Push to recycle Christmas trees beginsTODAY MARKS the official end of Christmas, and the lights on up to one million Christmas trees sold in Ireland in December will…Thu Jan 6 2011 - 00:00
Householders urged to recycle treesTomorrow marks the official end of Christmas, and the lights on as many as one million Christmas trees sold in Ireland in December…Wed Jan 5 2011 - 00:00
This year, as a savvy consumer, I resolve to . . .CONSUMER RESOLUTIONS: You have made it through the festive season in one piece but, for many of us, the financial hangover is…Mon Jan 3 2011 - 00:00
The year of living miserablyCONSUMER REVIEW OF 2010: It was the year when high prices were revealed, arrears became a reality for many and consumers realised…Mon Dec 27 2010 - 00:00
Shoppers out in force for winter salesThe recession might not have ended yesterday but it felt like it had for a number of retailers, as the start of the winter sales…Mon Dec 27 2010 - 00:00
Shoppers come out in force for start of winter salesTHE RECESSION might not have ended yesterday but it felt like it had for a number of retailers, as the start of the winter sales…Mon Dec 27 2010 - 00:00
Just what I always wanted - notUnwanted Christmas gifts needn’t languish in the atticMon Dec 27 2010 - 00:00
BT sale postponed after floodBrown Thomas has been forced to postpone the start of its winter sale at its flagship store on Dublin’s Grafton St after the …Sun Dec 26 2010 - 00:00
Retailers pray for St Stephen's miracleRETAIL SALES: IRISH RETAILERS are pinning their hopes on having a bumper sales period from St Stephen’s Day after a “perfect…Fri Dec 24 2010 - 00:00
Ads to target US marketTOURISM IRELAND is to launch an extensive promotional campaign in the US from next Sunday as part of what it says will be a sustained…Fri Dec 24 2010 - 00:00
Retail group hopes for shopping surge after 'perfect storm' of recent weeksRETAIL EXCELLENCE Ireland is cautiously optimistic the next two weeks will mark a significant upturn in trade for retailers reeling…Fri Dec 24 2010 - 00:00
Aer Lingus denies planes departing half-emptyAIR TRAVEL: AER LINGUS has strenuously denied suggestions it allowed a number of half-empty planes depart to Ireland from London…Fri Dec 24 2010 - 00:00
Consumer groups criticise decision to overhaul BoI free-banking schemeTHE DECISION by Bank of Ireland to overhaul its fee structure for current account customers has been criticised by consumer groups…Thu Dec 23 2010 - 00:00
BoI condemned over fee changesThe decision by the Bank of Ireland to overhaul its fee structure for its current account customers has been condemned as a “…Wed Dec 22 2010 - 00:00
Allied Irish Banks fined record €2m for overcharging customersALLIED IRISH Banks has been fined €2 million by the Central Bank – the largest fine in Irish retail banking history – after it…Wed Dec 22 2010 - 00:00
Retailers say cold spell could drive struggling small businesses to wallCHRISTMAS SALES: THE HEAVY snow and freezing conditions have proved to be the nightmare before Christmas that most retailers…Wed Dec 22 2010 - 00:00
AIB fined €2m for overchargingAllied Irish Bank has been fined €2 million by the Central Bank - the largest fine in Irish retail banking history - after it…Tue Dec 21 2010 - 00:00
Nothing retro about pricesPRICES THEN AND NOW: The mantra coming from Government is that Budget cuts won’t hit so hard because prices have gone back to…Mon Dec 20 2010 - 00:00
The unwise last-minute menSMALL PRINT: CANNY SHOP ASSISTANTS will spend the last hours of this Christmas season looking for panic-stricken men – and it…Tue Dec 14 2010 - 00:00
Charity gifts hit by recessionCHARITABLE CHRISTMAS GIFTS: Giving a goat or a sheep as a Christmas gift was an idea that took off during the boom but as the…Mon Dec 13 2010 - 00:00
Report criticises charity's tsunami responseTHE IRISH Red Cross struggled to cope with the huge level of donations it received in the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami…Mon Dec 13 2010 - 00:00
Report critical of Red CrossThe Irish Red Cross struggled to cope with the huge level of donations it received in the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami…Sat Dec 11 2010 - 00:00
New York top of the pile for hotel pricesSURVEYS: WHILE HOTEL prices in Ireland continue to drop thanks to falling demand and a growing number of Nama hotels offering…Sat Dec 11 2010 - 00:00
