10 best purchases I've made in my 20s

I turned 30 recently. I will never forget watching a YouTube video by Elena Taber talking about the best purchases she's ever made. It was an interesting topic. Living in the materialistic society we do, the idea of being able to point out the best purchases ever made was a super fun idea. And so I've waited a few more years, and here I am. Today I'm going to share the 10 best purchases I've made in my 20s.

Espresso Machine

One of the first things I bought when I knew I was going to move out was an espresso machine. Everyone told me not to do it, because they said I wasn't going to use it, and continue to buy a lot of coffee from coffee shops. Well, they were wrong.

The average price for a good cup of coffee where I live is anywhere from $5-11 (depending on how fancy your drink is). While I didn't purchase coffee every single day, I did used to spend a lot of money every month on coffee.

I did my research on what machine would suit my needs best, and I ended up purchasing the Breville Infuser Espresso Machine*. The smaller one was too small for my needs, and the more expensive model only added a grinder, and for the price difference, I didn't personally think it was worth it. This machine has been discontinued, but you can still find brand new ones on Amazon!

Since moving out, it's really rare for me to not make my own coffee. I think the only time I end up grabbing something from the coffee shop is when I'm traveling or I'm craving late cup of coffee while I'm out and about. Other than that, I stick to making it at home! Totally worth every penny for me.

Kindle

This has hands down been the best purchase I've ever made. I bought my first Kindle Paperwhite* in 2020. As a paperback book girlie, I used to scoff at the idea of using a digital e-reader instead of holding, smelling, or actually touching a physical book. In 2020 I took the plunge during the Black Friday amazon sale, and it completely changed my life.

Before getting a Kindle, I would occasionally read on my Ipad mini. When I did this, it would cause extreme strain to my eyes. The Paperwhite doesn't do this. It does a really good job of imitating paper. I had that Kindle for 4 years, but this year my boyfriend, J, got me the latest Kindle Paperwhite for my 30th birthday. This one comes with a warm light and it uses a USB-C charging port. The screen it bigger, it's faster, and the battery is back to normal! I ended up giving my sister my old Kindle.

Even if you are a person who rolls their eyes at the thought of converting to an e-book girlie, I would say to give the Kindle (or honestly any e-reader if you're anti Amazon a try!). It allows me to read much quicker, and read a lot more when I'm traveling! It takes up almost no space in my bag, is very light, and instead of backing 3-4 books with me on a trip, I usually bring one physical book and my Kindle! Highly recommend this product if you're a reader.

Exercise Bike

When the pandemic hit, I was going to the gym pretty regularly, but when everything shut down, I didn't want to lose all the progress I'd made, so I bought a cycling bike and some free weights. Originally I was going to get the Peloton, but instead decided to get the Keiser M3i* with a Peloton app subscription. While there were a lot of cool features about getting the Peloton bike with that huge screen, the monthly subscription was significantly more compared to the regular app subscription. Plus the gym that I used to go to (LA Fitness) used to use the Keiser bikes.

I purchased it directly through the Keiser website and used a payment plan to make the purchase. This was another thing people told me was going to be a purchase I was going to regret. And again, they were wrong! I have used the bike hundreds of times, and maintained my fitness goals by using the Peloton App & Chloe Ting strength training workouts. I was the most fit I had ever been in my 20s and I loved it!

The bike is now in my apartment, and use it whenever I want to do some cardio and read on my Kindle or watch tv aha! While I don't necessarily think everyone will love or want to make a purchase like this, I do think it's really important to invest in your health and fitness. It's really important to keep your body moving, especially in the sedentary lifestyles a lot of us who work on computers tend to live.

IRA Roth/ 401K

This might be an obvious one, but investing in my retirement is one of the best things I started doing. I created my IRA Roth account when I was 23, and have been consistently investing in it. I think I'm currently up 14% since starting, which is something that's really exciting to see. Instead of keeping that money in a savings account, it's nice to see my money grow at a much faster rate.

A little less than 2 years ago, my company started offering a 401K, which I also have been putting money into. I've maximized my 401K based off of what they match, which has also been really great. As Americans, we can't rely on what Social Security is going to give to us when we retire, so we have to find another means to have retirement savings. It's never too late to start these accounts, and I highly recommend you do so ASAP. If anyone has questions about this, please let me know! I'm always here.

This Blog - melinaelisa.com

I've been running this blog since late 2016, and it's kind of crazy to see not only how much I've grown, but how much this space has changed in the past 7 1/2 years. When I created this blog, I did what I normally do when starting a new hobby, jump into it 100%. I purchased my domain name (which was at the time www.ivefoundwaldo.com, and if you've been here that long, thank you for sticking around!), a hosting site and joined blogging twitter.

