Frugal Ireland

Photo owned by basykes (cc)

Just a few freebies and almost-freebies on the web at the moment.  Enjoy!

Lenor are looking for people to test new full-size products.  You need to take a survey to qualify.  It took me about 2 minutes and my full-size trial is on the way.  Click here to take the survey.

Tesco have €10 vouchers for online grocery shops this week and next. Click here.  Of note, these will also work in store at the self-checkout.  You may think this is dishonest, but really Tesco wins, they’re not paying labour for shopping and delivery nevermind costs such as petrol.  So it’s in their interest for you to use these in store as opposed to on a delivery.

Guinness are offering a free BBQ set which is quite sharp (mine arrived last week) and comes with a coupon for two free cans, with two more coupons coming just days later.  Six free cans and a barbecue set with an intriguing recipe booklet.  What’s to lose?

Barbecue not your thing? Try Poker.  Guinness are also offering a free poker set with the same coupons.  You can’t claim this if you’ve done the BBQ one, but what’s to say your spouse or partner can’t!?

Drynites are offering a free sample of their overnight nappies.  With one in potty training bootcamp as I type, this was a welcome offer for me!

How about a free sample of Lacoste Elegance?

Any other freebies out there we should know about???

Categories: Bargains, Coupons, Freebies, Savings
Tags: Coupons, free samples, Freebies

Summer is dead and gone, so I’ve turned my attention to what I’m going to be wearing in the next few months and since I’m on a very tight budget I said I’d share my experiences with you.

The Inventory

The first step is to do a wardrobe inventory, make a list of everything you have, organised by garment type, trousers, skirts, tops, sweaters, jackets, shoes bags etc.  It is worth trying them on too, anything that doesn’t fit or that is past it should be donated or dumped.   When they are all out of the wardrobe, try to make outfits out of them…it’s all well and good having 5 lovely tops and 5 lovely pairs of trousers but if none of them can be worn together, they are useless.

What your AW (Autumn/ Winter) wardrobe will consist of, will depend on your lifestyle.  Mine is mostly Monday to Friday 9-5 Office Work. I don’t have a strict dress code but I like to look smart and business like so I keep the jeans for the weekend.  This year, I looked at my wardrobe and discovered that I had the following items that were suitable for AW08 (by suitable I mean they are warm enough, they fit me and they are not worn to a thread).

1 cropped black pants from River Island that could be worn with boots or tights inside.

1 bootleg black pants from Dunnes

1 pair of grey wool knee length shorts/pants from River Island worn with a Green cardi from Monsoon.

1 pair of Denim Trousers for more casual days from Wallis worn with a green and white v neck from Espirit.

2 cream sweaters, one v-neck from Mexx and one boat neck from Espirit.

The List

The problem with the list above is that as far as I’m concerned there is only 2 full outfits there, I think black pants are boring and I think cream jumpers are boring so I didn’t want to wear them together.  So with the addition of this for the two black pants (2 more outfits)

and this for under the two cream jumpers another (2 outfits)

We have now gone from two full outfits to 6 and all I’ve spent is €92.  You might think that is a lot on two items but I have had great experiences with Wallis clothes, they wash in the machine really well and really suit my pear shaped figure.

I also have two Wallis dresses and a Savida dress that I got in the Spring this year that I think can be worn well into Autumn with the addition of some tights and a cardi! By the way, skirts and Knee-High boots have become a wardrobe staple for many women these days but I am cursed with obsecenely large calves and knee-high boots are a no go, hence all the trousers!

The Externals - Coats, Bags and Shoes

Due to careful planning in other years, I’m  ok in the externals department, shoes, bags, coats.

1 pair of black comfy (ish) court shoes from Dorothy Perkins and a black DKNY handbag.  The shoes will probably have to be replaced before the year is out, but for now they are ok.

1 pair of tan shoe-boots also from Dorothy Perkins and a tan leather bag from River Island

As far as shoes go I can’t recommend Dorothy Perkins enough although if you need a bit more support and comfort then I had a look on the Clarks website and they have some pretty nice stuff.  I haven’t seen too many coats in the shops yet, give it another few weeks.

