I can only have two of these three things. Help me choose?

[AngeloMysterioso]

DH and I have just over £300 in JL gift vouchers left over from our wedding. I also have £240 “treat money” from this year’s bonus with which to get something “for myself”. So here are my options-

Thing 1 - £229
We recently moved into a fairly small flat which has largely been furnished with hideous, chunky, black Ikea furniture - bought when DH was furnishing his bachelor flat (before I showed up). At the moment we are stuck with a dining table not dissimilar to this, with 4 matching chairs. We can’t fit all 4 chairs under the table at once and DH is using the table as his desk atm (new one due to arrive in a few weeks and it will go in our bedroom) so his office chair is in the sitting room and two of the chairs are currently in our bedroom.
One of the three things I have my eye on is this table and chairs set- it is pretty perfect for us in that it folds up nice and compactly and will look much nicer in the space than the awkward black one we have now. If I used the gift vouchers to get it we’d have roughly £80 left.

Thing 2 - £449-£675
I have wanted a Vitamix for so long. At least 7 years. I have watched the videos on YouTube more times than I’d like to admit. I have a Pinterest board full of delicious recipes I would make with one. Baby DS is also weaning at the moment and I would love to be able to make lots of lovely homemade things for him. I know there are other, cheaper blenders out there but I want one so badly!!
The Explorian is out of stock at JL atm so in order to get one of the more expensive better ones I would have to combine both gift vouchers and treat money. If I wanted the most fancy pants one I’d have to save up a bit more on top as well. DH is happy for me to get one with the gift vouchers and would probably use it too but to him any blender would do so he’s not fussed really.

Thing 3 - £240
I recently completed my first half marathon 5 months after having my first baby and have well and truly caught the running bug. I’ve been using my phone for tracking, listening to music etc but would love a proper fitness watch, and really like the look of the Garmin Vivoactive 4S. Of the three things, this is the only thing that would really be just for me is. The dining table, while being something only I really want, would be used by the whole family, the blender too but the fact that it’s a Vitamix is what makes it a treat for me.

My options are

A- get the table and the watch, spend the remaining vouchers on a shitty cheaper blender and continue to lust over a Vitamix for the rest of my days.

B- wait for the cheapest Vitamix to come back in stock, get that and the table or watch

C- combine vouchers and treat money for a more expensive Vitamix, make my peace with the ugly table, get a cheaper fitness watch for my birthday in a few months time.

What would Mumsnet do??

You can get that table cheaper elsewhere

I lusted after a vita mix and use it maybe once a month now.

I make pancakes, smoothies, have never whipped up ice cream with hidden veg in or Luke warm uncooked veg soup like the lady in John Lewis did who sparked my interest.

But the watch and table.

OP, get the table and wait for the cheaper blender. You've wanted it for ages and who knows when you might get another opportunity. Having an ugly table is awful and it'll lift the vibe of the space for you, especially in lockdown

The Garmin sounds great but I think would make a good present for you from someone or something else to save up for, you could use something else for your running in the meantime!

@Bluntness100

Will that make it smaller?

Sarcasm is always the sign of intelligence.

The current table is tiny and folds down as it is, it is hideous because it’s black. If she paints it and the chairs in a pale grey in chalk paint and varnishes it, adds some cushion pads to the chairs it will be fine. She can’t put all four under the proposed table either when it’s folded down.

If the current table is tiny, why does the OP complain about it taking up too much space? How will painting it solve that?

we don’t have a lot of space to play with and the current table takes up a lot of it

She can’t put all four under the proposed table either when it’s folded down.

Yes she can.

If he just needs a desk for work would something like this work

https://www.wayfair.co.uk/Metro-Lane--Scheinman-Floating-Desk-CJ106907-L32-K~HAZM0057.html?refid=GX433457817353-HAZM0057&device=m&ptid=902411678363&targetid=pla-902411678363&network=g&ireid=97626782&device=m&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwqH1tOLs6QIVAuDtCh0WvAfHEAQYAyABEgIGnDD_BwE

Think of the future.

You are blending a lot at the moment because DC is weaning. When they are through that stage you might never get your blender out. I hardly ever use mine any more.

Folding chairs are a nightmare when you gave small fidgety kids. They can't sit on them properly and fall off them /chairs start to unfold themselves all the time.

So I would say A but with another table.

If you buy a fancy electronic device, such as a magic watch, that is up-to-the-minute today, it will soon be old-fashioned, clunky, ugly and superceded by something whizzy and more up to the minute.

