this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2023
52 points (100.0% liked)

AskBeehaw

1996 readers
1 users here now

An open-ended community for asking and answering various questions! Permissive of asks, AMAs, and OOTLs (out-of-the-loop) alike.

In the absence of flairs, questions requesting more thought-out answers can be marked by putting [SERIOUS] in the title.


Subcommunity of Chat


This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

For me, it was a pair of merrell shoes on sale. They have lasted 3+ years, have great grip in the snow and ice, and so comfortable, my feet don't hurt after wearing all day.

Never cheap out on anything that comes between you and the ground; shoes, tires, a bed.

What have been some of your good purchases under $100?

top 46 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] ted 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Cheap Amazon bidet. $40 and it revolutionized my #2 experience.

[–] distractedcactus 11 points 1 year ago

These are magic, you can get good non-electric ones for $25 each and outfit your whole house. Three years from installing my first one I'm planning for power outlets near the toilets and saving for one that will yell at me in Japanese while it cleans.

[–] VandimionDevilChild 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

A cast iron pan, despite the little more maintenance required, cooking is so much easier and food just taste so much better.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] while1malloc0 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

A good set of ear plugs. My toddler can be pretty screamy and I find it a lot easier to be a rational parent when I have ear plugs in that don’t muffle all sounds, but just take the edge off the loud ones.

[–] TimTheEnchanter 5 points 1 year ago

This was going to be my answer as well! I have a pair for sleeping, a pair for travel, and a pair that I carry in my bag every day for loud places.

[–] wet_lettuce 3 points 1 year ago

My noise cancelling headphones are the only reason I survived so far. At first I felt like I was being a bad parent, but I realized wearing them made me a better parent. Like you said, I was able to stay more rational and disconnect a little from the screaming.

[–] TheGiantKorean 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A sleep mask. I sleep much better now that all the light is blocked out. Also, if I want to, I can sleep in in the mornings when it's bright outside and the light won't disturb me.

[–] TechyDad 7 points 1 year ago

I bought one with Bluetooth headphones built in. I have tinnitus and going to sleep was torture. I'd lay in the quiet room and be unable to sleep thanks to the loud ringing in my right ear. During the day, my hearing aid helps, but I take it out at night. With the Bluetooth sleep mask, I can put on white noise, drown out the ringing, and fall asleep.

As a bonus, I made a specific white noise mix for sleep and I seem to have trained my brain to have a Pavlov-type response. When that white noise goes on, my brain says "time to go to sleep" and I'm able to quickly fall asleep instead of having my brain run a mile a minute in the dark. (At least, on most nights. The Pavlov response isn't strong enough to overcome me being stressed about something if I go to bed.)

The sleep mask with Bluetooth cost me about $30 and it was worth every penny!

[–] ted 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Had a baby this year and I have a twofer:

  1. I got a used prefold + covers lot for $100. Cloth diapers seem more comfortable for the baby and they are way easier on the wallet.
  2. Woven wraps can be found used for $20-$80. A woven wrap is a baby wrap you can use from birth till they stop wanting to be held (35+ lbs). They are cheaper and more versatile than many structured carriers.
[–] Inspectigator 9 points 1 year ago

Go team cloth! We cloth'd both of my kids. Not always fun, but it's better for the environment and a ton cheaper!

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] StringTheory 11 points 1 year ago

A cheap beginner ukulele. Less than $100 gets you a new decent/good quality uke. (And $100 goes very far for a used one.) There is a whole world of music, musical styles, clubs, jams, online communities, and free resources. And uke players are generally kind, funny, and generous. “No big egos with tiny instruments.”

[–] DreamyRin 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

for something that I don't think a lot of people consider...I got a wrist rest for my mouse and keyboard as a present that I had asked for. it's significantly reduced my wrist and hand pain while typing or using my mouse, which is nice, because I already have pain issues.

additionally! my other mention would be my weighted blanket. I got one as a gift (but it wasn't heavy enough, make sure if you get one it's the right weight) and basically tried it and slept better than I ever had. it only sucks during summer because it makes me warmer. but, other than that, I highly recommend one if someone is thinking about it.

[–] phoenixes 1 points 1 year ago

Weighted blankets are the best, definitely recommend them. They've gotten much cheaper in the last 5 years, too. Down from like $150 to more like $40

[–] SevenSwell 9 points 1 year ago

I bought an insulated tumbler and now I drink too much water. I put ice in in the morning and it stays cold all day and I keep it by my bed for those 2am thirsty wake ups and it just hits the spot. Whenever I travel without it I just feel parched all day lol.

[–] unce 8 points 1 year ago

Battery powered air compressor and jump starter. Both have saved me from being stranded form a dead battery or low tire.

[–] followthewhiterabbit 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For any other girls, for God's sake get a proper fitted bra. Spend the money. It's a world of difference

[–] tanglisha 1 points 1 year ago

This makes such a huge difference. Higher end department stores do fittings, usually for free. If you go there during a sale, you can often find something at around or just under $100.

[–] jimp 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Here are a few things I haven't seen mentioned but have a significant quality of life improvement for me:

  • High quality LED flashlight that can also double as a power bank (e.g. Sofirn BLF SP36, BLF LT1, or Q8 Pro)
  • Curved shower bar -- no more fighting or getting stuck on the shower curtain/liner
  • Padded mat for in front of the sink, placement depends on where you spent the most time (handwashing dishes, food prep/cooking, etc)
  • Over the sink dish rack -- Frees up a ton of counter space if you hand wash
  • "Cloud" foam slippers
[–] GandalfDG 6 points 1 year ago

I have lower back pain, and I got a cheap heated back massage cushion that I can use in the car. It's what makes road trips bearable for me

[–] EmDash 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A massage gun. Works so much better at getting knots out than just your hands!

