Ray Kelleher: The best advice I got was to take what you get and be thankful

Ciara McDonnell asks the Director of Sales & Marketing at The Montenotte Hotel, Cork, about his purse strings

Ray Kelleher is Director of Sales & Marketing at The Montenotte Hotel, Cork.

What is your relationship with money?

This is such a fun question, my relationship with money is that I LOVE IT …. Of course I do, who doesn’t, it doesn’t mean that I know how to manage it though… 

Are you a spender or a saver?

For years, I would have considered myself a saver and clever with money, my parents were small dairy farmers, so money was scarce, so I always appreciated my own money, but the saver went out the window when my own children came along… they cost so much.

Do you find it hard to splurge?

I wouldn’t say that I splurge but I do find that online shopping and dropping items into a cart – you do tend to splurge a little more, well I do anyway.

What is the best money-related advice you were ever given?

Take, whatever you get and be thankful. I was very fortunate to have 8 aunts when I was growing up and 2 grandparents and when they visited our house or we visited theirs, myself and my siblings would also get something, we loved this. It continues today with my children and their visits home to Granny & Grandad on the farm in Longford.

Do you follow a budget and what is your process?

I don’t follow a budget but as a household we have a joint account for the big bills and then we manage how we pay the child minder, the weekly shop etc so I would say that’s it organised but not budgeted.

What's the most expensive thing you have ever bought?

That would have to be our house, even thought we have another 15 years on our mortgage so I not sure I can say we bought it.. we love living in Clonakilty, West Cork. It’s an amazing town and place to live, I could not see myself living anywhere else so we will stick to our next 15 years of the mortgage.

What is the most important thing you have ever bought?

Again, it’s our home, it’s the place we come home to in the evening after work and its such a nice feeling to be able to lock the front door and feel safe and secure.

What age did you start your pension and did you know it was important at the time?

I started my first pension when I was 25, but to be honest I only started as I felt pressure from the broker, I had met to get one started. I have not contributed regularly to it until the past 5 years. It’s a big commitment and I know an important one. I think the upcoming pension guideline commitments/expectations from government over the next few years relating to employment pensions are vital for the country.

What is the biggest mistake you have ever made financially and what is the lesson you take from it?

I purchased Eircom shares when they came out… enough said about that…