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Money Saving Tips, or How to Live Respectably on a Pittance

  • 27-08-2012 09:17PM
    #1
    Seren_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,810 ✭✭✭


    Thought this thread might come in useful, especially for people living away from home for the first time (as well as me people who have been here years but can't stop spending money and are currently extremely broke >.>).

    So has anyone good advice for saving money/spending it wisely? Any good deals on stuff around Maynooth/Dublin/wherever? Cheap and tasty recipes? Best drink for a student budget? Share your knowledge and wisdom here! Questions also very welcome.


«13

Comments

  • #2
    WhiskeyGoblin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,009 ✭✭✭WhiskeyGoblin


    TESCO BRAND EVERYTHING UP IN DAT BÍTCH.


    Seriously though, for the most part it tastes the same as the other brands and for a lot cheaper.


  • #3
    tootyflutty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 782 ✭✭✭tootyflutty


    marko93 wrote: »
    TESCO BRAND EVERYTHING UP IN DAT BÍTCH.

    Tesco? Fancy! Aldi fo sho!


  • #4
    WhiskeyGoblin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,009 ✭✭✭WhiskeyGoblin


    tootyflutty wrote: »
    Tesco? Fancy! Aldi fo sho!

    Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Dunnes, take your pick. Same crap, different label :P


  • #5
    Seren_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,810 ✭✭✭Seren_


    I wish we'd a decent Supervalu here. We've two enormous ones within 15 minutes of my house at home and they do some savage deals. They also sell the most random stuff; used to get loads of Linda McCartney things in them which you never see in Tesco, Dunnes et al, like the cheese & onion plaits & the pies. om nom nom.

    Penneys is a great place to get cheap toothbrushes/toothpaste/deoderant/shower stuff. Colgate toothpaste for a euro! Nearest one to Maynooth would be in town. There's one on O'Connell St, and a huge one on Mary St (it feels weird describing places in Dublin to people on this forum, it always feel like they should know where these things are :pac:)


  • #6
    WhiskeyGoblin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,009 ✭✭✭WhiskeyGoblin


    Seren_ wrote: »
    I wish we'd a decent Supervalu here. We've two enormous ones within 15 minutes of my house at home and they do some savage deals. They also sell the most random stuff; used to get loads of Linda McCartney things in them which you never see in Tesco, Dunnes et al, like the cheese & onion plaits & the pies. om nom nom.

    Penneys is a great place to get cheap toothbrushes/toothpaste/deoderant/shower stuff. Colgate toothpaste for a euro! Nearest one to Maynooth would be in town. There's one on O'Connell St, and a huge one on Mary St (it feels weird describing places in Dublin to people on this forum, it always feel like they should know where these things are :pac:)

    PRO TIP: BUY ALLL DAT SHIIIIIIT IN BULK.

    Shorten down the amount of trips you may have to take and just buy loads of it in one go.


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  • #7
    Jonah42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 455 ✭✭Jonah42


    I gave up drinking totally, feel amazing and saving so much money. Only hard thing about it is going to mantra sober! Fosters is the cheapest around maynooths pubs but it tastes awful.

    Speaking of beer I think I remember a first year last semester asking in the SU bar for Dutch Gold on draft, bless him.

    If you know some people doing the same course, or even better if you're living with people doing the same course then buy the books between you. Some of those books are crazy dear and you'll only use them for 6 months. Or just don't bother getting any, I've gotten away with it so far.

    Take advantage of any in-store deal you see and don't go shopping when you're hungry.

    Mizzoni's pizza do buy one get one free on a tuesday.

    If you live off campus get an electric heater instead of using oil/gas.

    Petrols cheapest at Esso up straffan road.

    Don't be afraid to take more than your fair share of the free samples down at Dunnes. Just keep chatting to yer one and you're grand.

    Still trying to come up with a system to get free candy out of the vending machines at rye hall but no luck yet. Watch this space.


  • #8
    Leptons
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 60 ✭✭Leptons


    Buy a rice cooker and rice; lots of rice.


  • #9
    WhiskeyGoblin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,009 ✭✭✭WhiskeyGoblin


    Leptons wrote: »
    Buy a rice cooker and rice; lots of rice.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Craft-Microwave-Cooker-Litre/dp/B0001IWD7O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346101300&sr=8-1


  • #10
    Lawstudent1991
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3 ✭Lawstudent1991


    Make your lunch the night or morning before college!

    and try and bring in a thermos of coffee/tea.

    it honestly saves you sooo much money and is worth the 10 minutes the night before.

    Although campus is subsidised, 5 euro for your lunch and 3 euro for your coffee really adds up during the week!


  • #11
    Thwip!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,234 ✭✭✭Thwip!


    ALDI IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

    i do a full weeks shopping for under a tenner. tis a beautiful thing


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  • #12
    DB21
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,715 ✭✭✭DB21


    Get used to the taste of beans, pasta, and noodles :pac:


  • #13
    mickstupp
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭mickstupp


    Four years and I've never paid for refill pads or highlighters. Academic Advisory office gives them away for free :D Sometimes pens too. Or you could go for a box of 50 bics for 9 quid from Tescos. Last you longer than you'll be in college.


  • #14
    WhiskeyGoblin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,009 ✭✭✭WhiskeyGoblin


    mickstupp wrote: »
    Four years and I've never paid for refill pads or highlighters. Academic Advisory office gives them away for free :D Sometimes pens too. Or you could go for a box of 50 bics for 9 quid from Tescos. Last you longer than you'll be in college.

