Me & My Money: Deirdre O’Reilly, founder of Athena College of Ireland

Are you a saver or a spender? Overall, I would say I am a spender. However, over time I have learned to spend wisely.

Do you shop around for better value? Value is important to me, but I am not penny wise, pound foolish. If there is a match between quality and value, I will take that option.

What has been your most extravagant purchase and how much did it cost? I would say that my most extravagant purchase was when I bought a new car in 2007.

What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money? The investment in my MBA qualification.

How do you prefer to shop – online or local? My preference is local, and there are some things that I always try to do locally, but I do find myself doing more and more shopping online. This would include both personal and business shopping.

Do you haggle over prices? Always – value and quality are important to me. I will always ask if there is a deal to be had on any potential purchase. I feel that it is a very non-Irish thing to do. We have no problem haggling when we are away on holiday, but not many people will try it when they get home.

Has the recession changed your spending habits? I would have to be honest and say yes. It is my opinion that there are very few people who have not been affected in some way.

Do you invest in shares? I am not an active investor in shares although I did dabble before the recession. However, I liquidated these positions with varying degrees of loss or gain.

Cash or card? I tend to be a card person – debit, mind you. Anything that I purchase on my credit card is cleared each month. I do like to have a small amount of cash in my purse for incidentals.

What was the last thing you bought, and was it good value for money? The last thing I purchased was the family groceries, which I considered good value. As I mentioned previously, quality and value are important to me.

Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase? I had been renting for more than 18 years, but thanks to my first business venture I was able to buy my first home.

Have you ever lost money? Yes – on one of my business ventures when I was first embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I also purchased a property during the boom that remains in negative equity.

Are you a gambler and if so have you ever had a big win? Not in the traditional sense, but I am an entrepreneur so you could say that I gamble on my business ventures being successful.

Athena College of Ireland is my current venture.

Is money important to you? I would be lying to say that it wasn't. I would not be in business if it were not going to provide me with a certain standard of living.

Money is important insofar as I would like to have enough to be able to visit with my daughter – who lives overseas – on a fairly regular basis. I know what it is like not to have any money, so I do not take it for granted.

How much money do you have on you now? A €50 note at the moment. My mother always told me to have €20 in reserve for emergencies at all times, so I keep that hidden in my wallet.

In conversaiton with Tony Clayton-Lea