CYCLING IN DUBLIN: I had my "crap" bike taken from outside the St Stephen's Green Centre in Dublin – only one gear worked so I hope they choked on it.

However, I am wary of cycling my good bike in town and have used the indoor car park off Grafton Street a few times. We need more dedicated routes, though. A good first step would be to have more of the footpaths along rivers and canals handed over to bicycles. Beaver Row is a good example along the Dodder. A nasty road to cycle on but sod all people on the footpath beside the river. Also the cycle path on the Stillorgan duel carriageway going into town is worse than useless. It's safer to use the bus lane except when a cranky bus driver is trying to run you off the road to prove a point. – Liam

THE NEW FRUGALITY

My phone cost €50 SIM-free, my car €1,000, I shop in Lidl and Aldi, my MP3 player cost €30, my laptop was bought as a write-off which I fixed and my PC was built by me from bits bought as a kit. But the most money I save is from buying all my tobacco abroad for €3.40 for 40g rather than €8 for 25g here.

I have a good lifestyle and it doesn't cost the earth. But I can't say that I have ever seen these people who supposedly splashed all their money around without any care, anyone know them? – Jochen