The Best Purchases I’ve Made in My 20s

Hi friends! I’ve seen this type of post circulate on YouTube and the blogging world, and I wanted to jump on and share my piece. Let’s be honest, making purchases is a consistent part of life, whether you’re investing in yourself, your future, buying things you need or just buying things you want. Looking back, there are purchases that stand out to me as particularly good ones, and others simply could have been skipped. Keep reading for the best purchases I’ve made in my 20s!

Blog
I started my blog a week before my 22nd birthday, and not only was it one of the best purchases I’ve made in my 20s, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. Though it’s not a big expense (it took around $200 to get it off the ground and costs just over $100 a year to keep it live I believe), it’s one I’m so happy I made. It’s worth far more than that monetary amount to me, and coming to that realization is when you know it was a great purchase. Not only is it my hobby and biggest passion, it’s also helped me make an extra income along the way. Always invest in yourself!

House
Investing in a house is the biggest and best purchase Justin and I have made together as a couple. We bought ours back in Septemeber and are no longer wasting money on rent, and instead, that money is going toward something that we can get money back on. It feels so good to be in a space that is ours and to no longer feel tied down to a lease and the difficult apartment management/staff we had to deal with for two years (you guys know how that went). Every little upgrade we make to our house along the way is an investment too and will help us make more money when we sell it. Though I highly suggest not rushing into buying a house until you’re ready (both financially and in other ways), it’s a great goal to work toward. You can read all about our experience buying and renovating our house here.

Honeymoon
Though not necessary obviously, this trip to St. Lucia was both of our first ones out of the country and was such a special way to commemorate our marriage. I’m so happy we saved money and were able to go somewhere we were both excited about and that we got to experience that with each other. I’m also glad that we went with an all-inclusive trip because I feel like it helped us save money in the long run because we didn’t have to go out to restaurants or anything for every meal. There were also things to do at the resort that didn’t require any additional money outside of the all-inclusive fee, so that was nice. We chose to go on two additional tours/activities during our stay and they were both inexpensive for what they were, so that felt good as well. It’s a trip we’ll always remember and one that will forever hold a special place in my heart. Here is our honeymoon travel diary.

Amazon Fire Stick
Okay, definitely getting more materialistic with this one and cheating a little bit since this was bought for Justin and I by a family member — but it’s one I’d buy for myself, without a doubt! It sounds silly, but I love this thing. This is obviously one of life’s pleasures and not a necessity, but I did want to give it a moment to shine in this post. It’s made our streaming experience so much better. If you’ve ever thought about getting one, it’s worth every penny! I eventually want to get one for our bedroom as well.

Michael Kors Backpack
Again, not a necessity, but I can’t even begin to explain how I’ve gotten way more than my money’s worth out of this bag (it’s all over my Instagram if you’re curious which one I have — not sure if it’s still sold). I bought it for $80 at TJ Maxx about a year or so ago and I’ve carried it EVERY SINGLE DAY since! I knew I really liked the bag when I bought it, but I didn’t expect that it would become such a consistent staple for me. It’s small and compact while still holding everything I need, including one of my cameras — which is a huge win as a blogger. The takeaway from this is that investing in a nicer piece is often money well spent if you get tons of use out of it.

Camera Lenses
Technically Justin bought these for me as a Christmas gift one year, but I still wanted to include them because they’ve been so game changing for me. The moral of this purchase is to invest in your craft. I’ve had the same DSLR camera since I was in high school, but it became time a couple years ago to upgrade my lenses so I could further pursue my passion for blogging and take better photos for my business. These lenses get used DAILY and have been a key factor in creating the content I’m so proud of today.

Here are the lenses:

• EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens (fixed lens that creates a blurred background)
• EF-S 10–18mm f/4.5–5.6 IS STM lens (wide angle lens often used for outfits or scenery shots)

Spanx Leggings
Last but not least, I’ve wasted so much money on cheap leggings over the years. I’d always get $8-10 ones from places like Forever 21 that would rip after only a few wears, leading me back to the store to buy more. After having my eye on the $100 Spanx faux leather motto ones for a while, I finally pulled the trigger and I’m so glad I did. If you think about it, sometimes it’s better to spend more money on a single item that will last for YEARS, rather than a bunch of cheap ones that you constantly have to replace. Chances are, those dollar amounts may even out anyway.

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Those are the best purchases I’ve made in my 20s so far! I hope you guys enjoyed this post and found it insightful when deciding how to best spend/invest your money. Thanks so much for stopping by & see you in Friday’s new post!