‘If we could live in a world without money, I’d prefer it’

Are you a saver or a spender? It's a tough question for me, because I live very lean, and I use money to buy essentials only. This also means that as much as I like to think I'm a saver, I'm probably more of a spender. I would like to save more and should.

Do you shop around for better value? Always. I enjoy the research of finding the best deals, but sometimes, if I don't have the time, I don't get best value and just buy the handiest option. It bugs me, though, when that happens, but sometimes you just have to, don't you?

What has been your most extravagant purchase and how much did it cost? Probably a trip to Kazakhstan in December to see the return of ESA [European Space Agency] astronaut Alexander Gerst to Earth after his six-month mission on the International Space Station. We were all set to head to a location in the steppe desert to be there as his capsule dropped down, but a snowstorm changed his landing co-ordinates. I never got to see his landing and watched it instead on my phone over 400km away. A very expensive trip that didn't deliver.

What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money? I recently bought a new computer. I spent a lot of time researching and found a great deal online. I ordered it online and then picked it up at the store. This was in the US, where computers are a lot cheaper.

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How did you prefer to shop during the Covid-19 restrictions – online or local? Online as much as I could. In fact, the pandemic made me shop in completely new ways, which I still adopt to this day.

Do you haggle over prices? At markets, I usually just pay the advertised price. But I do haggle when it comes to things like insurance policies or negotiating rates for hotel rooms.

How has the Covid-19 crisis changed your spending habits? I definitely got more comfortable buying goods online during the pandemic and that has, kind of, remained with me.

Do you invest in shares? No, but I think if I understood markets better, I probably would be more open to the notion.

Cash or card? Card always now. It's simply because I'm on the move so much, and I don't feel comfortable going to cash machines in foreign countries to withdraw cash. I use my Revolut card for travel and work off that card for all my transactions. It's a system, but I'm probably getting fleeced on bank charges!

What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money? I bought a dress for my niece's wedding. I got it in a consignment store. It was stunning, really great value, and I felt fabulous. I buy all my clothes now in consignment stores. Pre-loved clothes are terrific value, and it helps me do something for our planet in living more sustainably.

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

Not yet! I think I’ve tried a few times, but I never succeeded.

Have you ever lost money?

I feel that the trip to Kazakhstan was a big loss of money for me as I didn’t get to experience what I had planned to do. So, I guess that would be a ‘yes’.

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

I’m not a big fan of gambling, but I have bought a few lottery tickets in the past. I’ve never won anything more than €20 on any of them.

Is money important to you?

The accumulation of money doesn’t drive me. Money gives us choice and, without it, our choices are limited. When I was on a simulated Mars mission in the Utah desert, myself and my four crew mates lived for 15 days as if we were on Mars. One night, one of the crew took out the cash he had in his room. On Mars, these notes had no value other than for some sort of wipe. It struck me then that if we could live in a world without money, I’d prefer it.

After that mission I had a new attitude to living minimally, giving away most of my possessions and living for experiences instead of the accumulation of things. I felt lighter and happier. That mission was in 2017 and I still live this way.

How much money do you have on you now?

I don’t use cash anymore, but I think I have about €20 somewhere in my purse.

In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea