Spotlight vs Equity

For a while i have been debating with myself whether to join Spotlight actors, or Equity, the union.

• -With Spotlight, you get to upload everything about you, for example, your CV, your head shots, and for £30 extra you can have a show reel on there.
  -You also get published in the Spotlight manual/book that casting directors use to find actors.
  -Although, to apply to be on there, you need to have 4 professional credits, which i think i finally have, i hope!
  -To join Spotlight right now, it would cost me £197, and that membership would last until May 2012 (handily expires in time for the world to end).
  -Spotlight also offer you various discounts on things like teeth-whitening or discount on theatre tickets.

• -With Equity, the actors union, you get an Equity Card, which shows that you are/want to be a serious and professional actor/actress, and people take you seriously.
  -As they are a union, they can protect you from bad people that try to scam you out of money, they also set actors minimum wage, £8/hour.
  -Benefits include public liability insurance, accident insurance, legal support, and lots more. But mainly you get to register your name so no-one else can be called the same as you.
  -It costs £133 to join, and that expires in one year from the point that you join.

Recently i decided to just join Equity so i would look more professional, i'd even filled out all the forms and photocopied payment forms for them. But after loosing the support of my agent, and after learning that i need to be a member of Spotlight to apply to the new agency i'm interested in, i'm starting to think differently.

I'm mainly against joining Spotlight because of the initial cost, but it does provide the opportunity of finding you work, whereas Equity doesn't. So i think i need to take the plunge and blow nearly £200 on Spotlight. 

It means then that i can start thinking about applying to this new agent, she also requested applicants to have had professional training, which i don't have, so i definitely need to be part of Spotlight.