Me & My Money: Fran Brennan, CEO Post Polio Support Group

Are you a saver or a spender?
I used to be a great saver but as I get older I think I'm becoming more spendthrift.

Do you shop around for better value?
I'm completely contradictory. My wife complains that I'll drive 20 miles to save one cent on a litre of petrol, yet , in the case of clothes, for example, I'll just take the first thing that looks half right on me and not even ask how much it costs.

What has been your most extravagant purchase and how much did it cost?
Based on my income at the time, I would have to say buying a skateboard when I was 15. It cost about £60, which was over two years' pocket money. However, I did get some financial support from my parents and older sisters which helped.

What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money?
My first iPhone. I couldn't believe how one gadget could do so much.

What ways do you prefer to shop – online or local?
Like many people I'm very comfortable purchasing some things online – holidays, concert tickets, books, etc – but I have never gotten my head around buying other things such as groceries.

Do you haggle over prices?
More contradictions, I'm afraid. I'll go to enormous trouble to save a few euro on car or house insurance, but I don't think I've ever haggled in a shop.

Has the recession changed your spending habits?
I certainly spend less, but I'm not sure that it's fundamentally changed my buying behaviour.

Do you invest in shares?
I have done. I was a member of a share club with some friends some years ago. Initially, we did quite well, but then it started going off the rails, culminating in the disastrous decision to buy shares in Leeds United.

Cash or card?
Where at all possible, credit card. I don't like carrying a lot of cash and I find credit cards are fantastic so long as you clear off the entire amount every month – which I always do.

What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money?
A present for my wife , and yes it was, although I'm not sure whether I should admit that or not.

Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase?
I had to save for a long time to buy my first house – the banks weren't throwing 100 per cent mortgages at people then.

Have you ever lost money?
Thankfully, no. Though we could easily have got caught in negative equity when we were looking to trade up our house just before the crash. Luckily we backed out in time .

Are you a gambler and, if so, have you ever had a big win?
No, I'm not really. I think the house/bookie always wins in the long run. Once, on holidays, I went into a casino with five dollars and won a couple of hundred at the poker table before losing it all again. I didn't mind as I reckoned it was good value for a night's entertainment.

Is money important to you?
It's important but money is not my main motivator. I believe we should try to leave this world a little better than we found it. That's why I have been volunteering or working with community and charitable causes most of my life, and why I am now leading the Post Polio Support Group in helping many of the 7,000 polio survivors in Ireland still affected by this often forgotten illness.

How much money do you have on you now?
About €65 – it's as much as I'm comfortable carrying.

In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea