‘I love haggling. It’s satisfying to mortify my husband, friends and kids’

Kim McKenzie-Doyle founded The B!G Idea, a free, multi-award-winning creative thinking education programme for 15-19-year-olds that teaches adaptability, collaboration, critical thinking and creative problem-solving.
With a work hat on I am a saver, and when I take that off, I am a spender, especially for others. In recent years I have been saving monthly for activities with my girls, for special moments, as they are growing up way too fast. I have become savvier with my personal finances over recent years.
Most definitely. I make most purchases online as I don’t often get time to shop with my unbalanced schedule, so I do my research and have saved considerably at times. I have also been caught on occasion with additional tax or shipping costs, which can be frustrating.
My current EV. It was a little over budget but the financial/climate impact has made the investment worthwhile.
The many experiences I have had with family by far. At Easter, we had an incredible girls’ getaway and a rare experience of a behind-the-scenes tour of Fota Island Zoo in Cork. It was worth every cent to see the girls’ faces as they lit up while feeding all the animals, especially a partially blind penguin that got an overdose of sardines.
I love it. It’s banter. One of the many things I love about Ireland is the comeback when you haggle. I will continue to chance arms and legs at every opportunity. It’s satisfying to mortify my husband, friends and kids.
I was a comfort buyer during Covid-19 for a time and that came to a head with a very stupid late-night purchase of an integrated double deckchair with a sun lounger and umbrella that could be rolled up for holidays. It was a ridiculous buy that served as a “cop on” moment as we had to cancel our holidays.
I have sweat equity and made a small cash investment in a tech start-up I worked with well before I started my own company. I believe you should not invest what you can’t afford to lose, so my expectation is low on a result with the tech company, but I am hopeful.
I have a pension plan that I paused to start the B!G Idea. I had no salary in the early days, and it has taken a while to establish a half-decent wage that reflects my efforts. This is a timely reminder to get it restarted.
I have just bought new blue light glasses for €50 including shipping; my last pair lasted three years so I believe that’s great value for money. I work very long hours on my laptop, so investing in something like blue light glasses is a must.
I was so proud of myself when I bought my first car, a Peugeot 306 in 2000, for €1,200. I saved for a long time and thought it was huge money. Unfortunately, it was an absolute lemon and only lasted one year. I was devastated.
Yes, I have and it’s an awful feeling. I had three jobs through college and was paid fortnightly in little brown envelopes. My highest-paying job was three nights in a local nightclub and walking home it must have fallen out of my pocket. Again, I was devastated.
I bet what I can afford to lose, which is about €2. It’s a bit of a running joke in our house. I would do the lotto from time to time but never had a big win or a big loss. I love picking random names in the Grand National: the last three picks have come in the top three, so I might reconsider my choices.
Yes, for sure. I have learned the value of a healthy cash flow. It’s been critical in scaling my company as a nonprofit, as there is always worry about money for tomorrow. I have become much savvier from the learnings in my professional life, however, and am very transparent with the team on finances, which helps frame decisions.
Surprisingly, I have €120 in very crisp notes. This is a rare event. I will do my best to keep it in my wallet for as long as possible.
In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea