I like this question because I come at it from a very different lifestyle. I’m a digital nomad and I have mostly lived out of a backpack and carry on for the past 10 years. My philosophy is that things have to be worth carrying and they should be very easily replaceable if anything gets lost, stolen or breaks. A few of my under $100 favs:
Universal GaN travel adapter:
One of those square bricks that converts from any AC outlet to any AC outlet and has 3 or 4 USB charging ports built in. I got enough wattage to charge my usb-c laptop as well, so one brick takes care of all my devices.
Backup android phone:
Our phones are so critical that I keep a hot swappable spare phone on me, currently a Moto G 2025. It’s already logged into all my apps and 2FA. I could throw my iPhone into the Seine and keep on trucking. It even has backup NFC credit cards. I keep a cheap travel eSim plan active on it so that if I am somewhere sketchy I can leave my main phone at home.
Logitech MX Keys Mini:
Great portable keyboard. Backlit, usb c and multi-device. Typing this post out on my phone now.
GL-iNet Beryl:
The do anything travel VPN router running OpenWRT out of the box. Great for securing and extending sketchy WiFi connections or if you have to work off your phone’s hotspot all day.
Decathalon Quecha Escape 500 23L:
Such a great personal item size backpack for the price, less than 40 euros.
This is a fantastic, fantastic backpack. I use it when flying and it fits perfectly in the Ryanair & co limits. I took one for each of my kids and all together we pack everything needed for a week+.
This is a personal item size bag for under the seat. The max size on Ryanair is 24 liters. You are thinking of the cabin bag which is more like 44 liters. This Decathlon bag is great because it maxes out the personal item size really optimally.
Hmmm. I flew last week and it was fine. They were checking most of the bags (they now have an incentive to find bags above the limits) and asked me to put mine in the metal case. It went in (reluctantly) and after shaking the whole device to get my bag out I was let go.
+1 I tried the backup android phone thing and I got blocked from logging into my Chase and Fidelity apps on my phone!!! Took like 2 weeks with support and a visit to a physical bank branch to resolve the issue.
Universal GaN travel adapter"
I actually realized that it's better just having simple adapters, which take up very little space, because the brick tends to fall of the plug.
I'll save everyone two hrs of research: rolling square currently makes the worlds SMALLEST 65w GAN adapter, game changer for macbooks and travel or everyday carry bag
It's about an inch square in all dimensions with a folding plug - amazing.
* A USB KVM that lets me share my keyboard/mouse/webcam between my two computers (work and personal), and switch at the press of a button.
* One of those IKEA wall-mounted grate things (SKÅDIS) that you can hang stuff to. IKEA sells hooks for it that turn out to be the perfect size to hold a PS4 controller securely, plus various boxes and mini-shelves that have helped declutter my desk.
* A cheap bluetooth-connected Xiaomi temperature/humidity sensor. You're supposed to use it with the Xiaomi app, but turns out those devices just broadcast their data as an unencrypted BLE feed, so I can just intercept it with a Raspberry Pi and redirect the data to my own Postgres+Grafana setup for recording and monitoring.
This thread is going to be very contextual. I'm currently sailing on a small sailboat, and hence the items will be quite different than what would be useful ashore:
* Wacaco Nanopresso - manual espresso pump. Great coffee anywhere off-the-grid. We also have their grinder but that's not listed as it is above the $100 threshold
* Klean Kanteen insulated water bottle - fill up from watermaker
water, stays nice and cool
* Seeed T1000-e: waterproof Meshtastic radio that allows me to communicate with our boat and crew also when out of cell coverage
* Shelly 1: WiFi/Thread relay that makes it easy to automate navigation lights and other circuits
* Ruuvi Tag: waterproof battery-powered Bluetooth temperature/humidity/pressure sensor. Battery lasts arpund two years. We have a few of these around the boat, including one in the fridge
I should get one of those Ruuvi Tag...I use a similar cheap Xiaomi sensor currently but the battery doesn't last anywhere as long (probably because it has an LCD screen and isn't made to broadcast via BLE continuously).
Rechargable, motion sensing led strips for inside my wardrobe. Not a big thing but improved my ability to find things no-end. The only issue is they don't turn on when it is light enough to see and we slightly disagree on how light that is.
Ceramic head tweezers. ~$3 on AliExpress, indispensable for some tasks.
An import die grinder that cost about the same as a new power switch for my Dremel. More powerful, better speed control, better chuck.
The dirt cheap rechargable die grinders. Noisy, not much torque, but cheap enough that you can have a few lying around for odd-jobs. Their low power also means they lack the ability to completely destroy your work in 0.3 seconds. Whereas the one mentioned above managed to shear off a shaft spinning in air when I accidentally turned it up instead of off.
Generaly replacing anything AAA powered by rechargable USBc
What's the brand of LED strip? I got several battery-powered motion sensor LED bars on AliExpress for use in closets. After the first charge they lasted maybe three weeks, then they rapidly faded, and no longer last more than maybe a day, so I've taken them out. I'm curious to hear if there are high quality versions, maybe something that can run off regular AA or AAA batteries so they can be changed when they inevitably burn out.
Speaking of tweezers on AliExpress: I love my $5.99 nail clippers that collect the clippings in a small compartment so they don't fly off everywhere. Super solid stainless steel construction that's considerably nicer than the cheap classic clippers I already had; it it had "Swiss made" on it or something I would have believed them. The ones I found are in a store called OURINER, but there are lots of weird brands making the same thing.
I just selected a bunch on AliExpress. Some were microUSB some were USBC. Some were a bit temperamental about charging. I usually take that approach with the really cheap items getting things from multiple suppliers so that at least one works. In general the worst I have received is poor quality items, nothing completely broken or fake yet*
I got two seemingly identical super bright panels and one now emits only 5% of the light. They look the same, have been run in the same conditions (and indeed the same housing now) run parallel off the same source. The other one is as bright as when I got it. Maybe one dodgy LED bringing the team down? I'm not yet skilled enough to diagnose problems like that.
*except for the time the store sent me a message to say I should cancel the order because they ran out. I couldn't find anywhere in the ever changing AliExpress user interface to cancel the item, so they sent me an allen key, I logged it as "item not as described" and they paid the refund.
You probably bought the same ones I did. How long have you had them for? They were awesome initially, but as I said, they quickly lost their charge, and it happened to all of them (but to varying degrees).
Second the rechargeable motion sensing led strips! Dime a dozen on Ali Express. I have them in all the hallways in my house, garden shed, at the front door so I am not fumbling with my keys in the dark. If you mount them with the supplied adhesive magnets you can take them with you as a torch, feels like you are using a minecraft torch.
Particularly a long one if you'd like to avoid bending down at all when putting on slip-ons. Of course they are primarily great for saving the backs of your shoes. The IKEA one is perfect (at least for 6'1" me).
Every time I move, I lose mine and get annoyed for years until I buy a new one, then get further annoyed because I waited so long to splurge on a $3 stick.
Yes, good callout! The one from IKEA is metal (usually not an IKEA fan but some good stuff like this and it's under $100, but of course there are tons of other options).
OH SNAP! Well then, maybe there will be a new one in my future! I haven't had mine very long and really enjoying it which is why it popped right into mind as a response to this post.
James Hoffman's pourover and immersion dripper recipes are less muss and fuss, I would say, while still producing coffee that's far better than average.
While on the topic of James Hoffman and coffee, a <$100 device I'd nominate is the insulated heated mugs. I believe he tested the Ember Mug but there are competing models. For those who tend to drink their coffee while working, it's quite a decadent feeling to take a sip without ever having the unanticipated shock of your coffee having gone cold and having to trundle over to the microwave to warm it up (in my case sometimes more than once).
I’ve tried most of the coffee making tools and fads, including the above mentioned recipe. I’ve spent thousands and hours and hours of time chasing the feeling others like you describe.
It was so easy for me to go back to a cheap drip coffee maker and pre-ground coffee. I realized that I’ll never appreciate the flavors and process as much as the investment would call for.
My dad is adamant that coffee beans should only be ground right before use because the resulting coffee tastes so much better. I, on the other hand, can't taste a bit of difference; there's no way I could pick out the pre-ground coffee in a blind taste test.
Aeropress is great. If you like a large mug of coffee have a try of the Clever Dripper. Had Aeropress at home and CD at work and eventually bought a CD for home because it’s so good.
Minecraft $26.95. Thousands of hours of gameplay.
Ear Fun Free Pro 3 $50 wireless earbuds. Great sound, quick pairing, good noise cancelling, in-app equalizer, great price. Probably buy direct from them, bought from Woot! Amazon once and didn't get a very good model.
Web Video Caster $5. I stream tons of content and this lets me connect to just about anything. You can use it for free with ads.
Cloudflare domain ~$10/year. Cheapest domain prices and cloudflare works great for everything for me.
Harmonica $5. I just keep it in my bag and use it whenever I'm outside alone, keeps me off the phone.
