title: 69 Things Under $50 That Improve Your Life
author: Brock McGoff
publication: YouTube
published: 2026-02-11T00:00:00
source_url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPlRP5SpKb4
word_count: 7930
You don't have to spend a ton of money to improve your life. Here are 70 things under $50 that will have a meaningful, positive impact on everyday life. By the way, links to everything you see here can be found in the description below and a pinned comment. Okay, let's get into it. Really good socks. Better socks are more comfortable. They're more durable, and they just make your feet happy. Go for 100% cotton or wool. Wool socks can last a really long time if you buy from the right brands. Some brands like Darn Tough even have lifetime warranties on socks. I like a midweight or medium cushion sock. These just work with all different kinds of shoes. Yeah, I have some thick socks that work with boots and are really warm for winter time, but I prefer buying socks that I can wear all year round. Bonus points if you limit your entire sock collection to just a handful of neutral colors. You know, gray, off-white, navy. This makes your sock drawer interchangeable, so you never have to go hunting for a matched pair. Makes laundry easier, and it's one less decision to make every morning. I'll link to some of my favorite cotton and wool socks down below in the description. A braided belt. This is the most versatile type of belt. It's micro adjustable. It goes with any casual outfit, and it lasts forever. Plus, many braided belts these days have a bit of stretch built in. If you buy one in tan or navy or gray, you can wear it with pretty much any pair of pants. It also goes with any shoes and any other accessories. If you get yourself a braided belt and maybe one leather belt, that's all the belt you'll ever need. Uniqlo cotton t-shirts. I still struggle to find a t-shirt that works better for my build and that offers better value for the money than the Uniqlo Sepa cotton crew neck tea. This is a size extra small, but I can wear a small, too. This was like $20. I think now they're 25, but they're often on sale. This one is like four or 5 years old, and I still wear it. It's 100% pimacotton. It shrinks a little bit, but not too much. You can throw them in the dryer or if you want them to last a little longer, air dry them. It's my go-to t-shirt, but of course, Uniqlo makes a bunch of different t-shirt styles. I made a video comparing all of them, so go check that out. premium quality underwear. If you're used to paying $15 for a multiack of boxers, then like $15 or $20 for one pair might seem expensive. And yeah, it's pricey for underwear, but the actual dollar amount isn't that much. It's like one fancy cocktail or three lattes or one visit to an airport Panera. Plus, the cost per wear is still very low and you're going to be happier every day when you put them on and your partner will be happier every night if you catch my meaning. I do think that there are diminishing returns. Like I don't think that a $30 pair of underwear is that much better than a $20 pair, but there are many great brands in the $ 20 to $30 range. And I will link to a few of my favorites in the description. Shirt anchors. You know, when you're wearing a button-up shirt, if you only leave the top button unbuttoned, it looks kind of dorky, but then if you unbutton two buttons, the placket can get kind of sloppy. Shirts should really come with like a hidden button between the second and third one, but they don't. So, the next best thing is these little shirt anchors. They're like small squishy pucks that have enough stick to hold fabric together, but they're not so sticky that they get stuck to your shirt. Well, they do get stuck to your shirt, but not permanently. They're easy to remove, and you can use them several times before they lose their stickiness. I often wear these with my casual button-up shirts, kind of like this one, so I can get that perfect amount of open collar. You know, that kind of effortless casual look, which is funny cuz it takes a bit more effort to achieve it. Or if you have like a polo shirt where the collar has kind of warped and is coming off the shirt, you can use these to stick it back down. I think it's worth having a pack of these on hand. They're pretty cheap and one pack will last you several years. I'll link to these in a pinned comment. Citrus squeezer. If you cook a lot or you like to make citrusy drinks at home like cocktails or lemon water, one of these little things will save your hands and they'll help you get every last drop out of your lemon or lime. If you use a squeezer for cooking, it will help keep the seeds out of your food. We have an orange tree in our yard, so