Deal of the Week

Perlico is offering customers the chance to get three-megabit broadband for €6 – the cost of its one-megabit service – as part of a bundle. The upgrade is included in the Perlico Freedom package which costs €46 a month including VAT and includes unlimited local and national calls (though it should be noted that after 59 minutes charges are incurred unless you hang up and ring back) and 30 minutes of free calls to Irish mobiles monthly. The download allowance is generous as well at 36 gigabytes. Compared to Eircom Talk Time Family with three-megabit broadband, customers save €220 annually.

Tip of the Week

With money growing tight, an annual gym membership that you may not use as much as you hoped is a luxury few can afford. Exercise your right to try before you buy by choosing a gym that doesn't require you to enter a minimum contract, such as the Countess Markievicz Leisure Centre in Dublin city centre or Simplyfitness.ie in Milltown which offers members a no-contract, no-commitment monthly option. If you do decide that the gym is for you, you can take annual membership but with no upfront annual payments, you can save yourself considerable money if those good intentions go out the window.

Bad Value of the Week

As failed political experiments go, pan-European party Libertas is spectacular, having spent an estimated €30m on its European parliament campaign, with hundreds of candidates across the continent. Dublin candidate Caroline Simons admitted during one debate that her campaign was costing somewhere in the region of €250,000. She ended up with 13,514 first preferences, a stunning €18.50 per vote. A bit rich for a party that complained about inefficient spending in Europe.

Deposit Rates

12-month deposit: Investec 4.5% (minimum €20,000)

Six-month deposit: Investec 4% (min €20,000)

Three-month deposit: 3.25%

One-month deposit: An Post 3%

Demand deposit: Anglo 3.6%

Two-year fixed: Anglo 7.12% (3.5% C.A.R.)

Three-year fixed: Postbank 11% (3.53% CAR)

Five-year fixed: RaboDirect 4.2%

Figures supplied by Irish Mortgage Brokers