Unlikely. Where do you feel your current setup is lacking?

personally if I was building a new build and looking for new drivechain yes go 10speed.
I’m currently running 1×9 32 front 12-32t rear and have zero problems with getting up steep stuff
my brother runs 1×10 34 front 11-34 rear. and I can’t tell the diffence.

22T front ring and a Deore 12-36T casette is possible, though most rear mechs are designed to run upto a 34T casette sprocket though? Depends how far the B tension screw goes on yours, how big/worn jockey wheels are and how much you mind a jockey wheel/casette ‘buzz’ in bottom gear ..
Middleburn also offer 40/30/20T rings, but I believe are only available for 5 bolt crankarms. I’m not familiar with 5bolt, but I know middleburn crankarms will fit for one
20:36 would be about another gear lower than 22:34

Is there anything you’re not getting up with your current gear?

Even if you’re on 22/34 (0.647) now, 22/36 (0.611) will only be 5% “easier”. That would make zero tangible difference.

The real advantages for 10 speed is that you can drop down to double or going further, dropping down to a single ring.

Or for roadies or serious XCers, maintains a more consistent cadence.

How long will it take you to earn the £500? If you can fork it out and still do all the other spending that you do in a month then probably yes. If it takes you 12 months to save it and you have to cut out other things to do so, I’d say no.

If you are bunging it on a credit card, I’d have a look at the current economic climate and have a serious think about it.

HG61 12-36

hth

£500 would go a long way towards giving you your first real holiday.

The Simple answer is Yes you can assemble an 11-36t 9 speed cassette, most easily by changing the bottom 12t sprocket on an HG-61 for an 11t…

But I’m not sure there is that much advantage in doing this, you could just opt for an 11-34 – 9speed off the shelf cassette and “Nut up” for the lack of 2 teeth…

My own current lowest available ratio is 30-22 at the minute about 19 “Gear inches” That gets used very infrequently and TBH is probably a bit too “spinney” – 36-22 would come out a shade under 15.9 and 34-22 works out at 16.8 the gains would be minimal…

Perhaps your easiest, short term option is to get an 11-34 9 speed cassette just to try having a broad range cassette and see how you get on with it…

Don’t get too caught up with the idea of having 10spd kit on your bike, it’s just the latest gimick all the old 5/6/7/8/9spd kit hasn’t suddenly ceased to function.

There are far better things you can do with your Bonus….

You can get this years 10 speed XT group set for 379.90 Euros, or last years for 299 Euros

Wow and I thought I spent a lot going 1×10 at £120 notes saying that I dont think the wife would let me spend xtr money 🙁

I love low gears – tried riding up cadair idris or most of snowdon / helvellyn / high street without a granny? I would love a 22 x 36….

I would stick with 9spd untill its worn out then upgrade to narrower chains and 10 spd which does wear out quicker than 9 spd in my experience ( thats on the road bike though )

Cost me less than £200 to go 1×10…. XTR Shifter, XT Shadow mech, XT 11-36 Cassette, Sram 1050 chain, Middleburn chainring, ( with a bit of carefully researched bargain hunting ) and got almost half of that back by selling my old XT shifters, mechs and cassette. Plus saved over 1/2 pound in weight 8)