# What would you do with $200?



## Keith Blenman (May 31, 2009)

People always ask, "What would you do with a million dollars?" "What would you do with a billion?" For myself, I work, I have school, and I'm forever broke. Two hundred dollars to blow on whatever my heart desires seems like just as good a fantasy as those larger sums. So let's say you had two hundred bucks that you can do whatever you like with, and not have to worry over bills or other such things. How would you spend that money?


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## SailorMerry (Dec 18, 2010)

I would pay my housing deposit that's due on Friday (and happens to be $200 exactly).


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

I would treat myself and a couple of friends to a fancy dinner and, if anything is left, blow it on the lottery.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I would buy more books!


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I'd buy a roomba or a mint cleaning system.  I found and bought one at Target a week ago.  I was thrilled.  It was on clearance for 65!!!!  And then it turned out to be used, dirty and missing a part...


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

If it really is $200 just to blow and not pay bills, I would head off to a nearby casino and play blackjack and try to make it grow into a larger sum!


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## Iwritelotsofbooks (Nov 17, 2010)

Weekend vacation, here I come.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I wouldn't feel as guilty about the Dalek I just bought... I know, too geeky but I just had to have one!


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

Some new spring/summer clothes.  What I have is looking very old and ick and  raggedy.

Or books.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

You could buy a new Nook Color from the Barnes and Noble ebook store like I just did!


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

$200 not to be spent on anything mundane... hmm.. day of pampering with my DD. Mani/Pedi, facials, girl chat.


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## julieannfelicity (Jun 28, 2010)

I'd be able to fill my car's gas tank for one week! What a luxury!!


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## Martel47 (Jun 14, 2010)

Produce-fresh produce.

Maybe some Summer wardrobe for my kids.

I know, I'm boring, but financial aid just took away some money today...I have some people helping me through a church, which sends funds to my school account, but the school has been counting it as scholarship and so are now lowering their financial aid package.

Who needs groceries and medicine?  That's why produce sounds good.  The kids like fruit more than clothes anyway.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

$200 worth of lottery tickets, so that I would have about a million to one chance of never having to worry about bills again?


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## caracara (May 23, 2010)

Save it for a K4, as long as its not color. I still have a K2, which I love.

Or, spend on books!!

And a couple lottery tickets!


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## JimJ (Mar 3, 2009)

I'd put it in the bank to save for an iPad 2  

But if I had to spend it right away I'd probably buy a bunch of blu-rays.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Look at it with a very surprised expression on my face.........


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

Free money? Probably buy a grocery store gift card and give it to my kid. He could use the money more than I can. Given that it was free money and not mine, he'd take it...normally he won't...

I have enough crap at this point in my life, and the toys I usually want are way more than $200...


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

That's one biology textbook. Not to mention it would actually new and bound (not one u put in the binder)


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## Robin Hawke (Feb 22, 2011)

A brand new set of prismacolors. To be able to buy a complete set, that would be luxurious. I buy individual pencils and my pleasure is limited to one or two new shades at a time. Though I own stubs of most of the colors, I've always fantasized about a complete set of sharply pointed, virgin colors.

Robin


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Robin Hawke said:


> A brand new set of prismacolors. To be able to buy a complete set, that would be luxurious. I buy individual pencils and my pleasure is limited to one or two new shades at a time. Though I own stubs of most of the colors, I've always fantasized about a complete set of sharply pointed, virgin colors.
> 
> Robin


I had a small set of those way back in 5th grade. They were WONDERFUL. I'm pretty sure I wore them down to unusable stubs. I'd love to get another set of those.


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## Christopher Bunn (Oct 26, 2010)

CA state income taxes. I just got my paperwork back from my accountant and I owe Governor Moonbeam and his merry band of swindlers 700 bucks.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I actually did get a cash windfall this week. I have been paying bills, and I bought a bunch of Kindle books. I think there will be enough left for one fun thing for myself, maybe a day trip somewhere. After my horrible last few months I deserve some fun.


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Thumper said:


> Free money? Probably buy a grocery store gift card and give it to my kid. He could use the money more than I can.


Ha, Thumper, just what I was thinking. I'd spend the $200 the way I spend all my money--on my kids!

