Interesting tips re keeping costs down

L1011 wrote: »

Depending on your bin provider, its sorted in Ireland instead and a larger amount than before is sorted automatically (magnets, magnetic flux, compressed air, huge variety of things). Was a multi-page article on Thorntons in the Irish Times a few years back detailing what they do.

Thorntons now take any level of clean plastic film as well which has hugely reduced my black bin usage, but as I already pay by weight rather than lift - which everyone will have to from the summer - hasn't done much to those costs.

That's great to hear!
Although reducing packaging is always going to be on my to-do list. It can't be free to provide it, so I'm paying for it somewhere, either in the quality of the product, or the price itself.

L1011 wrote: »

Depending on your bin provider, its sorted in Ireland instead and a larger amount than before is sorted automatically (magnets, magnetic flux, compressed air, huge variety of things). Was a multi-page article on Thorntons in the Irish Times a few years back detailing what they do.

Thorntons now take any level of clean plastic film as well which has hugely reduced my black bin usage, but as I already pay by weight rather than lift - which everyone will have to from the summer - hasn't done much to those costs.

Is this for thorntons or everyone? I read something about this somewhere recently. Seems to fly in the face of recycling and turn a better profit, maybe its because people are recycling? Why would the weight of the same volume matter?, its not like they are hauling away lead (hopefully), no doubt my black bins weighs a lot when it goes out every 2 months as I am stamping it all down.
I filter everything out that can be put in the green bin, its cleaned and flattened, I used to do this believing it might make a difference, which I no longer believe, I do it now because it saves me on cost from filling my black bin and because I want to be trying to make an effort to do something, no matter how pointless it is in saving the planet.

charging by weight is just a reaction to people falling in line after abiding by recycling. So surely the weight being processed is the same or even less than before?

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Pwurple, I buy the fish in the supermarket from the fish counter (not prepackaged) but they can't hand it to me without any packaging, hence the plastic bags and polystrene tray!! To get to a 'real' butcher I'd have to spend money on petrol to drive to them so that doesn't work cost wise. And of course (slaps heads to forehead) you must shop in the English market, where only royalty shops! You lucky ducky you! Pity and pray for us poor shoppers here in the big Dublin sprawl.

They dont really need to supply a plastic tray or polystyrene though, do they?
Im sure thats just the format they do it in. I know superquinn used to do fish in heat sealed foil/paper/type material off a sheet or roll, although shopping there would eliminate any saving, you'd be doing you're bit for the environment.

I cant see how they can limit whats being processed anymore, I already only put the bin out between 6-8 weeks as Im filtering out recycleables, overall the weight is probably the same as if it was being removed fortnightly though as its just taking longer to fill.
I pay per lift so it pays for me to do it this way.

The only way to make further savings is to reduce the amount of packaging but this wont necessarily reduce the amount of non recycleable material.

pwurple wrote: »

Hah, yeah, me and the queen haggling over oxtail doncha know.

It might be worth your while to phone a few real butchers and ask about deliveries? I can think of two or three butchers around here who deliver for free, on orders over 30 quid. I sometimes order in bulk and freeze to do that.

And you can ask them to drop the polystyrene. What's that about.

Naw, you won't get anything delivered free in our capital city (that I'm aware of). I used to get fish delivered but it was more expensive compared to the supermarket so I had to give it up, but also because by the time they got to me there was little choice left, even when I placed an order, so I found I was only getting the mangy bits of cod! I do pay for milk deliveries because we are a bit nostalgic that way and its always handy having someone calling so regularly, security-wise, especially with us older generation people. Ye don't know yer born down there with your free deliveries! Stop showing off.

RainyDay wrote: »

I have to disagree. Different market, but very useful free delivery service:

https://healthwave.ie/free-prescription-delivery-with-healthpass/

Yep, different market, but good to know. Maybe we need a separate thread for companies offering free delivery but without increasing their prices. Have you used Healthwave? Do you know if they charge any extra for their products?

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Yep, different market, but good to know. Maybe we need a separate thread for companies offering free delivery but without increasing their prices. Have you used Healthwave? Do you know if they charge any extra for their products?

Yes, I've been a Healthwave customer for over a year now, saving over €200 on my annual medication bill.

L1011 wrote: »

Its pretty much a given that "free" delivery is built in to prices. Something has to pay for it.

The price is the same whether they deliver to your door or you call in to pick up. The only limitation is no more than four deliveries a year, so if you get 3 months supply of medication each time, it's a no brainer.

L1011 wrote: »

Healthwave's marketing is based on being cheaper than other pharmacies, but there's nobody else selling on an equivalent basis to compare prices with.

Apart from just about every other pharmacy in the country selling equivalent products at much higher prices?

L1011 wrote: »

Their prices still include the delivery - the vans don't get driven by volunteers and run on air. There is no such thing as a free delivery - you've paid for it, somewhere.

They don't have vans, they use a courier. They are paying something between €8-€10 per shipment (ex-vat), depending on volume, based on my recent experience.

You pay the same price for the product, with or without delivery.

L1011 wrote: »

There isn't another pharmacy doing membership based pricing let alone one not offering shipping to compare to

L1011 wrote: »

Healthwave's marketing is based on being cheaper than other pharmacies, but there's nobody else selling on an equivalent basis to compare prices with.

Are you just trying to be pedantic, or argumentative? They are cheaper than any other pharmacy in the State. They have cut my drugs bill in half, saving €200 pa. A family member is saving €1,000 over what he used to pay to his local chemist. You can spin it however you like, but they are cheaper than any other pharmacy in the State. That's the information that consumers need to know.

L1011 wrote: »

This seems like rather extreme pushing of Healthwave at this point and little else

Eh! if they're cheaper then they're cheaper. I'm only reading illogical 'pushing against' here.

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JJJJNR wrote: »

Why are you flushing good dog food down the drain? I boil it all up and give it to the dog any waste from the dog gets flushed down the drain, or thrown into the local river, so its a win win.

You throw your dogs waste into the local river? :eek: why?
At that rate, we could advise people to burn their rubbish, saves on having it disposed of by paying for it to be removed, win win, I hear the engine oil goes in the drains too.

brian_t wrote: »

Used engine oil is accepted free of charge by the Councils recycling centres.

I know, I wasn't being serious, although I saw someone doing that once