Fidget spinner $1. The lighter the better imo.
Also my mouse, battery pack, and I love those lazy cell phone holders ~$10 you can put around your neck.
A 10 foot USB C cable. It reaches anywhere in the room. I can charge my phone in any position in bed. I only recently 'splurged' on this $10 item and it is the best thing ever.
A Casio Watch. I no longer have to pull out my smartphone just to get the current time. It also shows current date and weekday. It has a button to activate light so I can easily read the time when it is dark without getting flashed by my smartphone screen. I also use the countdown timer frequently for cooking or as short term reminder. The battery lasts for years. No "smart" functions like getting the news, messages from friends or email notifications. You can put it underwater, swim or shower with it and it still works.
I think I'm still using a version that was on a magazine coverdisk that was weirdly distributed as a full-version freebie to advertise the release of the all new lock-in edition.
How do Darn Toughs compare? I've managed to wear through 8 pairs of costco wool socks without loosing any, so the idea of a lifetime warranty sounds promising.
I cover thousands of miles a year on my feet. Darn Tough socks live up to the name. I've never put a single hole in them. I've torn up socks from most other brands in a few hundred miles.
After a failed apartment search, I set to make my current apartment as comfortable as possible. These are my game changers:
- French press and v60. Coffee became a ritual I look forward to, not something I drink to achieve a goal.
- Speakers and amp. I got mine used. They are over 50 years old. The amp is a gorgeous object. Listening to music became a full activity. I do it with my coffee. I cannot overstate how much better it feels.
- Wiim Mini. Airplay for 70 year old speakers
- Plants. They make the whole space look better and give you a sense of the passage of time.
- Good pillows, soft sheets. The best of ikea’s sheets is already a massive upgrade. So soft!
- Motion activated leds. It’s nice to reach into the pantry and get light, or use the toilet at night without being blinded. They are magnetic and charge with USB C.
- Robot vacuum. I have a used Roborock S5 that keeps the whole flat spotless at the press of a button.
For example "Bath Royale Slow Close Toilet Seat" is between $60 and $70.
I stayed in AirBnB in 2021 with soft close seats and I don't know why, but for everyone in my family it felt like a luxury/comfort item. Knowing that there won't be bang, especially at night, especially with small kids, makes a difference. I'd never thought it would unless I stayed at that AirBnB.
They're just so much sharper and more pleasant to use than your average drug store nail clippers, you can really feel the quality. I can barely stand regular nail clippers now.
Some of my best purchases were outdoor clothing I bought some 7 years ago on a whim. I constantly regret not getting some 10 of them, and sadly they don't make these anymore.
- Thermal inner pants from Berghaus
- Knitted thermal jacket from Salewa
A travel magsafe stand for flights has been really nice. Here's the one I have, but there's lots of options: https://a.co/d/18k9eCa
I use it with both my phone and also the Steam Deck (with a magsafe sticker). Obviously I could use either device just holding them, but it's more relaxing to do it this way.
That happens in every hobby. There's always people declaring themselves king of some hill and making things toxic. I've been in a lot of hobby organisations and it's always the same. In a commercial organisation these people get reported to HR and kicked out but volunteer orgs are much less likely to throw out someone who does a lot of work for free.
I've seen it in ham clubs, makerspaces, etc. It's just what happens. The best thing is having a rock solid code of conduct.
And yeah it's technically interesting though I really miss it being on the bleeding edge. That hasn't been the case for decades. The commercial world can send a gigabit per second to a phone but we're stuck with 9600 baud APRS (or 1200 even sometimes)
Sleep buds (flat earbuds you can lie comfortably in). Mine were dirt cheap ones built in to sleeping mask off eBay. Def helped my sleep patterns when I started using Audible on a 30 minute sleep timer with them.
Kindle. Reawakened my inner book-worm many years ago. Library in a pocket. Don't use it so much tho since Audible.
Good quality (sturdy and high lumen) compact tactical torch.
Neither, just cheap flat earphones that come in a headband or sleeping mask. I used the term "Sleep buds" as that is what most people will be familiar with as the idea, but they don't go in the ear.
Plenty of no-name ones on eBay for years before Bose took an interest. An example brand though is Musicozy if you want to search. I don't have that brand though and can't testify to them (thinness of phones will be important and will vary between brands).
Ofc mine won't be of similar audio quality to the ones you mention but they are fine for my use at night.
A high quality, low latency, battery powered bluetooth rx/tx device. The one I bought years ago is the Boltune BT-BA001. [0] It is easily my most used inexpensive piece of electronics.
Use cases:
1. Make your stereo system bluetooth, this includes a nice new pair of powered monitors, or a vintage 70's system.
2. You have an older car, want bluetooth but appreciate high quality audio.
3. You want to make your wired headphones wireless.
4. Buy 2, and make a low latency wireless audio link.
These things are super cool, and are now only $30.
~€25, Moondrop Chu 2 headphones. Really good quality for the price, with a bit of care have lasted me for ~3 years now. When one side was going quieter, I could unscrew and clean it. The clear plastic cord is yellowing now unfortunately, will try to buy a new one.
~€80, Anbernic RG35XXSP: Handheld games console that runs (mostly) open source linux distros. Reinvigorated my retro gaming on the go when the OG consoles are too inconvenient to carry around and emulating on a phone just feels bad. Having syncthing on-device means I'll never lose my saves again, and putting new games on it is as easy as dragging and dropping on my PC.
~€5, Mini media keyboard from aliexpress (just any, really): It works like garbage, but I never realized how badly I needed a remote with access to all of the MPV shortcuts for when I hook up my laptop to the TV.
Im having alot of fun with my new RTL-SDR dongle and Baofeng radio. I pretty quickly found SDR++ which really deepend the rabbit hole and generated about 1000 new questions.
A few weeks ago I knew nothing about radio or ham, but im learning alot and having fun. Its been a good distraction from "stuff".
Ham radio is a huge rabbit hole. It's a hobby full of other hobbies within. One of the most fun parts for me is Summits on the Air (SOTA).
You take a small portable HF transceiver up a mountain summit and attempt to make at least 4 contacts. You get points for "activating" the summit and folks at home get points for "hunting" you. You can also spot yourself online and sometimes you'll have a bunch of people from around the world trying to make contact with you.
My latest favorite gadget is a Wuben G5 light. Very compact, very bright, and has lots of handy features like a swivel and magnet. $20 on Amazon right now.
I have 3 for myself as I like to keep them around the house. I've also bought a couple as gifts for my sons who both really liked them.
Neat looking flashlight! Can you turn it on and off without having to cycle through other modes? One thing I dislike about a lot of LED flashlights is having to go through dim, strobe, etc. modes before I can turn the light back off.
New soles and overall cleaning + disinfecting of my Vivobarefoot winter boots. I'm so happy they came up with a repair programme for many of their models, it prolongs the EOL of my foot ware by many years https://www.revivo.com/how-we-repair. It's $ 104.53 as of this posts currency exchange but I think it still counts?
You're welcome. If you are in search of new minimalist winter boots, they also offer a secondhand shop with all shoes refurbished and disinfected. I bought hiking boots there for 1/3 of the price and apart from a few scratches in the leather they are top. They would've gotten the scratches anyways, so good deal for me.
I love my Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse since it completely fixed my wrist pain. Also it can memorize 3 different Bluetooth connections and toggle between them via a small button on the bottom.
Sonicare Electric Toothbrush. My grandmother bought me my first one in the 90s. I’m on my third, and that’s only because I take them backpacking. It’s my 1 luxury item on the trail. I know much of it is genetics, but a morning and evening cleaning make my teeth feel amazing and have helped me stay cavity free.
Yeah, I lost the tooth genetics race. Brush twice a day, floss 3-4 times a day, still have cavities every visit to the dentist, and need a full on root canal and crown every few years.
Both of my parents have lost half of their adult teeth even though they take care of them, abstain from sugar and processed and/or acidic foods/drinks.
Thermal underwear. Entering the 10th year of a 30 euro Helly Hansen long underpants that keeps me warm half the year.
Raspberry Pi 4 that served as my daily driver for around three years.
A couple of dumbbells that got me started with weight training, and kept me going during covid. Together with the basic equipment that I later bought, it saved me hundreds and hundreds of euros in gym memberships.
Best purchase under 10 euros is a simple cube with blank memo notes, that I use for grocery shopping and all kinds of other to do lists.
It's been fantastic. The mouse puts my hand in a natural "handshake" position, which has cut down on the wrist strain I used to get after long hours of work or browsing.
Azumaya brand kotatsu futons are now my favorite blankets for both sleeping and using around the house, and some of them at least are around $100.
They're fairly thick and very comfortable blankets, I love these way more than any other blankets we have (and we own quite a few different kinds). I'm seriously considering trying out other kotatsu blanket brands too, even the really expensive ones.
Price has gone up a lot, but briefly, multiseat program. Instead of buying a separate gaming/media system, bought one much more powerful system and split it into 2 systems. Setup kind of PIA, but worth it while needed it.
