2023 - Planned Acquisitions - $ 740

Gear Review

Year-End Review: 2023 Purchases and Reflections

Upgrading the wardrobe and refining the tech kit for the year ahead.

$740

Total Expenditure

~20

Items Purchased

$500

Next Year Goal

Table of Contents

• ①The 2023 Spending Roadmap
• ②Quarterly Progress Updates
• ③Refinement and Final Gear

 

Section I

The 2023 Spending Roadmap

Another year has gone by, and I’ve accumulated quite a bit of new stuff, from clothes to tech. 2022 was a banner year for me, but 2023 is the time to improve the quality of my wardrobe and invest in a new computer.

I’m keeping it simple. For the Jordan 1s, I’m considering the Black & White Panda colorway or Green/Black/White to have something a bit more subdued than my current pair. I also added a pair of budget-friendly Bluetooth headphones. While I love the AirPods Pro, I’m finding it easier to have traditional headphones.

Tech & Audio

• →Dell Precision 7530 — $250 - Sold
• →JBL 510BT Headphones — $30 - Done
• →Vuolao V8 Headphones — $16 - Done
• →Apple AirPods 2nd Gen — $60 - Done

Footwear

• →Jordan 1 Mids 9.5 — $110 - Done
• →Jordan 1 Lows 10.5 — $130 - Done
• →Air Force 1s 10 — $71 - Done

Clothes & Hobbies

• →Uniqlo Clothing Haul — $150 - Done
• →North Face Winter Jacket — $173 - Done
• →Swiss Army Knives — $0 (Initial Budget) - Done

Category	Budgeted Spend	Final Status
Tech	$106	Complete
Shoes	$311	Complete
Clothes	$323	Complete
Hobbies	$0	Complete

Section II

Quarterly Progress Updates

Update — May 13, 2023: Dell Laptop

I wanted a project and bought an old Dell laptop for $250. That just leaves me replacing my Uniqlo T-shirts and buying a nice North Face Winter Jacket. Overall, this spending plan should be better than 2022, where I spent double this amount.

Update — June 8, 2023: Uniqlo Haul

I picked up a dozen items from Uniqlo in Korea. It was so cheap that I grabbed several items in addition to my Supima T-shirts.

Update — June 13, 2023: New Pair of Air Jordan 1 Lows

I couldn't handle the foot pain and sized up to 10.5M from 9.5M with a new pair of Air Jordan 1 Lows. It made a world of difference! My feet no longer hurt, and I'm kicking myself for suffering so long in shoes that were just too small. The difference between 9.5M and 10.5M may seem tiny, but those few millimeters of extra size matter.

Pro Tip: Sizing matters more than style. I'll need to budget for 2024 to replace my existing pairs of shoes with larger ones. I’ll keep a stable of three Air Jordan 1 Lows and my existing Air Force 1s and Miler’s until I finally wear those out.

Section III

Refinement and Final Gear

Update — July 23, 2023: Selling the Dell Precision 7530

I decided against pursuing a gaming PC and am letting it go. So far, I've received a lot of interest and will part with it below the price I invested due to the tools and parts I had to buy. This reduces my 2023 spending by $250 to $496.

Update — September 30, 2023: Swiss Army Knives

I went on a spree and picked up several Victorinox knives, spending $125. I really think my collection is done now, bringing me up to $621. Except for a new Winter Jacket, I’m done spending money this year. I’m not quite sure what I want in 2024, other than maintenance items for replacing worn-out clothing and shoes. I may focus on cutting my spending to half or about $500 next year.

Update — October 31, 2023: Sold Some Knives

I sold one of the knives for a good price, bringing my spending back to $496. I now have $100 remaining to buy a winter jacket but may consider the $200 Alpha Industries Bomber.

Update — November 11, 2023: Air Force 1s for $71

I couldn't resist and wanted a second pair of Nikes to swap with the Jordan Lows in size 10. I found a pair of Air Force 1s on sale for $71. My current pair of triple-white AF1s is size 9, and I can only wear them for limited periods. Eventually, I’ll replace them, but they have remained immaculate, so I'm fine keeping them for years. The new size 10s are white with a red swoosh and back tab, making them pretty comparable.

Update — November 17, 2023: North Face Winter Jacket

I’m done for 2023! I found a nice North Face jacket for $173, the Thermoball Eco Snow Triclimate. The regular price was $360, and it was the last one in my size, so I had to get it. I now have three nice lifetime jackets: two North Face and one Uniqlo.

Product Note: The Triclimate is a 3-in-1 jacket. The inner layer can be removed and worn separately as a puffer jacket, while the outer shell works as a windbreaker/rain jacket.

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Refined, resized, and ready for 2024.