ME and MY MONEY: Ella McSweeney - TV Presenter
Are you a saver or a spender?
When I have it, a spaver – bit of both.
Do you shop around for better value?
For sure, but I believe in paying a fair price. I’m pretty minimalist and I’m no fan of shopping. I buy well and look for quality. Know what you like, ignore fashions, spend occasionally, pay well. Them’s the rules for me.
What has been your most extravagant purchase ever and how much did it cost?
My welly boots cost me €180. Crazy money, but it was worth it – they’ve lasted years. I wear them all the time. They’re comfy like slippers and I won’t need to replace them for a long time. I’m ridiculously intolerant and incapable when shopping – I’m allergic to crowds and cities – so the less I have to do, the better.
What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money?
Years ago I bought a Hans Wegner chair. It was a couple of hundred euro and I had saved up. It is a thing of curvaceous beauty. So comfy to sit in, majestic to look at and will last for decades.
Have you ever crossed the Border to shop?
No, although I understand why people do. In general, people are great in Ireland and support local sellers. Online shopping is the new “over the Border” shopping and I’m surprised at the number of people I’ve spoken to who are buying online from abroad.
Do you haggle over prices?
Haggling is hilarious, especially John McEnroe you-cannot-be-serious style. But I rarely get the chance to haggle these days.
Has the recession changed your spending habits?
Not hugely, as I was never a big spender, but I’m definitely spending less often than I used to. The budget didn’t hit my income enough, which surprised me – it should have done.
Do you invest in shares?
That’s far too complicated for me, I wouldn’t know what to be doing. I’m simple about money – I earn it, spend some, save some and stay away from credit. That’s it.
Cash or card?
Definitely card. Cash is like handwriting – a rare sight to see.
What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money?
I’m just back from a remote part of Kerry and it was diesel for the car. Travel costs absorb most of my money at the moment; it’s top value because I adore my work. But the best value you can get is from the simplest, cheapest thing: a small packet of vegetable seeds.
Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase?
No! At the back of my mind I am saving to buy a few acres of land, but we’ll see about that. It’ll happen when I can afford it.
Have you ever lost money?
Never, but I was talking to the wonderful bow- maker Noel Burke in Carlow a while back and he told me that years back, he left a couple of thousand euro in an envelope in a cafe by accident. A few minutes later, it was gone. Can you imagine?
Are you a gambler and, if so, have you ever had a big win?
Useless. I love sport – I’d watch anything – but the only time I bet is on the Grand National and the horses I back always fall. The one time I won a race, as part of the Stars Go Racing series, I forgot to bet. Useless.
Is money important to you?
I’m not a fool – you’ve got to have it – but it’s not a focus. I don’t want to be rich, or anything near it.
How much money do you have on you now?
A €2 coin, a 5 cent piece and a blue debit card that has developed dog ears. That’d be the diesel action . . .
In conversation with CONOR POPE