Split single computer into multiple independent workplaces, i.e. plug in 2 monitors, 2 mouse, 2 keyboards and 2 users can use same computer at once. The program I used was ASTER multiseat.
It's software that lets you plug in 2-12 sets of inputs and monitors and let 2-12 users use one machine simultaneously. I spent 70% of cost of 2 mid tier system on a single system highend machine which ends up much more flexible / less idle.
LectroFan Classic - Portable fan sounds and noise machine (I have mine set to pink noise). Wife and I use it nightly to drown out distractions. Even pack it with us on vacation now for hotel rooms.
probably one of those super bright one AAA battery keychain flashlights (~$12). Because its attached to your keys you always have it with you, and the smaller and brighter flashlights get, the more useful they become somehow. I'm not kidding, these things are blindingly bright.
I've never actually compared so I don't know if there's a better one for the price but the one I bought was "Zealsound RGB Recording Microphone With Articulated Arm/USB Condenser Mic with Tripod"
The sound quality doesn't feel crazy but definitely usable for anything I need. Also seems to filter out my laptop fan noise which is much appreciated
Sleep:
- wax earplugs
- buckwheat pillow
- a pillow that goes between my knees (I'm a side sleeper)
Above combo has made 6 hour sleep feel like 8 hours and 8 hours feel like I can go the rest of my life without sleep in the morning
Fitness:
- gymnastic rings: ultraportable and ultrascalable (from arthretic grandma level to olympic athlete level) workout. I have two pairs and I'm thinking about buying another one.
Fun:
- someone already mentioned minecraft lol
- wireless buds, I have Jlabs go air pop and I sometimes prefer them over my trusty Sennheisers HD 600
- Ibanez rg565 genesis desert yellow (add another 0 to 100 dollars but I bought it in installments so, technically, I paid less than 100 dollars for it per month, worth it, you can shred the absolute fuck out of it)
Health:
- good sunglasses (cat 3 or even better cat 4)
- omega 3 and vitamin d : important if you live in unhabitable, gray and cold regions of earth (like eastern europe)
Education:
- Anki, free for pc and android, cheap for iphones
Leatherman skeletool knife. Small, rugged, has just the right number of tools on it. I’ve had one for about ten years and it goes in my pocket every day. The one time I managed to break the pliers on it by abusing them really badly, Leatherman replaced the tool under warranty no questions asked.
Probably some wood working tool, guess if I had to pick it would be my ECE Wedge set smooth plane since it is my most used tool by a long shot and it taught me a great deal about using planes.
I'm actually jealous of the people that have answers to this questions because I can't come up with any answer even if you multiplied the amount by a 1000.
I want to use silicone bowls and lids, but silicone dishes always come out sticky and cloudy out of the dishwasher (even with rinse aid, whole house filtered water and extra rinse/wash cycles). Other dishes don't have this problem. What's your secrete for this?
I have one (NUSTE brand on Amazon) that has a built-in rechargeable battery. It takes up much less room than some I've had.
The ones that plug in to a lighter socket (which sometimes require the car to be running or the ignition switch in ACC position), or have to be clipped to the car battery are not as convenient.
We bicycle a lot. I went with a Bosch USB c handheld compressor. Recommended although non replaceable batteries is a worry in the medium/long term. No trouble for the first two years.
Be careful buying those, and test them on multiple tires IMMEDIATELY.
I bought a series from Slime brand; every one failed within two tire inflates. Went to Harbor Freight, and bought their most expensive one; it has earned the price since (still under $100).
Garbanzo/chickpea flour. When I get hungry, I mix 1/2 cup with 1/2 cup water, some olive oil, some garlic powder, some herbs, some marinera, throw it in into the convection oven in a pie tin 8 minutes, then on the rack 5 minutes, and have a warm, protein/gut healthy fiber rich snack.
Plug in seat heater for my mom's old Jeep XJ that I restored.
Long johns for under my jeans. Wool socks (the socks I just get generic off Amazon).
If you are comfortable with a hand grinder, Porlex grinders [1] [2] are excellent. I use one to make a coarse grind for the french press. It's gotten used 4-7 times per week for the last 5+ years and still going strong.
On topic of best purchases under $100, suppose you regularly boil water for coffee or pasta but don't own an electric kettle, consider investing in a cheap white plastic kettle for $5. Fast and energy efficient way to turn electrical energy into boiling water.
I think _good_ depends on your expectations. We have the eureka mignon hacked with a bigger dial and custom burs. Still not amazing consistency. Looking to upgrade in the next few years.
A no name Espresso machine. I got it as a gift but I doubt it was much more than $100. It works great. I had always assumed I would regret not buying a super expensive one, but it turns out you can have great espresso for not much money.
You can have great espresso for cheap(er) but $100 seems suspiciously low. Manual espresso is about the best bang for you buck possible, but that stretches to $200 or more depending on how fancy you want to get.
Small things, mostly from skimming my amazon history. Nothing crazy, but all of these make my everyday life... smoother. Things that were a little bit annoying are invisible now. It stacks up. Raw links, no affiliates or trackers.
* Hakko FX888D soldering iron. I used to hate soldering, and it always came out awful. Perfect soldering is effortless now. It's a delight.
* Oxo 5lb kitchen scale (or anything similar). Cooking in metric is just sane. Excellent for bread.
* The Speakman S-2251 showerhead, with the flow regulator pried out. Was 100 when bought, 3x that now. Reddit voted it the most powerful and high quality showerhead. If you like that kind of thing, it's still worth it at 300.
* Schlage BE365 deadbolts. Can be found on sale under 100. Keyless door entry, supports multiple codes, not smart or connected in any way, battery lasts years.
* Velcro cable ties of various lengths. Every cable in my closet is orderly, and when you're done with one, it never sprawls or tangles.
* ESP32S3 boards. Drastically lowers the activation threshold for oneoff web-connected silliness.
* These little [dimmable lights](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4Q4D5VP) (in amber). Warm colored, layered lighting all over the house. Huge vibe upgrade.
* [Dimmer leashes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DL7V3CM). These sit between plug and outlet, and provide a separate 6ft cable with a dimmer switch on the end. I use them on my desk to control my zoom lighting, and in bed to dim my shelf lights without getting up.
* Multi-packs of small tools. We have a dozen pairs of scissors, box cutters, etc floating around. Sharpies and mechanical pencils in ~100 packs. Place around the house. It's very nice to not have to look far for these.
* [Masking tape](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R28DGHM) and stickers in many rainbow colors. Useful for knowing EG which cable goes to the PS5 (blue) vs xbox (green).
* [Giant digital clock](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCVV8J98) w/ date, day of week, and temperature. Ended up buying more for other parts of the house because I got so used to looking for it.
* [Ratcheting adjustable belt](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VDMFZB2?) Also loops the belt tip onto the inside, not the outside. The idea of having a belt with adjustment intervals of inches instead of mms, with a tip that flops on the outside feels very silly now.
>The Speakman S-2251 showerhead, with the flow regulator pried out. Was 100 when >bought, 3x that now.
Holy molly! You aren't kidding. I literally have one laying around in my bathroom cabinet that I bought during Covid for, I wanna say, $60? I used it for about a month or two before I decided I liked my previous shower head better (Kohler Forté).
Also, I'm curious why it is so common recommendation across the internet to take out the flow regulators. Even see it mentioned in Amazon reviews. It is bypassing regulations and selfish. It defeats the purpose of everyone doing their part to cut down their water usage, especially in areas that really need it (Arizona, Nevada and California). I still have mine in at 1.75gpm and it rinses me fine. No one needs the Kramer "Commando 450" force.
I'd nursed a foot callus for years that hurt badly when I walked barefoot. Weeks ago, sitting on the locker room bench, I hit my limit. In desperation I pulled out my pocket knife to do some field surgery. A few minutes into it I glanced up to see two guys sitting across the room staring at me open-eyed as I dug into my foot with the tip of that pointy knife (8.5" with 3.5" blade)! I just smiled and dug that sucker out.
Should have gone after that callus a year ago! Amazing how such a tiny thing can aggravate.
But you're right about a knife alarming people. Years ago in another life I opened a similar knife to cut a cable and my boss literally jumped backward and exclaimed in fear. But he came from a place where, when someone pulls out a knife someone else usually gets stabbed.
They were probably just envious you were rocking a Kershaw Iridium Dessert Warrior. Which also comes in at under $100. And the Iridium family are pretty nice knives.
Tangentially, if that callus was a plantar callus (circular with a painful point in the center), you can get sticky pads with salicylic acid from the drugstore that will gradually destroy it. Much safer than digging into your foot with a knife, but I'm glad to hear it worked for you!
Yes, I didn't know WTF was there but over the years it had grown beyond annoying , becoming so painful I couldn't tolerate it. I thought perhaps something (a splinter, piece of glass or steel, etc.) had become embedded in my foot. I was determined to dig it out. I'm tall and not flexible so I cannot easily see all of the bottom of my foot. But I can reach it.