Something for the weekend

Like I said, most of my time is spent in work clothes so I didn’t want to go overboard on buying casual clothes, however I did want something to update my wardrobe.   I was delighted to find a sleeveless tanktop in a chunky yarn in Savida and a white long sleeve t-shirt for inside for €53.  The t-shirt is a lovely lycra one and will also be worn inside some other short sleeved t-shirts.

I’m not big into going out to clubs and bars at the weekend so this didn’t really come into my budget,  I have some tops from previous years and a dressy pants and a dress or two which will get me through the season.  I had a quick look in Dorothy Perkins and they have some really good value fashion pieces for going out or casual wear at the weekend.  Worth a look if you’re a socialite on a budget.

The big change to my lifestyle has been weekly trips to the farmers market in Limerick, a wonderful but cold place in the winter so I have added a casual coat/jacket to my “to-buy” list, I’m thinking a really nice fleece, something warm and cosy but not too sensible .

The Moral

The moral of the story is if you’re on a budget, you don’t have to stop buying clothes, you just have to buy more carefully.  By looking at what’s in your wardrobe and making out a list of “outfits” that you can put together out of your seperates you will see the gaps.  What you need to do is fill those gaps instead of wandering around shops buying whatever takes your fancy.   If you do the “wandering” method of shopping you will  find that, the top that you were so in love with and was only €30 will actually cost you another €100 to make an outfit, because it doens’t match your pants or any shoes you have.

As for where to shop, my favourite place for reasonably priced pants is Wallis, especially if you are a pear shape (aka you have a big bottom/thighs and small shoulders/chest).   If you are apple shaped, Next is definitely the place to go, I never have any luck there but I know others who swear by it.   For Knitwear, if you can stretch to it, Monsoon always has beautiful stuff, but Wallis and Savida have lovely collections this year.

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Every school child in the country will hate me for even daring to write this post this early but it has to be done! Research released in the last week estimated that parents spend €60,000 in terms of the education of each of their children. In this post I hope to highlight a few ways to save money (or obtain more of it!) to offset the costs and I’d be very interested in hearing tips and comments from readers on ways in which they cut the costs of ‘free’ education in Ireland.

The first thing to mention here is the money that the Government give to parents and guardians who are on certain social welfare allowances or are on low wages and help defray some of the costs involved in going to school. This Back to School Allowance is not applied for by all those who are entitled to it for a variety of reasons including lack of information and misinformation about entitlements and income thresholds.

For those up to 11 years of age the allowance payable is €200 and for secondary school students (11-18) it is €305. The income limit per week for a couple with one child is €497 per week and for a lone parent is €348 per week. The higher allowance is also payable to those with sons and daughters in third level education under the ages of 22. Other limits for larger families and full details of the allowance are available on the Citizens Information Board Website page on the allowance and also on the Department of Social and Family Affairs Website.

It’s important to note that rent supplements, child benefit and many other allowances are not considered income.

Food coupons in Ireland are rare as hens teeth in comparison to the resources available to US and UK based shoppers, but some of you may find the coupon that Low Low have issued for their new cheese stick product useful, (buying the cheese in a block yourself and cutting it into amusing shapes could really do the trick on the money saving front though - I can feel Deborah patting me on the back from here!)

Maybe you do not have contacts in terms of exchanging school books and with schools currently closed and few book sales available and the cost of new books being excessive you might find the book you are looking for on School Book Exchange for half the price or less. I’d be interested to hear the experiences of anyone who uses this or any other book selling or exchanging service in Ireland. Local papers, shopping centre notice boards and community centres might also be good places to advertise books for exchanges.

The Department of Education funds a School Book Grant Scheme which you may be entitled to apply for via your child’s school. More information is available on the Citizens Information Board Website and also via the Department Circulars which are issued to schools on the subject - primary schools and secondary schools.

What tips do you have in terms of cutting back to school expenses?

