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A SAVVY shopper has claimed they managed to get a large sack of potatoes for free from Lidl with a hack anyone can do.

The woman claimed that you need to take advantage of the supermarket’s “free vegetable item” coupon that is available on their app.

Facebook/ExtremeCouponingAndBargainsUK

She stated that the big sacks of potatoes are included in the deal, and she walked away with a large supply of spuds to take home.

On the Facebook group Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK, she showed a photo of the huge bag going through the till.

Many bargain hunters were very impressed with the handy saving, and flocked to the comments to share their thoughts.

One said: “Why did I not notice this yesterday.

“I got a small bag didn’t think to check if big ones were on it.”

Another added: “I’m going tomorrow & donating to the food bank as only me at home.”

Meanwhile a third commented: “Thanks for reminding me about mine.

“I was gonna do same thing as I saw the big bags were on the list.”

Lidl Plus savings

Shoppers can get coupons in the Lidl Plus app that are “tailor-made” to shoppers based on their habits.

Speaking of their Coupon Plus feature, the Lidl website says: “In this section of the app you’ll also find all of your Coupon Plus and in-app rewards. 

“Make sure you activate these coupons before you head to the till⁺.

“We’ve made it even easier for you to unlock rewards with Coupon Plus. 

“From a free in-store bakery sweet treat when you spend just £10 in a month, to an incredible 10 per cent off your next shop when you hit £250.”

We shared how you can now get £5 off your grocery bill when you spend £25 or more in a single transaction through the Lidl Plus App, but it’s only available for selected accounts.

The coupon is valid for 14 days from when it appears in your app, the exact dates will be listed in the coupon details

Some exclusivity apply, such as alcohol, infant formula, and gift cards, which won’t count towards the spend amount or discount.

The coupon can only be redeemed once per eligible Lidl Plus account and cannot be combined with other Lidl Plus coupons that offer discounts on your total spend.

In order to claim it you have to be a Lidl Plus Member, as it is exclusively for Lidl Plus account holders who are 18+.

It is available in Lidl GB branches (excluding Northern Ireland).

MILLIONS of Irish people are set to see major money changes come in during the month of February as costs continue to rise.

February is expected to see the price of everyday needs hit new highs, as well as weekend treats increasing in costs.

Getty Images - Getty

Getty Images - Getty

While the cost to put your bins out, insurance hikes and pint prices are on the rise, there are also a number of cuts hitting next month.

Here are six major money changes heading to thousands of accounts as major updates are made.

PINT PRICES

The price of a pint is set to rise by as much as 30 cent, in a blow to both pubs and punters alike.

Guinness owners Diageo told publicans of the increase to products, the fourth in the last two years.

Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks and Hop House 13 will all see prices rise as the price of those draught kegs by 6c per pint on February 3.

Guinness 0.0 will meanwhile be raised by 9c per pint.

Due to VAT, duty and pub margins added, punters could see prices rise by up to 30c in their local.

According to Drinks Industry Ireland, Dublin prices could now hit new highs of over €7 for a pint of the black stuff.

BIN PRICES

Some 300,000 homes in Dublin are set to see a major increase in the cost of putting their bins out.

Panda Recycling will be raising the price of bin collection above inflation rates.

Those in north Co Dublin have been told that Panda will hike up their half-yearly service charge, the general waste per-lift charge, and the recycling per-lift charge.

The new prices come into effect next Saturday.

From February 1, the half yearly service charge will go from €67.50 to €70.

The price of waste per lift will go from €11.75 to €13.50, while the recycling per lift will increase from €1 to €1.25

The overall charge for customers will now be roughly an extra €20 per year, according to Panda.

There are fears other parts of the country will follow as Wicklow, Meath, Cork, Galway, and Wexford could soon see the same.

VHI PRICE HIKE

VHI has also announced a major price hike as its yearly healthcare plans cost is set to rise by seven per cent.

The firm said the price rise “is necessary to meet the healthcare needs of members as claims volumes have risen by more than 20 per cent in 2023 and inflation has had a significant impact on the cost of delivering healthcare”.

VHI hiked its premiums twice in the past year – by 4.8 per cent in March and then again by seven per cent in October – after reducing prices by three per cent in 2022.

However, customers will still have time to shop around for new rates as this rise won’t come in until March 1.

ELECTRICITY CREDIT

It was announced as part of Budget 2025 that every household in Ireland would be receiving two lump sums towards their electricity.

