‘Buying the bank seemed daring’: how one couple transformed a rural bank branch into a home and businessFor this Tipperary family, moving from the country to the town to renovate the former Bank of Ireland building has paid dividends and provided them with a handsome space for their physical therapy businessSun Dec 01 2024 - 05:00
Does it pay to invest in solar panels before grants are cut in December?Green investment also promises lower energy bills and the chance to sell any surplus power back to the gridWed Nov 27 2024 - 05:00
One less geansaí Nollaig isn’t all the planet wants for Christmas, but it’s a startOur festive knits have become one of the worst examples of fast fashionSun Nov 24 2024 - 06:00
Pulling in top talent: Doggy day care, free lunches, pensions - not all perks are created equalEveryone loves freebies at the office, but not all perks are created equalWed Nov 20 2024 - 06:00
Black Friday is nothing more than Bleak Friday when it comes to environmentSome shoppers wait all year for this event to make necessary purchases they could not otherwise afford - others are enticed to buy things they don’t needSun Nov 17 2024 - 06:00
Do you live in Kildare, Meath or Co Dublin? Then you’re likely to be in a mortgage switching sweet spotA combination of factors can combine to put you slap bang in the middle of the zone where banks will want to give you a better mortgage rateFri Nov 15 2024 - 11:57
Moving your savings into the right bank account could earn you an extra €700 a year on a €30,000 lump sumWe can blame Irish banks for not passing on interest to savers, but we can’t blame them for our own bad planning or inertia when we don’t switchWed Nov 13 2024 - 06:00
Reusable cloth nappies vs disposables: would you put €500 a year in the bin?Disposables are hardly without their ick factor, and the cost savings and environmental benefits of reusables are compellingSun Nov 10 2024 - 06:00
How to claim back on your health costs in Ireland - from €365 tax refund to dentistry coverTax relief, free consultations, the Drug Payment Scheme and private health insurance can all cut healthcare costsWed Nov 06 2024 - 05:00
Reducing emissions: A simple step you can take while drivingA primary school in Co Mayo is testing a scheme for tackling air pollution while helping parents get their kids to school without driving all the waySun Nov 03 2024 - 06:00
When’s the best time to use the dishwasher and wash clothes? The recommended periods and why wind mattersBy waiting until the right time to use energy-intensive appliances, we can relieve pressure on the national grid and reduce emissionsSun Oct 27 2024 - 06:00
Inheritance rules penalise people who are single and have no children Careful planning in drawing up your will or giving during your lifetime can reduce the State’s tax takeWed Oct 23 2024 - 06:00
Latte levy: ‘Now, you’d be ashamed to be seen with a disposable cup’The Killarney Coffee Cup Project has so far prevented more than one million single-use coffee cups from reaching landfill or littering the townSun Oct 20 2024 - 06:00
Are you eligible for up to €30,000 in Government-funded retrofit works? The energy upgrade scheme can provide thousands of euro in upgrades leading to a warmer home, lower bills and a more valuable propertyFri Oct 18 2024 - 11:30
How working abroad can make it easier to secure a mortgage back in IrelandTens of thousands of Irish people go abroad every year: many see it as a short-term plan to turbocharge their homebuying prospectsWed Oct 16 2024 - 06:00
Taking voluntary redundancy or getting laid off? You need to know about your tax, welfare and pension optionsWith increased layoffs in the tech, pharma and finance sectors, it’s wise to know all your tax, savings and pension optionsTue Oct 15 2024 - 06:00
‘Everyone who tries the e-cargo bike, there is a brief panic because they can’t see the front wheel ... Suddenly, off they go’ Bike Hub is a social enterprise supported by Dublin City Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Council. It wants to convince you of the merits of the eco-friendly e-cargo bikeSun Oct 13 2024 - 05:00
The ‘zero option’: the popular method of saving money while still paying off your debts and a mortgageOnline banking and contactless payments make it harder to keep tracking of your day-to-day spendingWed Oct 09 2024 - 05:00
Housing solutions: Investing in a granny flat may benefit your family and bank balanceIs it worth buying a home with granny-flat potential, how much does it cost to build and would you be eligible for tax-free income if you rent it out?Tue Oct 08 2024 - 06:00
Coming home to live in Ireland? There will be tax implications for your income and assetsImmigrants and Irish people returning after working abroad need to consider their potential tax liabilities regarding savings, property and pensionsTue Oct 08 2024 - 06:00
Big budget drinks companies have done a great job of commodifying drinking water Whatever about the health benefits of the water itself, drinking it from a plastic bottle can be dodgySun Oct 06 2024 - 06:00
Getting married? Here’s how to ensure your big day has a small footprintA number of wedding venues are aiming to help couples have a more environmentally friendly wedding daySun Sept 29 2024 - 06:00
Raising a deposit, mortgage approval and bidding: buying a first home is like the Hunger GamesA mortgage is a commitment that will shape your finances for decades. Here are the factors to think about before signing on the dotted lineWed Sept 25 2024 - 06:00
