According to the 'largest survey of its kind ever undertaken' by the telecoms regulator Ofcom, the conclusion was reached that broadband users are failing to get the speeds they're actually paying for. Now, for all those of you who've ever waited yonks¹ for a page to load up, you'll know how frustrating this is. OK, it's hardly the worst thing that can happen to you, but if you think you're paying for something that you're not actually getting, you're going to be mightily ticked off.

Often the 'value' of stuff seems arbitrary and very much dependent on lots of factors like scarcity, percieved value, cultural context, what we're prepared to pay for it etc. A gold bullion bar's not much worth to you if you're dying of thirst, lost in the desert. However, it's quite hard to work out what's good value for money and to know when you're being ripped off (mobile phone tariffs, anyone?). This week we're asking you to think about what constitutes value for money, and what doesn't:

• What one thing that you have to pay for do you consider a complete and utter rip-off?

• Do you think stuff like houses and petrol or memory for your computer is good 'value for money'?

• What one thing that you've bought, or continue to buy, would you happily describe as being great value for money?

• Is it true to say that quality is what we're really after and that basically you only ever get what you pay for?

• Thinking of the general morale of the great British public and how you might, at a stroke, give it an almighty boost, what one thing would you drastically reduce the cost of?