Booze Runs To The North

The purpose of a Booze / Paracetemol run is surely to save money. Although in some cases it seems to be motivated by anti MUP and DRS sentiments. Adding extra time, expense and miles to the journeys to enjoy the cultural and scenic delights of the North sounds like a nightmare to me. I would not want to be driving up the mountain at Slieve Gullion on a murky winter day, in a car loaded down with booze. Or trying to negotiate the traffic in Enniskillen or Armagh to take in the sights.

Come back on another day when you can relax and dedicate the trip to culture, and a bit of casual browsing in the shops.

Amusing that some people would drive for hours to avoid spending a few minutes putting empties into a machine.

As for trying to save money by shopping in M&S… 😂🤣

😁😁

I never understand why people don't put a value on their time. I shop in Aldi and Tesco - the 2 closest to me. I know where goods are and can be in and out in 20min or less. I couldn't be bothered with Dunnes as its 20 min away!

The thoughts of spending 1 or 2 hours driving to NI and the same back just to shop is in nightmare territory and that's on top of finding where everything is in a store with a totally different layout. I'd easily get a round of golf in that time!

I travel through NI every few weeks. I pass by 2 Asdas (Strabane & Omagh). I will drop in sometimes, but more to look for something different than to work out if something is 10c cheaper. I'm not a beer drinker, so that's of no interest, rarely take painkillers, so no interest there either. I like a good whiskey, but no discernible difference at the better end of the market on either whiskey or wine.

Some people may put no value on their time and be heavy beer drinkers and they'll save a few quid. Others might use it as a day trip as there are fabulous places up there - Ulster Folk Park is brilliant - and pop into a supermarket while you are there.

And remember, all prices can be checked online and don't fool yourself by comparing the price in your local centra v a special offer and don't believe people who claim you can get 2 brand name deo for £1. You can't.

Who needs cheap drink these days? Ireland has cheap cocaine now instead!!!!

No hangover, no weight gain for the suburban mammies and gym rats, trendy on the night out in the GAA/rugby circles.

Sure it's practically replaced drinking theses days.

I give it 15 years before it's all legal, the pharmaceutical giants will replace the alcohol lobby as our night-out-poisoners-in-chief, and you'll have your average publican serving a "line of Guinness" (stout flavoured cocaine to have the smell of the black stuff in your nostrils) and a bag of scampi fries.

They changed the slab as well from 500ml to 440ml and kept the same price.I had an exchange of emails with them and basically told told tough-it's 440ml or nothing.

I'm no fan of MUP, quite the opposite, but no beer went from €2 to €4 because of MUP.

You said in the opening post you were getting O'Hara's DIPA previously for €2, I drink that myself and a previous price of €2 for that is just not credible.

It's now €3.75 in Molloys / Dunnes and lots of other places stock it too, you're always going to get poor value in a petrol station offy. Considering the quality of the beer and 7.5% ABV, €3.75 is reasonable.

DRS doesn't apply to it either as it comes in glass bottles (have to be stored and then brought back to the bottle bank though…)

Over €2 for a can of 4% common or garden lager is not at all reasonable and this is where MUP has acted to screw the consumer while enriching retailers and brewers.

If it had been in my local Lidl at €2 before MUP came in I'd have been all over it 😕

If this is the same stuff, O'Hara's 500 ml bottle 7.5% is in Tesco and Dunnes for €3.75. Tesco is a time limited offer, and you need a Club Card. I think I will have to get a bottle of it now, to see what the fuss is about. Unless it is only available online for delivery? Shops could sell it at €3 to keep within MUP.

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/en-IE/products/281572111?srsltid=AfmBOorHjUYRWRJBfIGfnlGDCBJcfLAc8Hsl2d0lCO00TrsLyU3FXV6p

https://www.dunnesstoresgrocery.com/sm/delivery/rsid/258/product/oharas-double-ipa-500ml-100286466/

Just another note Re: Enniskillen, I was there a few weeks back in Erneside shopping centre. Jack n Jones are still doing €1:£1 cash only, I picked up a pair of jeans that I bought a couple months ago down south for €79.99 got for £50 and bought 3 t shirts for £25 handed in €100. He then gave me back £25 sterling.

I walked out of the shop and thought that can't be right sure there loosing money.

Popped back in and he said nope it's correct.

Next time I might buy something for a tenner and hand in the 100€ note and get back £90.😆

I'd still be up think exchange is £83 vs €100

Tesco own brand 330ml cans including Orange , Lemon & Lime etc all have the return logo so at 6 cans for £1.80 and then 90c back in the South, they are a great bargain.

Yeah I got €1.17 = £1 on Revolut a few months back, as of today it's €1.20 = £1

I never did spend that £100 I transferred over though, so I could cash out and make a whopping €3 🤔

Last time I was up north, the sales assistant just asked the next person in line if she could scan theirs as they get the points and I got the discount.

The reason that the UOI card does not work in The north is not because they want to encourage people to shop but to collect your pertinent data.

The profit margins that BestSellers ( who own the brand Jack n Jones) are 53%. The £1 = €1 is just a very clever discount marketing scheme instead of saying Sale - 15% off.

They aren't losing anything and I'd be curious when they do have an actual sale , if they still did that exchange rate.

Went up with a mate last Tuesday and loaded up the boot 18x440ml Caling for £12 then went to load up with fireworks ready for next Halloween 🎃

Worried that we may be stopped & searched by the PSNI or the Garda, but we escaped. Happy days.

FYI those go in the DRS machines down here. Extra discount…

Edit, beaten to it…