Finding a perfect pair of earbuds is no easy task, but I’m here to help you narrow down the options. No matter if you’re looking for a luxe experience with high-end noise-canceling features or just a solid pair of earbuds that’ll be able to handle all your ear sweat at the gym, I’ve got you covered.

The best noise-canceling earbuds

When it comes to the best earbuds to eliminate the racket of the outside world, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra come out on top. That said, the AirPods Pro are not very far behind and might work for Apple users because of their seamless paring and other features specific for Apple devices. If you’re looking for a more wallet-friendly choice with ANC, consider the EarFun Air Pro 3, currently $55.98 (originally $82.98). These EarFun earbuds do surprisingly well for their price point.

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra ($299)

• AirPods Pro ($189 discounted)

• EarFun Air Pro 3 ($55.98 discounted)

The best earbuds for comfort

If you plan on wearing your earbuds for a long time and want to forget they’re even there, consider the Status Between 3ANC earbuds. They are my personal favorite because of how customizable the silicone bits are, all but ensuring a great fit. Like most earbuds, you can choose between a small, medium, or large ear tip—but you can also choose the external silicone piece that lays flat against your ear.

You can choose any combination of these six pieces to get a great tight seal fit for your ear, leading to a very comfortable fit that stays on securely and gets a really crisp sound.

• Status Between 3ANC ($179 discounted)

The best earbuds for overall sound quality

Simply put, the Sony WF-1000XM5 offers the best streaming quality audio you can buy, as well as the ability to customize your sound with various EQ and personalization options in the accompanying app. If you’re looking for the Android equivalent of the AirPods Pro in terms of overall quality, these are the ones.

• Sony WF-1000XM5 ($298)

The best earbuds for working out

If you want to bring your music on a run or to the gym, the JBL Reflect Aero earbuds will hang on for dear life. These earbuds have special tips with fins for an extra secure fit on your ear. They are also rated IP68 for their dustproof and waterproof capabilities. These earbuds also have ANC and ambient sound settings, just in case need to hear your surroundings.

• JBL Reflect Aero ($99.95)

The best earbuds for battery life

Battery life a very important metric that often takes a back seat to ANC and other, sexier features. If you want the best earbuds that will last and last, then consider the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC Gen 2 earbuds. These bad boys sport a surprising 70 hours of battery life—broken down into 15 hours after a full charge and an extra 55 from the charging case. If you’re in a rush, a quick 15-minute charge will provide an hour of playtime.

• JLab Epic Air Sport ANC Gen 2 ($99.99 )

The best earbuds for showering

There aren’t really any earbuds specifically made to be used in the shower, but that doesn’t mean people don’t do it. I love to listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks when showering, and my fiancée hates it. So, to keep our relationship healthy, I’ve had to find a pair of earbuds that’ll allow me to listen to whatever I want without creating too much excess noise.

My criteria for the “best earbuds for showering” simply means they are rated at least IPX7 (waterproof) and have push/physical buttons rather than tap controls. Keep in mind that there are no earbuds made to withstand soap or shampoo, and if you’re not careful, the earbuds will eventually stop working properly. Because of this, an affordable pair like the Anker Life A1 by Soundcore are a good choice. They work well and they will not break the bank if (when) they eventually give out.

• Anker Life A1 ($49.99)

The Function101 ELEVATE stand offers a versatile way to keep your workspace organized, and it’s on sale for $44.99 right now (reg. $49) until January 14. The ELEVATE stand can expand into four different positions, and it’s made from lightweight, durable plastic with an eco-leather top surface and rubberized edge to help protect against accidental drops. You can also use the stand as a mini drafting table, raising your tablet or other drawing media for an ergonomic working surface for drawing or note-taking. 

You can get the Function101 ELEVATE Laptop and Tablet Stand on sale for $44.99 right now (reg. $40) until January 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time. 

H&R Block Tax Software Deluxe offers step-by-step guidance on tax credits and deductions, and it comes paired with an eLearning course that breaks down the basics of tax prep and finding deductions. Together, they’re on sale for $39.99 right now (reg $299).

The software includes five free federal e-files, unlimited federal preparation, and audit support, along with free in-person assistance in case of an audit. Users also get access to a large database of articles, FAQs, and tax preparation tips, along with the ability to import last year’s tax return data from TurboTax. The accompanying 2023 Tax Preparation & Deduction Bundle comes with 15 courses and covers a range of topics, including taxes for small businesses, tax credits for families, and using QuickBooks. All courses are available for life. 

