'We've all been there': Mum's bargain-sharing website will help you save a few bob
As part of our Mums Who Inspire series, we sat down with Sarah McHale to learn more about her website Beady Eye Bargains. If you have a story that you would like to be featured, email mumswhoinspire[at]
Need a bargain? Mum-of-four Sarah McHale definitely knows where you can find it, for sure.
Sarah is a savvy shopper with a real eye for a bargain, something that she has always shared with friends and family, and even strangers. Such a bargain hunter she is, Sarah, who lives in North Cork but is originally from the UK, set up Beady Eye Bargains in 2014 to help as many people as possible!
"I've always been a savvy shopper with an eye for a bargain," she explains to MagicMum as part of our Mums Who Inspire series. "I mean, who doesn't love a bargain? I would see bargains and think 'OH wow, that's fab, who can I tell?' and would just be dying to share with somebody, friends, other shoppers so they wouldn't get missed."
In fact, Sarah admits she would tap strangers on the shoulder if she felt like they were missing out on a discount – she hates seeing people paying over the odds for anything.
Spurred on by the lack of online coupon sources, the mum-of-four decided to set up her own Facebook page, Beady Eye Bargains (which has over 150,000 members), where she could share discounts, coupons and codes.
"I was on a Facebook group for autism mums, as one of my twins has autism, and I got chatting to Catherine McMahon, another member. I mentioned to her that I was setting up a FB page and did she want want to help and run it as admin. She said she would, so I set it up and chose Beady Eye Bargains as its name and that's it." A few years later, after being prompted by family and friends, Sarah set up a website, with categories for different offers.
"I check websites and my emails for offers daily, then create posts and post the majority of the best of them on Facebook as that's the most active and keeps me the busiest. I scroll through websites and sale sections during the day when I get a chance to find individual items to post," Sarah explained.
She also takes pictures of bargains and deals in shops and posts them to the Facebook page, and shares tips on saving money. The Facebook page has turned into a big bargain-hunting community, where members will share their own finds.
As well as managing the site and the social media page, Sarah gets lots of messages and emails from people looking for advice, and admits that running Beady Eye takes up a lot of her time. Thankfully, she has help in the form of Catherine and another admin, Zoe Curneen.
"It's the first thing I look at in the morning and the last thing I look at at night, but I have two great admins helping run the page – Catherine McMahon and Zoe Curneen. They are just brilliant admin and I couldn't ask for better. Between us we can fit it all in around our home lives as there is generally somebody always on to deal with anything."
Sarah is in it for the love of it, and doesn't regard it as a business per say. She enjoys what she does and loves seeing the comments and reactions from her members.
"I often get messages from members, especially near Christmas time, saying how thankful they are for the page and how it has helped their family throughout the year. Some even say that if it wasn't for Beady then their family wouldn't have been able to afford all the toys etc, as they have bought the offers throughout the year when they were at great prices. And THAT is the best feeling ever, knowing the page or a post on the page has helped a struggling family because we've all been there."
You can nab yourself a bargain on Facebook or via the website.