As a general guideline, I recommend you watch a video or two about how Monero works. Don't know how strict your threat model is but it's always good to know what a tool can and cannot do.
I also recommend you run your own Monero node. MentalOutlaw explains pretty nicely why it's necessary and how to do it.
As for where to spend Monero, there used to be general indexes hosted on HackLiberty and Nowhere. But of the top of my head I can recommend XMRbazaar and ProxyStore.
In case your bored, an index of some intresting material to read.
tomb: Tomb is a minimalistic CLI based hidden file encryption tool based on Linux dm-crypt and LUKS.
In addition to its cool ass name, it also has a GUI that's called Mausoleum.
The same argument of “lawful acces to data while ensuring the rights to privacy and security” keeps popping up. I just can’t fit into my head how one can ensure my right to privacy while actively enabeling the undermining of said right. Have none of the “experts” taken Cybersecurity 101 or read just [one article detailing why it is impossible to “just let the good guys decrypt the bad guys’ encrypted data”] (https://mullvad.net/en/chatcontrol/stop-chatcontrol). Maybe I’m just missing something.
As a general guideline, I recommend you watch a video or two about how Monero works. Don't know how strict your threat model is but it's always good to know what a tool can and cannot do.
I also recommend you run your own Monero node. MentalOutlaw explains pretty nicely why it's necessary and how to do it.
As for where to spend Monero, there used to be general indexes hosted on HackLiberty and Nowhere. But of the top of my head I can recommend XMRbazaar and ProxyStore.
In case your bored, an index of some intresting material to read.