Better With Money

As "Cheap Irish Homes" returns to TV screens, Better with Money explores whether vacant and derelict properties could actually offer a route to home ownership for first-time buyers, or would it be a rookie mistake to take on a "fixer-upper" that big? Rachael Uí Bhaoill – aka @the.renovation.strategist - believes it’s “absolutely doable” adding her own first home was “a dump” she bought in recession. Now she flips properties and advises clients on renovations through her company Spreag.ie. The former corporate banker shares how she does it with "financials first" approach, warning she won't even let her clients browse Pinterest before they've had a reality check with their mortgage lender. Also on the podcast, SEAI programme manager Stephen Farrell outlines the grants available for energy upgrades, including retrofit supports worth up to €35,000 through the One-Stop Shop scheme. These can be availed of before works begin, making the move more accessible to those on smaller budgets.

Presented by Aideen Finnegan.

This episode is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For months there's been a maddening drip feeding of information about the Minister for Finance's proposed state-backed investment scheme for ordinary Irish savers. Yesterday the government finally nailed some colours to the mast revealing it will be tax free up to a certain threshold, financial institutions will report your tax liability to Revenue, and there'll be no fixed term where your money is "locked away." But key details are being held back for budget day on October 6th. The biggest unknowns are what that maximum threshold will be and what is the flat rate tax that will be applied by the government. The Irish Times' Cliff Taylor, who writes about economics and finance, breaks down the details. If you'\re brand new to the idea of investing, you can check out earlier episodes aimed at demystifying the process here, here and here. Oh and also here.

Presented by Aideen Finnegan.

These episodes are for information purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 parents of school-aged children comes just three pay cheques before the festive season and its associated outlays.

In this episode of Better with Money, Pricewatch editor Conor Pope breaks down the biggest cost pressures of the Back to School period and how to mitigate against their impact. From auditing what you already have to buying refurbished tech with consumer protection, Conor has suggestions for how to shave a few hundred euro off the total bill and perhaps save your sanity in the process.

He also recommends checking your eligibility for the Back to School Allowance on citizensinforamtion.ie and squirrelling away small amounts of money from January onwards. He’s thought of everything, including buying a label maker. The last thing you want to do is have to replace a school jumper that’s gone missing before you even reach mid-term.

Presented by Aideen Finnegan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 reaction. The financial adviser and founder of AskPaul.ie is here reassure you there’s no need to panic.  ”The spreadsheet doesn't know your life, your goals, your ambitions. I'd rather one of my kids set up a business and even fail in the next six or seven years in their 20s than have money set aside in a pension.”

In this episode of Better with Money, Merriman emphasises the need for a realistic financial plan that looks at income, family costs and housing “because a good financial plan will tackle the pension eventually.”

The 44 year old Fairstone Ireland CEO recommends prioritising being mortgage free by 66 even if that delays pension saving. He explains the tax relief in a nutshell, how pension plan tweaks (like upping your risk level) might be more prudent than increasing your contributions and urges listeners to set clear financial goals.

Presented by Aideen Finnegan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. So can an admin party help?

Aideen Finnegan is joined by journalists Conor Pope, Niamh Browne and Órla Ryan to simulate an admin party in the extremely sober environment of The Irish Times podcast studio. Niamh brings her own particular baggage to the episode. An actual plastic bag she has been using to hoard receipts, much to Conor’s horror. We also solve her 600 per cent gas price hike problem in real time. Órla has been meaning to take out full health insurance for years but the overwhelm of terms and conditions, as well as the fear of choosing the wrong policy, has left her in a procrastination doom loop. Find out why Conor tells her ChatGPT is not the solution to this problem. If these are the kind of conundrums you come up against in your life, don’t miss this episode of Better with Money.

This episode - which first aired in March 2026 - is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.