Later this year I’m attending a “white elephant” gathering where each person will bring a copy of something they purchased earlier in the year, something they love enough that they want to share it with others. So I’ve been thinking about my expenses this year–items, gadgets, services, consumables, experiences, etc–to narrow down my list.
In truth, the list is much longer than 5 things, but for the sake of this post I’m filtering them by somewhat unique purchases. For example, I really like the Overcast podcast app, my space heater, and my Mint Mobile service, but they’re just variations on similar past expenses. I’m also not including things like my favorite game, favorite book, etc–I’ll have articles about them soon.
Based on those arbitrary guidelines (which I will arbitrarily follow), here are my 5 things in no particular order:
reading clamp and page turner: I read for 30-45 minutes every night in bed on my Kindle, and my new setup has made this experience exponentially more comfortable. It’s hard to describe in brief, but you can see it and the links to the products here.- Dropout TV subscription: A friend initially gifted me a short subscription to this hilarious streaming service, and I was hooked. I started with Game Changer and quickly branched out to Make Some Noise, Dirty Laundry, Crowd Control, Smartypants, and other shows.
- Jackery backup power source and fan: Due to the tornado that hit our area earlier this year, we were without power for a few days, prompting me to buy a small Jackery portable power station and a Koonie portable fan. The fan has gotten the most use so far, but the backup battery provides me with peace of mind.
- Simple Modern metal cups: We’re continually trying to reduce our plastic use, especially exposure to microplastics in anything we run through the dishwasher. I drink a lot of water, so the metal Simple Modern cups for my desk and bathroom have been a great upgrade.
- Ritual mocktail NA liquor: I got really into mocktails this year! Mostly because I like fun drinks, but also because I feel more myself without alcohol. I still have a drink from time to time, but it’s much more common for me to make or order a mocktail. Ritual is my favor zero-proof liquor, and while their whiskey and rum equivalents are my favorites, apparently their tequila is their top-rated beverage.
What are your top 5 first-time purchases of 2025?