Are you a saver or a spender? A spender – with three daughters I have had to put saving on the long finger.
Do you shop around for better value? Yes, but it is hard to beat the €1.49 value at Dealz.
What has been your most extravagant purchase and how much did it cost? I loved the TV show Spitting Image. In 2001, all the original puppets were sold on eBay. I bought Jack Charlton for £800. I was recently offered €5,000 from a well-known Dublin publican but have no plans to sell it.
What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money? The engagement ring I purchased for my wife 25 years ago. For one month's salary, I got three children, a happy marriage and a wife who washes the odd shirt.
How do you prefer to shop – online or local? I support small local businesses where possible. The main reason why I set up LinkedFinance.com is so that we all could make a difference by giving financial support to businesses in our community.
Do you haggle over prices? There is nothing myself and my 13-year-old daughter, Olivia, like to do more on holiday than haggle at the local markets. We have found her puppy-dog eyes to be our number one strategy for success!
Has the recession changed your spending habits? Yes, I definitely operate on a tighter budget and shop around for all my larger personal and business purchases.
Do you invest in shares? Not since I lost a small fortune on AIB and Bank of Ireland shares. Instead, I now collect old Irish banknotes with a particular interest in mint condition, uncirculated Lady Lavery notes from the year I was born, 1965. They are big works of art and you would have needed a seriously big wallet to carry them around back in the day.
Cash or card? I use cards where possible. The whole financial services market is changing so fast I can imagine Ireland being a totally cashless and cardless society in the next five years. The smartphone is the future.
What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money? A second-hand book – The Forbes Greatest Business Stories – to read on holidays for €5. Can't say if it is good value or not 'til I get to page 362.
Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase? Yes, we saved hard for the deposit on the house we bought in 2001.
Have you ever lost money? I was pick-pocketed in Italy on the way to buy a birthday present for my wife. It was a lot of money for me and I was devastated. It took weeks to get over it.
Are you a gambler and, if so, have you ever had a big win? I was in the casino in Sun City in South Africa on the last day of a holiday. With the currency restrictions at the time it made no sense to bring 1,000 rand (€70) home so I decided to be carefree and lose it playing Black Jack. I hit a winning streak and turned the €70 into €1,500. That was worth bringing home!
Is money important to you? I think family, friends, health and life's experiences are way more important. I admire Chuck Feeney's view on money. He plans to give all his money away before he dies and wants the cheque he writes to the undertaker to bounce.
How much money do you have on you now? €80 and £30 sterling. I travel to London frequently, so I always seem to be carrying English notes and coins.