You can get the H&R Block Tax Software Deluxe and the tax prep eLearning course on sale together for $39.99 right now, though prices can change at any time.

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for January 9, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is probably medium difficulty, although I used all six of my guesses getting there, so most of you will probably beat me. Beware, there are spoilers below for January 9, Wordle #934! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

All five letters are common ones today! 

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

I’m thinking of makeup…or maybe a cruise ship.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

Nope!

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels today.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with L.

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with R.

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is LINER.

How I solved today’s Wordle

ARISE got some yellows, TOUCH got nothing, so I considered the _I_ER family. I decided to guess FIVER, since the V would tell me if I might be looking at a word like RIVER or DIVER. No hits there, so I was left with possibilities like BIKER, MINER, PIPER, and WIDER. I went with PANDA next to rule out some of those consonants, and got the N. We’re down to MINER or LINER, so I guessed the one and then (phew!) the other.

Wordle 934 6/6

⬜🟨🟨⬜🟨
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: 

• Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

Most of us probably have some sort of financial resolution to spend less, and save more. But the idea of “cutting back on spending” can be abstract and hard to achieve. It’s like saying you want to “learn how to cook” without ever picking out a recipe or buying the necessary ingredients. Instead, try starting small with one specific, attainable goal to give a whirl this year: A “no-spend” weekend.

It’s exactly what it sounds like: Go 48 hours without handing over any cash or swiping any card. A no-spend weekend can be a great way to reset your finances, avoid impulse purchases, and appreciate what you already have. With some planning and self-control, you can go an entire weekend without spending any money. Here are some tips to make your no-spend weekend a success.

Plan ahead

Giving yourself time to prepare is key. Make a list of everything you’ll need for the weekend—food, entertainment, gas, etc.—and purchase necessary items ahead of time. Meal prep and stock up on groceries on Friday so you don’t need to go to the store. You don’t need to be a great cook to make good, cheap food.

Don’t go overboard, of course, or else you risk spending more money than you would have over the course of the weekend anyways. Your goal here is make sure you have everything you need—and nothing you don’t. This weekend is about removing the temptation to buy impulsively or throw money at an extra round of drinks you don’t really need.

Find free activities

Look up free events happening locally, like outdoor concerts, museum days or hiking trails. Search online event calendars and local blogs. You can have fun experiences without spending.

Leave cash at home

Carry only what you absolutely need for the weekend. If you have extra cash in your wallet, you’re more likely to make exceptions and spend “just a little.” Leave it at home so it’s not burning a hole in your pocket.

Stay away from temptation

Don’t torture yourself by hanging around places you like to spend money, like your favorite store or café. The temptation to spend “just a few bucks” could be too great. Find activities in areas without too many shops and restaurants. And if you planned well, grocery shopping on Sunday can wait.

If you find yourself reaching for your wallet, consider taking a beat and making an argument for it. I don’t just mean in your head: Physically write down a convincing argument for why you need this thing during your no-spend weekend. Otherwise, push it off to Monday. You may find that your urge to buy the thing has worn off anyway.

Be transparent about your budget

There are two main perks to letting those around you know that you’re sticking to a budget. First off, good friends will respect your boundaries and be less likely to pressure you into spending more than you’re comfortable with.

Secondly, you’ll be more likely to hold yourself accountable. Rather than feeling the pressure to spend, you’ll feel pressure to save. The key here is to be casual, but firm. You don’t want others to feel like you’re complaining, asking for help, or passing judgment on their spending habits.

Reward yourself (a little) afterward

When you make it through the weekend without spending, treat yourself a little. For any sort of restriction to really work, you need to be flexible and gentle with yourself, too. Otherwise, you risk financial bingeing—overspending or avoiding budgets altogether. Forming a healthy relationship with money means indulging thoughtfully. Ask yourself, “How do I expect this purchase will make me feel? What do I want it to make me feel? What feelings am I trying to avoid by buying it?”

If nothing else, a no-spend (or barely-spend) weekend is all about becoming a more conscientious spender. But with smart preparation and avoiding temptations, you can absolutely go 48 hours without spending money.

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You can get a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning on sale for $149.97 right now (reg. $599) during this two-day flash sale that ends January 10, though prices can change at any time.