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+.
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
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).
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).
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.
Up until a year or two ago, you could get the current Photoshop with a perpetual license, but only if you purchased a Thinkpad from the Lenovo business site and selected it during the laptop config stage. It looks like now you can only get a 3-year license now :(
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I purchased a Swiss Army knife back when I was a teenager with my first paycheck after working in the tobacco fields. I carried this everywhere with me, even when I decided to start learning about wilderness survival before it was cool to do so.
Fast forward a quiet a few decades, and I still have and use this SAK. And I want to say this SAK helped me forge my knowledge and build my skills that helped me have a brief TV career demonstrating these things.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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+.
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
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).
STEEL long shoehorns.
Once you break one, you'll spend the money.
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).
4 of my 6 animals, which were free. (3 cats, 1 dog) Another was less than $200.
The other one I paid full price for (Miniature Dachshund), and he's an absolute money pit and brings all the drama.
No, we don't have any kids, why do you ask? :-)
Aeropress coffee maker. Look up the James Hoffmann recipe on YouTube and you can never drink another coffee style again
Aeropress is great. If you like a large mug of coffee have a try of the Clever Dripper. Had Aeropress at home and CD at work and eventually bought a CD for home because it’s so good.
An old, pre-online activation copy of Photoshop that I still use today.
I was a very heavy photoshop user for ~20 years.
These days I just use photopea for when I need to make a small edit. It suffices for 95% of what I need to do.
Up until a year or two ago, you could get the current Photoshop with a perpetual license, but only if you purchased a Thinkpad from the Lenovo business site and selected it during the laptop config stage. It looks like now you can only get a 3-year license now :(
I think I'm still using a version that was on a magazine coverdisk that was weirdly distributed as a full-version freebie to advertise the release of the all new lock-in edition.
Chi-fi IEMs. People have no idea what sound quality can be achieved under 100$.
Smartwool shirt and socks. no odor absorption so ability to wear without daily washing. Good thermal regulation as well.
These really are amazing! I went full smartwool after getting a pair for hiking. I never looked back!
+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.
How itchy do those get?
Less ichy than cotton
$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.
Nesting silicone bowls with lids. Quiet and good for everything.
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
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.
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).
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.
A set of Wera lasertip screwdrivers.
Or, a Knipex Cobra pair of pliers.
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.
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.
[EDJY](https://edjy.com/products/edjy-fingernail-cutter) nail trimmers have been awesome and I will probably only ever use that from now on
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.
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.
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.
I purchased a Swiss Army knife back when I was a teenager with my first paycheck after working in the tobacco fields. I carried this everywhere with me, even when I decided to start learning about wilderness survival before it was cool to do so.
Fast forward a quiet a few decades, and I still have and use this SAK. And I want to say this SAK helped me forge my knowledge and build my skills that helped me have a brief TV career demonstrating these things.
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.
Pocket operators are really fun to play with when you need a break from work.
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. :)
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.
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.
For work: Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse, Anti fatigue mat
For home: Bidet
For personal: Kindle
How's your experience has been with the mouse
magnetic shelving for the side of the fridge greatly expanded upon the cabinet space usable to me as a shorter person.
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.
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.
:(){ :|:& };:
Appreciate everyone adding links to their suggestions!
Ergodriven topo standing desk mat - $99
Deltahub carpio 2.0 wrist rest - $35
Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket
gotta be a tire inflater (not sure what brand) that came with a flash light and works rain or snow powered by car adapter
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).
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.
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.
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...
A good burr coffee grinder.
For less than $100!? Do tell, my friend.
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.
Sensor Watch.
Swiss Army knife
Yep same for me. The knife you can take anywhere without alarming people.
Nicely made and always useful.
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?
[dead]
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)
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
lmao this was also going to be my answer
fucking condoms
Are there any other kind?
Well there are USB condoms which cut the data lines...