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Managing your money!

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January is a month full of new intentions and goals for the year ahead and for a lot of us, it also starts out with budgeting and setting out a plan on how best to spend and save our money.

As the overall cost of living continues to rise, budgeting has never been more important. From fuel hikes to the increased cost of energy and heating your home, it’s important to stay on top of these expenses and to make the relevant adjustments to your budget according to Eamonn Foley, Money Advice Co-Ordinator, Kerry MABS.

“With the cost of living continuing to rise, especially the increases in utilities and various essentials, this has, and will put a lot of individuals and households under increased financial pressure. The first step in taking back control or staying on top of your finances is budgeting.”

“At MABS, we recommend that everyone invests time in budgeting in order to have a clearer picture of what money is coming in and going out. This is fundamental to managing your finances and will really assist in better forecasting spend and identifying where savings can be made. Overall, budgeting allows you to make more informed choices, especially when it comes to planning for more expensive months throughout the year,” he added.

Having established a good starting point with a comprehensive budget plan, MABS recommends some of the following tips: Take time to look at rights and entitlements, for example, health expenses and income tax credits.
Shop around - with costs on the rise, compare prices for food, gas, electricity, phone and internet, making sure you’re aware of your renewal dates.
Start a rainy-day fund - if you’re able to save, even just a little bit, it all adds up. €20 a week is over €1,000 in a year.
Get advice if you’re worried - Help is available. MABS are available by phone on their National Helpline on 0818 07 2000 from 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday. To find a local MABS office in your area, visit www.mabs.ie.

Once a plan is in place, review of your budget and spending habits is also advised in order to identify any areas that require refocusing to keep on track throughout the year.

For more information on MABS and their budgeting resources, visit www.mabs.ie.

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Contactless payments launched on Local Link services

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Passengers using TFI Local Link Kerry services in Killarney and across the county can now pay for their journeys using contactless card payments.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed the rollout this week, allowing commuters to simply tap their debit card, credit card, or mobile devices, such as Apple Pay and Google Pa, when boarding.

The move is designed to offer more convenience for those using high-frequency rural and regional routes.

In Killarney, the new payment option will be available on the TFI Anseo town services, which have seen a significant increase in passenger numbers since their introduction.

The contactless system is currently available for single journey fares, while those using daily or weekly passes can continue to use the Leap website or the TFI Leap Top Up App.
Alan O’Connell, General Manager of TFI Local Link Kerry, welcomed the modernisation of the fleet.

“The introduction of contactless payments is another welcome step forward for public transport in Kerry,” he said. “It complements other major projects in the county, including the expansion of TFI Local Link services and the delivery of TFI Anseo in Killarney, which is proving to be another great initiative.”

While the new technology offers a modern alternative, traditional payment methods are not being phased out. Cash payments, TFI Leap cards, and Free Travel Cards all remains fully valid across the network.

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How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

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Tomorrow, Sinn Féin will be tabling a motion of no confidence against the Government after the protests that took place nationwide during the week.

Earlier today we asked our readers how would they vote in a no confidence motion against the Government?

Most of our readers said they would vote no confidence, while some said, yes they do have confidence in the Government.

One reader said: “Vote confidence. The only proper leadership over the last few days came from government. Courage came when needed despite how unpopular it looked in the moment. By contrast, opposition politicians wanted the country to burn to suit themselves”.

Another reader stated: “No confidence. Shambolic and heavy handed handling of protests this past week”.

However, some people didn’t have any confidence in either side with a reader saying: “No confidence in the no confidence! Different wings of the same bird! We need a complete overhaul of the political system”.

We asked the question to our 5 Kerry TDs before lunch-time today, asking them what their vote will be tomorrow.

We received one reply from Sinn Féin’s Kerry TD Pa Daly.

He will be voting no confidence in the Government tomorrow along with his party.

Other media outlets are reporting that Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae is undecided at the moment.

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