The Best Purchases I’ve Made in My 20s (Part 2)

With life comes the constant, necessary choices of deciding what to buy and what not to buy. Though we all hate to admit it, money and the things we choose to surround ourselves with affect our lifestyle and the paths we choose to take. Today’s post is Part 2 of “The Best Purchases I’ve Made in My 20s” to provide some insight and entertainment on purchases I’d make again looking back on the last 5-6 years of my life!

Be sure to check out Part 1 if you haven’t already.

Lightroom Presets
Before purchasing my first Lightroom presets, I wondered if they were worth the money and if they’d really help me edit my photos in a way that I couldn’t on my own. I figured I’ve been editing photos for years and I know what I like, do I really need someone else’s presets to help me out? After finally deciding to bite the bullet and buy them, I’m soooo happy I did! They significantly decrease the amount of time I spend editing my photos, allowing me to use that time more wisely for other things. All in all, they were an investment for my blog and were worth every penny! You can read about the presets how I use and how I edit my photos here.

College Education
This can be a controversial topic, but for the most part, college is something many of us believe we need in order to have a successful future in the workforce (though that’s certainly not always true). With those thoughts aside, I’m incredibly grateful for my college education because it brought me so much more than just a diploma. For me, the purchase of my college education helped me to grow into the woman I am today, meet people that have become such important parts of my life and really spread my wings. Believe me, I went to a private college and still have plenty of college loans to pay off, but regardless, I’m appreciative of going this route.

Dog
We often don’t think of getting a pet as a financial choice, but just like buying anything else that’s a non-necessity, it’s an extra purchase you choose to make. However, buying a pet is something that will continue to need your money put into it over time, like food, toys, vet visits, etc. Justin and I couldn’t be happier that we finally got a dog and if you feel like you’re in a good place in your life from both a stability and financial standpoint, I think it’s worth it. With that being said though, you don’t have to or need to buy a $1,000 dog. There are so many dogs out there that aren’t pure breeds, are cheaper and need forever homes too!

Mejuri Jewelry
This jewelry was purchased for me as gifts by Justin, but they are items I would have absolutely spent my own money on and likely will in the future. I have three pieces of jewelry from Mejuri that I wear every single day and I couldn’t be happier with them. I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of them a hundred times over and this proves to me that higher quality jewelry is worth the investment in the long run.

Home Improvements
As you may know, my husband and I bought our first house back in September. It was a fixer-upper in the sense that it had flooring that had to be removed, in addition to other upgrades that would help with resale in the future. Deciding whether to get a fixer-upper or not when you’re house hunting is a big decision, often hugely affecting the price you’re paying, what you’re getting in return and the future expenses you’ll be putting into your investment. In short, I’m glad we chose to go the route we did. We’ve been able to slowly customize our house into our dream home while also learning a lot of skills along the way. Because we’re making these changes to our house, we’ll likely be making more money in the long run if/when we’re able to sell our house for more than we paid for it. This was another wise choice, in our opinion!

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What are some of the best purchases you’ve made in your 20s or whatever stage of life you’re in? I’m working on compiling a list for the worst purchases I’ve made that will be coming to the blog soon. Thanks so much for reading & check back for a new post on Friday!