@pigletjohn is the absolute guru of sage advice, as always

www.johnlewis.com/vitamix-ascent-blending-bowl-start-kit/p3823167

Can I just add re the Vitamix not doing small quanrities - this is available

www.johnlewis.com/bamix-swissline-hand-blender-black/p4477363

Or there's this ?

I wouldn't get anything tech-y with wedding money as you won't have it THAT long, so I'd choose the table and chairs.

I wouldn't go for any of your options.

Upcycle the table you have. Drop leaf ones are a pain. Your baby is 5 months? Get a high chair to clip to the table. Start eating at the table. Drawing /playing at the table etc. Your little one will thank you for it.

I'd buy a cheaper blender. There are lots of things I covet in this world. But I know I won't have them. That's life.

Watch... Bear in mind a updated version will be out in a few months. I wouldn't go crazy over that.

Looks like I'd have some money left over 🤣

I would have said the table but those fold down chairs are always uncomfortable and usually a bit short. I’d get a set where the chairs sit flush around the table and don’t collapse. As children get older then you will use the table a lot!
Weaning lasts months at most, purées are a short lived thing.

A

Get the Vitamix!!! Bought mine about 14 years ago for about £400 and have used it every week without fail! Made all my DD baby food and homemade peanut butter, hummus etc it is amazing and my favourite kitchen appliance.

Your current chairs may well be more comfy than the ones you propose because the latter have low backs and what looks like a slatted seat. Also they look dangerous when you consider that your DC will soon be trying to pull up/ walk/etc (if not already) - I can just see little fingers getting trapped and foreheads bumping nasty corners. It really, really won't work the way you'd like it to, sorry and I write this as someone who also lives in a flat with DH and 2DC and have got the whole space saving thing to a fine art over the years - not boasting, just lots of experimentation for about 20years 😔

That said, I'd still go with option A. Just not that set.

As for blender/purées/baby food - have you looked at this? www.cdiscount.com/pret-a-porter/bebe-puericulture/tigex-robot-cuiseur-vapeur-mixeur-bebe-gourmet-min/f-113174017-359600.html

It's a steamer and blender in one machine, has a small footprint, solves your blender requirement, at lower price.

(I don't have any vested interest in that brand, I just like making baby purées and this particular one has been serving me and my sister very well over the years and currently weaning baby number 4).

Get the watch -dh has garmin and it's fab...
Those chairs are. Nightmare the most uncomfortable thing going...I would hold out on better table combination-wait for charity shop to open you can always find things like that!

So wait for the cheaper vita mix can't fathom the price for a blender but I had the same feeling about dualit toaster and it makes me happy every day

Update... got myself a Garmin and thanks to Alarae’s heads up got a cheeky £60 off too!

I think I’m gonna go for a Vitamix with the vouchers (will hold out for the cheaper one to come back in stock) and keep looking for a more suitable dining set. In the meantime will look at repainting the one we’ve got now. Along with the coffee table, the tv stand, the bedside table and the mirror...

You can get a nice running watch for much less than £240 OP. But if you do have £240 to spend, I would go for a Garmin fr245. Unless it's the looks of the vivoactive you like, in which case fair play!

That's a great outcome!

Sounds like a good plan to me OP, you don't want to end up with an uncomfortable table and chairs, and you've wanted the Vitamix for a long time. Repainting sounds sensible to me, I would hate all that black.

Honestly, on the Vitamix front, I'd save a lot of money and get a Bamix set. You still get a prestige, indestructable item that will last a lifetime, while being much less gimmicky and is probably easier to clean.

I got one similar to this about 15 years ago, and it will probably outlast me and it's used several times a week, including for heavy duty things like crushing ice. It's a world away from basic £20 hand blenders, which are fine for occasional soup and puree making BTW.

Then you'll have money available for a new dining set too.

Currently on eBay

I know you’ve decided now OP but just wanted to add my voice to the table debate in case you decide to go back to the John Lewis one.
We had the previous version of this table. It was rubbish because you couldn’t sit normally around it because of the chair storage bit in the middle.
The chairs are awful. They don’t feel sturdy enough for an adult to sit on. My DDs managed to topple them a few times. They are very uncomfortable.
We currently have an Oak Furniture Land square table which is really nice. Fits a small space and extends if needed. Not sure how small a space you have but worth a look. The chairs are very comfy too.