'When you make little - you deal with little'

ME and MY MONEY:ALAN STANFORD, artistic director, Second Age Theatre Company

Are you a saver or a spender?I'm neither. To be a saver you require a regular and sufficient supply of income and that is something that has eluded me for my entire career. To be a spender you must have a need or desire to acquire 'things' and aside from books and music my tastes are simple; aside, that is, from food and wine.

Do you shop around for better value?The question implies a desire to shop around and a need to care about price. I have always believed that the best value is to be obtained in the quality of what you desire. And that does not imply that expensive is best. Best can also be cheap. Also, I hate shopping in any form.

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

The houses I have owned. Three in all. They each cost far more than I could afford. Apart from that, I suppose my car, which was a snip. It cost more than I could afford and was the best value ever. It’s a beautiful 10-year-old Merc.

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

My car. It gets me where I want to go in comfort and safety. It looks better than me. I look better in it. What better relationship with a purchase could one desire? The same cannot be said for my clothes.

Have you ever crossed the Border to shop?

Yes, when the kids were young. The only time I ever threatened a policeman was when we were stopped at the Border, just before Christmas, and asked to open the boot. I told him he would be damned to eternal perdition if he even mentioned what was in it as the kids were in the car and listening.

Do you haggle over prices?

I am not a good haggler. This is a dangerous admission as I will be a sucker for the next salesman who reads this. As evidence I can present two Moroccan rugs for which I paid far too much. I do, however, have a very nice camel-skin bag, which the man virtually gave me as I was taking so long to make up my mind; he wanted to close the shop, and didn’t want to lose face by not making a sale. He had started at €120 and I got it for €20. I was robbed!

Has the recession changed your spending habits?

When you make little – you deal with little. When you earn irregularly – you deal with irregular. We in theatre are a resilient lot. I certainly eat out far less and make shirts last a long time.

Cash or card?

I used to use my credit card and my American Express a lot. Now I restrict myself to cash and cash card. If I can’t pay for it, I do without. It is a certain fact that more debt is the one thing I definitely can’t afford.

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

My lunch, and it was excellent value. The one good thing the recession has brought is realistic restaurant prices for lunch. Wine is still too expensive.

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

I have managed to save for such things as holidays. But I always managed to spend more than I saved as the answer concerning the purchase of rugs shows. Saving for the rainy day doesn’t really work, either, since most of my days are spent in a deluge of the stuff. I even rent my TV.

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

I am not a gambler except in life. If I back a horse it dies on the way to the race meeting. I have no poker face worth mentioning, but I was very attracted to Blackjack once upon a time. Avoid Blackjack at all costs. I do have the odd flutter on the Lottery. And no, I’ve never won.

Is money important to you?

If the best things in life are free, why does it cost so much to get any of them? Of course it’s important, and anyone who says otherwise is not living in Ireland. You have to pay a fortune just to be allowed to live here and breathe.

How much money do you have on you now?

In my old and battle scarred wallet I have €46 and $14 left over from my last trip to the US.

Second Age Theatre Company will be touring Macbeth to eight venues from February 2nd-March 29th. secondage.com.