Are you a saver or a spender?
If I have a particular goal that I'm saving towards, I'm quite disciplined and find that I can easily cut down on my spending to achieve that goal. However, once I've hit whatever that milestone is, I'm a lot more relaxed about spending money.
Do you shop around for better value?
Yes, in certain areas I still have a bit of a broke student mentality ingrained in me. I've developed careful habits around finding good value for money, especially for stuff like insurance, air travel, hotels – basically anything you can use a price comparison tool on. Every week, we make at least two stops when doing the big shop, to make sure we are getting good value.
What has been your most extravagant purchase and how much did it cost?
I think the extravagance of something depends on the context. When I was a student or saving for a mortgage, a taxi home instead of the bus or a €3 coffee would feel like a huge, wonderful extravagance. Even now, most of my extravagances are experience-based rather than material, like the few nights my husband and I spent in a five-star hotel for our honeymoon, or dinner in a nice restaurant.
What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money?
My trusty bike. Good for the planet, good for my health, good for my head. I got it under the bike-to-work scheme, so it was an absolute steal.
What ways did you prefer to shop during the Covid-19 restrictions – online or local?
During Covid, online and local became increasingly mutually inclusive – loads of amazing Irish brands made the jump to online sales, so naturally I actually ended up buying more Irish and local products than I ever did before. However, I must say I do prefer shopping in person and, since restrictions have eased, I've hit the shops with a vengeance.
Do you haggle over prices?
When it comes to shopping, never. My years spent working in supermarkets and retail still haunt me. I used to be on the receiving end of attempted haggling all the time and it drove me bananas. I still cringe a bit when I witness it now.
How has the Covid-19 crisis changed your spending habits?
It changed them utterly. During lockdown, my life became very small and, as a result, very cheap. I ran out of ideas for what I could spend money on. I now find it's quite hard to shake off those lockdown habits, and I sometimes catch myself gravitating towards quiet nights in rather than expensive nights out. Although maybe that's just age and sense finally catching up with me.
Do you invest in shares?
I don't, other than in my pension. I keep meaning to learn to do it, although I do have exactly €33.34 in crypto right now.
Cash or card?
Card all the way. With Covid, especially, I feel quite guilty when paying in cash and always ask for permission before doing so.
What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money?
A wallpaper steamer. In theory, great value for money if it saves on getting a contractor in to strip the walls. In practice, a total disaster. Sometimes it's best to just leave it to the pros.
Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase?
We bought a house a few months ago and I'm still kind of reeling that we managed it. During the house hunt, the bidding for some of the properties we liked went over €100,000 above asking, so we nearly packed it in a few times. We eventually got very lucky – the sellers of this house had a strong emotional connection to it and didn't want to sell it to an investor or to someone who'd just flip the property, so they accepted a bid from us that was far below what they could have received for it. We're definitely not complaining.
Have you ever lost money?
Thankfully I haven't, other than the odd tenner from my purse back in the day when wild nights out were a more frequent occurrence.
Are you a gambler and if so have you ever had a big win?
I've never really had any interest in gambling, other than when it's tied into a social activity, like Eurovision, Drag Race sweepstakes or a Lotto syndicate (but only when there's a comically large jackpot). That said, I do love a scratch card.
Is money important to you?
It certainly is when I don't have it. Money is very important to me in that it translates to safety and peace of mind. I want to be lucky enough to always have sufficient money to keep a roof over my head, pay my bills and be able to participate in the small things in life that bring me happiness.
How much money do you have on you now?
Two €50 notes from a recent birthday card.
