Drag queen and equality campaigner Panti Bliss performs at the Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim, Co Meath, on Saturday, November 2nd, as part of Púca Festival, which runs from October 31st until November 3rd. pucafestival.com
Are you a saver or a spender?
I used to consider myself a spender, and feel guilty about it, because I always had friends who were better than me at managing their money and their spending. But then I found out that I have other friends who regularly have literally nothing in their account, not because they are in dire straits, but just because they can’t say no to fun. They are completely relaxed about it and simply trust that it will all work out. If I had nothing left in my account, I would lie awake at night imagining every worst-case scenario and unexpected catastrophe. So I guess I’m somewhere in the middle.
Do you shop around for better value?
If it’s a straightforward purchase I go online and look at the options. But so many things are very far from straightforward any more. I feel like every phone or insurance company sets out to bamboozle me with confusing plans, too many options and opaque small print, and they are very successful at it. I usually end up curled in a ball crying on the floor until someone just tells me what to do. And then I stick with that company and plan forever, even though every financial expert on the radio tells me I’m an idiot.
What has been your most extravagant purchase and how much did it cost?
Years ago when I first read that the computer games industry was bigger than the movie industry, I decided I was being left behind by the modern world and the cultural landscape, so I spent a couple of hundred euro that I couldn’t afford at the time on an Xbox. I played Tomb Raider for two weeks and got thumb blisters till I got stuck in a “tomb” I couldn’t get out of. Then I gave up and never played it again.
What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money?
A rice cooker. I bought the most basic kind available about 20 years ago. I don’t remember what I spent but you can get a similar one today for €30. I still use it and it still makes perfect rice every time with no fussing.
How did you prefer to shop during the Covid-19 restrictions – online or local?
Local. The little trip to the supermarket was the only thing I had to look forward to during the lockdowns.
Do you haggle over prices?
Occasionally I try, but I’m useless at it. When I’m in a market on holidays where haggling is expected, I fall apart and get fleeced every time.
How did the Covid-19 crisis change your spending habits?
With nothing else much to do, I started cooking properly. Nigella Lawson tweets out a recipe a day, and I started doing them and slowly got into it. While I’ll never be an amazing cook, I’m much better than I used to be, and I particularly got into making Asian food. Now I enjoy pottering around kitchen supply places and the Asian and Middle Eastern markets near me buying ingredients and trying new things.
Do you invest in shares?
The only gambling I do is a Lottery ticket maybe once a year.
Do you have a retirement or pension plan?
I’m an eejit so I started a pension only fairly recently. I know! I should have started years ago, but I was broke until I was in my 40s, never having had a “proper” job. To be totally honest, I never expected to live this long!
What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money?
I recently bought a big pedal bin to keep all my returnable cans in. It cost about the same as a rice cooker so I’m not sure it was great value, but I like not having to step over a bin bag full of damp cans in the hall.
Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase?
I’ve never bought a car or anything like that so I consider my apartment to be my only “big” purchase. Somehow, I managed to save up the deposit for that 10 years ago.
Have you ever lost money?
Like I said, I don’t gamble, and I don’t have shares. So no.
Is money important to you?
It is to the extent that you need money to survive, and it’s important to me in the way it is to everyone. But am I driven by making money? No, not at all.
How much money do you have on you now?
None. Despite having some reservations about a cashless society, the convenience of it wins out. I usually only have my phone and use it to pay for everything.
In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea
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