    Challenge Accepted.


  • #15
    aaabbbb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭aaabbbb


    DB21 wrote: »
    Get used to the taste of beans, pasta, and noodles :pac:

    Don't forget Aldi cereal, lived on that for a week just so I could go out on a Thursday :p

    Though I'm sure eating cardboard would have been far more nutritious and tasty!:pac: .


  • #16
    Thwip!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,234 ✭✭✭Thwip!


    aaabbbb wrote: »
    Don't forget Aldi cereal, lived on that for a week just so I could go out on a Thursday :p

    Though I'm sure eating cardboard would have been far more nutritious and tasty!:pac: .
    Aldi cornflakes are the exact same as kellogs :P

    what cereal was it?


  • #17
    aaabbbb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭aaabbbb


    jpcarlow wrote: »
    Aldi cornflakes are the exact same as kellogs :P

    what cereal was it?

    Their version of special K afair . I don't like cornflakes :(

    Also Aldi milk is grey :confused:


  • #18
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,280 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    Jonah42 wrote: »
    Only hard thing about it is going to mantra sober!

    how you even go there when drunk is amazing


  • #19
    DB21
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,715 ✭✭✭DB21


    aaabbbb wrote: »
    Don't forget Aldi cereal, lived on that for a week just so I could go out on a Thursday :p

    Though I'm sure eating cardboard would have been far more nutritious and tasty!:pac: .

    Classy as always :L


  • #20
    aaabbbb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭aaabbbb


    DB21 wrote: »
    Classy as always :L

    Sure dont you know , I'm the closest Maynooth will ever get to royalty :P

    and also not entirely relevant but : http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1qdofF/:hSO4gEyd:U!2PHDCy/iwastesomuchtime.com/on?i=46993/


  • #21
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,280 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    Out of all the cheap noodles ,

    Tesco value 15 cent chicken noodles are the best but only in chicken flavour , their curry is awful, for curry you need to spend the 67 cent on that unknown brand in shiney packaging.

    Go to tesco at 8pm , stand around by the deli and bakery areas , get what you can as soon as its marked down.


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  • #22
    chainsawman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 458 ✭✭chainsawman


    Always look for "buy one get one free", When i see them, i buy a good few .


  • #23
    roxyworldgirl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 291 ✭✭roxyworldgirl


    Jonah42 wrote: »
    .


    If you live off campus get an electric heater instead of using oil/gas.

    Storage heating is crazy expensive.. I know oil is too but cant imagine a couple storage heaters would be less than buying oil? :S


  • #24
    Jonah42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 455 ✭✭Jonah42


    roxyworldgirl wrote: »
    Storage heating is crazy expensive.. I know oil is too but cant imagine a couple storage heaters would be less than buying oil? :S

    Not sure, our house was pretty well insulated. Leaving the electric heater on for 10-15 minutes was enough to warm up the sitting room on those cold days.


  • #25
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,280 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    roxyworldgirl wrote: »
    Storage heating is crazy expensive.. I know oil is too but cant imagine a couple storage heaters would be less than buying oil? :S

    yep, those electric oil heaters might seem like a saving as your only heating 1 room but realistically they cost more, also If I lived in a house with a person using their own electric radiator Id expect them to pay more out of the ESB


  • #26
    Shinato
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 55 ✭✭Shinato


    aaabbbb wrote: »
    Sure dont you know , I'm the closest Maynooth will ever get to royalty :P

    and also not entirely relevant but : http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1qdofF/:hSO4gEyd:U!2PHDCy/iwastesomuchtime.com/on?i=46993/

    I checked out that link and the main argument had me laughing my head off. It was actually funnier than the article.

    Also money-saving wise, try wine spritzers. One tesco wine and two bottles of lemonade will keep you going for the whole night.


  • #27
    Dr. Nguyen Van Falk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25 ✭Dr. Nguyen Van Falk


    1) don't shower at home, there is free showers in the gym and the swimming pool.

    2) don't by toilet-roll plenty of that in j.h and the arts bloc toilets.

    3) if you need new clothes check the lost and found before buying any

    4) stay away from luxuries like shelter and love

    5) Instead of buying drink in a pub, bring a naggin in and drink that

    6) don't use banks, this saves from the government and Obama sneaking in to them at night and stealing your money, for example i have over two grand hidden in various locations in jh


  • #28
    WhiskeyGoblin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,009 ✭✭✭WhiskeyGoblin


    Dr. Nguyen Van Falk wrote: »

    3) if you need new clothes check the lost and found before buying any
    You can't actually be serious?


  • #29
    Leptons
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 60 ✭✭Leptons


    Dr. Nguyen Van Falk wrote: »
    6) don't use banks, this saves from the government and Obama sneaking in to them at night and stealing your money, for example i have over two grand hidden in various locations in jh

    In unrelated news a treasure hunting society has just been formed.


  • #30
    goat2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    marko93 wrote: »
    You can't actually be serious?
    go to DEALZ, beats the lot, everything is 1.49, food, toiloteries, cleaning supplies, just simply fantastic,
    i go there every few months to replenish toiloteries, cleaning products and foods,
    if you go there once, you will be back time and time again.
    they also sell great brands, of everything,
    every student in the country should give this dealz outlet a go, it would save ye loads,
    google to find out where the nearest outlet to you is
    good luck to all.


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  • #31
    loser2k12
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 60 ✭✭loser2k12


    I plan on crawling through my door and making puppy dog eyes at my mother. Her maternal instincts should tell her that I need food :D and/or money. >.> yay for independence?


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