Category: Good Value

  • Getting Good Value on Wine

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    by

    Jean
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    Yesterday I wrote about my (very enjoyable and informative) experience at the Donnybrook Fair Wine Club, a four week evening course in wine appreciation.  Far from being a poncy aristocratic experience, the course teacher Laura Peterson was very focused on value and had lots of great tips about getting good deals.  She also had lots…

  • Cheap eats in today's Irish Times

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    peter
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    In today’s Irish Times Pricewatch I, along with Joanne Cronin from the excellent Stitch and Bear blog, highlight the difficulty of getting cheap eats outside Dublin. Yes, says Joanne, there are gems out there, but they are the exception rather the norm. The article includes recommendations for the best cheap eats in Ireland, with contributions…

  • Review: Crave, Aungier Street

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    peter
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    Crave is a relatively new cafe, full of gorgeous mismatched chairs and design that create a lively, bright interior. It serves pitta breads full of yummy gorgeousness. I hear that the hipster wave of acceptance washed over Crave a few months ago, but all waves pass and break. Colin and I strolled in for lunch…

  • More snazzy marketing: SuperValu's Eat Irish for a Week Campaign

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    by

    peter
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      For the Irish week that’s in it, here’s another ad that grabbed my attention: SuperValu’s Eat Irish for a Week campaign. Simple enough idea. Buy items from their shopping list and feed a family of four for a week for less than €100 a week using only Irish ingredients. SuperValu boast that 75 per cent…

  • Aldi's Swap and Save campaign: Why are we reluctant to abandon our favourite brands?

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    by

    peter
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    Two interesting initiatives caught my eye over the past few weeks. I’ll start with Aldi and come back to SuperValu in a few days. You’ve probably seen the ads where Aldi asked eight people to switch from their main supermarket to Aldi for eight weeks. The participants were recruited through an independent consultancy. The four…

  • Pancake offers at Aldi and Dealz

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    peter
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    Tomorrow is a day to eat lots of eggs and milk before everybody in Ireland goes on a vegan fast for 40 days. Eh, maybe not. But sure let’s shovel them down our gobs anyway. Everybody has their own favourite recipe, and there are plenty of recipes out there. Some people will opt for the…

  • Where’s good for fruit?

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    peter
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    One fruit bears the truth: the simple easy peeler. When your teeth glide through  an orange segment, its exterior wet and firm, and the juices squirt onto your chin, you know you’re on to a good thing. Bite into a dry and dusty fruit, however, and you’ll feel as though the juice has been sucked…

  • Christmas at Aldi: Feed the family for under €30

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    by

    peter
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    A few weeks ago, Aldi laid on a banquet for Irish Times consumer affairs editor Conor Pope: Thousands of people blow unconscionable sums in Marks & Spencer, McCambridge’s, Morton’s, Donnybrook Fair, Fallon Byrne and all the other high-end food shops across the country that sell us the promise of a premium Christmas at a premium…

  • Save money on socialising this Christmas

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    by

    peter
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    Once the bills are paid, 1.8 million Irish adults have less than €100 per month to spend, according to a report from the Irish League of Credit Unions earlier this year. So how on earth are we going to get through Christmas? I’m currently writing an article for The Irish Times, looking at ways to save…

  • Eating out over Christmas

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    by

    peter
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    A nameless friend – we’ll call her Siún A., or S. Aherne – sent this to us via Facebook at the end of August: Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!! Yes my lovely friends it is that time of year again! Time to organise our Christmas dinner… So a couple of suggestions… Sat…