chopper/smoothie question

what do u use to puree, chop, and make your smoothies? i dont want to get a ton of machines and we had a magic chopper and it is GROSS and basically on its last leg. it works but smells and the food tastes yucky. i dont have a lot of money. will a pulse on a small chopper be good enough to get it to a constitency that i can use a hand masher to finish pureeing it? but what about smoothies? i was condsidering a magic bullet but i was given a blender if it works. i need to know from people who have been there done that. i cant afford to buy the wrong thing

I use a blender for all of this. You can set it to whatever function you are needing. Get a decent one, not the cheapest there is, but will still cost way less than a different gadget for every job.