Amazon Black Friday Shopping Spree: What I Bought!

My parents always know when I'm getting ready for a trip back to the U.S. because packages start arriving like it's a week before Christmas.  The only downside to living in Thailand is not being able to order things online as easily without having to pay import duties, waiting for shipping and the hassle of having things clear through customs. Since I'm going back to the U.S. soon for a couple of weddings, I started ordering stuff online for it to be there in time for my return...a lot of stuff.

I've updated this post for 2017 with my new favorites, items I've bought, and how the things I bought back three years ago are still holding up and if I still recomend them or not! Keep reading for everything I currently travel with, what I bought for this 2018 trip around the world, and what I recomend. If you end up buying anything from this list, use my links below so I can get credit for sending you to amazon as an affiliate, it won't cost you any extra, and it'll give me incentives to take the time to write and update posts like this and share what I've learned. I've wasted so much time and money buying things that ended up being crap or unuseful, and have gotten some amazing recommendations on things that changed my life, so I hope to be able to spread that knowledge with some of you today!

2017 Items:

It's pretty cool knowing that things I bought 3 years ago are still mostly holding up and that are still the best out there.  Here's what's in my shopping cart for this year, which is actually all just replacements for things I bought during my trip three years ago!

Scroll down and read about each item and how it held up over 3 years of travel!

The one thing I bought that was 50% off right now is the 23 and Me Health + Ancestry DNA Test Kit which is something I've been wanting to buy since I first heard about it almost 10 years ago! I was actually going to buy it directly on 23andMe's website, but since it was cheaper on Amazon, added it to my cart there.

Here's what I bought this Black Friday: Updates Below

3 Year Update:

SoundMagic Headphones:

I mainly use headphones to listen to podcasts, but for $12 based on the reviews these seem legit, plus they come in lime green and grey/orange so I figured why not.

2017 Update: They worked well, but I prefered the basic white apple earbuds that came with iphone's for the mic.

Throne Research Vitamin D:

Dr. Alexis Shields suggested this brand so I listened.  Vitamin D's secret hack using a ton of it as soon as you start feeling ill, it's better than overloading on vitamin C for preventing colds and flus!

2017 Update: It worked wonders! This stuff is so legit that I've ordered more 3 years in a row now! The only downside is they got rid of the eye dropper and the new package is difficult to use which is why I switched this brand instead. 

Xero Shoes Barefoot Sandals:

I normally wear Luna Barefoot Sandals but these are new from Xero which is formally Invisible Shoes and are half the price so I thought I'd try them out.

2017 Update: They were so terrible I threw them away after a few uses. The Lunas are wayy better, but unfortunately as of 2017, Luna stopped making sandals with elastic backs as well.

Wahl Beard Trimmer:

I love that this trimmer is battery operated and lasts me 4+ months on two AA batteries.  Perfect for traveling.

2017 Update: I'm still using it and it works great! But It's been 3 years and is getting a bit beat up and rusty from use, for $10 I'm just going to buy another one.

Audio-Techica USB Microphone: 

This is what I use for the Travel Like a Boss Podcast, I love it so much I bought two more, one as a backup.

2017 Update: I love this mic, I've used it now to record over 100 podcast episodes and videos. Read my USB Mic reviews here.

Cards Against Humanity:

This is a fantastic board game, like Apples to Apples for adults with twisted minds =)

2017 Update: Fun game but I stopped carrying around board games as they got heavy!

HyperFlex Wetsuit Top:

I love scuba diving but I hate wearing full length wetsuits.  This 2.5mm top is perfect for keeping you warm up in 26c+ water without needing a wetsuit, plus it's light enough to travel with.

2017 Update: I loved this top and have used it throughout Thailand, Borneo and Komodo!

Samson Go Mic:

This is a tiny usb mic that I plan on keeping in my backpack at all times for impromptu podcast episodes.  The quality isn't as good as the Audio Technica ATR-2100 mic but is surprisingly good for a tiny mic.  Listen to episode 29 of the Travel Like a Boss Podcast for an example.

2017 Update: I still love the concept for traveling light with but only used it a few times. 

NB Minimus Running Shoes:

I love barefoot type shoes with 4mm of heel drop or less.  I also have super wide feet so I need to order all of my shoes online.  I normally order on Zappos.com but since I had so much free credit with Amazon I decided to buy these here.

2017 Update: These are still my favorite shoes, perfect minimal shoes and available in extra wide.

On Stage Foam Pop Filter:

Having this $2 pop filter on my mic makes the world of difference in audio quality. If you are recording a podcast use a pop filter, always.

