Cookies Policy
Last updated: January 2026
This Cookies Policy explains how Hearthwise Budgeting ("we", "us", "our"), acting as the data controller, uses cookies and similar technologies on the website hearthwisebudgeting.com. It should be read together with our Privacy Policy. Under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the General Data Protection Regulation, "GDPR") and the Irish European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Privacy and Electronic Communications) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 336 of 2011), as amended, we may only store or access information on your device where it is strictly necessary to deliver the service you requested, or where you have given your prior consent.
1. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your computer, smartphone or tablet when you visit. They are widely used to make websites work, to remember your preferences, to understand how visitors use a site, and to support marketing activity. Cookies set by us are called "first-party" cookies. Cookies set by parties other than Hearthwise Budgeting are called "third-party" cookies and enable features provided by those third parties, such as anonymous website analytics.
2. How we obtain your consent
When you first visit our website, a cookie consent banner is displayed that allows you to accept all non-essential cookies, reject them, or save granular preferences by category. Your consent is freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. No analytics or marketing cookies are placed on your device unless you opt in via the banner. You may withdraw or change your consent at any time by clearing cookies in your browser, which will cause the consent banner to appear again on your next visit. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
3. Categories of cookies we use
| Category | Purpose | Consent required |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary (essential) | These cookies are required for the website to function. They include the cookie that remembers your consent choices, and basic security and session preferences. They cannot be switched off in our systems. | No — necessary for the site to work as requested |
| Analytics | These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the website, for example which pages are most visited and how long visitors stay, so we can improve content and usability. Information is aggregated and used only for statistical purposes. | Yes |
| Marketing | These cookies are used to measure the effectiveness of our communications and, where enabled, to remember your interests so that information about our budgeting services may be more relevant to you. | Yes |
4. Specific cookies placed by this website
- Consent preference cookie: a first-party, strictly necessary cookie with a lifetime of 12 months that stores your consent choices so we do not have to ask you on every visit. Its value records whether you accepted, rejected or saved category preferences for analytics and marketing cookies.
- Analytics cookies (if enabled): first-party, aggregated statistical cookies with a maximum lifetime of 12 months, used solely to count visits and page interactions in a privacy-preserving manner. IP addresses are truncated or anonymised before storage.
- Marketing cookies (if enabled): cookies used to measure the performance of outreach about our services, with a maximum lifetime of 12 months.
We do not use cookies to store sensitive personal data such as income details, banking information or household budgeting data. Such information is only collected where you provide it directly through our contact or consultation forms, and is handled as described in our Privacy Policy.
5. Third-party cookies
Where you consent to analytics or marketing cookies, selected third-party providers may place cookies on your device on our behalf. These providers act as our processors under Article 28 GDPR and are bound by contractual obligations to process data only on our documented instructions, or as independent controllers for their own limited purposes, as disclosed to you in the consent banner. We do not sell personal data collected through cookies.
6. Your rights under the GDPR
In relation to personal data processed through cookies, you have the following rights: the right to be informed (this policy); the right of access to your personal data; the right to rectification of inaccurate data; the right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"); the right to restrict processing; the right to data portability; the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests; and rights relating to automated decision-making, which we do not carry out. Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
7. Data controller and how to contact us
Hearthwise Budgeting is the data controller for the personal data processed through this website. If you wish to exercise any of your rights, ask questions about this Cookies Policy, make a data subject access request, or lodge a complaint, you can contact us at:
- Address: Hearthwise Budgeting, 42 The Mall, Waterford City, Co. Waterford, X91 NX4P, Ireland
- Email: info@hearthwisebudgeting.com
- Phone: +353 61 988 0053
We will respond to all verified requests without undue delay and, in any event, within one month of receipt, as required by Article 12 GDPR. If this period is extended due to the complexity or number of requests, we will inform you within one month of receipt. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission (www.dataprotection.ie) if you believe our processing infringes the GDPR.
8. How to manage or delete cookies in your browser
In addition to using our consent banner, most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies through their settings. Please note that if you block all cookies, including strictly necessary ones, parts of this website may not function correctly. Instructions for the most common browsers are available in their official help documentation. Deleting cookies stored by this website will erase your consent preferences, and the consent banner will be shown again on your next visit.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, in applicable law, or in guidance from supervisory authorities. The date of the most recent revision is shown at the top of this page. Where changes are material, we will draw them to your attention and, where required, ask for your consent again before placing non-essential cookies.