Better With Money

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Back to School: Conor Pope's guide to surviving the September squeeze

August 25, 2026

Yes schoolbooks are now free and non-crested uniforms are more widely available, but there remains an unavoidable financial burden for parents every September. Digital devices, app fees, voluntary contributions, new shoes, extra-curricular activities… It all adds up to a very tight September.And it comes right after an expensive few months of summer camps, Gaeltacht stays and perhaps unpaid parental leave to cover gaps in childcare. Not to mention the fact that the September squeeze on parent...

Paul Merriman on pensions: ‘I’d rather see clients mortgage-free by 66 even if that means delaying contributions’

August 18, 2026

If you think €40,000 a year would give you a comfortable life in retirement, the maths might give you a land. A 30 year old on just over €60k per annum would need to start saving 22% of their monthly income (€1,135) to secure that figure by the time they’re 66. And that’s assuming they have the PRSI contributions to qualify for the full State pension; currently a maximum of €15k a year. Who has that amount of money to squirrel away every month, we hear you cry! Precisely Paul Merriman’s...

How the viral 'admin party' saved €1,169

August 11, 2026

The idea of an “admin party” has gone viral since the term was coined last year. It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise given how we are all drowning in our own quicksand of “I must get around to that” jobs. Whether it’s disputing a charge with your bin company, wading through health insurance or getting your car ready for the NCT, these “small” tasks coalesce to become one big soup of digital paperwork. When the overwhelm becomes so great, the instinct to withdraw wins out for many of us. ...