Budgeting for a new lifestyle

CHARLIE McCreevy will have a big enough Brussels salary to allow him follow his famous champagne lifestyle, but he might not have enough time to spend it.

His annual salary for each of the five years he is expected to serve in the commission will be €217,279.68 - not a lot more than his current ministerial allowance.

The biggest single allowance he will get is €32,591.94 towards the cost of renting a house. This should allow him to live in a nice period house in a good district of Brussels, but at less than €3,000 a month is unlikely to come with room for a pony.