Categories: Budgeting, Coupons, Feature, Tips
Tags: Grants, Saving Money, School costs

Budgeting - the mere mention of the word makes me cringe, unless of course it’s government spending we’re talking about.  In a time where prices are increasing every day and belts are tightening, it’s really important to know exactly where your money goes.  I am no expert on this by any means, but this will walk you through how we created and handle our budget.

I wish it’s something we’d done and figured out before we ever got married as it’s true what they say - money does cause the most arguments!

Month 1

Come up with a first draft budget.  Look at what you normally spend in a month.  Take into account regular outgoings like TV, Internet, Insurance, Rent/Mortgage, loans, credit cards as well as variable expenditures like petrol, groceries and entertainment.

It does not have to be exact, just a very rough estimate, this will be refined as you move forward.  Look at last month’s bank statement for direct debits and standing orders to make sure you have everything covered.

Make a list of all incoming money - salaries, children’s allowance, rebates etc.

Compare your initial outgoings to incomings.  Is it realistic?  Do you find that you should have a lot of money leftover at month end based on your intial figures, yet in reality you rarely do?  If so, look again at your outgoings.  Is it really indicative of what you spend?  Think that morning coffee, lunch on the go, newspapers etc.  Refine the list as necessary.

Start tracking your expenditures.  This means receipts, receipts and more receipts.  Get a receipt everywhere you go and bring it home with you to track.  You can use something as simple as a ledger to an excel spreadsheet.  Personally, we like the Pear Budget, an incredibly simple online application that we can access anywhere.

I find it’s easier to work with a laser card, as you are more likely to keep or even get a receipt.

Keep track of all your outgoings for the month.  At the end of the month compare your actual expenditures to your first draft budget.

Month 2

Redo your budget based on the comparison between actual outgoings and predicted outgoings.  Generally you will find you spend a good bit more than you thought.  That’s ok, just re-adjust the budget and go at it again.

Track all expenses during the month

Compare your actual versus predicted again at the end of the month.

Month 3

Refine your budget again if necessary, but you should find you’re not too far off.  This is the time where you can start setting goals.  Are you spending too much on groceries?  Figure out where you can save.  Maybe you want to call around and save on insurance?  Whatever it is, name a goal and work on it this month.  At the end of the month if you meet your goal, put the money saved on a credit card or loan or into a savings account, or even treat yourself to a night out. It’s up to you and will be dependent on your personal financial situation.

Continue to track and continue to refine.

Month 4 and beyond

At this point the previously painful receipt input should be fairly automatic.  Keep at it.  It’s an excellent exercise in restraint and a fantastic way to know where your financial situation stands at any point in time.  Keep setting goals and tracking your progress.  You will be amazed at the difference this makes in your life and to your bank balance!

What are your budgeting tips???

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Categories: Budgeting, Tips
Tags: Budgeting, money management, Personal finance

It’s not all about saving money these days, a little extra in our pockets is also good.  I use Envirofone every year when I upgrade my mobile.  I usually choose and upgrade that will cost me nothing with the contract I am on and then send my old phone to envirofone.  You can choose to receive a cheque or Argos credit.  I always go for the Argos credit, because you actually get more money that way and let’s face it, I will eventually need something at Argos!  The amount received varies according to phone model, age and condition.  I usually get around forty euro back.  So if you have any old mobile phones lying around, why not swap them for cold hard cash!

Categories: make money
Tags: Envirofone, make money, mobile phones, recycle

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Don’t you love how our American friends complain about gas prices? They really have no idea, do they! What I would kill for $4/gallon petrol over here.  So what can we do about it?  Here are a few tips (other than riding your bike or using public transport) that should help you minimise petrol costs.

