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??

Oh option A definitely.

When your little ones a few months older you'll be feeding them at the table, plus you might want to start having meals as a family by then. So maybe rethink the table.

Paint the current table set white
Have the Vitamix of your dreams
Ask for the watch for your birthday.

This is the best blender in existence. Not only is it cheaper but it comes in pretty colours.

www.kitchenaid.co.uk/small-appliances/blender/k400-artisan-blender-5ksb4026/859711578390?gclid=CjwKCAjw2uf2BRBpEiwA31VZj6WW24cBy_h0NIK6BAppsEFk7PCUFy4T2vBKTwWiRdMfTF_BLoN_AxoC3pIQAvD_BwE

OP - this is a much nicer version of a fold up dining set to my mind - I like the grey but it also comes in white.

Not sure but I'd just warn I have something similar from JL in my kitchen. The white finish is terrible, if you look at it marks, big black horrible marks and I need to do a paint job. I regret choosing that particular one.

Hope that doesn't add to your confusion.

Not possible right now, but you can usually buy those kind of table and chairs sets from charity shops or auctions for £50 or considerably less.

Get the Garmin. You said it all in your remark that is the only one truly just for you. If you run, that is your me-time and the Garmin is part of valuing that. Those saying either of the other options are not runners!

I would vote for the vitamix as we use ours every day and it's amazing. Ours was just under £400 at Costco when they had a promotion on and does everything it promises. Soup maker, frothy hot drinks, smoothies, shakes, sauces etc. Beats every other blender we've owned hands down.

That blender is extortionate. The watch you can probably get from a facebook or ebay seller for £40. Go for the table (but I wouldn't choose that particular one for myself).

Get yourself on freecycle and freegle. That should get you A and B for nothing before long. It won't be a vitamix but it's only a blender.

You could look for these 2nd hand too.

The garmin will be out of date in no time. Wait for the next one.

I’d go for B. I really don’t like the table and chairs. If I’m being blunt it looks cheap.

I could never spend that much money on a blender. It's a blender

A for sure. But don't give up on the vitamix - you will be able to get a bargain if you're patient.

Haven't read al the comments - but I would buy the watch. Mine made such a difference to my running/fitness. the chairs I think are not nice and look really uncomfortable. I would paint your IKEA ones with chalk paint - table a grey and all the chairs a different colour - or something else funky.

If you don't love the table i wouldn't spend that much on it, keep an eye on ebay or facebook marketplace or something, i'm sure you can get a folding table more cheaply that's still an improvement on the existing, e.g.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/extending-dining-table-NORDEN-IKEA/283896611663

Option A for me too. I think the blender at that price is all very well but is it really just to have something with a good label on view on the worktop? Other blenders are just as good for a fraction of the price. I still use my Braun handheld stick blender bought 22 years ago - probably cost £30 then,, which I thought a lot.

Option A - table and chairs and watch. Although the suggestion on looking on freegle for furniture is a good one - I needed a futon for my spare bedroom, and got an unused one from a lovely freegler, leaving me with more money for

Don't buy the blender! That's a weekend away when lockdown is over

I would sell the vouchers and bank the money . Unless you actually need something.
Even if you want to give your baby pureed food ( and many of us never do) the machine will be redundant in 6 months time.

Blender! but get the cheaper version. I have a blendtech which was totally worth it.
Don't buy the table, it looks uncomfortable and clattery. Keep an eye on ebay and facebook and buy something secondhand.

Not voting on the Options but I think you should use the treat money on yourself and get the 4s. I have it and love it (and looks amazing!).

Plus if it makes it more enticing I can message you a link (nothing dodgy, it's through my student card Totum) to make it £179.99 instead of £240 which leaves extra money for other things...

Another option - you keep the kitchen table and upcycle it with paint. Tell your DH he has to spend his birthday/treat money on a chair that doesn't look out of place in both a kitchen and office, two in fact. That way you save £250 or whatever and get the two things you want. Although I still wouldn't spend that on a blender.

A!!!
Trust me your baby eats blended food for a minuscule amount of time, buy a 10quid hand blender. The novelty of the blender is not worth that much money!!!

I agree that a Vitamix is probably a well branded waste of money. I’m sure you with a bit of research you could get something just as good for half the price.

I’d go for Option A

I have had that table twice. (I didn't break or anything just left the first flat it was in) it's an excellent table. Very sturdy.

So I would go for A BUT something tells me the blender is what you really want