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    Can you afford to save for a rainy day Can you afford to save for a rainy day

    Can you afford to save for a rainy day

Can you afford to save for a rainy day

The number of people who are saving for a rainy day is on a further decline.  Not only are people having difficulty finding the spare money to save but they are also looking at the additional tax due to be paid on any savings they may have. (more…)

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    The highs and lows of household cash flow The highs and lows of household cash flow

    The highs and lows of household cash flow

The highs and lows of household cash flow

Do you find yourself wondering if there will  be enough money to get you to the end of the week let alone the end of the month, is there too much month left and not enough wallet?  The lows of household cash flow and then next month will be the opposite, when your wallet will last you and then some – the highs of household cash flow. (more…)

By |February 10th, 2014|blog|0 Comments
  • home-or-money-3-1176017-m
    Learning to manage your money Learning to manage your money

    Learning to manage your money

Learning to manage your money

Learning to manage your money can seem like a very difficult task especially if you are on a low income and do not have a lot of money to start off with.  It is not how much money you earn that is important, it is how you spend it.  (more…)

By |January 31st, 2014|blog|0 Comments
  • cfl-and-coins-1165455-m
    More savings for householders on Gas and Electricity Bills More savings for householders on Gas and Electricity Bills

    More savings for householders on Gas and Electricity Bills

More savings for householders on Gas and Electricity Bills

Home owners could be set to save as much as €300 a year in Gas and Electricity bills as another supplier enters the market for domestic users according to an article in the Herald  yesterday. (more…)

By |January 23rd, 2014|blog|0 Comments
  • money-in-pocket-2-968879-m
    Save money on bank fees, better in your pocket than theirs Save money on bank fees, better in your pocket than theirs

    Save money on bank fees, better in your pocket than theirs

Save money on bank fees, better in your pocket than theirs

A recent article in the Irish Independent highlighted that bank fees are costing the average household in Ireland €200 per year approximately.  And that €200 is not to pay for an overdraft facility, that’s a whole new set of additional fees on top of your basic charges.  That’s €200 a year to access your own money and you could save money by banking for free.

While we in Ireland are getting the hang of switching energy suppliers at the flick of a button to save money, we are less inclined to look at moving our bank account from one bank to another.  It is still possible to shop around and save money to keep your costs to the bare minimum or better yet, get “free” banking.  Consumerhelp.ie is a very useful site if you are looking to save money on banking fees and will quickly compare bank charges helping you choose which bank best suits your needs.

I manage to get my household bills banking requirements for free with an EBS moneymanager account.  I stay within the number of free ATM transactions a month and as one of our salary’s is paid into this account, I use it as my bill payments account. I use BillsManager.com to save money and manage my household bills, paying almost all bills by direct debit or standing order, again no bank charges apply.  For those bills that cannot be paid by direct debit or standing order, I dispense from my account using internet banking, again free of bank charges.

BillsManager.com, the free online budgeting tool, keeps me on track of my household bills and expenses setting out exactly what I need to set aside for my bills […]

By |January 22nd, 2014|blog|0 Comments
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    Save time and money paying your bills Save time and money paying your bills

    Save time and money paying your bills

Save time and money paying your bills

I don’t know about you but January always feels like a never ending month and always the month that the biggest bills seem to come through that door.  In addition the credit bill is at its highest as a result of those successful Christmas shopping trips.  A very stressful time for most but not me. (more…)

By |January 9th, 2014|blog|0 Comments
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    Girl power as Irish women take over household budgets Girl power as Irish women take over household budgets

    Girl power as Irish women take over household budgets

Girl power as Irish women take over household budgets

According to an article in the Irish Independent regarding a recent survey, over half of the Irish households surveyed said that women will take full control of the household expenses in 2014 in a bid to cut down on spending.  It also states that women not only do most of the household chores such as cooking and washing, they are also increasingly the ones making the financial decisions.  I say, old news! (more…)

By |January 3rd, 2014|blog|0 Comments
  • christmastree-with-ornaments-1409182-m
    Get Christmas Shopping discounts on line or on foot Get Christmas Shopping discounts on line or on foot

    Get Christmas Shopping discounts on line or on foot

Get Christmas Shopping discounts on line or on foot

Its getting very close to the big day, that one day in the year when we throw all caution to the wind and spend it like there is no tomorrow.  According to  a recent Deloitte survey, we Irish will fork out a staggering €1.5bn in the run-up to Christmas day, on presents, food and drink. That works out at an average of about €900 per family. (more…)

By |December 16th, 2013|blog|0 Comments
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    Reduce your heating bills this winter Reduce your heating bills this winter

    Reduce your heating bills this winter

Reduce your heating bills this winter

We may not have control on a variety of factors such as fuel costs or indeed, the weather, but you can learn to be clever about how you prepare for the winter.  As the weathermen are predicting a cold snap very shortly, now is the time to make sure you and your home are prepared so that your heating bills do not shoot through the roof, literally. (more…)

By |December 2nd, 2013|blog|0 Comments
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    Christmas is coming, don’t blow the budget Christmas is coming, don’t blow the budget

    Christmas is coming, don’t blow the budget

Christmas is coming, don’t blow the budget

With only six weeks to go to Christmas, we are all probably thinking about starting the Christmas shopping.  Gifts for all and time to overspend on food and drink.  If you are the type to always end up paying for Christmas right through into the following year then you need to read on. (more…)

By |November 21st, 2013|blog|0 Comments