ME AND MY MONEY: John Brennan, manager, Park Hotel, Kenmare
Are you a saver or a spender?I tend to spend on holidays with my family. Apart from that I don't spend very much. You don't have much time to do anything in this business unless you are on holiday.
Do you shop around for better value?Not generally, as I believe if you find a product at a good price you will lose more in time looking for the cheapest deal.
What has been your most extravagant purchase ever?I bought a painting some years ago that gives me much enjoyment.
What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money?My wife's engagement ring. I bought it from an old school friend who owns an antique jewellery shop in Dublin. The value is not in the ring but what it represents, which money cannot buy.
Have you ever crossed the border to shop?35 years ago to Jonesborough for butter when, much like recent times, grocery shops were better value in Northern Ireland. The price of butter at the time was the talk of the country.
Do you haggle over prices?It all depends. Sometimes it's for fun as you build a relationship with the seller, which can lead to future business together. Other times it's just because it's too expensive. The way you haggle is important, and the right approach will get a better price. Attack is not always the best form.
Has the recession changed your spending habits?I am more conscious of spending and what we get for our money. However, I think as consumers we have a duty not to always support the cheapest. There is more to value than price, and one good purchase will be worth more in the long term than a cheap one.
Do you invest in shares?Not since Eircom, the greatest disaster of my life. When one thinks of the spin put on the floatation and the "reward" to the people of Ireland it would make your blood boil. The cost of it and the cost to the country in not having blanket broadband is disgraceful.
What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money?A new bike. I'm not sure if it's good value yet, but in time I hope it will be. We have 18 specific cycling routes from the hotel, which I look forward to exploring over the winter.
Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase?I bought a car when I was 22. It was my second car and I saved for three years. A week after I got my brand new car I parked it in Streedagh beach in Sligo and went for a walk. The tide came in and when we returned it was surrounded by water. I sold it a week later.
Is money important to you?Money gives you the flexibility to do things but the best things are simple things, which you don't need money for.
How much money do you have on you now?I found €5 in my pocket this morning, and that is the extent of what I have on me at this time. I could go for weeks and not have money on me, because I go from home to hotel and home again.
In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea
