She has signed up for AIB's Regular Saver Account, which promises to pay a 2.5% margin over the interest rate set by the European Central Bank until the end of next year. This translates into a current deposit rate of 5%, which can be expected to increase as the ECB raises interest rates over the coming months.

"Once you're in the habit of saving a few hundred euros a months you may as well stay in that mindset, " says Maureen. "I was afraid that if I didn't open a new savings account, I'd lose the momentum. It's all too easy to get used to having the extra money in your pocket."

Apart from a determination not to let the money slip through her "ngers, Maureen has no "rm plans for her savings, viewing the AIB Regular Saver Account as a safe haven while she gathers her thoughts.

"All the pundits are saying not to jump into anything at the moment, " she says. "I think I'll be better off keeping the money on deposit and seeing what's on offer next year, when most people's SSIAs mature."

Maureen saved her SSIA in an AIB "xed-rate deposit, which paid a constant 4% rate of interest throughout the "ve-year savings term. This turned out to be a wise choice as interest rates tumbled over that time.

"At the beginning, the SSIA scheme seemed almost too good to be true, " Maureen says.

"I started off saving just £100 ( 127) a month, then I increased it to £150 and, by the end of the "rst year, I was saving the maximum 254 a month."