--Maria


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## bnapier (Apr 26, 2010)

I'd buy a new car stereo that actually supports my iPod and spend the rest on books.


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

Stock up on parrot food so the shipping cost would be lower and I can get more.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

I might see if I could get Rosetta Stone lesson 1 for Spanish. That might be more than $200 though.
Or maybe I'd upgrade my Kindle to a K3.
Or maybe I'd pay off my mom's JC Penney card.


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## Christine Kersey (Feb 13, 2011)

Buy more books. No question.


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## busy_91 (Feb 22, 2011)

I would put it toward an electric guitar. Of course the guitar I want costs about $500.


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## thejosh86 (Mar 1, 2011)

I would buy another video card to crossfire with the one I have. Yeah, I'm cool.


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## Mike McIntyre (Jan 19, 2011)

Keith,

Blow it on the power of compound interest. You said you're a student, so let's say you're 20, and you plan to retire at 67. Put that $200 in a mutual fund tied to the S&P500, which has averaged a 10% return over the last eight decades. After 47 years, your original $200 investment would grow to $17,640. That strikes me as a better sum to blow.

Now imagine if you had this same $200 fantasy every year starting today, and every year for the next 47 you invested another $200 in the same fund. Your total investment would be $9600 (47 years X's $200 PLUS today's $200 = $9600). At age 67, your $9600 would have grown to $209,474.

That's the power of compound interest.

The key is to get started early and let time work for you. Always pay yourself first. Some old dude told me that ages ago. Wish I had listened to him.

Here's a compound interest calculator: http://www.moneychimp.com/calculator/compound_interest_calculator.htm It's fun to see how youth and a little discipline can make you rich.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

I spent my $200 a couple of months ago for a new wi-fi K3 and the Amazon cover with the built-in reading light.


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## Horus11B (Mar 4, 2011)

kind of dumb but i would probably spend it on stuff for work. I need a new surefire flashlight and petzl headlamp. I could use a new pair of boots too, mine are falling apart and mountain terrain is killing my feet and ankles. Specially running around with a small plane and a 45lb radio strapped to my back. 

Then again id probably do what most military guys do and just drink it.


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## Basil Sands (Aug 18, 2010)

Horus11B said:


> Then again id probably do what most military guys do and just drink it.


Yeah, then you could talk about the new equipment you wish you had while you're at the pub.

But as a disabled vet with messed up ankles and knees, I'd recommend the new boots first.


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## JoeMitchell (Jun 6, 2010)

I would buy a new hard drive - one of those really new ones that uses memory chips instead of a spinning platter.  They are much much faster than regular hard drives, create less heat, and are completely silent.  i would buy the biggest one I could find for $200, which would be about 100 Gigabytes.  To compare, I could get a standard hard drive that is 30 times larger (3 Terabytes) for about the same cost, so this would really be a special luxury purchase.


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## Carol Hanrahan (Mar 31, 2009)

Like most extra money:  to the kids, er... teenagers.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

JoeMitchell said:


> I would buy a new hard drive - one of those really new ones that uses memory chips instead of a spinning platter. They are much much faster than regular hard drives, create less heat, and are completely silent. i would buy the biggest one I could find for $200, which would be about 100 Gigabytes. To compare, I could get a standard hard drive that is 30 times larger (3 Terabytes) for about the same cost, so this would really be a special luxury purchase.


I love my SSD, Windows boots up like a shot. I'd suggest going no smaller than 120 gigs though. Check out newegg, they have them for just over $200... all of this is assuming you stumble across $200 though. I have an 80 gig one and really wish I had that extra 40 on it, I only have Windows, utilities and World of Warcraft on it and am constantly fighting to keep over 10 gigs free. A lot of programs assume you'll be installing them to your C: drive so when they see you don't have enough room they don't even let you get far enough to change the installation drive, they just refuse to even start the process.


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

I'd buy my wife something really nice.  She deserves it


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

If I had two hundred dollars to blow I'd probably buy some new skins for my Kindle and load up on ebooks. Ordinarily, I'd go clothes shopping but my weight is fluctuating too much for that right now.


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