I have made so many friends because of this space, some of which are still blogging, while others have stopped throughout the years, but it's been a great space to come back to. There is not another hobby I've kept up with for as long (other than reading), and I'm pretty proud of myself for staying pretty consistent! Even though I don't really keep up with the twice a week posting schedule I used to do, I still come around on here about 2-4 times a month to chat with you all.

I've gotten some pretty cool opportunities because of this blog, and feel like I will continue to do so! If you're reading this and are thinking of wanting to start a blog, I would say give it a try! It is free to start, and you can choose to invest in it later on if you feel like it's something you are going to stay consistent on.

Journals

I have been journaling since I can remember. I think the oldest journal I have is from 2005 or 2006? It's kind of crazy to have such a personal collection of my thoughts (other than this blog). While what I journal about is different, and the way I journal is different, it's been a major thing that has always made me feel better when I need to vent, reflect or just brain dump. I'm currently using the Quirky Collective journals, which I love. There's something about writing in a beautiful journal that makes you want to write more.

While the shipping is a little expensive since the company is from Australia, I just really love their journals! I stocked up on 3 that are different designs, so I can't wait to finish this first one, so I can get to the others.

Not only have I been regular journaling for a very long time, I also started bullet journaling in 2016. I discovered what it was through Youtube and Instagram. When I in college, and I loved the idea of being able to customize my spreads to work best for me. I would include a list of ideas for my blog, keep track of assignments for school, personal plans, birthdays, financials, etc. It was so handy! While my bullet journal spreads have changed significantly since I first started, it's still a great place to keep track everything I need to.

There's just something about being able to write stuff down that I really love. I've tried going digital, and for the exception of my digital reading journal, nothing compares to physically writing things down.

Camera

I have always loved photography, since I bought my Canon Rebel T3I when I was in high school. While I loved that camera a lot, there are two specific cameras that I purchased in my 20s that have been amazing for me. The first one was the Canon G7X MII*. You might recognize this camera as the famous Youtube vlogging camera. There was a time I was recording Youtube videos pretty consistently (and it's something I really think about doing again, but different videos), and this was the camera I was using. I would record all my travels, lil' snippets of my life, and I honestly loved it!

Since then, I purchases the Canon EOS M50*, which for me was a step up from the G7X. While it was a little heavier, I found that the video quality was better, I loved that I could change the lenses on this camera, and when I attached my mini Rode mic* (they have a newer model, which is the one I linked), the audio quality was amazing.

While I fell out of love with taking photos for the past year or so, I've been really enjoying starting to use my EOS M50 to take pictures for my bookstagram! There's something so fun about capturing a time in your life, and being able to look at the memories you made. I don't really post on social media like I used to, but I love to share some pictures on here, and also sending friends and family random pictures on anniversaries of certain events.

Headphones

While I've always had a pair of headphones, it wasn't until I reached my 20s that I invested in two essential pairs. The first ones are the Sony WH-1000XM4* (They have a newer model out, if you're interested in those). These are probably the best headphones I've ever had in my life. The noise cancellation is amazing. I love to use these while working out. The battery life on these is impressive, and the sound quality is the best I've ever heard. I bring these whenever I go on long flights, and if you're looking to invest in a good pair of headphones, I highly recommend these!

The second pair are my Airpods Pro*. I have always hated apple's headphones. They were always so large and uncomfortable in my ears. When my brother bought a pair and tried them out, I actually liked them! So earlier this year, I purchased a set of my own and they have changed my life. They are so comfortable, the battery lasts a really long time, and the noise cancellation and ambiance mode are really good! I love wearing these when I'm walking Luca, listening to an audiobook at work, or shorter flights. I highly recommend these!

Passport

I have traveled so much in the last 10 years, and I have my passport to thank for that! I think traveling not only within your country, but outside your country is so important. It teaches you to think outside of the culture you're used to and realize that there is not only one way to live. There are things I've implemented into my life that I've learned throughout my travels.

Not only that, but I've seen so many beautiful things, eaten so many delicious foods, and have met so many cool people. I would not have been possible if I didn't have my passport, and I highly recommend everyone get one!

Reusable Water Bottle

The final thing might seem silly, but it's something I use on a daily basis and love it! I got my first reusable water bottle when I turned 20. I was tired of spending money on water bottles at college, and they had these refillable water stations all over my school. It was a $30 investment, but it was completely worth it. Not only do I drink more water on a day to day basis, but I have reduced the amount of plastic consume significantly. I assume most of you guys have a reusable bottle, but if you don't grab one! It doesn't have to be the most expensive item on the market, but I would highly recommend getting a stainless steel one (for hygiene purposes).

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So that was the 10 best purchases I've made in my 20s. Did you expect these things to on my list? What are some of the best purchases you've made in your life? I'd love to know!