Cost of living increases: One woman had to pick between petrol or food for her last tenner

With seemingly contradictory headlines this week that Irish people have an unprecedented level of savings, but also that a huge number of households are struggling to keep their heads above water amid increasing prices, the one thing nobody can deny is the marked increase in the cost of living

Soaring household price increases are having a devastating effect on the cost of living for many families.

The high cost of living was something that even the Taoiseach and the Sinn Féin leader agreed on during their latest tete-a-tete at Leaders’ Questions during the week.

Amid the talk of energy costs soaring, the recent publication of the Central Statistics Office's (CSO) Consumer Price Index showed just how much has changed in the past year. Inflation in Ireland rose 3.7% in the 12 months to the end of September, the sharpest rise since 2008.