• Lose some weight.  Not necessarily your own, but weight in the car.  Remove car seats, buggies, things in the boot etc. if you don’t need them.
• Stop topping up to an even number when you fill your car up.  When you hear the click leave it at that.  There is a system in most cars which leaks the excess out, meaning you’ve spent money on nothing.
• Drive economically.  Most cars get the best petrol mileage at 100 kmPH.
• Stay in the highest gear possible.  You will get better mileage in higher gears.
• Keep windows closed, as leaving them open creates drag and uses more petrol
• Keep your car tuned and serviced for maximum fuel efficiency
• Plan your trips in advance.  What’s the best route to take to keep the mileage down?  Think about where you need to stop and what’s the most efficient way to run your errands.  Try to cut routine trips down to, such as once-per-week grocery shopping.
• Shop online when possible.  Not only will you more than likely save money, you won’t have to waste petrol going to the shops!
• Shop around for the best petrol prices.  Try using Pumps.ie, a service which you can add your local prices and look around to see what the best deal is in your area.
• See if Motorcheck.ie is an option that might work.  It works in Shell, Statoil and Topaz and guarantees a price for the week.  Not always the cheapest of petrol stations, but if they’re all you have in your area, this option could save you some money.
• Carpool! Seriously… do all those parents need to be lined up outside the school to pick up one child each? Madness, for gas mileage and the environment.  Start a carpooling program!
• Don’t let your car idle.  Mechanics say if you need to stop for more than thirty seconds it is more fuel efficient to turn your car off.
• Keep a record of your journeys, mileage and petrol spend.  See how you can be more efficient at the end of the week.

What are your tips? Anything that you would advise?

Categories: Savings, Tips
Tags: cars, driving, fuel, gas, petrol

My second foray into replacing my expensive designer products with Pharmacy and Supermarket brands took me to instant tan.  I hate fake tan, can’t stand the smell and I seem incapable of applying even the most allegedly foolproof brands.  I discovered that you could get what was essentially make-up for your body about two years ago and I’ve been a convert since.  I was looking for some bronzer when the sales lady at the Benefit counter pointed me towards Jiffy Tan.

I have been using it since but when it ran out I couldn’t face splashing out €20 or more for it in a department store so on the advice of friends I tried Rimmel Sun shimmer.  I opted for the light matte version and it cost €7.50.

I used it to a wedding last week and I was seriously impressed with it.  The texture is lighter than Jiffy Tan which makes the application easier.  It has better coverage and the smell is quite pleasant.  It doesn’t stain sheets or clothes as much as Jiffy Tan and washes off very easily in the shower.  All in all, I can definitely say that Rimmel Sunshimmer is actually better than Jiffy Tan and at a third of the price you can’t go wrong.  (Admittedly it’s a smaller container but I found that I used less of the Rimmel so I’m guessing that the container will last the same length of time.)

Categories: Savings, Tips
Tags: instant-tan, make-up

I’ve been a cosmetics addict since I was about 13. I loved the beauty pages of teen magazines and followed their “tips” on spot treatment religiously. Not always with the best results of course. My mother was none to impressed when she had to wash toothpaste out of my pillows!!! I started using Clinique when I was on work-experience from university in 2002 and I’ve been swayed by good advertising and fancy packaging since. That is, until now. I’ve decided that enough is enough. Surely I can survive without all that stuff, my face wont fall off if I put something that costs less than €20 on it…or will it? Well, we’ll see. As my department store brands are used up, I’m planning on replacing them with cheaper alternatives and I’m going to post about my adventures, good and bad here.

First off….Cleanser.

Over the years I’ve tried Clinique, Lancome, Chanel and Clarins. I can’t say I’ve had any issues with any of them, they’ve all done what it said on the bottle. But I just wasn’t convinced that I needed to spend €20 (for the cheapest, Chanel was closer to €30) on a cleanser. I picked up this one in Boots from their Botanics range for €7.50.

I’ve been using it every night to remove make up, but not around the eye area so I am using a separate eye make up remover. In the past, some cleansers have made my skin dry and tight but not this one. I can’t tell any difference in my skin from using this as compared to one of the bigger brands above, you don’t have to use too much of it either so it should last for a good while. To be a bit scientific about it, the first few times I used it, I swept a damp cotton ball over my face to check that all make up had been removed and I can report that my face has never been more clean. I will definitely be buying this again.

Saving so Far €13.50.