during a certain time of year, we're squeezing fresh OJ like every day. These little squeezers are so worth the money. We have two in different sizes, and I use them both regularly. silicone baking mat. These are reusable. They're easy to clean. You can use them instead of parchment paper, so it's eco-friendly. And they're perfect for baking or roasting veggies. They help your food cook more evenly. They prevent sticking, so it also makes it easier to clean and preserve your baking sheets. Cast iron skillet. Entry-level versions go for 25,30 bucks, and they'll last you a lifetime. They're perfect for eggs, steaks, potatoes, veggies, pretty much everything in between. >> Yay! Smash the bananas. >> Sure, cast iron is a little bit higher maintenance than a nonstick. You got to season it and clean it properly, but it's so worth the little bit of extra effort. And you really don't have to go high-end. Get one from Lodge. They're made in the USA. They start at 20 bucks. If you haven't yet joined the cast iron revolution, this is your sign. To-go Tupperware set. You know, some restaurants have like really nice to-go containers. Just buy a pack for yourself. These are great when you're having people over for dinner. You can send everyone home with a little to- go package without sacrificing your actual good Tupperware cuz you know it's never going to make its way back to you. You can also bring these when you go to someone else's house. People always want to give you food when you're leaving, so just bring your own Tupperware so you don't have to use theirs. You can also use these to freeze food that might be wasted. Of course, there are non-plastic versions if you don't want to use plastic. I personally don't mind. Super cheap. I think it's worth having just one set. You know what? I enjoy hot food. You know what I don't enjoy? Cleaning the microwave. For some reason, certain foods splatter all over the place when you heat them up. Looking at you, lasagna. And one incident can just wreck the inside of your microwave. The solution: Microwave safe bowl covers. These are cheap and effective. You can get a multiack with a few different sizes. They also double as lids. So, you can basically turn any bowl into Tupperware. If you take one thing away from this video, it should be microwavable bowl covers. Please keep watching. Milk FR. When my father-in-law comes to visit, he brings this fancy espresso machine and makes these incredible vanilla lattes with lavender and sometimes a bit of Kúa. But most days, I don't have time for all that. I need to mainline that caffeine straight into the bloodstream. So, we use a regular old drip coffee maker. It's actually just fine. Now, I don't drink it black because I'm not cool or manly. So, at the very least, I'll put some cream in there, maybe a little vanilla syrup if I'm feeling kind of wild. My diet starts tomorrow. In some mornings, I will use our milk fo to transform a regular cup of Joe into a cafe latte. It really does change the texture and the taste in a good way, and it just makes the drink a little more special. By the way, if you're a single guy and you're making a special someone a cup of coffee in the morning, use a milk foam and sprinkle some cinnamon or chocolate on top. Then go iron your best shirt because she's going to want you to meet her parents. Cutting boards. I don't know why, but these are the best cutting boards. Like, yeah, wooden cutting boards are cool, but they're also heavy, thick, less durable, higher maintenance, less sanitary, and let's be honest, they take forever to dry. But these little EMCO TPU cutting boards, they're thin, easy to clean, extremely durable, and they dry quickly. We have three of them, small, medium, and large. But you could totally get away with just having the one medium size. I use these multiple times every day. Slicing an avocado. Taking a hot ego out of the toaster oven. Quartering grapes so it takes my one-year-old longer to eat them and I can finally enjoy my breakfast in relative peace and quiet. Also, so she doesn't choke. I'm telling you, these are the best cutting boards. Just grab them. Food thermometer. I don't really enjoy cooking. I'm not very good at it. It kind of stresses me out. Luckily, my wife is a great cook and she regularly whips up tasty meals for the whole fam. But on occasion, I will man the grill. Nothing crazy. Just simple stuff like chicken thighs and grilled veggies. I used to stress about under or over cooking things. classic grilling amateur. I would try to kind of eyeball it or just like cut the steak open a little bit and check it. I started using a food thermometer and it's so much easier. You can use these on anything, you know, food, liquid, people. The best thing is