The callus was surprisingly small (~1/2") and came out in one piece after about 10 minutes of work. Nothing embedded. No bleeding, just a lot of knife-wiggling. The bottom of the foot is really tough!
There used to be a beefier version that was just perfect; despite over two decades of abuse (dropping off ladders onto sidewalks, letting children play with them...) my first pair is still going strong.
Now you can only buy slimmer knock-offs, but they're still great. Needle nose, std pliers, hex pliers, and wire strippers in a single, rugged tool.
I'm sure it depends where one lives, but if your drinking water is safe there's no real reason to boil the water except for proper steeping.
I definitely use boiling water with my bagged breakfast tea, but boiling is too hot for white and green tea (especially fancier teas), and boiling water "scorches" the "delicate flavors" (using quotes since I'm sure there are better / nicer words than those), so you want to steep at 80C or lower depending on the tea, the quantity the vessel, and the process.
Yes, it's just really nice to be able to push a button and have it hold at the right temperature; sort of like how boiling water on the stove or in the microwave and using an electric kettle are functionally equivalent but the kettle is way more convenient.
Some teas steep at less than boiling temperature. And I imagine the tea itself may have more risk of microbes depending on how it is stored, and that the temperature drops way below boiling almost immediately upon pouring out.
I wonder if any studies have been done on this....
Some teas(white and green particularly) are better brewed well under boiling, but even those lower temps kill 99.9...% of pathogens in a few seconds(vs a fraction of a second at full boiling)
I like this question because I come at it from a very different lifestyle. I’m a digital nomad and I have mostly lived out of a backpack and carry on for the past 10 years. My philosophy is that things have to be worth carrying and they should be very easily replaceable if anything gets lost, stolen or breaks. A few of my under $100 favs:
Universal GaN travel adapter: One of those square bricks that converts from any AC outlet to any AC outlet and has 3 or 4 USB charging ports built in. I got enough wattage to charge my usb-c laptop as well, so one brick takes care of all my devices.
Backup android phone: Our phones are so critical that I keep a hot swappable spare phone on me, currently a Moto G 2025. It’s already logged into all my apps and 2FA. I could throw my iPhone into the Seine and keep on trucking. It even has backup NFC credit cards. I keep a cheap travel eSim plan active on it so that if I am somewhere sketchy I can leave my main phone at home.
Logitech MX Keys Mini: Great portable keyboard. Backlit, usb c and multi-device. Typing this post out on my phone now.
GL-iNet Beryl: The do anything travel VPN router running OpenWRT out of the box. Great for securing and extending sketchy WiFi connections or if you have to work off your phone’s hotspot all day.
Decathalon Quecha Escape 500 23L: Such a great personal item size backpack for the price, less than 40 euros.
This is a fantastic, fantastic backpack. I use it when flying and it fits perfectly in the Ryanair & co limits. I took one for each of my kids and all together we pack everything needed for a week+.
Isn't Ryanair limit more like 40l?
This is a personal item size bag for under the seat. The max size on Ryanair is 24 liters. You are thinking of the cabin bag which is more like 44 liters. This Decathlon bag is great because it maxes out the personal item size really optimally.
I use the 32 L (https://www.decathlon.fr/p/sac-a-dos-de-randonnee-multi-poch...) as the "under the seat" luggage and it fits into the metal template.
I use the 32 L (https://www.decathlon.fr/p/sac-a-dos-de-randonnee-multi-poch...) as the "under the seat" luggage and it fits into the metal template.
Well, small cabin bag is now 40x30x20, so that 32l is too big: https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-gb/categories/12489112419089-...
Hmmm. I flew last week and it was fine. They were checking most of the bags (they now have an incentive to find bags above the limits) and asked me to put mine in the metal case. It went in (reluctantly) and after shaking the whole device to get my bag out I was let go.
The backup phone is a good idea, I do this too but unfortunately some banking apps refuse to allow more than one "authorized device" for 2FA :/
+1 I tried the backup android phone thing and I got blocked from logging into my Chase and Fidelity apps on my phone!!! Took like 2 weeks with support and a visit to a physical bank branch to resolve the issue.
Universal GaN travel adapter" I actually realized that it's better just having simple adapters, which take up very little space, because the brick tends to fall of the plug.
I'll save everyone two hrs of research: rolling square currently makes the worlds SMALLEST 65w GAN adapter, game changer for macbooks and travel or everyday carry bag
It's about an inch square in all dimensions with a folding plug - amazing.
Awesome list. Do you publish more somewhere? Great stuff and thought processes.
Backup phone, vpn router, etc.
Thank you
Great list (totally agree with backup phone). I now want to know your 100+ gadgets
Anki: $25 on iOS, free for Android https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ankimobile-flashcards/id373493...
140W Anker charger: like an Apple laptop charger, but with 4 ports instead of one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFCH3C4W
Nu-Salt: for those of us trying to avoid sodium, but still wanting to add salt to food https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MVJTL81
Mineral sunscreen stick: very portable, no mess https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CICLTAI
Waterpik: great alternative to dental floss https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DV7RJ9RK
* A USB KVM that lets me share my keyboard/mouse/webcam between my two computers (work and personal), and switch at the press of a button.
* One of those IKEA wall-mounted grate things (SKÅDIS) that you can hang stuff to. IKEA sells hooks for it that turn out to be the perfect size to hold a PS4 controller securely, plus various boxes and mini-shelves that have helped declutter my desk.
* A cheap bluetooth-connected Xiaomi temperature/humidity sensor. You're supposed to use it with the Xiaomi app, but turns out those devices just broadcast their data as an unencrypted BLE feed, so I can just intercept it with a Raspberry Pi and redirect the data to my own Postgres+Grafana setup for recording and monitoring.
This thread is going to be very contextual. I'm currently sailing on a small sailboat, and hence the items will be quite different than what would be useful ashore:
* Wacaco Nanopresso - manual espresso pump. Great coffee anywhere off-the-grid. We also have their grinder but that's not listed as it is above the $100 threshold
* Klean Kanteen insulated water bottle - fill up from watermaker water, stays nice and cool
* Seeed T1000-e: waterproof Meshtastic radio that allows me to communicate with our boat and crew also when out of cell coverage
* Shelly 1: WiFi/Thread relay that makes it easy to automate navigation lights and other circuits
* Ruuvi Tag: waterproof battery-powered Bluetooth temperature/humidity/pressure sensor. Battery lasts arpund two years. We have a few of these around the boat, including one in the fridge
I should get one of those Ruuvi Tag...I use a similar cheap Xiaomi sensor currently but the battery doesn't last anywhere as long (probably because it has an LCD screen and isn't made to broadcast via BLE continuously).
Rechargable, motion sensing led strips for inside my wardrobe. Not a big thing but improved my ability to find things no-end. The only issue is they don't turn on when it is light enough to see and we slightly disagree on how light that is.
Ceramic head tweezers. ~$3 on AliExpress, indispensable for some tasks.
An import die grinder that cost about the same as a new power switch for my Dremel. More powerful, better speed control, better chuck.
The dirt cheap rechargable die grinders. Noisy, not much torque, but cheap enough that you can have a few lying around for odd-jobs. Their low power also means they lack the ability to completely destroy your work in 0.3 seconds. Whereas the one mentioned above managed to shear off a shaft spinning in air when I accidentally turned it up instead of off.
Generaly replacing anything AAA powered by rechargable USBc
What's the brand of LED strip? I got several battery-powered motion sensor LED bars on AliExpress for use in closets. After the first charge they lasted maybe three weeks, then they rapidly faded, and no longer last more than maybe a day, so I've taken them out. I'm curious to hear if there are high quality versions, maybe something that can run off regular AA or AAA batteries so they can be changed when they inevitably burn out.
Speaking of tweezers on AliExpress: I love my $5.99 nail clippers that collect the clippings in a small compartment so they don't fly off everywhere. Super solid stainless steel construction that's considerably nicer than the cheap classic clippers I already had; it it had "Swiss made" on it or something I would have believed them. The ones I found are in a store called OURINER, but there are lots of weird brands making the same thing.
I just selected a bunch on AliExpress. Some were microUSB some were USBC. Some were a bit temperamental about charging. I usually take that approach with the really cheap items getting things from multiple suppliers so that at least one works. In general the worst I have received is poor quality items, nothing completely broken or fake yet*
I got two seemingly identical super bright panels and one now emits only 5% of the light. They look the same, have been run in the same conditions (and indeed the same housing now) run parallel off the same source. The other one is as bright as when I got it. Maybe one dodgy LED bringing the team down? I'm not yet skilled enough to diagnose problems like that.
*except for the time the store sent me a message to say I should cancel the order because they ran out. I couldn't find anywhere in the ever changing AliExpress user interface to cancel the item, so they sent me an allen key, I logged it as "item not as described" and they paid the refund.
