Mobile callsThe www.callcosts.ie website is incredibly valuable for finding out whether you're on the correct mobile phone tariff.

I'm surprised more people don't use it, but it may be mostly down to awareness. - S Mulcahy

Charity collectors

A surefire way of quelling collectors' ardour is to complain directly to the charity they are collecting for. I had three awful experiences in Cork with these chuggers and complained every time. And it worked. Just make sure you get their names from the badges they wear around their necks. If you tell them you are complaining about them their hard-sell act soon changes. - Paul

North-South price differential

While I was home over Christmas I had occasion to visit the large 24-hour Tesco in east Belfast. Both myself and my fiancée were of the opinion that there was a much more impressive range of produce on offer. This wasn't necessarily Tesco's own-brand stuff; for example, the fiancée found that there was a vastly greater range of WeightWatchers produce on sale up North. One other thing is that there was a much, much greater range of CDs and DVDs on offer in the Belfast store than I have ever seen in the Dublin branches that I would frequent. - Neil