2017 Update: Works great! It's a must have with your mic. 

Padded Mic Bag:

I used to keep my podcast mic in my backpack until it stopped working.  Mics are sensitive electronics, keep it in a padded case.

2017 Update: Works great! Still using it today.

Aeropress Coffee Maker:

After using a friend's Aeropress at the co-working space, I'm convinced that it's the best single cup coffee maker out there.  It is lightweight, portable, and the coffee tastes fantastic.  Buying the Aeropress kit and getting a metal disc filter makes it reusable and makes it so you don't need to carry around a bunch of paper filters.

2017 Update: I love this thing and have been using it almost daily for 3 years now. Metal filters are a must. 

Single Cup Coffee Drip Brewer:

Just buying this one as a backup as you can use any paper filter with these.  Super inefficient though as it wastes coffee and filters.

2017 Update: I never needed it as a backup. The Aeropress was all I needed.

Monopoly Deal:

My friend Simon gave me a set of these last year and it's the perfect travel game.  The original Monopoly Deal is more fun than the new Monopoly Millionaire Deal according to reviews.

2017 Update: It was tons of fun and I played them until they wore out, agreed that the original was more fun.

Gold Sunglasses, Gold Sharpies and Gold Playing Cards:

I just love random crap plated in gold, and these seemed like a good idea at the time. =)

2017 Update: They were fun and the playing cards were actually the best I've used in my life even without looking awesome.

Want to Know More?

Here is everything I pack when I travel! Read the full blog post here.

Here is everything I pack when I travel! 

How I got $500 in free Amazon Gift Cards:

So even though this post really was to share the things I personally use and love. I also want to help you be able to benefit in more than one way. This post is also a great example of the types of posts I make across my blogs that are truly win/win situations for everyone!

 The concept is pretty simple, in fact it's the easiest thing you can do to get started with some type of online business.  The reason I don't talk about it much is that it won't make you rich or replace your normal 9-5 income.  But it's the example I use for beginners to monetize their blogs and websites as an affiliate as it's the easiest to wrap your head around and it's truly a win/win for everyone involved.

If you buy anything from my links above, I get a 5-8% affiliate commission from Amazon, and you get an earnest recommendation of the items I've personally bought and used.

What you need to get started:

1. A Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or anything else that is popular. If you don't have one yet, join my course Blog Bum for an easy hand hold.

2. An Amazon Associates Account.

Last month's commissions from Amazon

How it works:

I show you step by step how to create affiliate accounts, get traffic to your websites and monetize your blog inside my course Income Boss.

But here's the first step just so you have an idea of what the video tutorials are like.


1. Make a recommendation on a product that you genuinely think is good, such as the new Amazon Fire TV.

2. Use your unique link that amazon gives you when signing up.  Mine for the Fire TV is:  http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-CL1130-Fire-TV/dp/B00CX5P8FC/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=amzn0ca-20&linkCode=w00&creativeASIN=B00CX5P8FC

If someone buys the product you recommended from Amazon, you get a small commission for it, usually between 5-8%.  The buyer doesn't pay any extra, so there's no reason for them not to use your link.  You can sign up for an Amazon Affiliate Account here.

Example:

Today's blog post highlighted everything I've personally bought online for the past couple of weeks. Obviously these are things I like and would recommend as these are things I bought for myself.  By simplifying using my amazon affiliate link instead of a normal link to amazon.com I get credit if someone buys any of the products above that I recomended.

So if you buy the Aeropress Coffee maker I mentioned above, I will get $2 from Amazon.  It's such a tiny amount of money, but it adds up especially since Amazon pays you commission on the entire shopping cart and not just the one item.  So if you bought the Aeropress, extra filters, and a kindle, in the same order, I would get 5% of the entire order which could be a decent amount, best of all, it's completely passive income.

So if you ever want to buy anything from Amazon, please click any of my Amazon links first, as it gives me credit for referring you, regardless of what you end up buying from amazon, even if it wasn't on my list and it doesn't cost you any extra.

This is from my best month last year

In Conclusion:

There are so many random ways to make location independant money online, and once you get started and start meeting other entrepreneurs you quickly realize how many legitimate ways there are to make money online.  My personal favorite is eCommerce and guess what, Amazon is the world's largest eCommerce store.

I hope everyone enjoyed this random post of all the stuff I bought on my little online shopping spree. Best of all, because of all of the money I've earned from amazon affiliate commissions from my podcast, this blog, my muay thai blog, and the website for my book 12 Weeks in Thailand everything I ordered above was absolutely free, except for my last order which ended up costing me $4.

Best of luck to everyone in your entrepreneurial journeys, keep in touch.






Warm Regards,

Johnny FD


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