This payment is automatically applied to your energy bill in the form of two €250 amounts.

The first payment was made in the last few weeks of 2024.

The next lump sum amount will be paid out to Irish customers before the end of February.

ECB INTEREST RATES CUT

The ECB cut interest rates for the fourth time this year.

The lending rate that the ECB charges banks will now fall by 0.25 percentage points, which will directly benefit an estimated 130,000 tracker mortgage customers across Ireland.

Each reduction in the ECB’s refinancing rate reduces repayments by €13 a month for every €100,000 owed on a tracker.

And the move will pile pressure on mortgage lenders here to reduce new fixed and variable rates.

On top of this, lower ECB rates should make mortgages for new buyers cheaper.

Average new mortgage rates in Ireland are currently 4.03 per cent, which is the sixth highest in the euro zone according to the Central Bank.

The latest cut is the fourth reduction we have seen this year since the ECB increased rates 10 times up to September last year.

BANKING CHANGES

A number of banking changes were made in late January, with customers starting to see the changes throughout February.

On January 23, AIB slashed their saving and deposit rates.

They have reduced the rate on two of their fixed-term deposit accounts by 0.25 per cent.

AIB have also reduced the minimum amount required to open one of its fixed-term accounts to €5,000, down from €15,000.

And last week PTSB began offering 2 per cent cashback on monthly mortgage repayments to their existing mortgage customers.

The move could see customers receive €30 back a month on a monthly mortgage repayment of €1,500.

And it will be available until 2030.

MANCHESTER United have bagged the biggest Europa League prize pot so far – despite finishing only third in the initial league phase.

United’s final match win at FCSB means they have landed £19.5million to date and also confirmed their place in the last 16.

Reuters

Man Utd have landed the biggest Europa League payday of any club despite coming third[/caption]

Getty

The Red Devils pocketed £19.5m in prize money[/caption]

EPA

Fourth place Tottenham are second in the money rankings with £18.4m[/caption]

And Spurs, fourth overall, stand second in the cash rankings at the end of the first phase.

The North Londoners have banked £18.4m after recording five wins and two draws out of eight games.

The two Prem sides are ahead of Germans Eintracht Frankfurt, who dropped from second to sixth in the final standings after their defeat at Roma and who have earned £18.3m for their efforts.

Both Prem sides can earn a further £16.5m if they go on to lift the trophy in Bilbao on May 21.

Although one of them is likely to have to beat the final hosts en route to that feat, with Athletic Club a serious contender and second seeds behind Italians Lazio.

But by finishing third and fourth, United and Spurs now cannot meet each other until the final.

While the windfall for the two Big Six under-achievers is welcome, even the potential maximum they can earn from this season’s competition is less than HALF the £83m Liverpool have already made from the Champions League.

Aston Villa – England’s lowest earners so far even though they have qualified directly for the last 16 while Manchester City will discover on Friday if they face Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the first knock-out round – have already earned £58.8m, with Arsenal on £75.9m and City £62.7m.

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Chelsea won all six league phase matches to top the Conference League standings.

But the Blues still only banked £9.03m with the possibility of adding a further £9m if they win the competition.

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Фото: Getty Images Звільнення заручників із полону ХАМАСу Ізраїль і ХАМАС розпочали обмін заручниками, але його припинили через хаос під час звільнення. Ізраїль призупинив звільнення ув’язнених палестинців. Таке рішення ухвалили через хаос під час передачі ізраїльських заручників Червоному Хресту. Про це повідомляє The Times of Israel в четвер, 30 січня.   Управління в’язниць Ізраїлю отримало вказівку […]

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CAELAN DORIS has backed Sam Prendergast to rise to the occasion on his Six Nations debut tomorrow.

Leinster outhalf Prendergast has been selected ahead of Jack Crowley to steer Ireland as they kick off their hunt for a third Championship in a row against England. 

It will just be the 21-year-old’s third cap, but Doris has no doubt that the Kildare man is ready having been bowled over by his performances with Leinster. 

Ireland captain Doris said: “He’s shown his quality, first of all at 20s. 

“Some of the stuff he was capable of doing back then caught the eye definitely and he’s probably had quite a big reputation from that. 

“He’s carried through and shown his quality at URC, at European level and at international level in the autumn. 