Polyester Halloween costumes are scarily bad for the environment. Try a swap shopIf you start planning for this year’s dressing up now you can make Halloween less of a frightener by not buying new stuff and using items you already haveMon Sept 23 2024 - 06:00
Thinking of switching to an electric vehicle? Here’s what you need to considerEV running costs will be much lower than for a petrol or diesel carFri Sept 20 2024 - 12:40
Buying a second-hand car? Here’s what to check and how to get a better dealFrom bringing a mechanic to running a history check, here’s your guide to navigating the second-hand marketWed Sept 18 2024 - 06:00
What do you do with hair you shed - put it in the bin or flush it down the toilet? Hair is natural, it can hardly be an environmental hazard? Or can it?Sun Sept 15 2024 - 06:00
Making the switch from employee to being your own bossThe self-employed can operate either as sole traders or a limited company and there are advantages to bothWed Sept 11 2024 - 06:00
Bar soap or liquid soap: which is better for the environment and your wallet?Save money, save the planet: How to wash your handsSun Sept 08 2024 - 06:00
So, you want children. But can you afford them?The increased cost of raising children is one of the main reasons why people are having fewer of them, says the World Economic ForumWed Sept 04 2024 - 06:00
Housing shortage: Not making a will leaves thousands of vacant homes in limbo More than 27,000 properties in the State are vacant because their former residents have diedTue Sept 03 2024 - 06:00
Ditch the plastic and buy loose fruit and veg to save money and wasteAnd be careful where you store those apples, pears and bananasSun Sept 01 2024 - 06:00
Is it time to turn on the heating? Once you do, it’s hard to go back Delaying switching it on until you really need it will be kinder to your pocket and the planetFri Aug 30 2024 - 06:00
Glasnevin Cemetery tour guide: ‘I’m a bit of a nepo baby. I’m related to Daniel O’Connell’ Irial Ó Conaill finds special the revolutionary nature of the facility, with no separate sections - so ‘everyone is equal at the very end’Fri Aug 30 2024 - 05:00
Do you care if your pension is funding oil companies and weapons makers?Fossil fuels, fast fashion, deforestation, gambling - do you know where your pension is invested?Wed Aug 28 2024 - 06:00
A menstrual cup can cost as little as €12 and last up to a decadeTrying out a new product can feel like extra hassle you don’t need at that time of the month, but the savings are compellingSun Aug 25 2024 - 06:00
Pay-day, pay-day: how to stop your current account from slipping into the red before your salary landsBank data and online services can tell you when bills are due and if your account is at risk of being unable to meet direct debitsFri Aug 23 2024 - 11:00
Influencers have the power to make you spend more than you probably shouldWhat seems like harmless entertainment can be hard-sell advertising and a problem for your bank balanceWed Aug 21 2024 - 05:00
‘Oysters are ecosystem warriors because they clean the water. It’s great to work with that type of product’ Diarmuid Kelly, an oyster producer in Galway, exports his products worldwide, from Canada to SingaporeTue Aug 20 2024 - 11:00
Summer should mean much cheaper bills. Why are so many of us missing out on big savings?‘Inefficient energy behaviour remains broadly unchanged between summer and winter,’ the SEAI has foundSun Aug 18 2024 - 06:00
Buying a home on your own: Here is how to navigate the perils and pitfallsMore and more home buyers are single. Here are the things to watch for if buying soloWed Aug 14 2024 - 06:00
Organising a ‘walking bus’ can save time and money and improve kids’ healthJust 24% of children travel to school on foot these days, a fall from 45% in 1986 – Ireland’s little walkers have become passengersSun Aug 11 2024 - 06:00
‘Horses have made me the person I am today. They are exceptionally smart animals’What I Do: Ashleigh Skillen is head groom to Greg Broderick at BallypatrickFri Aug 09 2024 - 05:00
In your 30s? It’s time to get serious about your pensionThe power of compounding is key to building a pension pot and it means how long something is invested for is probably more important than how much is investedWed Aug 07 2024 - 05:00
How to beat fuel increases: seven tips to cut your costs and help save the planetCarbon taxes are pushing petrol and diesel costs up. Besides going electric, are there other ways to save?Mon Aug 05 2024 - 06:00
A concierge, games rooms, gym and more: benefits of build-to-rent apartments – if you can afford €4,000+ a monthThe apartments can be modern and low maintenance but you may have to pay extra for car parking and be tied into a certain utility providerWed Jul 31 2024 - 06:00
Looking for family activities for the summer? Here are some budget-friendly optionsWhether you are caring for your children this summer, or paying someone else to do it, childcare is hitting your household financesTue Jul 30 2024 - 06:00
Music festival tents: can you save money while saving the planet?A discarded tent typically uses the same amount of plastic as nearly 9,000 plastic straws, 200 plastic bottles or 22 Coldplay LPsSat Jul 27 2024 - 06:00
Is retrofitting your home worth the money?Do the savings, grants and growing list of discounts unlocked by a higher BER justify the the costs of retrofitting your home?Fri Jul 26 2024 - 11:57
Are you and your partner financially compatible? Here’s how to protect yourself, and stay in loveBeing comfortable with each other’s approach to money before things get serious can save heartache, experts sayWed Jul 24 2024 - 06:00
