Comparing prices for grocery shopping

Re: ?

.......aaahh, the temptation of making a fast buck!

LIDL is great for basics

Their nappies are only 11.39 for a pack of 54,62 or 70, depending on size. This is amazing value.

We do the bulk of our shopping here but also do a supplementary shopping at Superquinn, Tesco or Dunnes for more gourment or vegetarian items.

Here is my list of things to buy from LIDL.
--vanilla ice cream
--spinach and ricotta tortellini
--milk (only 1.14!)
--nappies
--olive oil
--canned tomatoes for 29cent
--frozen salmon portions
--any of their chocolates or biscuits.

Their fruit and veg is definately hit or miss but very well priced.

I don't really drink so I don't have an opinion on the alcohol.

My partner bought a drill there last year and it broke. They took it back and we got our money back. Really excellent customer service.

Re: Centra

I needed to buy a 2 litre bottle of Coke last week.

I was in Stillorgan and the price in the Texaco station was €2.29, compared to around €1.65 in Tesco.

Not wanting to be ripped off, I went across the road to Centra. The price there was, believe it or not, €2.65!

I've no problem with stores that stay open a bit longer than the supermarkets charging a little bit extra for the convenience, but 60% more is just not on.

Needless to say, they didn't get my custom.

Homer

Re.Supermarket Prices

Hello Tedd,

I liked your contribution and I agree. There is a subtle message in the advertising for some supermarkets that paying more implies better quality. I have found that better priced products are equal to or only slightly less tasty (food) / well performing (non-food) than the higher priced products. I believe the quality versus value debate is an artificial one promoted to keep us buying brands. I compare products on price only, unless I really like the difference in a particular product, and I am happy to pay the extra.

A very painless way of saving is to buy cheaper non-food items for example, toilet rolls, refuse bags, soap, shower gel, etc... I started this way, the difference is minimal and where do all these products end up? Down the drain or in the bin! So by buying higher priced items I was literally throwing hundreds of pounds down the drain or in the bin! (It's 'pounds' because I had this "reality check" or should it be "reality cheque" a few years ago)
Tedd you said.....<quote>

"The fact is that the "few cent" adds up to (as one poster above estimated) 40 euro each week. So that's over a thousand euro a year."

Very well said, €40 per week is €2080 per year, (€40 x 52 weeks) I prefer that money in my deposit account, not the supermarket's.

My bin is nearly always empty on bin day.

I have found that in the past I would have shopped 80% Tesco and 20% Supervalue. I notice that I am now shopping 60% Supervalue and 40% Tesco. I have noticed that Supervalue always seem to have several special offers on the go. Lots of items half price and lots of two for one items. I find that I generally stock up on the two for one offers provided that they are genuinely two for one offers. I suppose I play one off against the other. Milk is dearer in Supervalue than Tesco so I buy my milk in Tesco. I don't have a Lidl near me but the sooner the better. I do find that Tesco's dishwasher powder and washing machine powder is as good as any brand name. They also do a sliced pan at 43c which is very nice and freezes very well.

Re: My bin is nearly always empty on bin day.

Beware of Supervalu. I worked there as a teenager and I refuse to shop there for anything. (and I was only getting paid £1.67 per hour as I recall - ok, it was 1995 at the time but it was still well below the average wage and gives me another reason to hate them....)
I also worked in a Dunnes supermarket and I would gladly shop there as I know that they take health, safety, cleanliness etc. seriously. (And Dunnes paid £3.83 per hour in 1996).

My bin is nearly always empty on bin day.

Are you saying that Dunnes Stores is cleaner than Supervalu? Apart from not being paid very well by them, is there any other reason for you not shopping there?

TEST

I've been reading this topic with interest and decided to do a test on Saturday. I shopped in LIDL, a local veg store and Tesco for rest of the items. I can honestly say that the saving was about 30-40 Euro when comparing to my normal shopping store, i.e. Superquinn.
Also, like the nappies mentioned before in LIDL more quantity for the same price, and the quality was the same as the 'branded' ones.
Going forward I will try to continue with the 'extra' trips as I foresee my savings will be greater, on a weekly basis in replenishing items that run out.

All shops located in Blanchardstown.

Re: My bin is nearly always empty on bin day.

In my opinion - having worked in both - Dunnes stores is a million times cleaner than Supervalu. They actually have standards! I'm not sure if I'm allowed to give specific examples of what went on in Supervalu. Hopefully it was only specific to that one branch but I will never buy anything there again.
I worked in the Dunnes supermarket on Henry Street and it had very good standards. I prefer to shop in Dunnes than anywhere else (except Aldi for cheaper things or Tesco when I'm in a hurry because it's closer).

Re: My bin is nearly always empty on bin day.

I worked in Quinnsworth as a shelf stocker/bag packer/general dogsbody years ago while in school and I could tell you a few stories too!

Quinnsworth

Shock Me Clubman!!!

Morris Pratt won't track you down.

Re: Quinnsworth

How long have you got?! Sometimes I feel that was the most enjoyable job I ever had! :lol

re: Supervalu

i too worked in supervalu during my school years and can also tell a few stories that would put the hairs standing on your neck!!! I suppose it goes on in every store! I still occasionally shop in the same store where I worked and think things have improved greatly since...
We used to have to seperate the products where one came free and sell them seperately. Often fozen food was thawed and refrozen. The price stickers used to go over the best before date if passed it or nearly passed it....just to mention a few. I don't know if this had anything to do with supervalu or the thrifty owner of the shop!

Re: re: Supervalu

In Quinnsworth food gone past it's best before date was deemed unsuitable for customers but OK for staff. Never did us any harm. Apart from that bout of botulism.



(Joke!).

I have very long arms.

I worked in Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt as a teenager one summer. The only gripe I had was that it was my job to carry the heavy boxes from the storerooms to the aisles where the managers sons had the easy job of putting the items on the shelf. Incidentally, right in the middle of the piled high boxes in the storeroom was a secret hideaway stocked with the occasional item that fell off one of the lorries. I wonder is it still there....

Re: I have very long arms.

Stocking the shelves was a doddle (old stock to the front, label visible) but packing bags was the sure route to supplementary income in the form of tips - notwithstanding the odd narky/mean bastard that you had to deal with ("Yes - of course I put your eggs/tomatoes at the bottom of the bag you moron! Just 'cos I'm 14* doesn't mean I'm stupid!")! Palette trolley races bringing the morning dairy deliveries were good crack (think Ben Hur around the Circus Maximus in the form of the refrigerator cabinets). Stock taking days were a free for all - like one big party. Collecting trollies within a several mile radius of the store was useful respite... Ah the memories....

* Rainyday will grass me up for that one I'm sure. Better not mention my surreptitious faked age PRSI number either so! :lol

Shopping

SuperValue are going to re-run their weekend breaks offer that they ran last year. Friends of mine went on fantastic value trips €89 for a weekend. I'm going to try to do the same - avoiding the risk of fresh food being off.

Re: Shopping

Rainyday will grass me up for that one I'm sure.

Click to expand...

Yerrah sure you're fine there - I don't think they had minimum working age legislation back in 1950's :lol

At the coalface

Surely packing shelves was better than cleaning chimneys, Clubman?

Re: At the coalface

Surely packing shelves was better than cleaning chimneys, Clubman?

Yes - but tell young people that these days and blah, blah, blah....