You probably bought the same ones I did. How long have you had them for? They were awesome initially, but as I said, they quickly lost their charge, and it happened to all of them (but to varying degrees).
Second the rechargeable motion sensing led strips! Dime a dozen on Ali Express. I have them in all the hallways in my house, garden shed, at the front door so I am not fumbling with my keys in the dark. If you mount them with the supplied adhesive magnets you can take them with you as a torch, feels like you are using a minecraft torch.
Shoehorn!
Particularly a long one if you'd like to avoid bending down at all when putting on slip-ons. Of course they are primarily great for saving the backs of your shoes. The IKEA one is perfect (at least for 6'1" me).
Every time I move, I lose mine and get annoyed for years until I buy a new one, then get further annoyed because I waited so long to splurge on a $3 stick.
STEEL long shoehorns.
Once you break one, you'll spend the money.
wood is better, it doesn't bend
Yes, good callout! The one from IKEA is metal (usually not an IKEA fan but some good stuff like this and it's under $100, but of course there are tons of other options).
> The one from IKEA is metal
I accidentally bent mine when I was putting my shoes on :)
https://i.imgur.com/WtHHT4v.jpeg
OH SNAP! Well then, maybe there will be a new one in my future! I haven't had mine very long and really enjoying it which is why it popped right into mind as a response to this post.
Aeropress coffee maker. Look up the James Hoffmann recipe on YouTube and you can never drink another coffee style again
James Hoffman's pourover and immersion dripper recipes are less muss and fuss, I would say, while still producing coffee that's far better than average.
While on the topic of James Hoffman and coffee, a <$100 device I'd nominate is the insulated heated mugs. I believe he tested the Ember Mug but there are competing models. For those who tend to drink their coffee while working, it's quite a decadent feeling to take a sip without ever having the unanticipated shock of your coffee having gone cold and having to trundle over to the microwave to warm it up (in my case sometimes more than once).
I’ve tried most of the coffee making tools and fads, including the above mentioned recipe. I’ve spent thousands and hours and hours of time chasing the feeling others like you describe.
It was so easy for me to go back to a cheap drip coffee maker and pre-ground coffee. I realized that I’ll never appreciate the flavors and process as much as the investment would call for.
My dad is adamant that coffee beans should only be ground right before use because the resulting coffee tastes so much better. I, on the other hand, can't taste a bit of difference; there's no way I could pick out the pre-ground coffee in a blind taste test.
I recently upgraded the cheap plastic version to the robust glass one and feel so much better about having hot liquid simmering in it now.
I have two Aeropresses so I can make two cups at once for the two coffee drinkers in the house.
I recently got a second shelf rack[1] so they can hang side by side instead of needing to put a plunger in the tube when one is hanging behind.
[1] https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09NL9GDTQ
I make two cups in one Aeropress, am I doing it wrong?
If you are enjoying the coffee, then no, you are not doing it wrong.
There are a lot of different recipes for how to brew coffee in an Aeropress.
Aeropress is great. If you like a large mug of coffee have a try of the Clever Dripper. Had Aeropress at home and CD at work and eventually bought a CD for home because it’s so good.
It's even better with a "AeroPress Flow Control Filter Cap". No dripping, no inversion, and a little extra resistance improves the cup (I think).
You can also insert the plunger a small amount (maybe half an inch or so, if that) and pull it back up a tiny bit for a similar effect.
Love the clever dripper So simple but so easy to repeatedly make a great cup of coffee.
Minecraft $26.95. Thousands of hours of gameplay. Ear Fun Free Pro 3 $50 wireless earbuds. Great sound, quick pairing, good noise cancelling, in-app equalizer, great price. Probably buy direct from them, bought from Woot! Amazon once and didn't get a very good model. Web Video Caster $5. I stream tons of content and this lets me connect to just about anything. You can use it for free with ads. Cloudflare domain ~$10/year. Cheapest domain prices and cloudflare works great for everything for me. Harmonica $5. I just keep it in my bag and use it whenever I'm outside alone, keeps me off the phone. Fidget spinner $1. The lighter the better imo. Also my mouse, battery pack, and I love those lazy cell phone holders ~$10 you can put around your neck.
A 10 foot USB C cable. It reaches anywhere in the room. I can charge my phone in any position in bed. I only recently 'splurged' on this $10 item and it is the best thing ever.
I like a 10 foot USB C extension cable; that way I can turn any shorter adapter cable (USB C to micro, A, lightning, magsafe) into a longer cable.
Seconding this. Dumbest, most obviously useful thing, yet we never think to buy one. My wife and I have our own now.
A Casio Watch. I no longer have to pull out my smartphone just to get the current time. It also shows current date and weekday. It has a button to activate light so I can easily read the time when it is dark without getting flashed by my smartphone screen. I also use the countdown timer frequently for cooking or as short term reminder. The battery lasts for years. No "smart" functions like getting the news, messages from friends or email notifications. You can put it underwater, swim or shower with it and it still works.
An old, pre-online activation copy of Photoshop that I still use today.
I was a very heavy photoshop user for ~20 years.
These days I just use photopea for when I need to make a small edit. It suffices for 95% of what I need to do.
I think I'm still using a version that was on a magazine coverdisk that was weirdly distributed as a full-version freebie to advertise the release of the all new lock-in edition.
I feel like I get a ton of value out of a cheap VPS.
Just having a dedicated IP I can serve small and dumb things from has been fantastic, doubly so now that LLMs can do most of the driving.
https://lowendbox.com/ has a ton of providers, but I personally use vultr (no high or low praise for vultr, but they've been solid and cheap).
Which is reliable, costs 2$ per month for 1G RAM, has backups?
Smartwool shirt and socks. no odor absorption so ability to wear without daily washing. Good thermal regulation as well.
Wool poncho for cold seasons is also amazing, it's like wearing a duvet.
+1 to wool undergarments.
I prefer Unbound Merino to Smartwool for shirts, though Smartwool's socks are better than Unbound.
How do Darn Toughs compare? I've managed to wear through 8 pairs of costco wool socks without loosing any, so the idea of a lifetime warranty sounds promising.
I cover thousands of miles a year on my feet. Darn Tough socks live up to the name. I've never put a single hole in them. I've torn up socks from most other brands in a few hundred miles.
Darntough socks last much longer than smartwool for me.
How itchy do those get?
It's usually a fine wool that is very nice on the skin, not the itchy wool you may associate with a chunkier sweater.
Less ichy than cotton
These really are amazing! I went full smartwool after getting a pair for hiking. I never looked back!
After a failed apartment search, I set to make my current apartment as comfortable as possible. These are my game changers:
- French press and v60. Coffee became a ritual I look forward to, not something I drink to achieve a goal.
- Speakers and amp. I got mine used. They are over 50 years old. The amp is a gorgeous object. Listening to music became a full activity. I do it with my coffee. I cannot overstate how much better it feels.
- Wiim Mini. Airplay for 70 year old speakers
- Plants. They make the whole space look better and give you a sense of the passage of time.
- Good pillows, soft sheets. The best of ikea’s sheets is already a massive upgrade. So soft!
- Motion activated leds. It’s nice to reach into the pantry and get light, or use the toilet at night without being blinded. They are magnetic and charge with USB C.
- Robot vacuum. I have a used Roborock S5 that keeps the whole flat spotless at the press of a button.
Soft close toilet seat.
For example "Bath Royale Slow Close Toilet Seat" is between $60 and $70.
I stayed in AirBnB in 2021 with soft close seats and I don't know why, but for everyone in my family it felt like a luxury/comfort item. Knowing that there won't be bang, especially at night, especially with small kids, makes a difference. I'd never thought it would unless I stayed at that AirBnB.
Seki Edge nail clippers.
They're just so much sharper and more pleasant to use than your average drug store nail clippers, you can really feel the quality. I can barely stand regular nail clippers now.
Yeah, they're nearly £50, a bit absurd for nail clippers...
Some of my best purchases were outdoor clothing I bought some 7 years ago on a whim. I constantly regret not getting some 10 of them, and sadly they don't make these anymore.
- Thermal inner pants from Berghaus - Knitted thermal jacket from Salewa
Silicone Body Scrubber under 10$, Water flosser, Brita Water Filter.
Daily usage for all of them
Altra Escalante running shoes (not daily usage, sadly)
A travel magsafe stand for flights has been really nice. Here's the one I have, but there's lots of options: https://a.co/d/18k9eCa
I use it with both my phone and also the Steam Deck (with a magsafe sticker). Obviously I could use either device just holding them, but it's more relaxing to do it this way.
$50 RTLSDR Kit
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD7558GT
I got this to play around with what's on the air, and now I'm a full blown extra.
Have you tried using it with GNU Radio? It's pretty cool to build a signal flow graph, then have it just work, with output to your speakers
I've been meaning to come up with my own digital voice signaling system.
What's a full blown extra. I have wanted to pull the trigger on this for a while.
Ham radio Amateur Extra. The license after Technician and then General.
The RTLSDR is an easy way to see if you'd like radio or not.