there's no more stress about ruining a steak or undercooking chicken. If you don't already have one of these, it's kind of a no-brainer purchase. I'll link to this one down below in the description. Oxo grill tools. Speaking of grilling, after using cheaper grill tongs and a spatula for a long time, I upgraded to these higher quality ones from OXO. This isn't sponsored or anything, but I have to say OXO is one of those brands that just doesn't miss. I've never been disappointed with anything I got from them. Yes, their stuff is slightly more expensive, but it's still pretty affordable. This two-pack grill tool set comes with a heavyduty stainless steel turner and tongs. They're both grippy, heavy, long enough to keep your hands out of the heat, and easy to clean. It's $23 well spent. Syrup dispenser. We go through a lot of maple syrup in our household. I won't tell you how much cuz my wife will be embarrassed, but it's gallons. like to blame this all on the three-year-old, but honestly, I'm part of the problem. Actually, if you could click on some of my affiliate links down in the description, that would really help out because maple syrup is expensive. The thing is, most maple syrup comes in a cool looking, but totally impractical glass bottle. It's hard to pour the right amount, and no matter how careful you are, it drips down the side and creates a sticky mess that just gets worse over time. The solution is a restaurantstyle dispenser. This produces a neat, controlled syrup stream without any sticky residue. So, if you also live in a pancake heavy household, I highly recommend picking one of these up. And yes, I did take that shot of syrup. Dish brush. Here's a hot take. Brushes are better than sponges. I do a lot of dishes in our household. I'm the go-to kitchen cleanup guy. My wife cooks. I clean. I used to hate washing dishes back when I thought you had to use a disgusting sponge. But then I discovered the dish brush. And everything changed. Paid off my debt. I got in the best shape of my life. I met my dream gal. And I actually started enjoying keeping the kitchen tidy. Brushes stay cleaner than sponges. They last longer. You can just put them in the dishwasher. I think they're more effective, too. I like these Joseph Joseph brushes that you can hang on the edge of your sink. Classic Amazon brand, by the way. Joseph Joseph. But despite the goofy name, they're the best ones I found, and I've tried a bunch. Links below in the description. Dish soap. Yeah, you're watching a guy talk about soap. You know, most dish soap has that little cap on top and it gets all gunky with like half dried soap. Believe it or not, there's a better design now. They make these no mess bottles that sit with the opening on the bottom and you just squeeze the whole bottle to dispense the soap. It's faster and cleaner, and they're the same price as the regular bottles. I genuinely love that there's someone out there dedicating their life and career to innovating on the dish soap bottle. It's the tiny upgrades in life, you know? Lacrosse ball. Basically, a poor man's massage therapist. Roll it under your feet or under your shoulder blades, anywhere that you're feeling a bit tight. It hurts so good. And I think it's more effective than a foam roller because uh you can really get it in these little tight spaces. It's also cheaper. You can get one of these for just a few dollars. You know, you can get a couple of them. Keep one in your bedroom so you can use it before bed. Put one in your gym bag so you can use it during warm-up or cool down. Keep one at the office. Lacrosse ball. Better moisturizer. Almost everyone could benefit from using moisturizer on their face. But you got to get the right kind. Go with a clean moisturizer. You know, unscented, minimal ingredients. Look for sensitive skin on the label. Even if you think you don't have sensitive skin, your face is going to feel better and you won't smell like a Bed Bath and Beyond. Bonus points for using a moisturizer with a bit of sun protection built in. SPF is the best anti-aging ingredient. I'll link to my favorite brand down below in the description and a pinned comment. An electric toothbrush. I was late to the electric toothbrush game, but now that I've been using one for a few years, I could never go back. The main benefit of an electric toothbrush, according to data, is that when you use one, you tend to brush your teeth for longer. That's because most of them have a 2-minute timer built in. With a manual toothbrush, almost no one actually brushes for a full 2 minutes. Given that electric toothbrushes are so affordable now you can get a good one for like 20 or 30 bucks. There's no reason not to use one. On a related note, pickstyle flossers. I