Price check: bargain buys for Limerick students

By Anthony O’Brien

Being a student is expensive. If you don’t want to be studying in the library and getting odd looks for being malnourished and exhausted, it’s essential to know where to shop and what to buy to live within your means.

To make the job a little bit easier for you, An Focal decided to take a look around and do a price comparison.

Milk (2 litres, low fat). No price competition here: Each one of the five retailers charges the same price.

Aldi, Dublin Road (Clonbawn – €1.49)
Dunnes Stores, Parkway Shopping Centre (Dunnes Stores brand – €1.49)

SuperValu, Castletroy Shopping Centre (SuperValu brand – €1.49)

Tesco, Arthurs Quay Shopping Centre (Tesco brand – €1.49)

Lidl, Childer’s Road Limerick (Coolree Creamery – €1.49)

Fruit and fibre cereal

Aldi (Harvest Morn 750g fruit and fibre – €1.50)

Dunnes Stores (Dunnes Stores brand 750g fruit and fibre – €2.49)
Dunnes Stores (Dunnes brand 750g My Family Favourites Fruit and Fibre Wholewheat cereal – €1.59)

SuperValu (Kellogg’s 750g Fruit and Fibre – €5.10)
SuperValu (SuperValu brand Fruit and Fibre 750g – €1.75)

Tesco brand (Fruit and Fibre cereal 500g – €1.39)
Kellogg’s (Kellogg’s Fruit and Fibre 750g – €4.95)
Lidl (Crownfield Fruit and Fibre 750g – €1.59)

Instant noodles

McDonnells Super Noodles are all €1 in Tesco, SuperValu and Lidl (though you’ll still happily save a penny in Lidl if you are against rounding) and a bit pricier in Dunnes. Tesco, Aldi and Lidl all offer very cheap options if you’re in a pinch.

Aldi brand (Instant noodles chicken 100g – €0.18)

Dunnes (McDonnells Super Noodles Chicken 100g – €1.29)

SuperValu (McDonnells Super Noodles 100g – €1)
Tesco (McDonnells Super Noodles 100g – €1)
Tesco (Teso brand Instant Noodles 85g – €0.16c)

Lidl (McDonnells Super Noodles 100g – €0.99c)
Citasia (Instant noodles – €0.18c)

Chicken fillets

A wide range of options are available to buy fresh chicken fillets across Irish supermarkets. The standout value option would have to be Aldi’s 1KG Everyday Essentials Chicken Fillets for €4.99.

Aldi (Aldi brand Everyday Essentials chicken breast fillets 1KG – €4.99)
Aldi Oakhurst (Premium chicken breast fillets 700g – €4.49)
Dunnes Stores (Dunnes brand fresh Irish chicken breast fillets 454g – €4.99)
Dunnes Stores (Dunnes My Family Favourites 690g – €6.99)
Dunnes (Diced Fresh Fillets 450g – €3.99)
Dunnes (Mini Fillets 450g – €3.99)

SuperValu brand free range chicken fillets 400g – €7.89
SuperValu brand Irish chicken fillets 200g – €3
Free range 200g – €4
Non free range 500g – €5
Tesco brand Irish chicken breast fillets 690g – €7
Chicken Breast fillets 295g – €3.50
Chicken Breast fillets 515g – €5
Mini fillets 350g – €3

Lidl Bally Manor fresh Irish chicken breast fillets 750g – €6
Chicken Breast fillets 454g – €4.50
Chicken Breast fillets 291g – €3.45

Minced beef

Aldi, Lidl and Tesco come out on top for Minced Beef. Lidl’s 300g option for €1.59 is the best smaller option whereas Tesco’s 1KG option for €4 is the best bulk saving available, with Aldi having the best range of options to suit every budget.