“It’s been a good ride for him and he’s a very confident guy and loves controlling the forwards, loves playing what’s in front of him so there’s a lot of faith in him.”

Doris also reckons that such a big encounter to kick off the Six Nations will not faze him, as Ireland also look for revenge for last year’s encounter when a loss denied them the Grand Slam.

He added: “It’s always the ultimate test coming up against these guys.

“There’s a rich history and a massive rivalry there over the last number of years. 

“We’d had a pretty good run (last year), fourth round going in over there and there was a lot of belief, we also respected them massively and knew that there was a big performance brewing from them. 

“We only have two home games this year and starting off here in Dublin against England it doesn’t get much better or bigger than this. 

“For me growing up the Six Nations was such a big thing and I remember the games against England in particular so to be involved in one is very exciting. 

“It would be incredibly special (to win a third Six Nations title in a row).

“It’s hard to cast your mind forward to that, given how big a game this is starting up. 

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, definitely, but we also realise that getting this weekend right is a crucial step if we want to go and do something special like that.”

HORROR movie fans are in for a real treat thanks to the return of a slasher legend.

Matthew Lillard appears to have confirmed he is making a comeback to the Scream franchise 30 years on from the original film.

Getty

Matthew Lillard has confirmed his comeback for Scream 7[/caption]

Alamy

Matthew’s character Stu Macher said ‘his parents were going to be so mad’ in the 1996 movie[/caption]

Alamy

Scream 7 is released next month and features many of the original 90s stars[/caption]

The actor, 55, sent fans into a tailspin after appearing to drop the huge news on social media ahead of the release of Scream 7.

Matthew’s killer character Stu Macher came to a grisly end himself in 1996 thanks to Sidney, played by Neve Campbell.

Taking to Instagram, Matthew shared a video of a man hand writing a note to his parents – hinting that Stu isn’t dead after all.

It reads: “My mom and dad are going to be so mad at me!!”

Scream fanatics will remember that weak-willed Stu cried this exact phrase down the phone during the original movie.

Caked in blood, he wailed: “My mom and dad are going to be so mad at me!”

Moments earlier, he and his killer friend Billy Loomis – who was the mastermind of their plot – had stabbed each other to make themselves look like the victims.

Moments later, Sidney got revenge and dropped a massive television set on Stu’s head.

Billy, meanwhile, eventually met his maker later when Sidney shot him in the head.

Fans have gone wild for Matthew’s Instagram post, with one commenting: “IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT MEANS?!?!”

Another added: “Stu said he’d bE RIGHT BACK!!!!!!!!”

A third begged: “Please be in Scream 7”

And a fourth chimed in: “Jaw.. on … the… ground.”

Deadline has since confirmed that Matthew will be starring in Scream 7 when it is released next month.

The Descendants and Scooby Doo actor will join Scream OGs Neve and Courteney Cox in the highly-anticipated movie.

They will also be joined by former Scream stars Scott Foley, Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown. New cast members will also appear in the film.

It is not known exactly how Matthew’s character Stu will return, given that his character is dead.

However, over the decades, fan theories have been rife that the eccentric high schooler never did die.

‘STILL ALIVE’

Last October, Matthew even appeared to confirm the fan theory himself during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.

Drew, who played Casey Becker in Scream, picked up a telephone and discovered Ghostface was on the other end.

Ghostface asked her in his iconic voice: “Have you missed me? I missed you. Do you still like scary movies?”

The spooky character told Drew she had a surprise guest joining her, before Matthew appeared on set.

Drew’s co-host Ross Mathews said there was never confirmation Casey Becker had died, to which Matthew replied: “Listen, Stu is definitely alive!

“Right? My character Stu is definitely alive?”

Ross asked: “Could we see Stu come back in another Scream?”

Matthew told him: “That would be fun. Wouldn’t that be fun? I would love it. If it made sense for the franchise, then sure, obviously. I’m very sl*tty!”

The official plot line for Scream 7 has been kept a tight secret.

It is released worldwide on February 27, 2025.

Capital Pictures

Dimension Films - Miramax Films

Neve Campbell, who plays Sidney, is returning for Scream 7[/caption]

A MAN aged in his 60s was killed in a horror three-vehicle crash on a busy road in North Dublin earlier this morning.

The man, who was the driver of a vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene while a woman passenger of another vehicle was rushed to hospital with injuries understood to be non-life threatening.