Nice! There's not many new hams these days. When I was young it was basically what everyone technical was into.
Thanks, it's an interesting hobby. Technically interesting, but unfortunately I think a lot of the politics of it turn people off.
That happens in every hobby. There's always people declaring themselves king of some hill and making things toxic. I've been in a lot of hobby organisations and it's always the same. In a commercial organisation these people get reported to HR and kicked out but volunteer orgs are much less likely to throw out someone who does a lot of work for free.
I've seen it in ham clubs, makerspaces, etc. It's just what happens. The best thing is having a rock solid code of conduct.
And yeah it's technically interesting though I really miss it being on the bleeding edge. That hasn't been the case for decades. The commercial world can send a gigabit per second to a phone but we're stuck with 9600 baud APRS (or 1200 even sometimes)
Sleep buds (flat earbuds you can lie comfortably in). Mine were dirt cheap ones built in to sleeping mask off eBay. Def helped my sleep patterns when I started using Audible on a 30 minute sleep timer with them.
Kindle. Reawakened my inner book-worm many years ago. Library in a pocket. Don't use it so much tho since Audible.
Good quality (sturdy and high lumen) compact tactical torch.
Are you talking about Bose Sleepbuds or Oslo Sleepbuds?
Neither, just cheap flat earphones that come in a headband or sleeping mask. I used the term "Sleep buds" as that is what most people will be familiar with as the idea, but they don't go in the ear.
Plenty of no-name ones on eBay for years before Bose took an interest. An example brand though is Musicozy if you want to search. I don't have that brand though and can't testify to them (thinness of phones will be important and will vary between brands).
Ofc mine won't be of similar audio quality to the ones you mention but they are fine for my use at night.
I use MUSICOZY brand, and it's worked great for me. I've been using sleep headphones for decades. Bluetooth was a huge step forward.
*Ozlo
A high quality, low latency, battery powered bluetooth rx/tx device. The one I bought years ago is the Boltune BT-BA001. [0] It is easily my most used inexpensive piece of electronics.
Use cases:
1. Make your stereo system bluetooth, this includes a nice new pair of powered monitors, or a vintage 70's system.
2. You have an older car, want bluetooth but appreciate high quality audio.
3. You want to make your wired headphones wireless.
4. Buy 2, and make a low latency wireless audio link.
These things are super cool, and are now only $30.
[0] https://www.ebay.com/p/18030903120
Pocket operators are really fun to play with when you need a break from work.
Thank you so much for this. I am absolutely gonna pick up a couple of these for my kids. What a great way to offer creativity on demand!
Fun teaching persistence. :) If they happened to make anything fun one day feel free to email me it! I'd love to take a listen. (email is in bio)
the best. also great replacement for moments when you might pull out your phone by habit if you are trying to unplug or screen detox or whatver.
Wow that looks like a cool purchase are they fun to play with like do you get to create your own beats
Very fun, you can make loads of things https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBOHsKv_ej8 - but mostly it's just something taxing to change the brain channel for me!
What is a pocket operator? Got a link?
These are pocket operators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhFIUdICYSA
They can be used on their own or together, frustrating, fiddly, fun. :)
~€25, Moondrop Chu 2 headphones. Really good quality for the price, with a bit of care have lasted me for ~3 years now. When one side was going quieter, I could unscrew and clean it. The clear plastic cord is yellowing now unfortunately, will try to buy a new one.
~€80, Anbernic RG35XXSP: Handheld games console that runs (mostly) open source linux distros. Reinvigorated my retro gaming on the go when the OG consoles are too inconvenient to carry around and emulating on a phone just feels bad. Having syncthing on-device means I'll never lose my saves again, and putting new games on it is as easy as dragging and dropping on my PC.
~€5, Mini media keyboard from aliexpress (just any, really): It works like garbage, but I never realized how badly I needed a remote with access to all of the MPV shortcuts for when I hook up my laptop to the TV.
I've recently bought a used Apple TV (4K). Fantastic device, highly recommend this one.
under $100?
Used from kleinanzeigen (Germany). I paid around 90 euros. But it looks brand new :)
Im having alot of fun with my new RTL-SDR dongle and Baofeng radio. I pretty quickly found SDR++ which really deepend the rabbit hole and generated about 1000 new questions.
A few weeks ago I knew nothing about radio or ham, but im learning alot and having fun. Its been a good distraction from "stuff".
Ham radio is a huge rabbit hole. It's a hobby full of other hobbies within. One of the most fun parts for me is Summits on the Air (SOTA).
You take a small portable HF transceiver up a mountain summit and attempt to make at least 4 contacts. You get points for "activating" the summit and folks at home get points for "hunting" you. You can also spot yourself online and sometimes you'll have a bunch of people from around the world trying to make contact with you.
My latest favorite gadget is a Wuben G5 light. Very compact, very bright, and has lots of handy features like a swivel and magnet. $20 on Amazon right now.
I have 3 for myself as I like to keep them around the house. I've also bought a couple as gifts for my sons who both really liked them.
The rotary brightness/color control on those feels flimsy. Not a huge demerit for a $20 gadget but still worth mentioning.
Neat looking flashlight! Can you turn it on and off without having to cycle through other modes? One thing I dislike about a lot of LED flashlights is having to go through dim, strobe, etc. modes before I can turn the light back off.
I bought one a while back and I want to like it, but it's always turning off right when I need it.
The sliding switch on the side needs more resistance. I bump it accidentally, or it slides itself.
Could be some user error involved.
There's a lot to like about it, otherwise.
New soles and overall cleaning + disinfecting of my Vivobarefoot winter boots. I'm so happy they came up with a repair programme for many of their models, it prolongs the EOL of my foot ware by many years https://www.revivo.com/how-we-repair. It's $ 104.53 as of this posts currency exchange but I think it still counts?
Thanks for this, I've been needing winter boots but hate how much tread they have as I am a minimalist and my feet always end up so sore from them.
You're welcome. If you are in search of new minimalist winter boots, they also offer a secondhand shop with all shoes refurbished and disinfected. I bought hiking boots there for 1/3 of the price and apart from a few scratches in the leather they are top. They would've gotten the scratches anyways, so good deal for me.
A backpod.
I had periscapular pain when sitting/standing for years: no pain in the morning, but it would grow during the day.
My backpod mobilises some stiff thoracic ribs, allowing me to then do exercises through that normal range of motion to strengthen it.
Hydro Flask cooler cup. No more rushing to finish cans before they get lukewarm.
Give these people the Nobel Prize as far as I'm concerned.
https://www.hydroflask.com/12-oz-cooler-cup
Stanley Classic Legendary Vacuum Bottle 1.0 qt Bialetti Moka Express 6-Cup Aluminum Stovetop Espresso Maker
It's not about the time and money I saved by not having to go to a cafe, its about having a great supply of coffee available for the day.
I always look for Stanley's at garage and estate sales. Bought my oldest new 40+ years ago. I have six others now that were $5 or less.
- darn tough socks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XG34G8
merino wool, always good temp and dry winter or summer
- fiskars shop scissors https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VYOISU
cuts through stuff forever, easily, no slip etc
- 3-in-1 cables https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R3R7QDL
(various brands) these make travel easy
You can also do 4-in-1 with usb-a/usb-c
I love my Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse since it completely fixed my wrist pain. Also it can memorize 3 different Bluetooth connections and toggle between them via a small button on the bottom.
https://www.logitech.com/en-us/shop/p/lift-vertical-ergonomi...
Sonicare Electric Toothbrush. My grandmother bought me my first one in the 90s. I’m on my third, and that’s only because I take them backpacking. It’s my 1 luxury item on the trail. I know much of it is genetics, but a morning and evening cleaning make my teeth feel amazing and have helped me stay cavity free.
Yeah, I lost the tooth genetics race. Brush twice a day, floss 3-4 times a day, still have cavities every visit to the dentist, and need a full on root canal and crown every few years.
Both of my parents have lost half of their adult teeth even though they take care of them, abstain from sugar and processed and/or acidic foods/drinks.
Thermal underwear. Entering the 10th year of a 30 euro Helly Hansen long underpants that keeps me warm half the year.
Raspberry Pi 4 that served as my daily driver for around three years.
A couple of dumbbells that got me started with weight training, and kept me going during covid. Together with the basic equipment that I later bought, it saved me hundreds and hundreds of euros in gym memberships.
Best purchase under 10 euros is a simple cube with blank memo notes, that I use for grocery shopping and all kinds of other to do lists.
Daily driving a Raspberry Pi 4 as what? If you, don't mind me asking
The work sharp precision knife sharpener.
I got tired of dealing with wet stones and having to soak them and get the right angle.
This sharpener can sharpen a chef knife razor sharp in less than 5 minutes.
Can you adjust the angle for different knives? I have one of these in my cart.
Which model?
For work: Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse, Anti fatigue mat
For home: Bidet
For personal: Kindle
How's your experience has been with the mouse
It's been fantastic. The mouse puts my hand in a natural "handshake" position, which has cut down on the wrist strain I used to get after long hours of work or browsing.
