What do I do with a £500 prize?

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So I just won an incentive at work - a wish of my choice to the price of £500. I can't just take the money for tax reasons but this... this is GREAT!

Problem is I've never spent £500 on a single item in my life before. I was thinking of a stereo for my new house from Richer Sounds as it would be cool to have one downstairs as well as in my room.

The other thing I was thinking of was a computer. I used to make a lot of electronic music on my old PC using trackers but when I bought a new one a few years ago, it was too new to run the trackers and too rubbish to run something like Cubase properly. What I really need is a bespoke computer (pref a laptop) that is tailored for music making. I understand that the price of computers have dropped in price recently, bt to get the best one for me I'd need to shop around. Because of the way this is being done I won't exactly be able to search around for motherboards on Ebay or anything so if anyone knows a good place to get this kind of thing then that would be ace. (I don't really know what I need for the computer either, just so long as it's got a nice zippy soundcard capable of working with music files and such).

Any other ideas on what I could get?

*Excited!*

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 14:26 (twenty-one years ago)

go on, ask for 50,000 penny sweets.

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you got a decent bike, DL? That's what I'd get, and, in fact, am getting, thanks to parents/grandparents Xmas and birthday ca$$$h.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 14:35 (twenty-one years ago)

a 7 ft pool table perhaps?????????/ oh my god get it!

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 14:37 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.agameshop.co.uk/ishop/992/shopscr953.html

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 14:38 (twenty-one years ago)

also: what is this amazing incentive at work?!?!??!?

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I do telesales so it's the best sale per call ratio. Very boring but I beat the system, MUAHAHA!

Anyway, Markleby yeh I have a nice bike that I bought quite recently and is very handy. Moving out of my Dad's place into a house right near the rail station means I don't think it's going to get used too much as much though.

This is seriously exciting you guys - stuff like this doesn't happen to me!

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow, so much for your being a workshy teadrinker! Rock AND roll!

(So wow, these incentives thingeys really do work with the call centre minions.)

How about a plane ticket to somewhere you've always wanted to go?

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)

So where's the best (official) place to get a PC/laptop with music capabilities then? Dell? Not PC World I take it.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Expensive albums on import. At least, that's what I'd do...slapping it down for Pygmalion, The Comsat Angels and The Au Pairs reissues on RPM that've been OOP, and How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder/We Are Time on CD.

― What we want? Sex with T.V. stars! What you want? Ian Riese-Moraine! (Eastern Ma, Wednesday, 30 March 2005 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Dude, just get a video game system. I wish I had one!

― BOATPEOPLEHATEFUCK (ex machina), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Hope this isn't a bummer, but what's the UK tax rate on prize winnings?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:04 (twenty-one years ago)

But it's a "present" to avoid tax, isn't it?

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

yeh that's right. they'll be paying for it on the company card so it will be tax deductable. if they just gave me the money i'd end up with naff all.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Get a cheap rubbish car. In fact, you can buy mine if you want.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost
Ah, I now see that in the first sentence. Pardon me.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Why don't you ask for a £500 tab to be set up at a bar/restaurant of your choice then take a bunch of helpful and well-meaning mentalists out for a pint?

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd like to get something that lasts more than an hour.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Dude, VIDEOGAMES.

The DS and PSP just came out!

― BOATPEOPLEHATEFUCK (ex machina), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Dude, do you think I have time to play video games? I have a job and a girlfriend and a music collection and an alcohol problem to juggle already!

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:43 (twenty-one years ago)

why dont you take your girlfriend on a holiday

― webber (webber), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

videogames are fun with music

― BOATPEOPLEHATEFUCK (ex machina), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

and drinking
and girlfriends

― BOATPEOPLEHATEFUCK (ex machina), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Did that last month. I figure I ought to get a "thing" y'know, like an object. I was considering driving lessons but they're boring. I wanna get something I need and that is fun (no, not a pool table) since I'm moving into my new house tomorrow.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:50 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 21:55 (twenty-one years ago)

41+ years of slsk privileges!

― Curious George Finds the Ether Bottle (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

You could get a £500 hooker or 500 £1 hookers.

― Matt Chesnut (Matt Chesnut), Thursday, 31 March 2005 01:15 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.futurama-madhouse.com.ar/wallpaper/Fry_Coffee_High-t.jpg

500 CUPS OF COFFEE

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 31 March 2005 01:42 (twenty-one years ago)

A... tattoo?