could never get into the habit of flossing every night, mostly because I don't like using the string floss. Once I switched to the pixy flossers, the habit stuck. I floss every single night. No exceptions, even when I'm traveling. And I know these aren't as effective as the string floss, but it's way better than just not flossing. Also, with the right technique, they do work really well. I've talked to dentists and hygienists about this. Since switching to an electric toothbrush, using these flossers, and also using a fluoride mouthwash, I just don't get cavities anymore, and I used to get them all the time. An electric shaver. Speaking of efficient grooming, I switched to an electric shaver a few years ago, and haven't looked back. Now, I forgot to shave this morning. Little scruffy, a little unckempt looking. Probably not the best person to be promoting the electric shaver right now, but the show must go on. Here's the thing. With the electric shaver, your shave is not going to be as close, so you have to shave more often, but it is so quick and easy. And I also find the electric shaver to be pretty gentle on my skin. And you don't need to buy a $200 fancy one. You can get a really nice one for under $50. I've been using the same one for like I want to say five or six years now, and it works just fine. I'll drop a couple links in the description. Adapylene gel. Now, I made a whole video about the benefits of using topical retinoids, so I recommend checking that out if you're not happy with how your skin looks. Long story short, this $10 tube of adapylene gel has had a bigger impact on my skin than any other skincare product I've ever tried. I'm talking clearer, younger looking skin, especially if you're prone to acne breakouts. I used to get pretty bad acne and I just don't anymore. If you don't have acne, you can just try a regular retinol cream. You don't need the adapylene gel. But either way, you don't have to get like the fancy designer brands. You can just get the generic retinol or adapylene and it works. high quality SPF moisturizer or sunscreen. Living in southern Arizona, I wear sunscreen, at least on my face, pretty much every day. Normal sunscreen is like thick and greasy. The stronger zinc stuff is usually overkill unless I'm like going to the pool. So, most days I'm using a moisturizer with a little bit of SPF built in. I'll link to some of my favorite brands in the description. You know, a high quality SPF moisturizer might run you $15, but it's doing double duty. It's moisturizing your skin and giving you enough sun protection to be out there for a little while. Like I said, if you're going to be out there all day, use something stronger. But this is money well spent. A glass nail file. Those little metal nail files kind of suck. And the cardboard ones just don't last very long. Spend like $7 to upgrade to a glass nail file. They feel way better. They're just smoother and more effective, and they last forever. They don't get dull. They don't get rusty or bent out of shape. Premium deodorant. I never thought I'd spend $22 on a stick of deodorant, but here we are. This Jack Black Pit Boss deodorant is the best I found. I actually also included this in my expensive purchases that are worth the money video. This stuff is strong, but it's not irritating. It smells great and it lasts all day. Don't get me wrong, I'm not above wearing Old Spice Swagger, but this stuff is excellent if you're looking for the upgrade. Thotic insoles. This is actually another product that I included in the expensive purchases video because they are kind of expensive. Like, if you spend $40 or $50 on a pair of insoles, you're like, "Ah, that could just go to a new pair of shoes." But these are a great way to get more out of the shoes that you already own. Like especially if you have a pair of shoes that used to be comfortable but maybe they're not great anymore. Maybe they changed or your feet changed before you replace them. Try insoles. Recently I've made a couple videos about trying to find comfortable shoes. So you can go check those out. And I will keep testing out new shoe brands to try to find comfortable and stylish enough options. But I also use these orthotic insoles. I've tried a bunch. I like these Power Steps. I also like the Super Feet medium arch cushion insoles. But honestly, I recommend going to a store and trying out a bunch of them because all of our feet are different, and it's pretty subjective. Either way, I do think it's worth spending $30 or $40 to ease pain and avoid long-term health issues. In the same vein, house slippers. I try not to wear shoes inside, at least on the carpet. Uh, but I do like a little bit of cushion underfoot. I don't really like walking around in