Have you come to the end of your tether about living in Rip-Off Republic? TV money guru Eddie Hobbs may not be quite as ever-present as a few years ago, but his favourite term still holds sway today.

Last Saturday, a strongly worded letter from an Irish Independent reader was published in our letters page, showing how the writer's life was being transformed by making small, but firm, changes that added up to big savings.

Inspired by his example, I posted a message on Irish financial website askaboutmoney.com on Tuesday inviting respondents who had made substantial changes in their finances to contact me. I wanted people who felt tired of being ripped off to itemise how they were going about saving money.

I received a considerable volume of replies, but the stories of two people -- Kate Doherty and David Gallagher, both in their 30s and working in Dublin -- were especially inspirational.

The pair had made a conscious effort to get value for their money and they found that by shopping around they could reduce their outlay significantly. Neither is an economist or a personal finance expert, but both show that some common sense can pay huge dividends -- to such an extent that they believe that many people could save at least €100 each week if they spent time thinking about where and why they were spending money.

"I feel liberated by my conscious decision not to be ripped off any more," David says.

For Kate, her feeling of freedom comes from making a hefty saving on a car this week. "I wasn't happy with the price I was being asked to pay in Dublin, so I went to Belfast and when tax, VRT and all the rest of it is taken into account, I've made a €1,500 saving."

Many of the following pointers were embraced by Kate and David and both are noticing substantial savings as a result.

DO YOU REALLY NEED THAT EXPENSIVE GLOSSY?

It may sound obvious, but if you write down all your outgoings you can easily see what needs to be changed. It worked a treat for Kate: "I wrote absolutely everything down from mortgage payments to magazines, from haircuts to grocery shopping.

"I worked out how much I could afford to spend every week on the essentials and I got rid of stuff that cost me money that I didn't need.

"I don't buy magazines any more. Those who stop buying one glossy mag a week could save at least €200 a year."

SAVING PER WEEK: €5

TICKET RIP-OFFS? NO THANKS

David was about to buy four tickets for Beauty And The Beast last week when he was handed a €19.80 service charge on top of the expensive ticket prices. For the first time ever, I decided not to be ripped off," he says, and he is now taking his family to the zoo instead.

Attending weddings can be an expensive pursuit, particularly for women, where there may be an expectation that they will wear a different outfit each time.

"I bought a beautiful dress in Brown Thomas on sale in 2003 and have worn it to 10 weddings," Kate says. "I reckon I've saved €2,000 to €3,000 in total by not buying a new dress each time."

SAVING PER WEEK: €10

THE ALDI FACTOR...

BE CHOOSY

German low-cost chains Aldi and Lidl have reported a surge in sales and it's easy to see why -- these supermarkets sell goods up to 20pc cheaper than their competitors and often at half the price of late-night convenience stores. They publish pamphlets on their special offers, often involving multiple packs, and savings can be made by buying in bulk and getting different products in different supermarkets.

SAVING PER WEEK: €20

SHOP AROUND FOR

INSURANCE

A friend's wife resented a €600 annual bill for car insurance, so she phoned up the provider and threatened to go elsewhere if they could not reduce the cost. In order to keep her custom, the price was reduced to €400, no questions asked. David also saw his home insurance slashed: "It had been automatically renewed for the last seven years, my bill last year was €825. A five-minute phone call later and our home insurance is now €430 a year."

SAVING PER WEEK: €10

DRIVE A HARD

BARGAIN

It's a buyer's market again. Two months ago, I changed my car. I went to see models in two different dealerships and played them off each other. When I traded in my old car, I got a replacement for €2,000 less than I expected.

The rental market is in freefall too -- a friend noticed that a specific two-bedroom Dublin apartment she liked was stuck on property website daft.ie for weeks. They wanted €1,800 a month. She offered them €1,500 and they accepted.

SAVING PER WEEK: €15

DON'T BE A WINE OR BEER SNOB

Buying the right wine doesn't necessarily mean you have to buy the most expensive. A trained palate, and the ability to read a label, means you can impress your friends without alienating your bank manager. There are few occasions when you need to spend more than a tenner in an off-licence and don't be intimidated by restaurant wine lists either. The same applies for rip-off designer beers. It was far from them you were reared ...

SAVING PER WEEK: €25

BREAK THE SKINNY- LATTE HABIT

We're a nation of coffee addicts and we pay for the privilege. With Starbucks and Irish chain Insomnia mushrooming at a frantic pace, our daily fix for the takeaway cup seemingly knows no bounds. But with the average take-away coffee costing about €2.50, it is possible to save €12.50 in a week.

A handful of my friends purchase two coffees every weekday. If they were to give up this habit, they would have €25 in their pocket come the weekend. A cafetière can be bought for under €20 and will last years. The less fussy can make do with instant coffee.

SAVING PER WEEK: €10

TAPPING INTO FREE WATER

There is no evidence that bottled water is any better for us, and it hurts our pocket. A contributor to financial advice website askaboutmoney.com calculated that they spent €1,100 on bottled water last year.

They bought a bottle first thing in the morning for the DART journey to work and in the evening, they purchased another for the gym. In addition, they loaded up on large bottles on every visit to the supermarket and always ordered mineral water when eating out.

Now, they order tap in restaurants and fill up a water bottle at home before work every day. "I wouldn't waste my money on bottled water," Kate says.

SAVING PER WEEK: €10

BE PATIENT... WAIT FOR THE SALES

With the country in the grip of a recession, retailers offered lengthier sales than normal this summer with many stores slashing 70pc off prices.

Those who want high-end fashion can sign up to special customer nights. Brown Thomas, for instance, has customer nights where all stock is reduced by 25pc. Luxury brands for a fraction of the cost can be found at fashion outlets, with the country's leading outlet located off the N7 in Kildare.

SAVING PER WEEK: €15

CLIPPING BACK ON THE CUT AND COLOUR

For many -- women especially -- the six-weekly cut and colour is essential maintenance, costing up to €150. Many salons run training-school nights, where the same job can be done for a fraction of the prices.

Our biggest chain, Peter Mark, runs classes nationwide where prices are halved. Trainees are under constant supervision and the standard is comparable to any salon.

SAVING PER WEEK: €10

TOTAL ESTIMATED

SAVINGS PER WEEK: €130

- John Meagher