What to buy with this money

[Antnotdec]

I have a milestone birthday coming up and a close family member has gifted me £500 to buy something for myself. I'm not sure what to use it for.

Would you buy jewellery? Handbag? An investment article of clothing? I like jewellery but I'm not a particularly flashy person. I don't own any designer gear for example.

Any suggestions?

I obviously appreciate we're in an economic crisis and I'm very lucky to have been gifted this money so I don't want to just fritter it away.

Dsis bought me some lovely small non flashy diamond studs for my 40th they are beautiful xx

I'd book a weekend away somewhere out of season.

Do you like cooking - you could refresh your kitchen equipment?

Coat and boots or a voucher for a hair salon so you could get your hair done numerous times.

I think experiences are nicer but I think that's what I woild prefer.

At a Push some sort of ring? Or art work.

Second a long weekend away to relax. Refresh yourself.

A week AI in Egypt in spring.

A kitchenaid?
some diamond stud earrings?

I've had cash for a big birthday recently, I've bought new kitchen knives and pans, I'll use them every day for years.

If you want a jewellery, just buy it. Someone has gifted you to buy what you want.
I wouldn't waste on something that won't last, like clothes or handbag, especially that's not what you really want. You don't have to be a flashy person to have nice piece of jewellery. Just by something to your taste.

Definitely a lovely piece of jewellery and I'm possibly being 'snobbish' here but from an independent jeweller rather than a generic High Street shop....it could be a brand new piece or a redesign of something I've already got. Alternatively a holiday.

Diamond studs
A watch
Silver bangle
A piece of art - maybe a small sculpture
Something permanent for my garden

Save it.

If you lock it away for 1 year @ 4.6%, then on your Birthday next year you'll have £523 to spend.

I'd put it towards a trip somewhere.

Jewellery

🤣 my kind of thinking.

I'd buy a beautiful piece of pottery or painting, and I would also buy a (small) tree for the garden (or a pot if I had a yard) as these things could last forever.

Inflation is twice that, so in real terms you would have lost money.

Lots of great ideas, thank you!

I don't cook so kitchen things would be wasted on me 😂

I would probably rather buy a 'thing' to keep rather than a weekend away or experience so I'm leaning towards jewellery or something else tangible.

Saving it is probably a wise idea in this climate but it's a bit 'meh' 😂

I was lucky enough to be in a similar situation and I bought myself several gorgeous cashmere and merino jumpers and cardigans. Most of them in sales, so I ended up with 7. It sounds a lot, but they are all different and in varying degrees of 'use', from sofa-slobbing, to ordinary workwear, all the way up to specially elegant.

And I'm very glad I did, because the next thing I knew we were working under Covid rules right through the winter, with permanently open windows and icy draughts!

Those jumpers and cardigans are going to come in very useful again this winter.

Piece of art for me , I’ve bought a couple of lovely originals recently and they make me really smile

I've got a similar amount coming... it's unexpected so I feel like it should be 'fun' money rather than practical. My list is (and probably a combination):

Weekend away
Really nice hair cut and colour
Nice, good quality earrings
Fixing my wedding and engagement rings (that were cut off after a surprising swelling thanks to pregnancy and a v hot day!)
Designer bag
New tablet and AirPods
Nice whiskey
More craft supplies... because I can't stop buying them
Globe bar
Some cool memorabilia from a favourite show or movie to display in the house