Google Streetview

The crash took place on the R129 at Thomondstown[/caption]

Gardai and emergency services remain at the scene of the fatal crash on the R129 at Thomondstown near Blakes Cross this afternoon after responding to the incident at around 10am.

The R129 is currently closed at Blakes Cross to facilitate a technical examination of the scene by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators.

Gardai confirmed that diversions have been put in place but motorists and commuters in the area have been warned to expect delays and avoid the route.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident has been urged to come forward with information.

A garda spokesperson said: “Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

“Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the vicinity of Blakes Cross and Thomondstown this morning, Friday 31st January 2025, between 9.30am and 10.00am are asked to make this footage available to Gardai.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Balbriggan Garda station on 01 666 4500, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.”

Seperately, two men aged in their 20s, lost their lives in a single-vehicle car crash in Co Carlow early this morning.

Two other people, who were passengers of the only car involved in the incident, were rushed to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries after the collision.

The incident took place on the N80 in Leagh, Rathoe, Co Carlow at around 1.15am this morning.

Gardai confirmed that only one vehicle was involved in the crash.

A garda spokesperson said: “Two occupants of the car, the male driver, 20s, and a male passenger, 20s, were pronounced deceased at the scene.

WITNESS APPEAL

“Two passengers of the car, a male and female aged in their 20s, were taken to St. Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny with serious but non-life threatening injuries.”

Gardai urged anyone who may have any information to come forward.

In a statement this morning, a garda spokesperson said: “Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

“It is understood the vehicle involved in this collision was travelling from Mount Leinster to Carlow town via Fenagh.

“Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling along this route, or who were on the N80 at Leagh between midnight and 1.15am are asked to make this footage available to Gardai.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Carlow Garda station on 059 913 6620, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.”

UFC fans were left stunned by Conor McGregor’s latest social media rant – which included a racial slur.

The former two-division UFC champion is no stranger to going on expletive-filled tirades on social media.

AP

UFC superstar Conor McGregor regularly goes on X-rated social media tirades[/caption]

GETTY

Bitter rival Khabib Nurmagomedov has often been a target of the rants[/caption]

X

The Irishman used a racial slur in his latest rant about the Russian[/caption]

Long-time rival Khabib Nurmagomedov has often been the target of The Notorious’ wrath, which once again was directed at the retired Russian in an explosive X post on Friday.

Along with a screengrab of his 2019 tweet insulting Nurmagomedov’s wife and his religion, the Irishman wrote: “15 minutes I done [Jose] Aldo 15 seconds.

“Show yo wife n***a. Show yo kids n***a. Cousin f****n’ motherf****r hidin’ motherf****r.

“Show us you and your cousins kids together because we have kids here in Ireland that wanna smoke them in competition.

“Are they competing or what are you saying Ireland vs Dagestan?

“Where’s your offspring, we cant wait to see them.

“The best of Dagestan offspring? Dagestan, what do we think? Is this true?

“Who’s next cos fatso with the coach whistle won’t fight. Who the f**k designated this fat b***h as master father?

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“Certainly not his own father. Abdulmanap . And they all know it in Dagestan.

“Dagestan think you are p***y lips for retiring. Real Dagestan is forever. You are laughed at behind your back in Dagestan.

“Lazy you are, they say. Fight me and make a 100 million dollars and give it to the entire village of Dagestan!

“But you won’t, why? Fat lazy scared b***h. Lazy fasto.”

MMA fans were quick to react to the incredible post, with one saying: “This is a man losing the plot in real-time.”

Another said: “This is one of the dumbest tweets I’ve ever read. Conor is so over.”

And another said: “Prime example that money can ruin some people.

GETTY

Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov threw down in the biggest fight in UFC history in October 2018[/caption]

USA TODAY SPORTS

Nurmagomedov won the UFC 229 grudge match via fourth-round submission[/caption]

One remarked: “Conor Mcgregor is an awful loser…My friend you lost the fight 7 years ago.. get over it!”

Another chimed in: “Have some shame he literally finished you made you tap like a chicken.”

McGregor and Nurmagomedov, both 36, took part in the biggest fight in UFC history in October 2018.

Then lightweight champion Nurmagomedov emerged victorious from the UFC 229 grudge match, submitting McGregor via a fourth-round neck crank.

McGregor campaigned heavily for a rematch but his dreams of exacting revenge were shattered in October 2020 when Nurmagomedov announnced his retirement from the sport.

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