https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7 Journal of five recent purchases made by me. en-us 2017-04-20 18:42:40 UTC 2023-03-15 11:42:52 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Optimplaces.png 10328527 https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167358524 On the 9/03/17 I visited IKEA to purchase some items I required as I had recently moved up to Dublin into a new apartment. What made me decide to go to IKEA was that I had been recently talking with a colleague of mine who had just moved into her own place also and I questioned her on where she bought all the essentials for it. Since I do not own the place myself I didn't want to go spend too much on things that I needed just while I was there so I was trying to budget as best as I could. She informed me of the things she bought like drinking glasses for sixty cents each, plate and bowl sets and that anything I would need they would have in stock for cheap. I looked up online how far away IKEA was from me and google maps showed me it was only a 30 minute journey. Before I took the trip I compared their online prices with that of home-store and more and Argos online and it was by far the cheaper option and they had a wider selection of products depending on your disposable income. So I took her advice and made a trip to IKEA in Dublin, the store was huge and the selection and value was outstanding I went in and got everything I needed plus a free gift for joining their IKEA family club. After each purchase you are in with a chance of either getting money off your next shop or a free gift when you scan your IKEA card at the tills. They also offer extra discounts off certain items that are on each month for IKEA family members only things like tables for €15.00 etc. After I returned home and put the items to use and saw how much I got for my money I was quiet impressed and would definitely be making another trip back to the store to pick up more in the future.]]> 2017-04-20 18:49:35 UTC https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167358524 10328527 https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167785741 On the /03/17 I was doing some shopping in  the Jervis shopping centre in Dublin city. I had a pair of black jeans that I had previously bought in Penney's that had faded and worn so I decided to try Bershka for a new pair instead. I had heard from friends that the quality of their jeans were good considering the price they charged for them on average €19.99 for a standard pair of skinny jeans. I saw a pair I liked and purchased them as they were reasonably priced and the material felt stronger than the ones I had bought from Penney's which were only €8.00 but I found they faded quiet quickly after only a few washes. The only confusing thing about Bershka is their sizing on the labels they mainly stated the EU size which differs from the UK/Ireland size measurements so who have to know what size you roughly would be in an EU size before purchasing or else ask a member of staff about it. Even on there website if ordering online it states to order one size up from what you usually wear. Another element about the product that engaged my interest was the labelling on the jeans that said "push-up", which meant they help support your bottom when you were them. I was very happy with my purchase and the price I paid, however when I got home and tried them on to discover they were too long on my legs and I would have to fold the ends of the legs up to make them look like they fitted me nicely. So I decided to return them the next day for another size but a size smaller did not fit my hips. I noticed that Bershka only fit jeans to suit your waist size, they do not take into account leg length which is a bit disappointing considering everyone is a different height. As a result of this I found myself trying on a different pair in the store and had to try them on incase I was going to have the same issue as the ones previous. The second pair fit perfectly and I simply exchanged them for the first pair. The transaction to do so was relatively quick and easy and I was given a new receipt for the new pair. I do like the quality of the jeans the stock in Bershka however I shall be trying them on from now on considering they vary in sizing depending on the jean.]]> 2017-04-24 11:15:20 UTC https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167785741 10328527 https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167950770 On the 10/05/17 I visited the Forever 21 store in Dublin. I made a decision that I needed some clothes to wear into college as it was coming into the Spring/ Summer the weather is going to be getting warmer and I only had long wool jumpers and heavy jackets. What grabbed my attention to go to this store was their window displays which had the type of style of clothes I like to wear. Also, they are reasonable priced the most expensive price tag on some items would be €50.00 or so and offer a 20% discount for students. I purchased a few items in this store as it had everything I required under one roof. Things like t-shirts, jumpers as well as nice tops for nights out. The store is divided into different sections as they have different collections in the store to suit different styles for example casual, active wear, plus size, boohoo, street style etc. I went straight to the section I like the best as it always has items that fit my personality and style. I had looked up some items online that I liked that I wanted to purchase that day but I could not find them so I approached a staff member to help me. They were very friendly and knew exactly where I could find the item when I showed her the picture on my phone and pointed me in the direction of the dressing rooms if i required them. Considering how many items I picked up I got a lot for the amount I paid which included the student discount too.

