Deal of the Week

New online discount grocery store www.cheepcheep.ie is offering real value for money across a wide range of products, many of which are widely recognised brands and are Irish. Customers order online and, once notified that their order is ready for collection, they have four days to collect their purchases from the company's depot in Bray, Co Wicklow. The company is able to pass on substantial discounts because it deals directly with manufacturers, takes clearance stock and has lower overheads because shopping is done online.

Tip of the Week

If you find yourself saddled with a credit card attracting a high interest rate but are unable to get approval for a new one, you can always try chancing your arm and asking your existing credit card provider to reduce your rate. It wouldn't be wise to name them here (in case it inspires them to stop) but at least one credit card provider seems more than willing to reduce your rate in return for keeping your business. It's a simple phone call and, if they knock you back, remember that the next time they ring up pestering you to take on a new product.

Bad Value of the Week

It has now been nearly six months since sterling began its dramatic fall against the euro and still shoppers are finding themselves on the rough end of poor conversion prices in retail outlets. A Sunday Tribune reader feeling optimistic about this summer recently visited their local Boots in The Pavilion in Swords in search of sunglasses. He was about to buy a pair when he noticed the vast difference in the price available to his UK counterpart: here, Boots was charging €31 but in the UK the price was a mere £20. At today's conversion rates that means Irish customers are being charged an extra €8.55 for the same glasses.

Recession Rates

Best 12-month fixed-rate deposit account: Investec at 4.5% (€20,000 minimum)

Best regular savings account:

AIB Parent Saver at 7.5% (parents only; maximum €200 a month)

Anglo Irish Bank Regular Annual Savers Account at 5.5% (maximum savings of €1,000 a month)

Best credit card rate (purchases):

AIB Click card at 8.5%

Best credit card rate (cash withdrawals):

NIB Platinum card at 10.2%

Worst credit card rate (cash withdrawals):

AIB Click/Platinum at 23.4%

Best credit card interest-free period (purchases and cash):

Halifax for six months

Rates correct as of 20/05/09