Panti - Hostess with the mostest
Are you a saver or a spender?
I’m a spender. I’m not very acquisitive – I don’t need the latest gadgets or lots of stuff – but I’m an impulse buyer. Especially when it comes to wigs. They call to me and persuade me that I need a shiny new coiffure, so my great intentions of saving tend to end up on my head.
Do you shop around for better value?
Yes, a process that has been revolutionised by the internet. If it’s a reasonably serious purchase, say like a camera, I’ll do a lot of online research, reading reviews and comparing prices. Though if possible I’ll buy it locally, just because I like to be able to hold it and examine it in person before parting with my hard-earned cash. I prefer face-to-face customer care.
What has been your most extravagant purchase ever and how much did it cost?
Probably a leather jacket I bought about 10 years ago. It cost about £400, which isn’t much when compared to a car or a house or even a few costumes I have, but it was entirely unnecessary, not really my style, and completely faddish. It still sits unworn and unloved at the back of my wardrobe making me feel guilty.
What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money?
My laptop. I’ve been a Mac user for a few years, and while like all laptops it was expensive, I can’t even imagine my life without it. I do everything on my computer. Shopping, writing, communicating, working, entertaining, amusing, loving, learning . . . When it needed to go to computer hospital for a few days last year I was bereft. I spent the whole time curled up in a foetal position with the dog.
Have you ever crossed the Border to shop?
Not specifically. Though when I used to work regularly in Belfast I definitely took advantage of being across the Border to get some shopping in. Especially during the early Tiger, when Belfast had a lot of the big international chain stores that hadn’t yet come to Dublin.
Do you haggle over prices?
If it’s a big ticket item which I know is available for cheaper elsewhere I’ll ask, but I’m not a good haggler. I think I’m too boringly middle class.
Has the recession changed your spending habits?
I’m definitely more conscious of not spending money frivolously and trying to curb my impulse buying.
Do you invest in shares?
No. I’m not a gambler in any way, whether it be horses or the lottery or shares.
Cash or card?
Cash when possible. I find my cards handy but dangerous. It’s too easy to spend money that doesn’t actually pass through my lady-like hands.
What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money?
A packet of 12 batteries from the Two Euro shop on Abbey Street in Dublin – and it was spectacularly good value.
Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase?
Not since I was a kid and saved up for a bike. But I’ve done it backwards often enough – bought something I couldn’t afford on my credit card and then spent the next ages paying for it.
Have you ever lost money?
No, but I lost my iPhone on holidays last summer and I may as well have just thrown €500 away. I was in a huff with myself for days.
Are you a gambler and if so have you ever had a big win?
I’ve never been a gambler. I even went to Las Vegas once and I never so much as put a dime in a one-armed bandit. I have very occasionally bought a lottery ticket just so I could daydream about being Dolores McNamara for a while, but that’s about it.
Is money important to you?
Not particularly. Or at least, relatively, anyway. It’s not what motivates me. But perhaps that’s easy for me to say because I’ve been lucky enough that I haven’t been totally broke since I was a student – when being totally broke really didn’t matter.
How much money do you have on you now?
€38.45.
