• I buy very little technology - my last computer purchase was my Linx windows tablet a year ago for use on the train commute - runs Kindle for pc, One Note (favourite tool), Adobe reader and MS Excel & Word & IE. All employers have provided equipment necessary - most companies like to standardise and I had training paid when I was in full time employment.

    My own desktop pc was new in 2006, the motherboard and processor upgraded in 2014 when XP end-of-lifed. My laptop was also new in 2014 but the old XP one from 2004 is still running stand alone for using my knitting design software (Design-a-Knit 8) at my knitting machine. I only upgrade when I have to, though I'm planning to add some memory to the desktop next time I get down to Novatech in Portsmouth.

    "Disposable income" tends to be spent on bits for sailing dinghies or camper van conversion and going away for sailing weekends though my college evening class lessons learning German have cost quite a bit especially when the £3.10 to park each week is added on.

    My last non-essential purchase was an old, big, heavy, totally non-electronic, very tatty and dirty, at least 40 year old industrial sewing machine for sewing boat cover canvas and similar fabrics too thick for my electronic domestic sewing machine, which saved loads on a better one but cost a couple of days of our time to strip down and clean up into decent working order. Being on a long holiday between contracts though, time was available, but now I'm back to the train commute and a new contract, finding time to play with my toys is the biggest problem.