Categories: Savings, Tips
Tags: Beauty, cleanser, Cosmetics

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I have cut our grocery bill from around €200 a week for a family of four to between €70-80 euro a week. I feel like I could still cut it more, but am happy for now. The best way to do this is to plan. If I plan out a menu and shopping list for the week and know exactly what I am going to get where, I will stick to that and stay on or under budget.  This takes me about one hour of planning per week and maybe an hour and a half shopping.  I figure the savings mean I’m being paid about €40 an hour for the bit of extra effort.  I order my meat monthly from sulmeat.com and this forms the basis of my weekly menu plans.  My basic process is as follows.

• Quick inventory of fridge and freezer.  If things need to be used up, they will appear on day one or two of the menu.  Decide what meats I will be using for the week.
• Quick look at sales in the various supermarkets. Aldi Super 6 for instance might mean I can plan to use a certain fruit or vegetable more often than I normally would.
• Look through cookery books, online recipes, food blogs etc. to find recipes to cook during the week.
• Plan a menu for breakfast, lunches and dinner for the week.
• Take account of leftovers.  If you will have significant leftovers, then incorporate them into lunch or a new meal the next day.
• Look at your schedule, are there certain days cooking won’t be an option? Plan to cook double the day before or use a freezer meal that was prepared on your planning day.
• Write out your shopping list.
• Start with the discount stores.  Write out everything you know you will be able to get at Aldi or Lidl, then follow up with what you need to hit the big retailers for.
• Finish up with any specialty items in different shops.
• Print out any coupons from Pigsback.com or Couponmaster.ie that will save you money off brands that you will definitely buy.  Keep in mind that even with a coupon, the store brand is more than likely a better deal.
• Go shopping and STICK TO YOUR LIST!
• Budget for extra milk or bread that you may need to pick up throughout the week.

Some tips to stretch your menu:

• Ground beef, sausage or pork.  These are probably some of the cheapest forms of protein out there and can be enjoyed in so many recipes.  Some of our favourites include Lasagne, Cannelloni, Kids Favourite Meatballs, Sour Cream Noodle Bake, Goulash, Burgers and Bobotie.
• Salad is a great and healthy way to bulk up a meal.  For €2 back in April I bought 6 lettuce plants at a farmers market.  I’ve had fresh salad ever since. I clip just the leaves I need for a deliciously fresh taste with no waste.
• Avoid costly “shortcuts.”  Grating your own cheese takes maybe 40 seconds longer than pouring it out of a bag, but it can save you a fortune.  Next time you are in the shop, compare the price of a KG block of cheddar to a 250g bag.  I think you’ll be surprised, and the taste is far superior!  Same goes for pre-cut vegetables and salad.  Skip it, for the few minutes extra time required, you’ll save a lot!
• Beans, lentils and other pulses are a great way of getting vital protein and nutrients, yet are relatively cheap to buy.  Learn about them and try cooking with them!

So those are some ideas I use.  What about you?  Do you have any money saving tips for grocery shopping and or cooking?

Categories: Savings, Tips
Tags: cooking, eating, groceries, Shopping, supermarkets

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Conor Pope wrote an excellent post about health insurance in Ireland recently.  I have to say I was quite shocked to read that only 1% of people switch health policies.  Since moving back to Ireland almost four years ago I have been with three different companies.  I cannot comprehend how people cannot shop around at the end of their policy.  To me it’s a no brainer.

Our car insurance expired in February and I immediately began ringing around and ended up saving €200 a year by switching to Quinn.  Health insurance was up in May.  I saved another €400 a year by switching to Quinn.  I was then told I qualified for free home insurance, because I had the other two policies with them.  This saved me a further €180 a year.  That’s almost a grand!  Why would anyone not shop around?  As much as I feel it’s a good deal now, I will have no hesitation doing the same thing next year.  Sure it takes a few hours on the phone and a bit of time filing and sending off paperwork, but I don’t get paid €800 for three hours of work very often!

Value Ireland has some great tips on shopping around that apply not only to insurance, but most consumer goods and services.  There are also some insurance specific tips here.  I strongly recommend you look into shopping around, as it really can help.

Categories: DIY, Savings, Tips
Tags: auto, Health, insurance, shopping around