The Irish Times’ Pricewatch column has lots this week for the food and value-obsessed: Conor Pope looks at money-saving guides, taste tests ready-made lasagne and reveals that supermarket salads can often be just as fatty as a fast food burger.

The money saving guide info comes courtesy of mad collector Hunter Davies, who has a huge collection of magazines going back as far as the 19th century.   He points out that much of the money saving features in these magazines are thriftily recycled from older articles.  This should surprise anyone who’s never read a magazine.  If that’s you, then Cosmo has great tips on how to satisfy your man.  However I hope these articles keep coming, as there’s often one you’ve never heard before, such as Davies’ tip on making cream cheese out of sour milk.

The beef lasagne taste test showed that the most expensive lasagnes were the best - the M&S and Fallon & Byrne versions, both priced at over €7, came in as the winners.  Anyone who’s ever had a cheap grey ready made lasagne will understand.

There’s also an interesting post on the Pricewatch blog, where Conor Pope writes about being served a cold, soggy meal in a well-regarded restaurant, and the underwhelming response that met his complaint.  What do you do in restaurants when your meal is inedible? Complain out loud or under your breath?

Related posts:

1. Money Saving Advice from Irish Times Pricewatch
2. Pricewatch Taste Tests Prawns
3. Pricewatch: Top Tips to Spend Less