Me & my money

Rick O'Shea2FM DJ

Are you a saver or a spender?

Honestly? I don’t ever remember a time when I had enough spare money to be a saver. In much the same way though, I’ve never had huge amounts of money to be a mad spender either. My bank balance is in roughly the same state of teetering over the edge into oblivion every month.

Do you shop around for better value?

Always. I'm signed up to deals websites. I'm conscious of petrol prices. I do most of my shopping in Lidl. I shop around for car insurance, use Lastminute.comif I'm booking a trip away.

What has been your most extravagant purchase ever and how much did it cost?

I know it sounds either cheap or eminently sensible but I agonise over any purchase bigger that €50 that isn’t a bill. They all seem extravagant to me.

What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money?

My fiancee’s engagement ring. Although it had nothing to do with the money spent on it, I would have spent 10 times what I did on it to see that look on her face.

Have you ever crossed the Border to shop?

I used to around 10 years ago. There’d be a trip to Sainsbury’s in Newry every month or two for groceries. Honestly, I think I went for the drive as much as anything else.

Do you haggle over prices?

Not really. I’m just awful at it, which is strange as my father is probably one of the most persistent hagglers I’ve ever seen. He goes to car boot sales fairly regularly. He has it down to an art.

Has the recession changed your spending habits?

Of course. I’m a staff member in RTÉ. We’ve all taken pay cuts. I haven’t had a raise in years, taxes and levies cut down everything further, prices inflate. The maths are simple and the same for everyone. Even then I have to say that I wasn’t someone who spent madly in the boom years, or ever, so maybe they haven’t changed as much for me as they have for some.

Do you invest in shares?

You should be able to hear me laughing loudly and heartily from wherever you’re reading this. No. Again, I’ve never been in a financial position to consider “investments”. I have a tenuous job in the media, you know that, right?

Cash or card?

Usually cash. I have a debit card but I haven’t had a credit card for over 10 years. I ran up a few grand that took me a couple of years to pay off when I was younger and foolish so I’ve never had one since.

What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money?

It seems it was a chocolate cake in The Butler’s Pantry and yes, yes it was. Hugely.

Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase?

I think this year will be one of the first times – my wedding. We’re not borrowing so we’re limited to what we can spend by what we can cobble together in the run up to it. It’s great actually, it means there’s no pressure on us to spend insanely the way I’ve seen people do. Of course if we win the lottery in the next few months that will be a whole different story...

Have you ever lost money?

My loved ones have me convinced that I’m frequently dropping notes from my pocket as I’m so clumsy. But in terms of losing money on the stock exchange or in a land deal or a house sale? No.

Are you a gambler and if so have you ever had a big win?

I’m an awful gambler, so I almost never do. I won 20 quid when Ireland beat Italy in the 1994 world cup. I had a fiver on them at 4/1. Decent odds.

Is money important to you?

Not really. I know it’s easy to say that when I’m in a position at the moment to take care of the needs of the people I love and put a roof over my head. It’s nice to have it to do the things I’d like to do with my life but the accumulation of numbers is something I have no interest in. That I can use the spare stuff I have to travel has become important in the last few years.

How much money do you have on you now?

I have roughly €37.