What should I spend this unexpected £500 on?

[LadyCroissantAuBeurre]

Have unexpectedly received £500 from my late Grandmother's will. She died several years ago but it's taken a long time for her house to be sold.

I wasn't expecting to be left anything (we weren't close) and have no idea what to spend this money on. When other relatives have left me money, I have used it to buy something meaningful that will remind me of them - but it would feel strange to do that in this case, as we didn't have a good relationship.

Then again, the thought of just putting it in my savings account feels quite strange too. I feel like I should use it for something 'special' but I have no idea what that might be.

Any suggestions?

Do you wear jewellery or need a watch?

I would pay it into my energy account, as the bills are astronomical. If that were covered I Might book a weekend break

Half for bills half towards Christmas...

New winter coat and boots

A night or two away

New fridge or something of that ilk

Piece of jewellery

Some plants for the garden

Save it for now. There will come a time when you'll know what to spend it on.

Luxury bedding, a new coat or boots if you need them, an amazing Christmas, save half of it.
I wouldn’t do the meaningful thing.

@LadyCroissantAuBeurre buy a keepsake which will always remind you of your wee windfall.

Something that you'd never normally spend money on.

If you don't 'need' it, then something that makes you happy whatever that may be. My list of choices would include:
Spa weekend.
Fancy handbag.
Nice wool coat.
Beautiful necklace.

It depends on what your savings are like, OP. Would it make a difference if you saved it for a rainy day?

You could save it until you need a new TV or something like that.

Do you need to spend it? Put it into your savings account. Don't spend for the sake of it!

If there is something you really want then get that!

Ive had a similar windfall this month. Bought a few more expensive pieces Ive wanted (well, expensive for me!) and the rest has bought most of my xmas shopping this year.

You could get a rose or plant for the garden that would remind you of the gift. That wouldn’t cost much nd you could save the rest until you think of something you really want.

If you didn't have a good relationship, use the money to buy or do something she'd hate or think is a waste of money.

But I agree with previous posts, just save the money. I assume that sooner or later you'll want a new X or to do Y and the money can go towards that.

Yeh a lovely pair of earrings if you wear them. Or would that be weird as it would remind you and you don’t want that?

If so, a weekend break - in a nice UK city you’ve not been to like Edinburgh or Bath.

Car service and new tyres?

Maybe a piece of jewellery or save it until you decide what to do with it.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm really lucky in that I have a decent amount in my savings account at the moment so I don't 'need' to add this £500 to that. My thinking around trying to spend it on something specific is that otherwise it will just sort of 'disappear' into my existing savings and I'll forget about it (and it will then inevitably up being spent on something mundane, which feels... wrong somehow).

If you're not struggling for money and you didn't have a great relationship with your grandmother I'd be tempted to spend it on something like a weekend away. That way you can really enjoy the money but you won't have an object lying around with emotional baggage attached to it.

If you're happy to spend it on an object then I would probably buy something like a watch or a piece of jewellery.

How about spending it on an experience such as a theatre show or Christmas lunch out, something that would give you or you and your family a nice memory?

Your mortgage

I would go out for a meal with someone close to me, and treat them and me. Somewhere really nice.

I’d do something boring/sensible with the rest, like stock up on dry groceries/cupboard essentials

Could you spend it on something to make Christmas a bit fancier this year? A nice meal or a trip to the theatre or a ballet?

Or charity, 20 Christmas dinners or care packages ?

can you set up a separate savings account to keep it in or maybe premium bonds? something that will keep it separate until you know what you want to do?

A telescope! (Bit niche but that's what I'd do)

If you didn't have a good relationship, use the money to buy or do something she'd hate or think is a waste of money.

what an awful way of thinking about it. The OP didn't say she didn't have a "good" relationship, she said they weren't close. There is a big difference.

and why go out of your way to deliberately buy something a deceased relative would "hate". What kind of warped thinking is that.

just shows what money does to some people.