Cost of living - Advice to shop around is simplistic

As A result of inflation the cost of the typical weekly trolley at a supermarket has increased by 9.5%, which comes to an extra €400 for year.

But even worse, the cost of essential staples such as bread, milk, butter, cheese and tea have increased by as much as 30%. This puts an enormous strain on people who were already struggling to make ends meet.

Of course, it is possible for people to get bargains in such items by shopping around. That is the glib advice that people frequently give to the poor.