EM - April/May 2012 - (Page 37)

www.esb.ie/em April/May 2012 LIFE 37 MAkE YOUR MONEY GO FURTHER wITH OUR SMART HOLIDAY IDEAS Smart holiday shopping tour operator and using the internet to book flights, transfers and accommodation. This can work out very cheap if you are willing to be flexible. For example, if you are willing to travel out on a Monday and return on a Friday rather than the more traditional Saturday to Saturday arrangement, you can save €85 per person on flights to Faro in Portugal in June. This cuts a few days off your fortnight’s holiday but saves €170 for a couple or €340 for a family of four. The second major saving also comes from flexibility. Some 200,000 Irish people own property in Spain and Portugal and tens of thousands own French properties. Less than a quarter of this number actually live in these properties, with the majority of the remainder letting them out to holidaymakers to help pay overheads. It is possible to rent a very good quality holiday apartment in the algarve region of Portugal for around €250 a week. with flights available for less than €1,000 for four people and accommodation for around €500, this arrangement would offer a family holiday in Portugal less than €1,500. very good value indeed. BARRY MCCALL PerSonaL FinanCe The BaD newS for would be sun holidaymakers this year is that there will be far fewer late or last minute bargains available than before. This is because the industry has been reducing capacity to reflect depressed demand in the market. This means that bargain breaks may be quite thin on the ground through the normal travel agent or tour operator routes at least. however, there’s more ways to skin this particular cat. The first is by using what the travel trade calls ‘independent travel’. This means becoming your own That compares to around €2,500 for some of the cheapest package holidays for a family of four to the algarve at that time. another option is to book your holiday with a uK tour operator. a near identical package to the €2,500 holiday from the Irish based operator is on offer from one in the uK for just £1,200 (€1,400). you will have to shell out for the flights to and from england, and maybe, an airport transfer in London, but the savings outweighs the costs by well over a grand. But in these days of cheap flights between the two countries if you can’t get these for less than €1,100 there is definitely something wrong. of course, the trek to the uK might not be everyone’s ideal start to what is meant to be a relaxing summer holiday. There is also the question that many people would prefer to spend their money with an Irish company, especially in the current economic climate. while most of the tour operators here are actually owned by overseas concerns they do employ Irish people and that has to be taken into consideration when making a decision. another saver is to travel as part of a group. Many golf clubs, bridge clubs and other groups now organise their own holidays in conjunction with specialist Irish travel agents. n Planning a dream holiday? SIMON DUNNE ST. PaTriCk’S CrediT Union(eSbSTaFF)LTd. have you a DreaM about taking a cruise around the caribbean, going on safari in africa or just lazing by the pool in an exclusive resort in the south of France? If so, St. Patrick’s credit union can make that dream come true with its low interest oneyear Preferential Loan. The interest rate is just 4.9% per annum and is fixed for the term of the loan. Example: The repayments on a €2,500 1 year Preferential Loan are just €50 per week or €214 per month (typical aPr 5.1%) Terms and conditions • The maximum term of the loan is 12 months. Car of the Year - Kia Rio 1.25 EX Petrol • The maximum loan amount a member can borrow is limited to €10,000 and there is no minimum amount. • Lump sum payments and early repayment are allowed without incurring a fee or penalty. • The One-year Preferential Loan will operate as a separate loan account for members who currently have a loan, and will have a separate repayment amount. • The loan can be used for any purpose. If you already have a Standard Loan at 6.5% and a Green Loan at 4.5% this does not preclude you from taking out a one-year Preferential Loan. all loan applications are decided primarily on the member’s ability to make the relevant loan repayments. DAVE wALSHE moToring My car waS powered by petrol, the fuel of choice some years ago you may recall. There is still a market for petrol cars and as I always say, do the maths - it’s amazing how better off you are with some petrol cars. This car pits its wits against cars in the Fiesta class which is fiercely competitive. not only do people expect good value, they also expect good cars with very good specifications. euro for euro, the best car value is in this sector. Specification is where Kia scores high. In eS trim, it has all the stuff drivers want these days. alloys, Bluetooth, aircon, central Locking, electric windows and Mirrors (Folding & heated), iPod compatibility, auto door-locking, hill assist, rc alarm and Immo- biliser. Just as well, as there are only two trim variations and no options. Kia keeps it simple and then play their ace. Seven-year/150,000kms warranty (10 year first owner powertrain warranty standard in uSa coming here soon?). This warranty was responsible for other manufacturers upping their warranty durations and I will always salute Kia for this in the same way, political affiliations aside, we should all salute Micheál Martin for the smoking ban. In warranties, Kia was the gamechanger. This is a good car to drive www.kiamotors.ie too because, for additional pressure, we want this in addition to all the other stuff above we expect in a car. It is great in and around town with parking made very simple. on the highway it holds its own with any other car on it and has a refined ride. The road noise was my only observation that caused me to make a note. Still, I’d give it 8/10 for quietness. on the regional roads, it isn’t as good as known players like the Fiesta but it is not far behind and only people with a keen interest in cars would notice or be bothered by the noise. RRP = €16,775 The car’s look is european, whatever that means these days as the euro/asian aesthetic fusion is near complete. The Kia trademark grille is there and that’s another sign of how Kia is mastering branding. when you see the next Kia model for the first time you will figure out it is a Kia in the same way as you’d identify the next Ford/opel/BMw from its corporate look. It is a spacious car and obviously practical being a hatchback. The split rear seats are easy to drop giving huge carrying capacity from the already big 288litres. using the manufacturer’s fuel figs this car will do 900kms on the urban cycle before needing a refill, very impressive for a petrol car. For the specification, warranty, money, driving appeal and looks, the rio was already a winner. The award of 2012 Irish car of the year was the icing on a deserving cake. n PS. Please don’t forget to send us a postcard. n Please see our website www.stpatrickscu.ie for a full list of Terms & Conditions or contact a member of staff on 01-6325100 or extn. 35100 Credit Union Competition Win an iPod nano!! To be in with a chance of winning please answer the following question and text your answer to 087 9858238 in the following format: “CUCOMP followed by your answer (i.e. a, b or c) and your name” St. Patrick’s CU Monthly Loan Repayment per €1,000. Rate = 6.5% Tel: 01 632 5100 or 01 632 5125 3 Years = €30.64 4 Years = €23.71 Manufacturers Fuel Consumption Figs.: Urban 6.3l/100km ; Extra Urban 4.4l/100km New Car Assessment Programme Rating TBA CO2 - 119g/km carfeedback@esb.ie www.euroncap.com 5 Years = €19.56 What are the weekly repayments on a €2,500 1 Year Preferential Loan? a) €45 b) €50 c) €55 Important Only one entry per person, no mail entries acceptable, and the closing date is the Thursday May 31st. Last issue’s winner was Michael Clair, Moneypoint Generating Station. Congratulations Michael and your iPod nano is on the way out to you. http://www.esb.ie/em http://www.stpatrickscu.ie http://www.kiamotors.ie http://www.euroncap.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of EM - April/May 2012

EM - April/May 2012
Contents
News
Services & Electric Ireland
ESB Networks Ltd
ESB Energy International
Health & Habitat
Life

EM - April/May 2012