bare feet, especially on like hard tile flooring. And during the cooler months, I like a bit of extra warmth. House slippers take care of all of that. These are actually from Geesewine. These are not under $50. These are like high-end house slippers, but there are so many options uh in the more affordable price range. I'll link to a few of my favorites in the description, but if you don't have a pair of house slippers, I highly recommend them. Night lights. Yeah, night lights. Like the ones for little kids bedrooms. These things are so underrated. I bought a fourack of these little light sensing LED ones, which came out to less than $4 per light. You plug them in and they come on automatically when it gets dark. I put them in the bathrooms and hallways, one in the kitchen, so they're just like a dim ambient light at nighttime. It adds a pleasant ambient feel to your home, and it also makes those nighttime trips to the bathroom or to your kids' rooms much safer. Soft measuring tape. These are super handy when you're shopping for clothes online. You can measure the garments that you already own and then compare them to the clothes that you find online. Great for thrifting, like if you're looking on eBay or Poshmark. You can also measure your own body. Let's say you're shopping for a wristwatch and you want to know how big your wrist is. Maybe you haven't gone to watch sizegu.com yet and figured this out. It's free. It'll teach you how to measure your wrist and then calculate the perfect watch size for your wrist. Go check it out. These soft measuring tapes are better for measuring anything that's not perfectly flat and straight like a body part or a shirt sleeve. They're very affordable, so I think it makes sense to just keep one around. Night Eyes Gear Ties bar. These are kind of like reusable zip ties, but I think they're better cuz they're easier to use. They're perfect for organizing cables or keeping stuff bundled up. They're flexible, durable, kind of addictive once you start using them. I keep finding new use cases for these things. And they're cheap, too. So, just buy a variety pack with different sizes, and thank me later. Small pliers. I like a needle-nose or lineman style. I think 7 in is the most versatile size. You'll be surprised how often you reach for these. These are great for small fixes like pulling nails or opening impossible packaging, unscrewing something that's too tight. Out of all the tools in my toolbox, I find myself reaching for these most often. A battery organizer. This is a good one for parents because try as you might to avoid them, when you have young kids, you're going to end up with a bunch of little batterypowered devices. >> I hate this thing so much. >> One of these organizers keeps them neat and lets you know what types of batteries could use a restock. It also has a tester built in so you never have to wonder if those random batteries rolling around in your junk drawer still have any juice left. I love an organized home. I love a tidy junk drawer, so this is perfect for me. This here is the most popular one. Uh, there are a bunch of knockoffs, but I think it's worth paying a few extra dollars for the best version. Link in a pinned comment below. Glasses repair kit. If you wear glasses or sunglasses, just to get one of these $9 kits, comes with tiny screws, nose pads, these little screwdrivers that you always wish you had when your glasses break. Even if you use it once every 2 years, it'll potentially save you hundreds of dollars if it means you don't have to buy new frames. I love repairing instead of replacing. I try to keep the things that I own for as long as possible, and I've used this kit multiple times. magnetic safety locks. So, these are for cabinets. And again, this one is mostly for parents or anybody who might have young kids visiting their house. There are many different devices you can use to secure or lock a cabinet. If you're going to have kids, you're going to need these. Or if you have friends or family that want to bring their kids over, they're going to feel a lot better if you have these installed. You don't need them everywhere, but we all have that cabinet under the sink with a bunch of random chemicals. It's best if small kids can't open it. I've tried a bunch of different versions of these locks, and the magnet ones are the best. It is a very clever mechanism. You just use this magnet to unlock the lock and then it locks again automatically. Uh and then you can actually store the magnet like under a cabinet or on your fridge so it's always close by, but it's too high up for little kids to reach. These are really easy to install. There's no drilling required. They just stick and they're invisible from the outside. See-through