[–] Undeadpony 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] EmDash 2 points 1 year ago

Lifepro Sonic

[–] otsana 6 points 1 year ago

A bag of chickpea flour. Somebody on Lemmy was singing the praises of chickpea flour plus water as a replacement for egg in breading stuff. So instead of flour, egg, breadcrumbs I can do flour, chickpea flour + water, breadcrumbs. And then the rest of the chickpea flour goes back in the cabinet and I don’t have to try to use eggs before they go bad.

[–] metaltoilet 5 points 1 year ago

Both my awesome used thinkpad ($1200 new in 2019, $100 used with a broken screen in 2022, $40 for replacement screen), and all the nice (nicer than office ones) pens I buy.

[–] trohamar 5 points 1 year ago

Electric tooth brush. Learn to use it properly. Combine with flossing, save a lot on dental issues.

Arm sleeves (Korea brand from ebay) for driving. Keep my arms from turning into toast these days, you could also wet them to enhance cooling

[–] HeapOfDogs 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Lap desk for playing PC games on couch

[–] Penguincoder 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Explain more? What is that?

[–] MattBoySlim 5 points 1 year ago

Basically a flat piece of wood or plastic that can hold your keyboard and mouse, with some kind of cushion attached underneath so that it comfortably sits on your legs. I got this one last year to help with working from home in a comfy chair and it’s been pretty great (Amazon link)…

https://a.co/d/dbrEYtP

[–] GhostMagician 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Long fiber optic hdmi cord to hook up PC to TV and a wireless keyboard to navigate the desktop from the couch.

[–] SharkEatingBreakfast 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I got one of these, too!

With the HDMI, I just use adblock to watch all my media ad-free & play all my Steam games from my couch. Absolutely wonderful!

[–] GhostMagician 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, it's just so much simpler than dealing with trying to get apps to work to bypass stuff like ads. Couch gaming on PC is a plus too.

[–] 0nyxee 4 points 1 year ago

A foam mattress topper. Really was a lifesaver for a while when I couldn't get the whole mattress replaced.

Also, a tire pressure gauge. Had to use that thing more times than I could count through the years.

[–] rjh 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

A noise generator (LectroFan). I live in a noisy area (Friday/Saturday nights) and the machine completely blocks out all sound. It is more comfortable for me than wearing earplugs or headphones.

Similarly noise-cancelling headphones made a HUGE difference to my life but they're a bit more than $100. Still recommended for anyone thinking about it.

[–] Rkrin 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I gave my mom a set of noise canceling aiwa's i got for free through work. Looks like they only list for $80 but 2 or so years on and she uses them every morning when shes exercising and absolutly loves them. Sometimes cheap chineseium stuff isnt as disposable as it looks

[–] rjh 2 points 1 year ago

My Sony WH1000-XM3s started turning themselves off after a few years. Their noise cancelling is probably better than others but I can't say they've been reliable.

[–] NoraReed 3 points 1 year ago

I've definitely spent more than $100 total over my lifetime on La Tourangelle garlic oil but it's about $9 a can and I use it constantly. Gets garlic flavor in stuff without fodmaps.

[–] TheGiantKorean 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

A TempSpike wireless thermometer. I was pretty good at guesstimating cook times for roast chicken based on weight, but this thing gives me perfectly cooked chicken every time.

[–] phoenixes 2 points 1 year ago

My old Kindle Keyboard (3rd gen kindle), still about $30 on ebay, I believe, is my absolute favorite way to read long-form information, and I can hold it however is comfortable instead of awkwardly avoiding the screen with my thumb. I read a lot more books because of it.

[–] kelvinjps 1 points 1 year ago

I remember having a bought a cheap laptop, I was able to study and work, and also entertain. Another thing was the kindle.

[–] SenorBolsa 1 points 1 year ago

Love my Merrels, I wear the mocs which I got because they have a rounded heel (good for driving) and I was always in and out of them getting in and out of the bunk of the truck. They fit really well despite being slip ons.

A good penlight, streamlight makes some decent models, much better than a phone flashlight and comfortably fits in the pockets of loose fitting mens clothing to carry everywhere. usually more useful in the winter if you aren't a night owl.

A decent pocket knife, nothing fancy, but something heavier duty than a little Victorinox is nice to have though those are also great to carry! CRKT , Civivi, and Kershaw make a lot of nice models under $40 that will last you a lifetime if you take care of them. 8Cr13v is bargain bin steel by modern standards but it has some nice qualities, easy to sharpen and mildly rust resistant, holds a much better edge than a 316 "surgical grade" stainless knife from the dollar store for sure. I have found countless uses for a pocketknife over the years and I'm sure you will too!

[–] ThemboMcBembo 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I bought a ~1pt sippy cup that you can't spill, like the kind designed for children. It's made such a difference for drinking alcohol and for parties, where I tend to slosh or spill my drink!

Plus now my cats can't dip their paws in when I pour water and ruin the drink

[–] phoenixes 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I love my DIY Xero sandals. They're basically a sole with a rope strapped to it, as little shoe as you can possibly have. They're my absolute favorite shoes, as close to barefooting as you can get while still having protection against sharps on the ground.

I've had to replace the nylon cord a couple times, but that's cheap as hell. And it's very durable if you melt the end cap correctly (I didn't, the first two times).

Costs about $30 last I checked.