I'd highly recommend giving it a shot.
A set of Wera lasertip screwdrivers.
Or, a Knipex Cobra pair of pliers.
TIL Lasertip:
https://www.wera.de/en/tools/highlights-great-tools/lasertip...
Azumaya brand kotatsu futons are now my favorite blankets for both sleeping and using around the house, and some of them at least are around $100.
They're fairly thick and very comfortable blankets, I love these way more than any other blankets we have (and we own quite a few different kinds). I'm seriously considering trying out other kotatsu blanket brands too, even the really expensive ones.
Price has gone up a lot, but briefly, multiseat program. Instead of buying a separate gaming/media system, bought one much more powerful system and split it into 2 systems. Setup kind of PIA, but worth it while needed it.
Also an electric travel bidet.
Can you elaborate? “Multiseat program” is not returning any meaningful search results online.
Split single computer into multiple independent workplaces, i.e. plug in 2 monitors, 2 mouse, 2 keyboards and 2 users can use same computer at once. The program I used was ASTER multiseat.
Is this a gaming console? I have no idea what you mean
It's software that lets you plug in 2-12 sets of inputs and monitors and let 2-12 users use one machine simultaneously. I spent 70% of cost of 2 mid tier system on a single system highend machine which ends up much more flexible / less idle.
LectroFan Classic - Portable fan sounds and noise machine (I have mine set to pink noise). Wife and I use it nightly to drown out distractions. Even pack it with us on vacation now for hotel rooms.
probably one of those super bright one AAA battery keychain flashlights (~$12). Because its attached to your keys you always have it with you, and the smaller and brighter flashlights get, the more useful they become somehow. I'm not kidding, these things are blindingly bright.
A £20 USB microphone from Aliexpress. The audio quality is so much better than laptop or headphone microphone
Which one? Looking for a cheap way to improve my current setup. Thanks!
I've never actually compared so I don't know if there's a better one for the price but the one I bought was "Zealsound RGB Recording Microphone With Articulated Arm/USB Condenser Mic with Tripod"
The sound quality doesn't feel crazy but definitely usable for anything I need. Also seems to filter out my laptop fan noise which is much appreciated
Sleep: - wax earplugs - buckwheat pillow - a pillow that goes between my knees (I'm a side sleeper)
Above combo has made 6 hour sleep feel like 8 hours and 8 hours feel like I can go the rest of my life without sleep in the morning
Fitness: - gymnastic rings: ultraportable and ultrascalable (from arthretic grandma level to olympic athlete level) workout. I have two pairs and I'm thinking about buying another one.
Fun: - someone already mentioned minecraft lol - wireless buds, I have Jlabs go air pop and I sometimes prefer them over my trusty Sennheisers HD 600 - Ibanez rg565 genesis desert yellow (add another 0 to 100 dollars but I bought it in installments so, technically, I paid less than 100 dollars for it per month, worth it, you can shred the absolute fuck out of it)
Health: - good sunglasses (cat 3 or even better cat 4) - omega 3 and vitamin d : important if you live in unhabitable, gray and cold regions of earth (like eastern europe)
Education: - Anki, free for pc and android, cheap for iphones
And a basic cheap sonic toothbrush (sonicare)
Leatherman skeletool knife. Small, rugged, has just the right number of tools on it. I’ve had one for about ten years and it goes in my pocket every day. The one time I managed to break the pliers on it by abusing them really badly, Leatherman replaced the tool under warranty no questions asked.
[EDJY](https://edjy.com/products/edjy-fingernail-cutter) nail trimmers have been awesome and I will probably only ever use that from now on
Illy espresso, less acrid than popular American espresso
The book I taught myself HTML from in high school. My entry point to a lifetime of working with software.
One of those reoriented vertical Logitech mice that reduce wrist pain. Amazing!
Similarly, and also right at $99.99: Evoluent VerticalMouse https://evoshop.biz/evoluent-verticalmouse-medium-p-72.html
Wow. A single picture of the product. And a name. And a price. That website went all-out on their minimalist design principles.
I use a Logitech MX Ergo that has a trackball, and it's helped me a lot with wrist pain. Using a trackball felt a bit weird initially.
I got "fashion shamed" by another geek for using a trackball "like it's still the 90s".
I don't put much stock in anything they've ever said, since.
And yet was the most common thing in the 90's.
Rivalism at its best. Removing the track balls before the next class got in to the computer room. That then escalated to fork bombing.
The IT techs got pissed that they glued shut the plastic release twist hatch.
:(){ :|:& };:
Probably some wood working tool, guess if I had to pick it would be my ECE Wedge set smooth plane since it is my most used tool by a long shot and it taught me a great deal about using planes.
A yearly Github copilot subscription :)
I'm actually jealous of the people that have answers to this questions because I can't come up with any answer even if you multiplied the amount by a 1000.
Appreciate everyone adding links to their suggestions!
Like a gallon reusable metal water bottle; requires less refilling
magnetic shelving for the side of the fridge greatly expanded upon the cabinet space usable to me as a shorter person.
Merino wool shirts, undergarments, hats.
Leather gloves.
Bedtime story books.
TwelveSouth Airfly pro airplane bluetooth sound adapter.
Belkin wireless car charger.
Standalone coat racks for the office.
Custom motorcycle handlebar ends and levers. Cumulatively ~$80 and makes my riding experience drastically better.
I commute by bike daily, and I got some ergonomic handlebar ends and they've drastically improved by experience.
Chi-fi IEMs. People have no idea what sound quality can be achieved under 100$.
Nesting silicone bowls with lids. Quiet and good for everything.
I want to use silicone bowls and lids, but silicone dishes always come out sticky and cloudy out of the dishwasher (even with rinse aid, whole house filtered water and extra rinse/wash cycles). Other dishes don't have this problem. What's your secrete for this?
That sucks. I haven't had that problem. I can't find the set I purchased on Temu, but this is similar https://dreamroo.com/products/the-round-meal-trio?variant=44...
Electric Fly Swatter
4 of my 6 animals, which were free. (3 cats, 1 dog) Another was less than $200.
The other one I paid full price for (Miniature Dachshund), and he's an absolute money pit and brings all the drama.
No, we don't have any kids, why do you ask? :-)
Ergodriven topo standing desk mat - $99
Deltahub carpio 2.0 wrist rest - $35
gotta be a tire inflater (not sure what brand) that came with a flash light and works rain or snow powered by car adapter
I have one (NUSTE brand on Amazon) that has a built-in rechargeable battery. It takes up much less room than some I've had.
The ones that plug in to a lighter socket (which sometimes require the car to be running or the ignition switch in ACC position), or have to be clipped to the car battery are not as convenient.
I got the dewalt one that works with their batteries.
awesome.
turn on, set the pressure value, press start and tire will inflate to that pressure and stop.
swappable batteries is important. Some large tires will drain a small battery and you can switch in a new one.
We bicycle a lot. I went with a Bosch USB c handheld compressor. Recommended although non replaceable batteries is a worry in the medium/long term. No trouble for the first two years.
I have one. The problem with it is that the power cord is not long enough. You can't get it to your own tires.
Be careful buying those, and test them on multiple tires IMMEDIATELY.
I bought a series from Slime brand; every one failed within two tire inflates. Went to Harbor Freight, and bought their most expensive one; it has earned the price since (still under $100).
Project Farm on Youtube for the best reviews of items like tire inflators:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwbQ8eEBn68
Walmart $22 pump - difficult to put on the valve stem but pumps OK. Beats a bicycle pump!
Someone gifted me one about ten years ago. I've had to replace the plug end, but the compressor still runs great.
It's saved my butt many times.
Mine is viaair, and the device is dedicated (no flashlight etc)
Rohm Travel Sound Machine
The “Cool Tools” catalog.
Garbanzo/chickpea flour. When I get hungry, I mix 1/2 cup with 1/2 cup water, some olive oil, some garlic powder, some herbs, some marinera, throw it in into the convection oven in a pie tin 8 minutes, then on the rack 5 minutes, and have a warm, protein/gut healthy fiber rich snack.
Plug in seat heater for my mom's old Jeep XJ that I restored.
Long johns for under my jeans. Wool socks (the socks I just get generic off Amazon).
A good burr coffee grinder.
For less than $100!? Do tell, my friend.
If you are comfortable with a hand grinder, Porlex grinders [1] [2] are excellent. I use one to make a coarse grind for the french press. It's gotten used 4-7 times per week for the last 5+ years and still going strong.
On topic of best purchases under $100, suppose you regularly boil water for coffee or pasta but don't own an electric kettle, consider investing in a cheap white plastic kettle for $5. Fast and energy efficient way to turn electrical energy into boiling water.
[1] https://www.porlex.co.jp/ [2] https://www.porlex.com.au/collections/porlex-grinders
Got the Timemore off Amazon for $80 during black Friday. I get that it's not THE best but it works really well.
