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??

TABLE AND CHAIRS

Get rid of the black chairs that don't all fit under the table. (sell them if you can!) Paint the table a colour you like. Get these, they are comfortable, sturdy and £15 each
www.argos.co.uk/product/5548794?clickSR=slp:term:folding%20chair:7:955:1

Paint them to match the table (or paint the table to match them)

you don't want to spend proper money on a table (especially one which a PP has said marks and doesn't wear well) whose main feature is that it folds when your baby will be sitting up at the table with you 3 or 4 times a day very soon. You will find yourself eating family meals without even meaning to - even if it's just tea and toast while the baby has breakfast, a sandwich when the baby has lunch, tea and fruit while your baby has tea.

OR

Just ditch the black furniture and get something cheap and stylish second hand - cheap or free

BLENDER

Can't help you. I have literally zero idea why you want that

RUNNING WATCH

This sounds like something that you will use often and having one that does everything you want is really valuable to you. Get this.

@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??

The table, I know two family members who bought it. One had to have a second sent out as the leg for the flap was broken with a split piece of wood. So needed to be replaced. The other received the table with dents throughout. So returned for a refund.

The one that was replaced, tbh for the price hasn't weathered well and isn't out up and down all of the time.

Bear in mind that such furniture though meant for putting up and down, I don't think the intentions in terms of longevity are 2 or 3 times a day. The chairs are also not that "comfy".

Personally, though you have JL vouchers, I'd opt for a sturdier table from elsewhere. When you can hopefully coordinate the colour of your new furniture.

Re the purchase options:
Id opt for the watch for you. Out of your vouchers.
The blender - I'd opt for a cheaper one for under £50. It's an insane amount to waste on one for a brand!

You're treating yourself - get the (cheaper) Vitamix blender or the watch.

I’d go for A

I don't see the point of the watch, or the very expensive blender, but do realise that some people desire such things. But dare say that you will make a decision on your purchases, without any advice on here !

I'd consider Option D. Paint the table and chairs. There is a whole FB group called Frenchic Fans Forums -all about Frenchic paint and changing them up. Or I'd look on ebay or local selling pages and paint and upgrade. Furniture does not hold its value at all.

Then I'd buy your vitamix and watch. I really wanted a few things over the years. I wanted a mini cooper -entirely impractical for my lifestyle due to job and where we live -going in and out of farms. Recently (well a year ago) I got one knowing I would regret it and it 'wouldn't work'-love it and wouldn't change it for all the tea in china. If was after a huge life changing shock -but tests results came back negative and I thought bugger it I'm having one even if after 6 months I sell it. But we've worked around the impraticality and everything I get it out of the garage it makes me smile. Everytime I get it in. Drive etc . It makes my heart sing -something I never thought was capable with a car. I also for 20 years thought and brought subs of certain type workbag -as I couldn't justify the cost. But I brought the one I'd always wanted in March -love it and wish I had done it 20 years ago. For me it was thinking how much have I saved on petrol etc going backwards and forwards to work and not going on holiday etc. I wanted a really expensive specific type of egg chair for the garden -wanted one for about 5 years and thought about it and last week, I brought 2 of them. The first day I got a cup of tea and my ipad and zoomed in to a meeting -it made my year.

Option A ! Get s nitro blender they are great and will do the job !!!

A x a million.

We had a table similar to this when we first got married 20 years ago. We had it in 2 properties, one as a dining table, the next bigger house as a kitchen table. We then moved again and it ended up in the playroom, we've only just got rid of it and we sold if for half as much as we paid for it. So super value. I'm trying to say the table size is hugely versatile. That said, I can't imagine having a blender for £600 but I do know when you really want something that you just cant rest. I did feel the same about my Dyson cordless hoover, but I do use that every day. So, guess the answer is only you can decide!

A

Get the thing you really want. Which seems to be the Vitamix.

Are you a vegan who blends a lot of nuts? I’ve had cheaper blenders and the hard core nut grinding and extensive dip making needs a lot of power but not much else does.

How long before you move? You say your dh is shortly moving to a other desk so I don’t think I’d bother about the table unless you are staying in the flat for the foreseeable.

Surely if these were vouchers from your wedding, they are for things for both of you? So the table?

The other two things seem to be entirely for you. Maybe save up your vouchers and bonuses and stuff for those, but buy something for both of you from the wedding vouchers.

If it helps there are second hand vitamixers on fb market place for £200-£300

B
Wait for the cheapest Vitamix to come back in stock, get that and the watch as that's clearly a present just for you.

The table you've already got, whilst not perfect, is fine. The other table isn't great either
I'd encourage you to tolerate the table you've got and in time save to buy beautiful forever furniture. Don't waste money on more disposable furniture,

None of your options but A is closest.

Find a better table and chair set and get that and the watch.

The vitamix will never be worth the ££.

100% A

I’d get the cheaper blender and watch with the vouchers and get a cheap table at IKEA. You can get a table and chair set for £80 at IKEA.

Another call for option A!

Your baby won't give a shit whether his puree is made in an expensive or cheap blender.

I've been through so many expensive blenders, including the KitchenAid one.

My best was a weird chinese oneand honestly, it's so much better than all the posh brands I've had

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07Q2GTMX4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

I can alway guarantee that the moment you buy a super expensive blender either you or your baby will only want to do blw.

That should say almost not always.

I’d go for option A...and also buy a Ninja blender which is amazing (£149 from JL)

Yeah the blended food stage is very short, you can mash broccoli with a potato masher and thin with whatever easily enough

Definitely not Vitamix. If you have unlimited money to spend, fine, that's great. But if not, why? There are so many cheaper ones that does the exactly same thing.