You could Download the Gyft app and convert the coins to usable gift cards at retailers. Also, lots of VPN & VPS providers take BTC for payments. VPN is critical with NSA always snooping...

The above statement is not supported by volume of trades, so I wouldn't use btc-e.com based on this advice. Btc-e is a decent exchange, and one of the few that support other virtual currencies. NOTE: For goodness sake, do not click on any links in the chatbox on btc-e.com, or your computer will be pwn'd and your balance will be emptied. There are many scammers lurking in the chatbox's of exchanges. Best setup two-factor authentication no matter what exchange you use.

best of luck...

The market will be volatile until BTC has high volume options/futures trading. It's important to remember that fiat ForEx traders account for >98% of foreign currency trades on exchanges. A very small fraction is actually exchange of fiat currencies for commerce.  So, until BTC has a proper volume of options/futures trading, we are looking at a volatile road ahead. Best set yourself up for long-term holding or get out altogether--unless you're a zeitgeist scripter, then you're gonna lose your ass day trading BTC.

best,

happy BTC-ing

There have been bulk ASIC chip sales by multiple hardware producers. I believe this is a sign that the ASIC hardware landscape is about to be come much more competitive. At the moment, it is a seller's market, but in the future, prices on 1st generation ASIC harware will come down. If you buy from BFL today, who knows when they will deliver? And, you cannot trust their quoted delivery schedule. If you are desperate to have hardware in hand soon, buy an ASICMINER blockeruptor or an avalon ASIC in the auctions forum. You will pay over-the-odds and will not recoup your investment in BTC; however, you may make a tidy profit if BTC price goes up significantly (** but then you would have been better off hoarding bitcoin! **). I'd say you missed the boat on 1st generation of ASIC equipment, just watch the bitcointalk and get in early when the first of 2nd generation of ASIC equipment:
<65nm and > 1 Thash/s for less than $5000 USD. **Beware scammers, though, they are everywhere on bitcointalk!**

cheers, and good luck

I suggest you buy dividend paying shares in a mining company like ASICMINER. You get weekly payouts, and the share prices are rising presently  

You can grab some pass-through shares on bitfunder.com or btct.co.

Also a new asset, PAMB on bitfunder has paid weekly dividends at ~2.5% of share price. This is a spectacular return on investment, but it smells to good to be true.

Alternatively, grab a ATI 7870 and mine some litecoin. You'll be getting a solid video card and get a decent hashing rate.

If you want to mine BTC personally, you need to grab some ASIC hardware. There have been a lot of bulk chip sales lately, so I suggest you wait a couple of months, because I think the hardware economy will be more competitive, and it will be more of a buyer's market. The difficulty will be higher then, but with all the new hardware coming online at the moment, you want to avoid paying super-high prices for ASIC tech at the moment.

I don't recommend you use an individual to do your transaction. SCAMMERs are abound on bitcointalk. You best use a proper exchange. I do warn you that you may have to wait to get verified. I suggest you use campbx.com. The waiting time for a verified account is much slower than MtGox.com.

best to you,

I hope your first BTC experience is a positive one.