Laptop is smart I reckon, yeah. Would they let you ebay it?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 31 March 2005 04:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I second the bicycle idea plus you can use a tax break to up the prize by 40%.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 31 March 2005 04:59 (twenty-one years ago)

A WEEK OF BLOWJOBS

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Thursday, 31 March 2005 05:44 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.zerointerrupt.com/pix/goldpsp.jpg

granted it costs a bit more than 500 pounds, but the amount could be an advance on it!

― nathalie doing a soft foot shuffle (stevie nixed), Thursday, 31 March 2005 05:50 (twenty-one years ago)

If you want a good PC don't buy one from any company. Buy the parts yourself (or give the company a list of parts you want?) and put em together. For £1000 I think you can basically put together a top of the line PC with a semi-pro soundcard.

(woah I thought I would be exaggerating if I said that, but I looked up all the parts and it's true!)

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Thursday, 31 March 2005 05:55 (twenty-one years ago)

argh I mean £500 of course. It's still true.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Thursday, 31 March 2005 05:55 (twenty-one years ago)

This is good advice but the problem here is that it's highly unlikely that the company would go trawling round the internet for different parts. This is what's putting me off the PC idea really. If there was one place I could get a computer that did what I wanted then that would be cool but I'd be told to fuck off if I gave them a list of different components.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 31 March 2005 07:27 (twenty-one years ago)

why don't you buy a videogame system, and play that with your girlfriend, after drinking, with music on in the background?

this is easy.

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 31 March 2005 09:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah I kind've realized as I was writing that post how dumb the idea was sorry.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Thursday, 31 March 2005 09:57 (twenty-one years ago)

If there was one place I could get a computer that did what I wanted then that would be cool but I'd be told to fuck off if I gave them a list of different components.

-- dog latin (doglati...), March 31st, 2005 8:27 AM. (dog latin) (later)

why not just ask for an amazing fuck off £500 sound card?

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 31 March 2005 10:22 (twenty-one years ago)

How about asking them to buy you a £500 gift voucher from Selfridges?

― marianna lcl (marianna lcl), Thursday, 31 March 2005 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

500 pound gift certificate from Newegg.com'll do it.

― adam (adam), Thursday, 31 March 2005 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

newegg looks good but i don't know if my company would order overseas :-(

I've decided I wan to go for the best pc I can get for £500 and then lowly add the necessary hardware (wikked soundcards and shit).

Where online in the uk is best? I've looked at Dell but I don't know where to start. Computer buffs! Tell me what to get if I need a barebones pc ripe for adding music-making equipment to it. I don't necessarily need a monitor or anything like that cos i've got one already.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.meshcomputers.com/updated/bto_m_1.htm

that's not a bad package.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 17:53 (twenty-one years ago)

ten months pass...

Hey, it's taken nearly a year for them to give me the vouchers but I got them. I've already bought a computer now so I'm thinking of splashing out on one of these:

http://www.empiredirect.co.uk/content/products/details/index.asp?modelcode=JVC-GZMG20&bhcp=1

Sadly, I can only spend the vouchers in a handful of stores so I'll have to go to Currys or Comet or Dixons or somewhere like that and they're all charging about £450. Wonder if they'll give me a discount if I tell them I saw it cheaper elsewhere - probably not.

I've never had a camcorder before in my life and I'm quite excited about it. Anyone know any pitfalls or tips on this purchase?

― Vintage Latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 17:36 (twenty years ago)

Camcorder pitfalls #1: you don't use it and it gathers dust and is a total waste of money.

It's the Breville Sandwich Maker of consumer electronics.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 17:43 (twenty years ago)

lol it's true - i've only ever used it as an overpriced webcam.

but seriously battery life is important. or at least get yourself a spare battery.

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 17:48 (twenty years ago)

Camcorder pitfalls #1: you don't use it and it gathers dust and is a total waste of money.
It's the Breville Sandwich Maker of consumer electronics.

This is what I am worried about. Half of me thinks, naw save the vouchers for something like a fridge or something when I move into a new house. That said I've been waiting over a year for this prize and I've really had to fight them so they fork it over and I'm thinking may as well spend it on an overpriced toy rather than something sensible. I've just got to make sure I use it I guess.

― Vintage Latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:07 (twenty years ago)

you'll use it if you use it to secretly tape. we left ours on to tape our animals to see what they got up to while we werent around. it was fun.

― sunny successor (katharine), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 19:00 (twenty years ago)

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