So i went to a focus group purely to provide feedback, now i have a 75 dollar giftcard which i have to select and withdraw but im not sure what to put the money towards? my older brother also got one. Yes i live with parents so most of my living needs are already covered.

What would be the smart thing to do here? what would you suggest and why so?

    • Drusas@fedia.io
      0·
      4 months ago

      To be fair, good silicone stuff basically lasts forever. BIFL butt plug time?

      • three@lemmy.zip
        0·
        4 months ago

        Oxballs and Squarepeg Toys make some high quality silicone toys. Njoy does stainless steel, pricey but worth it. I just bought a couple of glass ones from Luscious playthings; well made with high quality glass.

  • neidu3@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    4 months ago

    Depends on your priorities and needs, but 75 dollars should cover most of the bill if visiting a nice-ish restaurant

    • kboos1@lemmy.world
      0·
      4 months ago

      This makes me sad. About 15 years ago we could go out as a family of 4 to a nice-ish restaurant for just entrees for just under $50 before tip.

        • kboos1@lemmy.world
          0·
          4 months ago

          We would go to Folk’s or TGIF or O’charlys or a local tavern, as long as you weren’t ordering beer or steaks, it was do able.

      • pack@sh.itjust.works
        0·
        4 months ago

        Inflation is 88 percent since y2k. Excited for a 50k a year job out of college in the year 2000? That’s 90k now. 7.25 minimum wage from 2000? Should be at least 13 now. It isn’t, should be.

        People are alway “oh, money doesn’t go as far as it used to”, but they don’t get how dramatic it is.

  • BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world
    0·
    4 months ago

    I did focus groups and surveys for money. I often would just stock up on toiletries from Amazon when I had gift cards. That shit is expensive so it lets my grocery budget breathe.

  • db2@lemmy.world
    0·
    4 months ago

    Not long ago that would feed you McDonald dinner for a month.

    What you should do its find a good gift card buying site, there are a few. Choose the card that gives the highest cash payout. Save the money.

    • relativestranger@feddit.nlEnglish
      0·
      4 months ago

      Not long ago that would feed you McDonald dinner for a month

      in the 00s, that 75 dollars would have bought SEVENTY-ONE double cheeseburgers (including a typical sales tax rate of 5.5 percent). today, it would only get you seventeen of them.

  • specialseaweed@sh.itjust.works
    0·
    4 months ago

    The absolute best use is opening a Vanguard account, putting $75 in VOO, and forgetting you did it for about 20 or 30 years. Even better, put a $10 in there every month as well.

    For a gift for myself when I’m not strapped for cash, I use gift cards and cash for something I would never buy myself. It just feels like it makes a bigger impact that way. I remember it.

    If going the charity route, go to your nearest unhoused shelter and ask what they need. I volunteer at one that is hanging on by a thread (no real funding other than a small grant from the county, it’s just volunteers). Sometimes donations aren’t hitting everything we need and something has run out. Hot chocolate packets and cup of noodles are so valuable (easily transportable, usable, stable, and withstand outdoor weather) that we were giving out handfuls yesterday instead of our typical limit of 1 per person per day. It’s wild how important those little things are.

    • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
      0·
      4 months ago

      To do the math;

      $75 x 25 years at (a conservative) 5% = ~$253

      @7% it’s over $400.

      Probably not worth your time to wait 25 years for that.

      However,

      $10/mo at 7% is much more interesting: $8,200

      And $10/week: $34,500

      Over 25 years this isn’t huge, but it’s *something.”

      I used a very conservative % because past gains do not guarantee future performance, and one should not put all their eggs on one basket…But VOO over 30 years averaged 10%, so $10/week with $75 start @ 10% for 25 years is just under $55,000. Double it to $20/wk and you’ve got $108,000.

      IDK what’s in store for the world, but for now, people should invest early and regularly. If it all goes to shit even money under the mattress won’t help, so go for the % IMO.

      • specialseaweed@sh.itjust.works
        0·
        4 months ago

        Yea, it would be more about starting a habit that would result in future security. In a perfect world, it starts here with $75 and a tenner every month, then they start putting in $20, then they ramp it up as they’re able.

      • spongebue@lemmy.world
        0·
        4 months ago

        Do you have a 3D printer? $75 won’t buy one in full, but it can help get a decent entry-level one like an Ender 3 V3 SE. If you already have one, maybe some filament.

        Also, a Raspberry Pi can be used for some nice things. I love my Home Assistant setup, for example!

      • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
        0·
        4 months ago

        And a person with THOSE hobbies is on Lemmy??? Well I for one am shocked. SHOCKED I SAY!!!

        …not that shocked actually. Next you’ll tell us your linux distro, and a fight will ensue over which distro you should switch to.

      • Grimy@lemmy.world
        0·
        4 months ago

        I’d suggest taking a look at what roll20 has to offer if you want to play virtually with your friends.

        If the rasp Pi is too much (per your other comment), you might have fun with a few esp32s and some basic sensors if you want to get into the embedded electronic space. The entry price is lower then the rasp.

  • howrar@lemmy.ca
    0·
    4 months ago

    Can you use that gift card anywhere? If yes, then first convert it to cash. Your parents may be covering all your expenses, but they still need to buy groceries. The next time they do, ask them to use your gift card and give you the equivalent amount in cash. Now you have more flexibility to do whatever you want with that cash. Buy something nice, save/invest, etc. You have plenty of advice from others on this already.