Over the past three weeks on The Last Word, our Stretched series has examined the cost of living in Ireland. We've looked at areas such as tax, renting, mortgages, transport, socialising, education and healthcare, to find out if consumers are getting value for money or are being ripped off.
You can listen back to all 12 of the discussions in our series below.
Brendan Burgess and Michelle Murphy joined us for part one to discuss whether we pay too much tax in Ireland.
The cost of renting continues to increase, not just in Dublin, but all over the country. Frank Quinn, Janette Fogarty, NJ Kenny and Fintan McNamara were our guests for this topic, and we heard from a listener about his own struggles in the rental market.
More and more people are finding themselves commuting long distances to work. Barry Aldworth, Mark Gleeson, Professor James Wickham and Anne Graham assessed the cost of both public and private transport.
Going out can be expensive. John O'Neil, Michael Vaughan, Sorcha Hamilton and Padraig Cribben analysed the prices of concert tickets, food and drink, and hotel rooms.
Parents often find themselves under pressure in paying for their children's education. Katharine Donnelly, Aine Lynch, Maria Doyle and Charlie Weston discussed the costs of school books, iPads, uniforms and school trips, as well as the voluntary contribution.
Adrian Weckler and Mark Whelan joined us to talk about utilities - electricty, gas, phone bills, TV and broadband - and how to get the best deals.
Grocery shopping can be another expensive area, and many families struggle. Finian Murphy and Jenny Whelan spoke about how people are shopping around but still spending more, and Hazel O'Byrne talked about her work with SVP in helping families in need with food vouchers.
When it comes to mortgages, many people are being overcharged. Brendan Burgess, Michael Dowling, Ailbhe Beirne and Mel Reynolds compared the situation to that of our neighbours in Europe.
It's not just children's education that can be expensive - the cost of childcare in Ireland is higher than anywhere else in Europe. Jenny Doyle, Dr. Sheila Garrity, Teresa Heeney, Deborah Reynolds and Alan Farrell TD spoke to us about the financial sacrifices involved in putting a child in creche, as well as the struggles of childcare workers.
The cost of car, home, travel and life insurance can be a lot to deal with. Jonathan Hehir, Mark Whelan and Michael Kilcoyne discussed the different policies out there and how to get the best deal.
Having examined primary and secondary school expenses, we then looked at the cost of third level education. Katherine Donnelly, Dr. Brian Gormley, Katie Ascough and Carly Bailey talked about fees and accommodation and the struggles of balancing study with part-time jobs to pay for it all.
In the final part of the series, we talked about the cost of healthcare with Charlie Weston, Roisin Shorthall and Brian Turner, taking into account GP and hospital visits, private health insurance and dentist appointments.
