Booze Runs To The North

dxhound2005

Revolut is 83.19 today which is a very good rate. Petrol in Newry was £1.319 on 31 October according to the NI Consumer Council.

https://www.consumercouncil.org.uk/fuel-price-checker

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122807000#Comment_122807000

But you probably bought and served a lot more drink that you would have if buying here and sterling was 5% weaker compared to now. And that the crux of it.

Its why supermarkets sell easter eggs the day after Christmas - if they are in your house, you'll get the munchies and eat them early January and buy more.

And on deo - there's a Dealz in nearly every village or a brand on "half price" offer everyday in the supermarkets. So the correct comparison is the lowest easily available price here V the price in the store you plan to go to in the North. Dealz are €1.50 - €2 on most brand name deo, so that's your comparison.

On pharma. They now impose the max 2 packs of 16. My local pharmacy in Kildare is €2 for a 24 pack of Pfizer paracetemol and my guess is yours will be similar. This example of 2.79 for 12 is another example of comparing the highest price here with a cheap generic.

And then you have to be aware of items that are more expensive in NI. For some reason tinned goods seem to be higher priced along with washing tabs and chilled goods.

gipi

That's an average price. Last Monday, petrol and diesel were £124.9 at Go, on the Forkhill Rd just outside Newry.

dxhound2005

Butter is cheaper in the South. The Government told me to say that.

Hamlet

I was in Newry last bank holiday weekend. I go up every couple of months, just for a day trip. I have use of a Nectar and UK a club card. when I was at the checkout the girl said they now take ROI club card. You get what's on offer - club card promotions, you just don't get the points.

15 Cans of Magners in Tesco Newry was 14 pound, Revolut conversion on the day was 17.02 in euro.

15 cans of Bulmer's in Dublin was 23.43 + 2.25 deposit.

littlefeet

The day out is an aspect I always go to supermarkets on holiday it's how I discovered they eat horse in northern Italy.

Posters are really reaching to say it's cheaper in NI it's not except in some very specific areas and when you take offers here in to account it's often 50/50 if there are savings.

Having said that l like browning a different supermarket.

The M&S outlet in Banbridge can be good.

Dublinandy3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122806826#Comment_122806826

They are cheaper in the north though? 14 euro in Tesco for 18 cans of coke zero, ignore the deposit return. You can get 30 cans for 9 pounds at the moment in the north in Tesco.

Jinglejangle69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122807453#Comment_122807453

The cans are 440ml though.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122806771#Comment_122806771

€10 is indeed a bit of a round number, and you are right that you probably won't get that much unless you have a very large tank. But if you are travelling to get a bargain it is logical that you would seek to get bargain petrol also, which is £1.28 or €1.53 or about a 15c gap from cheap petrol in the south, so €7.50 on 50l.

mrm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122807078#Comment_122807078

Missed the point completely! I have made significant savings over the last few years trips. When I spent €9 up north I was getting better wines (IMHO) that that price has usually got me down here. I bought many wines for much cheaper, including the wine voted best under £5 (some world wide award for whatever that was worth), and it was delicious. I bought many good quality wines for above the €9, which does not get you much down here re quality. I will continue with this even if cost parity arises, and then it may be a protest (I will have to value my time on this one).

So if that was a lot of words for you, note it was a saving each time and that was the focus. Over 150 bottles it was significant - one yearly trip.

elperello

I like the idea of the day out.

Divert around through Omeath and Carlingford on the way back.

If going to Enniskillen don't forget it's an island town. Heart of Fermanagh Lakeland.

Hamlet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122807809#Comment_122807809

Bulmers changed the can size in the box of 15 during the covid. It's 440ml, so box of 15 both sides of the border are the same.

JIdontknow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122803631#Comment_122803631

Just on this. I have a photo of an Irish tesco clubcard on my phone and use that in Ireland all the time and it scans at the self service etc. no problem. May also be possible if you know someone with a UK one?

mfceiling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122807328#Comment_122807328

Definitely not on the drink!! Pretty much every bottle of wine and champagne was gone and I had around 20 bottles of beer left. Nothing worse than having 20 odd people around and running out of drink.

There's no limit on the paracetamol/ibuprofen if you go in a few times!! Poundland in my local town at home are 3 for £1 on both paracetamol and Ibuprofen. That's 48 tablets for £1 compared to your 48 for €4.

