why are things much cheaper in the uk,

summerskin · 14-09-2011 11:28AM

hondasam wrote: »

what wine are you on about?

If I was in the the UK for a weekend I would not bother buying the paper because It would not have Irish news.

3 bottles of Le Monferrine Piemonte Barbera for a tenner

I wasn't there for a weekend, I was away working not far from where i grew up. so i bought the local paper. I read the online version every day when i'm over here in Ireland just to keep up with what's happening so i can talk about it when i see my friends there.

So do i take that when you buy an irish paper you just skip over all the parts about the rest of the world? quite insular, no?

hondasam · 14-09-2011 11:30AM

bryaner wrote: »

I hope your having a laugh or trolling..

Both or you can decide for yourself.

bryaner · 14-09-2011 11:31AM

summerskin wrote: »

3 bottles of Le Monferrine Piemonte Barbera for a tenner

I wasn't there for a weekend, I was away working not far from where i grew up. so i bought the local paper. I read the online version every day when i'm over here in Ireland just to keep up with what's happening so i can talk about it when i see my friends there.

So do i take that when you buy an irish paper you just skip over all the parts about the rest of the world? quite insular, no?

Sure nothing happens in the rest of the world..;)

summerskin · 14-09-2011 11:31AM

Latchy wrote: »

No it's not ,it's yes it will .

Incorrect, the question was "Is it going to ruin your day?" making "yes it is." the correct answer.

Had the question been "Will it ruin your day?" the answer would be "Yes it will."

ejmaztec · 14-09-2011 11:34AM

summerskin wrote: »

Why do people not get the difference between "being" and "been"????

Because they've not being to school much.

hondasam · 14-09-2011 11:34AM

summerskin wrote: »

So do i take that when you buy an irish paper you just skip over all the parts about the rest of the world? quite insular, no?

The Irish paper has news from the rest of the world, the English paper does not have Irish news or I'm sure you will correct me.

summerskin · 14-09-2011 11:37AM

hondasam wrote: »

The Irish paper has news from the rest of the world, the English paper does not have Irish news or I'm sure you will correct me.

Amazingly enough though you can get copies of the Indo or the Irish Times in almost every city newsagent these days.

and then of course there's http://www.theirishworld.com/

and http://www.irishpost.ie/

just in case you're really craving the old country while away for 2 nights in London......

ejmaztec · 14-09-2011 11:38AM

hondasam wrote: »

The Irish paper has news from the rest of the world, the English paper does not have Irish news or I'm sure you will correct me.

It has Rathkeale property development news today, or at least the Daily Mail has.

Fratton Fred · 14-09-2011 11:38AM

The Evening Standard is the London paper that is now free.

bryaner · 14-09-2011 11:40AM

hondasam wrote: »

The Irish paper has news from the rest of the world, the English paper does not have Irish news or I'm sure you will correct me.

Maybe pick one up the next time your over there, go mental and spend 20p..

jonnny68 · 14-09-2011 11:43AM

seamus wrote: »

There are also demographic issues on top of the wage argument. The UK has a massive population (15 times the size of Ireland). This means that companies can produce/ship their goods in the UK in higher quantities, which in turn makes the cost per product cheaper. Effectively it's the same reason why a box of teabags in the supermarket is 50c cheaper than the corner shop.

Irish-bound goods are often shipped via the UK, so we pay a surcharge on top of the UK cost for having it shipped here.

A larger population also means that each particular market can sustain a greater number of companies, which means that in virtually every single industry, there is more competition, which has a hand in driving prices down.

In mobile phones for example, we often complain that there's very little choice and that O2 and Vodafone operate an effective monopoly. But if you consider that there are only 4.5 million of us, there are only so many mobile phone companies that can operate here and still make a profit. Including MVNOs, Ireland has 7 mobile phone companies. The UK has 34 (and Orange, O2 and Vodafone operate an effective monopoly there). Proportionally we have much more competition in the market than the UK.

