Money well spent

My attitude to spending shifted last year, prompted by a switch to contract work and our move to Canberra. Inspired by Emily I thought I'd share some of the best things I bought last year, starting with an everyday staple - Aldi's organic spaghetti. I bought it on a whim and noticed the difference right away. It's surprisingly delicious for dried pasta!

I bought a serious raincoat that's windproof too so I could ride my bike all year round.  I love that it's black, looks good on and does its job. It keeps me super dry in the rain (it's more effective than an umbrella most of the time) and the high neck keeps the winter chills out.

This little bottle of peppermint oil has brought me a lot of relaxation, especially at the end of long days, or when I haven't been feeling well. I squeeze a couple of drops into the shower which makes peppermint scented steam that's instantly calming. Mine's from Muji and a $20 bottle is still going strong after a year - even though I've taken to using it daily :)

My sister showed me this Moki Bluetooth mini speaker when I stayed at her house last year. Hers is bright pink and she uses it to play music for her daughter, wherever she happens to be playing. I copied and use mine daily to listen to podcasts while I'm getting ready for work, making dinner or to play music if I'm doing some yoga at home.

Chipotle Tabasco is a discovery my friend Angie made - she puts it on rich pasta sauces and lasagnas to give them an extra kick. She owns a giant bottle from Costco and I found this bottle at our local supermarket for $5. We put it on pizzas, pastas and oysters if we're being fancy and love it for being smokey and spicy at the same time.

I sorted out my sunscreen situation last year and use Mecca's To Save Face Superscreen 50+ every day and in the warmer months, I'll wear Aesop's Protective Body Lotion too. I'm happy to report that both sunscreens last a long time and smell and feel great too, which can be hard to come by in a sunscreen.

And here's my biggest purchase of last year - a Trek Lync 5 commuter bike, which I bought on sale. I went from riding a fixie to having 27 gears and integrated lights! I managed to clock up over 1,000 km last year and solved so many problems riding to and from work. I de-stressed too. While it was a big purchase, it's saved me a lot in parking fees and a gym membership too. And I love that it's all black :)