Dealz have an ok selection of deodorants but Sainsburys/Asda will have a much bigger selection and often do 2 for £1 or £1.50.

The soft drinks will definitely be way cheaper this Christmas. I was up home 2 weeks ago and they were doing 2 x 12 packs of coke zero for £4 in a local supermarket (they had hundreds of cases stacked at the door, but people were taking loads).

BraveDonut

I go to Belfast for work semi regularly. On the way home I usually stop in Tesco Banbridge. People tell me it is not as good value as going to Sainsbury in Newry, etc but this Tesco means I don't have to drive far off the main road.
I signed up for a club card using the .co.uk website and not an app. I put in a random NI address. This means that I haven't got a card - just a clubcard number on email. I ask them to key it in at the check out and they are always happy to oblige.

In terms of craft beer, I don't see any value here - I usually only pick up lager and spirits and occasionally cava/prosecco/champagne - dependent on the clubcard deals

bodhrandude

I've mad memories of the nineties at Ballyshannon folk festival, some lads would take a van into the north at Belleek and fill the van with booze then they'd drive back to Ballyshannon and sell it at the campsite during the folk festival and make an absolute killing from it.

redshift-rider

Asda have a 2 for 10gbp offer with various beers including a 3-pack of Duvel. So 6 bottles of Duvel for €12

6 bottles of Duvel is €20.34 in tesco down here. That's a decent saving percentage wise.

They also have a 4 for the price of 3 offer with some decent beer.

You really need to sit down and jot out the savings to see what is worth buying up there and what isn't.

cj maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122806732#Comment_122806732

There used to be one in Newry on the Dublin Road but I don't think they do them anymore

POBox19

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122806732#Comment_122806732

First & Last in Jonesborough, just off the M1 south of Newry. They do 5L kegs priced from £22.00 to £31.99.

https://www.firstandlastofflicence.com/shop/beers/5l-kegs

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122807530#Comment_122807530

Stuff is generally cheaper! You can do c&c groceries online, some Asda c&c slots cost 50p for example..

Plus you can c&c an amazon package free at a NI post office with no minimum spend

The Mulk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122809190#Comment_122809190

Cheers, used to use Bier-Wien.de in the good old days, might stop off on my next trip. Lidl in Newry had some for £20 of their Oktoberfest stuff, never tried it though.

littlefeet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122807828#Comment_122807828

Fair enough I wouldn't know enough about wine to say which one is better than the other.

Pol Goyet Champagne and Sainsbury's own brand are very good value.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122808105#Comment_122808105

Or head up around Slieve Gullion, if the weather is clear.

Armagh city has a Sainsburys, two cathedrals, a museum or two, a planetarium, a Go Petrol station and ancient site just out of town.

One advice to anyone though is to get Revolut and perhaps change some sterling on it on a good day, the rate has varied by 1p in the last couple of days. Don't be using cards charging 3% commission or you might as well shop at home.

EthelMercaptan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122809190#Comment_122809190

McGeoughs in Jonesborough is also nearby and worth a visit, dunno if they do 5l kegs specifically.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122809413#Comment_122809413

Great shout on Slieve Gullion it's gorgeous up there and on a clear day the views are incredible, Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor is well worth a visit too. If you are heading up that way there's lots to see apart from supermarkets.

watchclocker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122807341#Comment_122807341

With your butter vouchers

Off to thr commoners thread with you

watchclocker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122804032#Comment_122804032

Only thing is, unless they've changed it because they're not under EU rule, you don't get points for alcohol

You might get them if someone wants a cew tins of biscuits while they're there though

These Are Facts

The Euro vs GBP is the weakest it's been since April 22, trading at €1.20 or £0.83.
FX places will also take a point or two off that rate when changing over for cash.

If you find a shop offering parity, that would be a lucky bonus.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122810377#Comment_122810377

Donald Trump has helped wreck cross border shopping, along with everything else.

These Are Facts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122810999#Comment_122810999

That's some going for less than 12hrs, and won't even take office until Janurary.
FWIW the Fx rate at the weekend, before he was elected for the 2nd time, was £83.5 (much the same).

The other great news is that Bitcoin and ETH are up around 10% overnight, due to all this way greatly huge success.
Cash them out now (or wait for even higher) then get the shopping bags out.