The wage arguement actually works both ways. Although higher wages can drive prices up, lower prices (through competition and otherwise) can also force wages down.

We will always be marginally more expensive in many areas than the UK, even if our economy completely tanks. It's the nature of any small island nation.

agree on most of what you say,however i would say Meteor are probably the most popular mobile company in Ireland and not Vodafone or O2, they are certainly the cheapest anyway.

hondasam · 14-09-2011 11:44AM

summerskin wrote: »

Amazingly enough though you can get copies of the Indo or the Irish Times in almost every city newsagent these days.

and then of course there's http://www.theirishworld.com/

and http://www.irishpost.ie/

just in case you're really craving the old country while away for 2 nights in London......

Is there lots of pictures in these papers?

bryaner wrote: »

Maybe pick one up the next time your over there, go mental and spend 20p..

why would I bother?

bryaner · 14-09-2011 11:45AM

hondasam wrote: »

Is there lots of pictures in these papers?

why would I bother?

Educate yourself..

summerskin · 14-09-2011 11:46AM

hondasam wrote: »

Is there lots of pictures in these papers?

why would I bother?

Surely you mean "Are there"?

And of course there are, the sports section in particular is full of them.

Latchy · 14-09-2011 11:47AM

--LOS-- wrote: »

They earn less and their social welfare payments are a lot lower than here so it's all relative. Great to visit there though!

Yes all very relative and lower welfare payments is something some Irish at home may have to get use to

summerskin wrote: »

Amazingly enough though you can get copies of the Indo or the Irish Times in almost every city newsagent these days.

It's much cheaper to read that indo rag online and save the clutter at home .The Irish post and the Irish world just re hash old news items ..like so last week

hondasam · 14-09-2011 11:47AM

bryaner wrote: »

Educate yourself..

summerskin wrote: »

Surely you mean "Are there"?

And of course there is, the sports section in particular is full of them.

Look at ye two, don't ye look great together.

summerskin · 14-09-2011 11:49AM

hondasam wrote: »

Look at ye two, don't ye look great together.

Like the Hall and Oates of AH. Thanks.

ch750536 · 14-09-2011 11:50AM

I have lived in ireland for 7 years but continued working for a company in the UK. My PAYE was still taken incorrectly by UK revenue.
Finally sorted this about a month ago, for the years 2007,2008,2009,2010 the UK handed over my tax payments only (not NIC - 'social tax') to Irish revenue, where I then had my tax calculated and then had to pay 'social tax' - essentially paying this part twice and then I received a notification of the difference.

I was given back close to half a years salary (net, at the UK rate). Remember, this includes paying for the PRSI \ social charge in both countries.

May be cheaper to buy stuff but definately more expensive for me & my family to live in. Add to this the council tax, rediculous parking fees , cost of train journeys abysmal rental market

bryaner · 14-09-2011 11:51AM

summerskin wrote: »

Like the Hall and Oates of AH. Thanks.

High five..:D

Phill Ewinn · 14-09-2011 11:51AM

There's now 450,000 people on SW in the country. All adults who shop in their household. That's a sea change in the relative wealth in the economy.

If people are making assumptions about lower minimum wage equaling lower cost of living think again.

Never before have so many people been so badly off and yet the cost of the weekly shop and energy bills are rising.

Costs in the economy are something the government need to control. Rents, speculation, red tape, consumer access, etc before minimum wage cuts. Putting the cart before the horse won't solve anything

Wage bills in a large retailer are hardly significant if the employer is paying three quarters of a million a year in rent.

seamus · 14-09-2011 11:51AM

jonnny68 wrote: »

agree on most of what you say,however i would say Meteor are probably the most popular mobile company in Ireland and not Vodafone or O2, they are certainly the cheapest anyway.

They're a lot bigger than they used to be, but still in 3rd place behind Vodafone and 02 who control 75% of the market between them. Meteor and 3 have the other 25%.

