‘We saved for our wedding in 2007. We knuckled down for the year previous so we could have everyone we wanted there’

Wendy Stunt is chief marketing officer of Future Horizons, director of Go Digicard, and was Entrepreneur of the Year at the Irish Women’s Awards 2019.

Are you a saver or a spender?

A bit of both. I don’t buy things I won’t use but I do like to treat myself when I think I deserve it. I would say I am okay at managing my money. I like to try to save every month but with the cost of living in Ireland increasing it is becoming more and more difficult.

Do you shop around for better value?

I have recently started to look more at the price of products while shopping and checking if there is a cheaper alternative available, but in general, I don’t have the time to shop around. Making multiple phone calls for quotes, and filling in long forms can be frustrating even if you are saving money.

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

In 2001, the SSIA (special saving incentive account) was introduced by the Government to give a 25 per cent return to encourage saving. When my account matured, I bought a new car – it cost €21,000.

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

I bought a Louis Vuitton bag in 2003 and I still use it to this day. It still looks like new and even though it was expensive at the time, I would say that it was very much value for money.

What ways did you prefer to shop during the Covid-19 restrictions – online or local?

During Covid-19, I shopped locally. I am very aware of supporting local Irish businesses, and I enjoyed chatting with the owners and seeing if I could suggest ways to help/promote them online.

[ ‘Whenever I can save time by spending money, I usually do and I never regret it’ ]

Do you haggle over prices?

I’d be useless at it! I would feel like I was robbing the person. That’s ridiculous, I know, but I’m a giver by nature and if that’s the price then I feel it must be fair. At a car boot sale, however, I would haggle, as I feel it’s expected there.

How did the Covid-19 crisis change your spending habits, and was there something in particular that you either stopped buying or started buying, as a result?

Like a lot of people during Covid, I went through my bank account to review all those monthly direct debits that I signed up for and might no longer require but hadn’t got around to cancelling. There were a few!

Do you invest in shares?

In general, no, but I have some money invested in cryptocurrency.

Cash or card?

Definitely card. Sometimes, I leave the house with just my phone as all of my cards are on there. I very rarely have cash, but when I do, it goes very quickly with three children in the house.

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

I bought two stamps, and I couldn’t believe the price! I don’t send much by post any longer and this was the first time I was buying them, so I noticed the price – €1.40 each. I couldn’t believe they had gone up that much.

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

We saved for our wedding in 2007. We knuckled down for the year previous so we could have everyone we wanted there and not have a loan to be paid back afterwards.

Have you ever lost money?

Not that I remember. I’m quite good at minding my purse and when I go out at night I have a selection of smaller bags that I can wear, so I don’t leave them down anywhere.

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

I am not a gambler. We went to Las Vegas in 2004 and we didn’t play any slot machines over the three days we were there. On the day we were leaving, we said we couldn’t go home and tell people we hadn’t even placed one bet, so on the way out of the hotel we put $100 on red – and it won! We then put the winnings on black and we lost it all.

Is money important to you?

Not really. I understand we need it, of course, but my family’s health and happiness are much more important, along with time, which we can never buy.

How much money do you have on you now?

None. If I need cash, it’s into the car to get to the nearest ATM.

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