KinGrinder are worth checking out, I got the K6 for about £70
I think _good_ depends on your expectations. We have the eureka mignon hacked with a bigger dial and custom burs. Still not amazing consistency. Looking to upgrade in the next few years.
Helikon-Tex Camp Hand Coffee Grinder is 35€ all-metal beast.
A no name Espresso machine. I got it as a gift but I doubt it was much more than $100. It works great. I had always assumed I would regret not buying a super expensive one, but it turns out you can have great espresso for not much money.
You can have great espresso for cheap(er) but $100 seems suspiciously low. Manual espresso is about the best bang for you buck possible, but that stretches to $200 or more depending on how fancy you want to get.
I have the thing and it works great.
I would _love_ to know what espresso machine can be had for less than $100.
I had a $400 espresso machine but finally I'm just using my $50 moka pot. It's way easier and I like the flavour more.
This is what I have. It's not less than $100, but not much more:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP1WXVK8?&linkCode=sl1&tag=lydan...
Than you.
Small things, mostly from skimming my amazon history. Nothing crazy, but all of these make my everyday life... smoother. Things that were a little bit annoying are invisible now. It stacks up. Raw links, no affiliates or trackers.
* Hakko FX888D soldering iron. I used to hate soldering, and it always came out awful. Perfect soldering is effortless now. It's a delight.
* Oxo 5lb kitchen scale (or anything similar). Cooking in metric is just sane. Excellent for bread.
* The Speakman S-2251 showerhead, with the flow regulator pried out. Was 100 when bought, 3x that now. Reddit voted it the most powerful and high quality showerhead. If you like that kind of thing, it's still worth it at 300.
* Schlage BE365 deadbolts. Can be found on sale under 100. Keyless door entry, supports multiple codes, not smart or connected in any way, battery lasts years.
* Velcro cable ties of various lengths. Every cable in my closet is orderly, and when you're done with one, it never sprawls or tangles.
* ESP32S3 boards. Drastically lowers the activation threshold for oneoff web-connected silliness.
* These little [dimmable lights](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4Q4D5VP) (in amber). Warm colored, layered lighting all over the house. Huge vibe upgrade.
* [Dimmer leashes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DL7V3CM). These sit between plug and outlet, and provide a separate 6ft cable with a dimmer switch on the end. I use them on my desk to control my zoom lighting, and in bed to dim my shelf lights without getting up.
* Multi-packs of small tools. We have a dozen pairs of scissors, box cutters, etc floating around. Sharpies and mechanical pencils in ~100 packs. Place around the house. It's very nice to not have to look far for these.
* [Masking tape](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R28DGHM) and stickers in many rainbow colors. Useful for knowing EG which cable goes to the PS5 (blue) vs xbox (green).
* [Giant digital clock](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCVV8J98) w/ date, day of week, and temperature. Ended up buying more for other parts of the house because I got so used to looking for it.
* [Ratcheting adjustable belt](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VDMFZB2?) Also loops the belt tip onto the inside, not the outside. The idea of having a belt with adjustment intervals of inches instead of mms, with a tip that flops on the outside feels very silly now.
>The Speakman S-2251 showerhead, with the flow regulator pried out. Was 100 when >bought, 3x that now.
Holy molly! You aren't kidding. I literally have one laying around in my bathroom cabinet that I bought during Covid for, I wanna say, $60? I used it for about a month or two before I decided I liked my previous shower head better (Kohler Forté).
Also, I'm curious why it is so common recommendation across the internet to take out the flow regulators. Even see it mentioned in Amazon reviews. It is bypassing regulations and selfish. It defeats the purpose of everyone doing their part to cut down their water usage, especially in areas that really need it (Arizona, Nevada and California). I still have mine in at 1.75gpm and it rinses me fine. No one needs the Kramer "Commando 450" force.
Swiss Army knife
Yep same for me. The knife you can take anywhere without alarming people.
Nicely made and always useful.
I'd nursed a foot callus for years that hurt badly when I walked barefoot. Weeks ago, sitting on the locker room bench, I hit my limit. In desperation I pulled out my pocket knife to do some field surgery. A few minutes into it I glanced up to see two guys sitting across the room staring at me open-eyed as I dug into my foot with the tip of that pointy knife (8.5" with 3.5" blade)! I just smiled and dug that sucker out.
Should have gone after that callus a year ago! Amazing how such a tiny thing can aggravate.
But you're right about a knife alarming people. Years ago in another life I opened a similar knife to cut a cable and my boss literally jumped backward and exclaimed in fear. But he came from a place where, when someone pulls out a knife someone else usually gets stabbed.
> staring at me open-eyed
They were probably just envious you were rocking a Kershaw Iridium Dessert Warrior. Which also comes in at under $100. And the Iridium family are pretty nice knives.
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Kershaw-Iridium-Dessert-Warrio...
I've never spent more than $40 on any knife. The one I spoke of was a cheap S&W from AutoZone (the checkout line "specials" bin) for ~$13 IIRC.
And FWIW I fear if I cut myself with that Kershaw I might grow a pussy.
That is an amazing paint scheme.
I use my knife like a fidget toy. Not usually in public, but one time a sales guy came in and it was just me and him. He's basically a friend.
I flipped the knife out and his eyes got huge, his arms went out sideways and he got in a football stance.
After he calmed down, he told me he was actually attacked with a knife when he was a kid.
Not long after, I finally wore out the fastener on that knife (a buck). Luckily I had already bought a twin for backup.
sejje says >I flipped the knife out and his eyes got huge, his arms went out sideways and he got in a football stance.<
That seems unusual: if I feared in that situation I would flee. His would be a gutsy, dangerous but certainly unexpected move!
What did you do in response: say "16 - 32- HIKE"?
Tangentially, if that callus was a plantar callus (circular with a painful point in the center), you can get sticky pads with salicylic acid from the drugstore that will gradually destroy it. Much safer than digging into your foot with a knife, but I'm glad to hear it worked for you!
Thank you, this is all very useful!
Yes, I didn't know WTF was there but over the years it had grown beyond annoying , becoming so painful I couldn't tolerate it. I thought perhaps something (a splinter, piece of glass or steel, etc.) had become embedded in my foot. I was determined to dig it out. I'm tall and not flexible so I cannot easily see all of the bottom of my foot. But I can reach it.
The callus was surprisingly small (~1/2") and came out in one piece after about 10 minutes of work. Nothing embedded. No bleeding, just a lot of knife-wiggling. The bottom of the foot is really tough!
Small Bluetooth receiver for an older car.
Sensor Watch.
Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket
Dual-end pliers, like this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Performance-Tool-W1105-Side-Locki...
There used to be a beefier version that was just perfect; despite over two decades of abuse (dropping off ladders onto sidewalks, letting children play with them...) my first pair is still going strong.
Now you can only buy slimmer knock-offs, but they're still great. Needle nose, std pliers, hex pliers, and wire strippers in a single, rugged tool.
Bidet
Weighted blanket
Shoehorn
Microsoft Modern Webcam - $50 and the image quality is great.
3M WR209 Wrist rest - $20
Logitech M310 Mouse - $20
A nice tea kettle where the temperature is adjustable.
What's it for? It's always better to boil water for tea for hygienical purposes, no?
I'm sure it depends where one lives, but if your drinking water is safe there's no real reason to boil the water except for proper steeping.
I definitely use boiling water with my bagged breakfast tea, but boiling is too hot for white and green tea (especially fancier teas), and boiling water "scorches" the "delicate flavors" (using quotes since I'm sure there are better / nicer words than those), so you want to steep at 80C or lower depending on the tea, the quantity the vessel, and the process.
Guessing the hygenics depend on your local water supply, but some varieties of tea (and coffee actually) want to be brewed at below-boiling
You can still boil it and just wait a couple of minutes and use a food thermometer, no?
Yes, it's just really nice to be able to push a button and have it hold at the right temperature; sort of like how boiling water on the stove or in the microwave and using an electric kettle are functionally equivalent but the kettle is way more convenient.
Some teas steep at less than boiling temperature. And I imagine the tea itself may have more risk of microbes depending on how it is stored, and that the temperature drops way below boiling almost immediately upon pouring out.
I wonder if any studies have been done on this....
Some teas(white and green particularly) are better brewed well under boiling, but even those lower temps kill 99.9...% of pathogens in a few seconds(vs a fraction of a second at full boiling)
I always use bottled water anyway, our tap water is full of bleach. And just run it up to 100 every few days to sterilise it.
I found that 200 degrees F makes my tea taste better than full on boiling.
a good mission burrito is like $10 and makes my life better
$100 on sushi and I’m still hungry. $10 on a burrito and I’m full for 24 hours
Yeah because it's the size of a small child
lmao this was also going to be my answer
fucking condoms
Are there any other kind?
Finger condoms (finger cots): https://www.google.com/search?channel=fs&q=finger+condoms
Well there are USB condoms which cut the data lines...
This guy fucks.