Meteor are very popular with students and are seen as more of a "young people"'s network, whereas Vodafone and O2 are seen as business and adults' networks.

That's for historical and marketing reasons more than anything else.

hondasam · 14-09-2011 11:51AM

summerskin wrote: »

Like the Hall and Oates of AH. Thanks.

Don't kid yourself, you have 94 post in AH, I'm laughing at you not with you.

Latchy · 14-09-2011 11:54AM

summerskin wrote: »

Like the Hall and Oates of AH. Thanks.

More Foster and Allen

hondasam wrote: »

Don't kid yourself, you have 94 post in AH, I'm laughing at you not with you.

Me to .

summerskin · 14-09-2011 11:54AM

hondasam wrote: »

Don't kid yourself, you have 94 post in AH, I'm laughing at you not with you.

Aw bless the keyboard warrior.

I bow to your posting history. Must be harding writing 13k+ posts of utter drivel.

bryaner · 14-09-2011 11:59AM

summerskin wrote: »

Aw bless the keyboard warrior.

I bow to your posting history. Must be harding writing 13k+ posts of utter drivel.

Ahh jaysus go handy, I'm sure its only around 12k+ of utter drivel.

Billy86 · 14-09-2011 12:08PM

Try going to Berlin and you'll be even more confused/frustrated

!

You can get a 4* hotel in a great location for €50-60 a night if you look around (Park Inn, just a little to the East of where the Wall was - right by the giant and very cool TV tower with a restaurant on top). You can buy cans of (actually reasonably nice, though regional) booze in the supermarket for €25c each, can get a pint in the non-touristy areas for anywhere for as low as €1-1.50, can eat out for €2.50 for decent stuff or €4-6 for very nice stuff.

Great spot to go on holidays, and if you get the flights and accomodation sorted out you can have a three day holiday there doing lots of stuff in the day and going out at night for about the same as 1-2 good nights out here. You've got to find the right places and avoid the tourist traps for this, but it is outrageous. Unbelievable city, too.

Just like the UK with us, it has to do with average wages, higher tax rates, location, larger population meaning larger import quantities meaning more 'wholesale' type prices at retail level, etc.

dark crystal · 14-09-2011 12:13PM

I was there for week during the summer and although many (not all) retail goods are cheaper, the cost of living isn't necessarily cheaper at all.

The cost of rent and hotel accommodation was much higher, they pay council tax and water charges and the wages are lower too.

When taking the exchange rate into consideration, eating out wasn't much cheaper at all.

jonnny68 · 14-09-2011 12:17PM

seamus wrote: »

They're a lot bigger than they used to be, but still in 3rd place behind Vodafone and 02 who control 75% of the market between them. Meteor and 3 have the other 25%.

Meteor are very popular with students and are seen as more of a "young people"'s network, whereas Vodafone and O2 are seen as business and adults' networks.

That's for historical and marketing reasons more than anything else.

I'm not a student or young but i am a meteor customer basically because they are much cheaper than the other 2,i hardly know anyone who isnt on the Meteor network.#

anyway different subject........

Tazz T · 14-09-2011 12:25PM

Everything is more expensive here because we have some of the highest commercial rents in the world. Prices and wages have come down everywhere in Ireland yet rents for shops and retailers haven't. Still 'only upwards' rent revews. This needs to change. And the government won't do anything about it, cos they don't want to upset the rich and the consortiums that own the property.

Plus anti-competitive cartels such as the Vintners who prevented companies like JD Wetherspoons coming in.

They're now getting a touch of we have to put up with now that the ESB buying out NIE (Nothern Ireland Electricity) last year. They've just put residential prices up by over 18%.

revell · 14-09-2011 12:43PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Try going to Berlin and you'll be even more confused/frustrated !

Love Berlin, for the same a mount of money you can do much more there than here. Cannot wait to go again. :cool:

why are things much cheaper in the uk,

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