]]> 2017-04-24 19:24:00 UTC https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167950770 10328527 https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167963162 2017-04-24 20:18:22 UTC https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167963162 10328527 https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167963856 2017-04-24 20:21:34 UTC https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167963856 10328527 https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167965594 On moving into my new apartment one need I identified was the requirement of internet to enable me to have access to the internet to do college work etc. So firstly, I searched online on my mobile phone on a comparison website called Switcher.ie to see which broadband company was going to offer me the fastest broadband for the cheapest price and if a contract was required. The majority were offering 100Mbps broadband only for approximately €26.00 - €35.00 a month for only the first three or six months and would be from €50.00 - €60.00 a month thereafter. They also require contracts between 12 - 18 months as well as an installation fee which varied depending on the supplier.  Some of the offers included phone deals but since I rarely would use a home phone and my mobile phone is the main means of which I contact people for free on my pay as you go plan there was no need for me to have this. I left it a couple of days to see if I could find a better offer elsewhere. Luckily, I received an advertisement leaflet for a local company called Sky Conway who we offering 100Mbps fibre broadband plus digital TV for only €27.00 a month. This service is only available in the Dublin 24 area hence why the price was such great value. I searched the company on the internet to find out what the terms and conditions were to avail of this offer. There was a requirement of a 12 month contract which is the average length for a contract of this type. The following day I contacted them to enquire about installation and whether there was a fee for this. I had to pay a once off installation fee of €60.00 which I thought was quiet reasonable. I setup the direct debt with them over the phone it was quick and easy and they informed that they would contact me the day before an engineer would arrive to install it and to confirm it with me. They also asked was there any days or times that wouldn't suit so to work around my schedule. I received a call three days later after setting up an account with them to confirm the installation day for the Monday evening. This suited me perfectly and it only took the installation guy a totally of 15 minutes to have it up and running, he showed me how to use the remotes for the TV. I was really impressed with how efficient they were and the broadband and TV is really good and easy to use. ]]> 2017-04-24 20:30:55 UTC https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167965594 10328527 https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167968294 2017-04-24 20:46:25 UTC https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/167968294 10328527 https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/170054077 On the 02/05/17 I decided to join my local gym in order to get fitter. Since I am new to the area and I do not know anyone in the vicinity to ask had they any recommendations I went online and googled the nearest gyms to me. I looked at things like price, if there was a contract involved, gym facilities & benefits such as pool or sauna etc. There were a few options near me however many were over priced for my budget and as I am a newbie to the whole gym scene I did not want to pay too much for something I may not use as much as somebody who is gym junkie. I had seen the gym fit4less on google when I searched online and it was in my top three contenders to choose from as the joining price was very reasonable it was only €24.99 a month. What swayed me to choose this gym in the end was a flyer was left in the lobby of the apartment block which was offering a free day pass to trial out the gym to see if people would like to join. I visited the gym and used the day pass to see if it had everything I would need before joining. One of the fitness instructors gave me loads of information about what the membership offered, I would have access to any of the classes held in the gym which was a wide variety to pick from. I would have use of a locker just to bring my own lock for them. The selling point for me was that I would be given an assessment on my first day where I would be shown how to use the equipment and a personalised training plan would be made to suit my needs. This was perfect for me as I would need guidance on what to do that would be beneficial for me and I would not know even where to begin. On joining I was also given three free guest passes to bring a friend for free with me. The instructor that did the assessment with me was very clear with his instructions and I went away with a written plan to follow for different days of the week.]]> 2017-05-04 20:47:29 UTC https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/170054077 10328527 https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/170055489 2017-05-04 20:57:20 UTC https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/170055489 10328527 https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/170471725 2017-05-08 11:01:21 UTC https://padlet.com/10328527/wrovyny0sla7/wish/170471725