Wow, another year of fun is flying by!
I've been known to be cheap - see https://nextlevelfi.com for stories. But there are some purchases that I find value in, so my favorite gift/holiday purchases for this past year that I'm enjoying:
1. Meta Quest 2 VR headset - yes, there were some name changes this year. Formerly called the Oculus Quest 2 before Facebook renamed their company Meta and dropped the Oculus name, this tops the list for purchases I've enjoyed this year. Beat Saber keeps me exercising, we're building in the metaverse for a school science project, & I was impressed how real it felt when trying out a VR version of Ninja Warrior called "Dungeon Warrior" in the game Bonelab.
If you end up getting one, you can also get $30 in credits for games like Beat Saber by purchasing it using this link https://www.oculus.com/referrals/link/dbeyond, or you can always buy from other places like Amazon https://amzn.to/3CMqvA9
2. Apple Watch - I was hesitant to wear a watch again, but was really impressed by the features once I started using it. You can check out the Apple Watch at https://amzn.to/3bCY4fiYou, & can see my full review at https://ninja.ninjaforlife.com/2022/07/health-tech-watch-vr.html
3. Echo Buds Bluetooth earbuds - these are a great upgrade from my previous Bluetooth earbuds. The sound is great, & I can talk to friends/family while moving around the house https://amzn.to/3F4Lzpg
4. Mint mobile cell service - earlier this year I switched to Mint Mobile, & I'm so glad I did.
Mint Mobile plans start at $15/mo, with 4GB data & unlimited talk and text. I'm on the $20/mo 10GB plan, which is hard to beat. Use my unique link and you’ll get $15 added to your Mint account, and I’ll get free Mint too. Win-win http://fbuy.me/thr8g
5. Google Pixel 6a extra cell phone - our cable Internet offered a new Android Google Pixel phone for $5/mo after discounts. The plan comes with 1GB data/mo, & I'm enjoying having that extra phone option for apps that don't have an easy iPhone app equivalent. For Android Google phone users that want to transcribe voice notes, check out Google Recorder. Also, the new beta OS lets you track new songs that it hears. Finally it supports sideloading for those with Meta Quest VR headsets https://amzn.to/3gDtMMm
6. New beers to try - a few years back I set a huge goal for myself - to try 2500 unique beers. I'm happy to say I should reach the halfway point by end of this year. Luckily the beer stores & breweries to choose from continue to grow. I've also been using my PubPass beer passport for free beers at different breweries around South Florida. It only made sense that I would buy the 2023 passport, which also had a deal that came with a subscription to their app for even more beer deals. If you are a fellow beer geek that tracks new beers on the app Untappd, look for me @digitalbeyond https://untappd.com/user/Digitalbeyond. Cheers!
7. New drinks to try - we also had extra alcohol that a friend gifted, so it was fun finding new mixed drinks to come up with using tools like our Ninja blender https://amzn.to/3XGiOGv
Bonus – I help my family contribute to their Roth IRA accounts. See https://nextlevelfi.com for more
I also continue to enjoy some past holiday/gift purchases like my Kindle, Echo devices, running shoes, & 40" 4K TV that I use as a monitor for my PC. See my previous post for more on those at https://welcome.gamerwarrior.com/2021/04/top-gift-purchases-this-year.html
What are some of your favorite gift purchases? Let us know on Twitter @AGamerWarrior https://twitter.com/AGamerWarrior
