4 Good Investments I Made in the Past

No, I'm not talking about mutual funds, stocks, bonds, retirement funds, or Roth IRA - I'm talking about those occasional big expending that we all make. Yeah, those things.

We've all heard of ROI - Return On Investment. Technically speaking, ROI is basically a performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare the efficiency of a number of different investments. In a simplistic term, "Are the things we bought worth it?"

Here are 4 good investments I've made in the past (not in particular order):

1. iPhone ($199.99). At first, I was a non-believer. I believed that I didn't need those "silly apps" they have on smartphones. I mean what a waste of time, right? I was wrong. Yes, there are apps, which I considered to be non-productive. And by non-productive, I mean apps that don't add value to my well-being, knowledge, and personal growth. As I was browsing through the Apple Store, the one category that I saw was "Productivity." DING! All of a sudden, it was like a revelation. So, I thought of productive applications. I don't play games on iPhone. I'm not picking on you, iPhone gamers, I just don't play video games, anymore. Don't get me wrong, I was a big gamer and I can probably still beat you in any game. That was a bold statement, I know.
   
   Here is the list of apps I like on my iPhone, which I find to be super productive in my own ways (These are all "free" by the way - that's my Personal Finance junkie in me. I'm frugal):
   
   
   • Free RSS Reader - I used to come home after work and read blogs from people I like. Most of these guys are managers, leaders, finance experts, and friends. With iPhone and when I'm alone, I can now read their articles on my leisure time (at the park, fast food, etc.)
     
   • Yahoo! Sportacular - Solely to follow my favorite NBA team, Lakers.
   • MyFitnessPal - To track my bad eating habits...
   • Ace Budget Lite - My monthly budget application. I no longer get on my personal computer to track my income and expenses on excel. I can do it mobile style.
   • Debt Free Lite - Tracking my debt. This app is great. It shows the amortization and it can send quick reports of all your debt information to your email in 2 button taps.
   • DailyPsalms - Proverbs and Psalms give me inspirations and guidance. I read different one each day in case I forget my roots.
     
   • Notes - Ever had one of those days when ideas, good or not, provoking or non-sense, pop-up on your head? Yeah, I capture mine on this application. Then, I try to write about them later on so I can have a copy on paper or electronically. We all thought of great ideas before, but they're only ideas that go away and forgotten when you don't write them down.
     
   • Facebook - Need I explain? I thought so.
     
     I now spend less time on my personal computer. I thought about selling it since I don't need it anymore.
     
     
2. Road Bicycle ($485.00). Really, this is super cheap compared to some of the prices of road bicycles. A co-worker has a $3,000+ bike, and another co-worker has one at $5,000+. See what I mean? There are many benefits to having a bicycle though. For me, it was the combination of having fun, being able to see places I normally don't see when I'm driving my car, and the exercise aspect of it. I normally get on the bike path, going at 12-18 MPH speed, and usually go 2-3 times a week between 10-30 miles each ride. I go for a short distance on weekdays because of work but I try to go for further distance ride on weekends. I also like to randomly bike around Bakersfield metropolitan and hope I don't end up in the "hood". Riding has been super fun!
3. Acoustic Guitar ($550.00). I've had this acoustic guitar for over 5 years now. By far the best investment for me. I play it every day. And sometimes, it serves as my spiritual and therapeutic means. I don't see myself living in a house without an acoustic guitar. Probably not going to happen in my lifetime.
4. Amazon's Kindle ($189.00). A really good friend of mine introduced me to this awesome e-reader. Now, It's so convenient to read books (via e-books). I no longer go to a bookstore. Don't get me wrong. I still like the hardcover, paperback books. I have a lot of them. But I am not able to bring 100 books at once to the park. I often re-read books and review certain chapters. The downside is that, I maybe spending excessive time reading. Books cost money. I'm willing to invest in books though. I just had to adjust my monthly budget and cut-off other expenses. "Books" is actually a category on my budget now. It used to be included in the "Blow" category of my budget.
   

I know I've made other investments worthy of mention but these 4 on the list provide the highest return by far. How about you, what are some of the worthy investments you've made in the past?

For fun: Did you know that a buying New Car is probably one the worst investments you can or will make, financially speaking? I will explain this to you on a future blog. I'm kinda burned out right now. My brain hurts!