storage bins. Unless you live somewhere like Southern California where the weather never changes, chances are you probably have some clothes that you only wear during fall and winter and then other clothes that you wear during spring and summer. I like to store unused clothing, footwear, and accessories in clear plastic bins that slide right under the bed. This is unused space, and honestly, they totally disappear. Like, you can't even see them when you're standing up looking at the bed. They don't add any visual or mental clutter to your life. Plus, if you get the clear ones, you can easily see what's inside each bin. I recommend the kind of long flat ones because you can stack them up if your bed is high enough. These things are great. Next up, good matching hangers. Your hanger collection might look like this. You know, you have some from the dry cleaners and then some plastic ones left over from college and then, you know, a couple of nicer ones. But a nice set of good matching wooden hangers is just so satisfying. At the very least, you want to avoid using those wire hangers that you get from the dry cleaners. They're really bad for your clothes. upgrade to plastic or better yet wood. For your jackets and coats, you can get those thicker wooden hangers with the curved shoulders. You can get some clip style hangers for your pants. For everything else, I pretty much just use these basic wooden hangers, and they're not even that much more expensive than the plastic ones. There's something about having matching hangers and the right hanger style for each type of garment. It's just so easy on the eyes, you know? Flat extension cords. You know when you plug something in behind a piece of furniture and you can't really push the furniture all the way up against the wall anymore because you feel like you're going to damage the cord. Yeah, I hate that. That's why these extension cords with the flat plugs make so much sense. I don't even know why regular ones exist anymore. Bonus points if you get the kind that swivels, too. Soft closed toilet seats. Why do regular toilet seats even exist? Soft closed is obviously the way to go. Why? No more eardrum rattling seat slamming looking at you toddlers. For us adults, no more accidental slams. That is until you get used to having soft clothes. Then you go to somebody's house who doesn't have them and you accidentally slam the lid and everybody wonders why you're so angry all the time. I'm angry because it's almost 2025 and regular toilet seats still exist. Toto. Go soft or go home. Folding step stool. I'm shocked at how much use we get out of this small folding step stool. Granted, we're a short household, but still most people have trouble reaching like the highest cabinet or changing a light bulb. And now that we have a toddler, she uses it all the time, too. She's always moving it around from the bathroom to the playroom and the closet, usually trying to reach something that's definitely not a toy. These little things fold up for easy storage. They're like $15 and they just disappear into any cabinet or closet. We also have a larger three-step stool, but honestly, the small one gets more use. Laundry drying rack. Speaking of useful, the best way to make your clothes last longer is to stop putting them in the dryer. Of course, some stuff should never be machine dried, like 100% wool sweaters or raw denim jeans. But even cotton tees and socks won't last as long if you dry them regularly. You know, all of that lint that your dryer collects, that's just fibers from your clothes. The dryer is literally destroying your clothing. The solution is to air dry your clothes on a drying rack. I like these collapsible drying racks because they can be folded up and stored. Perfect for smaller homes. Broom wall mount. This is probably unnecessary for anybody that lives in a more modern house or apartment that actually has a broom closet. But my house was built in the 50s and it doesn't have a whole lot of storage space. It's also just not a huge house. So, to keep things organized, we try to get things off of the floor when we can. This little broom Swiffer rack fits nicely behind the laundry room door, and it gets these awkwardly long tools out of the way. It's just a cheap little upgrade that's perfect for anybody in tight living quarters. Electric fly swatter. I don't know how it is where you live, but around us we get a lot of mosquitoes. It's not like Florida level bugs, but it's enough that it can be kind of uncomfortable to be outside for a long time knowing that you're getting eaten alive. Now, I don't make it a habit to kill every bug I see. Crickets, for example, are humanely removed from the house, but some critters, like wasps and, of