Unexpected tax refund !

[Phage]

Given the spec on the left, what would you spend £240 on ? An SSD ?
If so, which one ?

[kalniel]

Beer!

Otherwise I'd consider saving up another £17 and getting the 120gb corsair force, or plumping for the old reliable 80gb intel g2 and spending the rest on beer.

[Hawker1986]

In a word "yes" - get a 64GB Crucial C300 and bank the left over

Hawker

[Saracen]

Given the spec on the left, what would you spend £240 on ? An SSD ?
....

No, I wouldn't. In terms of cost/GB, they're grossly overpriced.

I would point out that a lot of people won't agree with that, but you did ask what "you" would do. I know all the benefits, and in my view, they do not justify the cost. I expect a lot of people to disagree with that, but then, that's fine ... their money, their choice, and yours for you. But I wouldn't.

What would I spend it on? Well, I wouldn't. I know it's boring, but I work on the basis that money is not a limitless resource, at least, not for most of us. And, sooner or later, there's going to be something I actually want that that money could go towards. So, rather than having money and rummaging around for something to spend it on, I reverse the process - is there anything I want sufficiently to be able to justify to myself spending what it costs. If there is, I buy it, and if there isn't, I don't look for ways to spend money.

So I have a "fun" fund. When I come up with a bit of money that I class as fun money, it goes in the fund. When I come up with something I want enough to pay the price, the money is sitting waiting, so I indulge.

Let me be clear. My "fun fund" is separate from normal finances. I do not tap into it to pay bills or to fund normal running costs of life. I use it for those things I want that I might normally have trouble justifying to myself out of normal income. So, as regards that SSD, if I decided I really wanted one regardless of them being over-priced, I'd get one and it'd come out of that fun fund.

Some time ago, I decided I wanted an Xbox 360. I didn't expect to use it a vast amount, and indeed, haven't. That made it hard to justify objectively, because I knew it was an indulgence. But I wanted one .... so the fun fund paid for it.

A bit before that, I had a perfectly capable DSLR system, from Olympus. And together, it was about £3500 worth. But I decided I wanted a Canon DLSR because I had Canon lenses for my 35mm. Did I need it? Nope. And given that Olympus kit, it's hard to justify objectively. Fun fund to the rescue again.

And so on. I could give other examples, some on a far larger scale.

My attitude, therefore, is simple. By my standards, the mere fact that you have to ask for ideas would be enough to tell me that the little windfall would go into the fun fund. If I wanted an SSD enough to use the money for it, I wouldn't have to ask about it.

But I stress, different people think differently. If you've decided you want to treat yourself and are looking for ideas for the treat, then that's what you've decided. It's every bit as valid approach as my fun fund concept, but my approach is the fund fund, and I'd be boring and put it in a nest egg until there was something I decided I really wanted, at which point, the money would be there waiting.

[Terbinator]

"Fun fund" had me in hysterics. I'll have to use that term myself if you don't mind Saracen

[Saracen]

"Fun fund" had me in hysterics. I'll have to use that term myself if you don't mind Saracen

For a small royalty charge .... the revenue from which will go to my fun fund.

[Phage]

Heh - Beer or savings....
I don't really need a SSD, it's true. I do need some new music however...
Might be a new thread then.

[Saracen]

Temporary savings, though. That's the point of the fun fund.

It's all about opportunity cost. Once spend on item A, the money is not there to spend on item B. So the true cost of buying A is not being able to buy B.

My "savings" fun fund is not about financial prudence or anything boring like that. That's different accounts. It's about getting the best bang per buck from my fun spending. And as such, it's a very subjective decision what to spend it on.

[Pob255]

I know the sort of thing you mean Saracen, my father did something similar back in the 80's
To fund pc's and electrons, he gave up smoking and put away the same amount he would of spent each month seperately then when he wanted to buy some new bit of hardware, he'd only use that money.
Keeping that sort of money seperate is a good idea, so you don't just end up spending it on general living costs.

[kalniel]

Temporary savings, though. That's the point of the fun fund.

Beer is temporary too

[Pob255]

Beer is temporary too

Yes but you don't buy beer, you just rent it

[GheeTsar]

Beer is temporary too

My waistline says otherwise.