurfing! I love it! Know folks who do it regularly here, but hadn't heard that one. Those B*stards for putting blue dye. At least it wasn't rat poison, as a large supermarket chain in the UK did in the 80s and 90s in certain branches in London:mad:. Saw some docs on Freeganism, it takes smurfing and goes beyond too, with life choices for living and everyday things. Not for everyone;)

Fionn MacCool

Amazed that dolphin_city user hasn't posted here, he seems to ****in love the recession. Although obviously only the doom & gloom part

I love these threads though, you get some good tips and also a hearty lol from the proper misers. Catch your own wild animals for food hahaha

tootired

Dunnes do a 3 for €10 on some of their free range chicken range. I got a small free range chicken, 2 free range chicken breast fillets and a pack of drumsticks and oyster thighs again free range all for a tenner. At least 5 meals for a family of 4 not to mention lovely chicken stock.

M&S dine in for 2 offer @ €12.50 is fantastic value. Quite often they sell large whole chickens, a side dish, some kind of pie like apple or rhubarb and a bottle of decent ish wine.

Amhran Nua

tootired wrote: »

At least 5 meals for a family of 4

Only if you didn't like them very much. ah no seriously Dunnes in town do a full salmon for €10 to €12, you'll feed four people off that, or four meals for one person. Salmon, spuds and peas, that will do nicely.

mrsmidas

When the retail therapy itch just has to be scratched, go to one of the charity shops and buy something there. I got a skirt today, new, originally from Next, for 4 euro. Smug!

encyclopedia

inisboffin wrote: »

Smurfing! I love it! Know folks who do it regularly here, but hadn't heard that one. Those B*stards for putting blue dye. At least it wasn't rat poison, as a large supermarket chain in the UK did in the 80s and 90s in certain branches in London:mad:. Saw some docs on Freeganism, it takes smurfing and goes beyond too, with life choices for living and everyday things. Not for everyone;)

Staff only following orders really I suppose, as for the companies.... thats another story, I couldn't go smurfing myself though, the thought of bin juice puts me off :eek:. Worked in a shop once where there were turkeys left over on Christmas eve, the staff were allowed to buy them at a reduced price so we decided we would buy extra and give them to a charity, the strange thing was that we couldn't find a charity that would take them. A lot of shops used to give end of life products to charities but stopped due to the surge in claims against them so I guess society is a bit to blame too for its suing culture, the blue dye thing is probably a health and safety thing to deter people from doing it, as for the rat poison that is an absolute disgrace, they should have been closed down for that :mad:

Back to topic a great way of saving if you own your own house is to avail of the homeowners grant for insulation, you will reduce your oil consumption and save a serious amount of money you can apply for it here http://www.seai.ie/Grants/Home_Energy_Saving_Scheme/homeowner/ there are also some great tips there on how to save money through energy conservation

Also if you drive in on the motorway reduce your speed form 120km/h to 100km/h to save fuel, most lower range cars will perform better at 100km/h, make sure you are in the left hand lane though

Fionn MacCool

Chicken thighs are a good bit cheaper than chicken breasts, and are actually far tastier for things like currys.

Dan_Solo

Don't buy chicken breasts, thighs or any of that. Buy the whole thing, wrap it in tinfoil and lump it into a tray in the over. Waaaay cheaper. While it's on put some roasties in beside it.:cool:

NMoore

As he said - buy the whole chicken! and when you've got your 3 or 4 meals out of it - Roast chicken, Chicken Curry, Chicken wraps & sandwiches, put the carcass (skin & bones & all) in a huge pot along with water, onions, carrots, a stick of celery, salt and pepper, bring it to the boil and simmer it for a couple of hours. Let it cool, skim the fat off the top, strain the liquid into freezer bag portions of about a pint each, and leave it in the freezer. Yummy chicken stock to make your soups, risotto, even cook pasta in it for extra flavour!

bildo

Fionn MacCool wrote: »

Catch your own wild animals for food hahaha

Don't knock it mate! Wild rabbit stew is delicious, once you get over the messy part. In the bay you have all manner of fish and shellfish to choose from. In the river and surrounding lakes you'll find decent trout and salmon, mind your off seasons though.
Chickens are easy enough to raise and keep, lots of free food from them.