New mortgage arrears code comes into force next monthBANKS WILL no longer be able to impose penalties on customers in mortgage arrears, force them to surrender tracker mortgages …Tue Dec 7 2010 - 00:00
Service with a snarlPERSONAL FINANCE: Surely an upside of the downturn has to be better service, as businesses try their very best to keep customers…Mon Nov 29 2010 - 00:00
As Irish as tea from ChinaIRISH LABELS: If tea comes from China and an orange from Spain, how can they be part of the Love Irish Food campaign – and what…Mon Nov 22 2010 - 00:00
Mexican food on heritage hot listHOPPING Luxembourgers, scissor dancers from Peru, human towers from Spain and Turks wrestling in cooking oil will be smiling …Sat Nov 20 2010 - 00:00
Despite the prices and negative surveys, organic sales riseOrganic vegetables cost more and are no more nutritious than non-organic equivalents. So why are we buying more of them?Sat Nov 13 2010 - 00:00
New head to sell IrelandTOURISM: MORE BRITISH tourists can be persuaded to holiday in Ireland in 2011 despite the recession and swingeing cuts unveiled…Sat Nov 6 2010 - 00:00
Policies cost much more once you're 66INSURANCE: PEOPLE CAN find that their travel insurance premiums increase by over 100 per cent when they hit the age of 66, according…Sat Nov 6 2010 - 00:00
Banks will need greater reservesIRISH BANKS will have to significantly increase their levels of cash reserves over the next decade to cover an EU-wide deposit…Fri Nov 5 2010 - 00:00
Paperless billing: who benefits?PAPERLESS BILLING: E-billing is being sold as the solve-all cure for our modern ills – save time! Save the environment! But …Mon Nov 1 2010 - 00:00
Cavan hotel second scariest in the worldFRIGHT NIGHTS: IT WASN’T screams of terror but shrieks of delight which echoed down the corridors of an old Irish castle this…Sat Oct 30 2010 - 01:00
Central Bank proposes stricter stress tests for mortgagesBANKS WILL be required to impose considerably stricter financial stress tests on mortgage applicants if new rules on lending, …Fri Oct 29 2010 - 01:00
The rugby ticket rip-offRUGBY TICKET PRICES: HOW WOULD YOU like to see the rugby giants of New Zealand run riot this autumn? With tickets costing between…Mon Oct 25 2010 - 01:00
Kellys in their 60s most likely to claimINSURANCE CLAIMS: IF YOUR name is John or Mary Kelly and you’re in your early 60s you might want to avoid going on holiday towards…Sat Oct 23 2010 - 01:00
Dunnes 'cheapest' for babycareDunnes Stores is the cheapest retailer in the Republic when it comes to branded baby care products while Tesco is the most expensive…Tue Oct 19 2010 - 01:00
Is alcohol too cheap?ALCOHOL PRICES: Supermarkets are flooding the market with cheap alcohol, the result is that it now costs 50 per cent less to…Mon Oct 18 2010 - 01:00
The rise of the savvy shopperSHOPPERS SURVEY: BACK IN 2005, most of us – particularly those of us with access to cheap and easy credit – were still thrilled…Mon Oct 11 2010 - 01:00
Lazy consumers turned into savvy shoppers by recessionCONSUMERS HAVE moved from being lazy, ill-informed and ripped off to being frugal, savvy and more willing to complain, according…Mon Oct 11 2010 - 01:00
The new frugal way with foodEATING WELL FOR LESS: Food prices have fallen by 14 per cent this year - not that cash-strapped families have noticed - so it…Mon Sep 27 2010 - 01:00
Pilots criticise new crash legislationAIR TRAVEL: THE EUROPEAN Cockpit Association has criticised EU legislation aimed at protecting families of airline passengers…Sat Sep 25 2010 - 01:00
Tank of oil can vary by up to €80THE PRICE of a tank of home heating oil can vary by as much as €80 depending on what part of the country it is bought and which…Wed Sep 22 2010 - 01:00
Disparity in heating oil prices - NCAThe price of a tank of home heating oil can vary by as much as €80, depending on where in the country it is bought and which …Tue Sep 21 2010 - 01:00
Insulation against price hikesENERGY COSTS: Large numbers of people are finding it impossible to pay their increased electricity bills, but claiming a grant…Mon Sep 20 2010 - 01:00
The €250,000 childTHE COSTS associated with having a child start almost at the moment of conception, or at least within a couple of weeks of it…Mon Sep 13 2010 - 01:00
Posh camping? I don't think soAT 7AM yesterday morning, I was losing the will to go onMon Sep 6 2010 - 01:00