course, mosquitoes have to go. And this is where the electric fly swatter comes in. It'll take a mosquito out mid-flight with a satisfying zap. Don't get me wrong, it's not a permanent solution. There's an endless army of mosquitoes waiting to take their fallen comrades place on the battlefront. I'm not winning this war, but you're crazy if you think I'm going down without a fight. A wireless mic. This one's kind of specific for content creators, which is a lot of people these days, but it could be useful for people who are taking meetings on their phone. If you ever record anything on your phone, you know, YouTube videos or interviews, whatever, uh these are a game changer for audio quality. So, it's just the phone microphone, no external mic. This is how the audio sounds. Not bad. Passable, not exactly professional. Now, I'm going to plug the mic in. And this is the audio with the mic. So, I'm just kind of holding it in the vicinity of my mouth. You could clip it onto your shirt or your hat, jacket, tie, whatever. Sounds a lot more professional. It eliminates a lot of that background noise, and it just gives you a deeper, clearer signal. It just makes your content feel more polished and professional. You know, people can tolerate lower quality video, but bad audio is very hard to listen to. Entry-level wireless mics for your phone start at like 25,30 bucks. These are more than good enough for most people. If you spend a little more, like maybe $70 or $80, you can get a really good one. I'll link to these exact ones down below in the description. Longer charging cables. Why are the default phone charging cables so short? Get a six or 10 footer and thank me later. I've been liking these heavyduty ones from a brand called Static, but even a cheap one is a small upgrade that will make charging your phone much less annoying. 360 magnet charging cables. Have you seen these? Have you heard about these? This brand Static makes these magnetic swivel charging cables. Basically, you plug in whatever tip you need, lightning or USBC, and then you use these 360 cables to quickly connect any device. The cool thing is if you have multiple devices, even with different inputs, you can use the same cable. You just pop it off one device, like an Apple trackpad that has a lightning port, and snap it onto another device, like a Switch controller that uses USBC. It's pretty cool. Like, I can just have one cable on my desk that can be used to charge multiple devices with different inputs. You could use these on your phone, too. You just leave the tip inserted, and then you replace your regular charging cables with these static cables. An added benefit is it actually stops your phone's port from collecting dust. It also sort of acts like Apple's MagSafe plug, so if the cord is pulled, it'll just disconnect the magnet versus pulling your device like off the counter. That'll put these in the must-have category. It's just kind of a fun little upgrade to charging cables. A durable, waterproof watch. I'm talking a cheap Casio under 25 bucks. Something reliable for workouts and beach days or when you don't want to risk wearing your nicer watch. These are super affordable. They're basically indestructible. It's like a G-Shock for a fifth of the price. I have a few watches, including a couple of nicer ones, but I find myself reaching for these little Casios all the time, especially during summer when we're going to the pool a lot. $25 well spent. Keychain pocket clip. This keeps your keys in place so they're not bouncing around or creating an awkward bulge in your pocket. Yeah, those unorganized keys or you're just happy to see me. I've tried a bunch of different key organizers and carabiners. This clip style carabiner is the best thing that I found so far. It's titanium, so it's really lightweight, but very durable. You can go check out my latest EDC video for details, but this is the clip that I'm still using. I'll link the exact one down below in the description. A tiny knife. I never carry like a big EDC knife because I never need one and I feel like it just takes up a lot of space in my pocket. I mean, even like these knives from Wesson and Kershaw, like they're cool. I keep them in my desk. I'll use them to open packages for unboxing videos and stuff, but I won't actually carry them in my pocket. But a tiny knife, especially one that fits on your keychain, that just makes sense. I mostly use it like just for opening packages, cutting the occasional loose thread, or cutting athletic tape, and other minor laceration related tasks. This Spyderco Bug is the smallest one that I found. It's pretty cheap, and it served me well for years. Great little knife. A small flashlight comes in very handy. I know that our phones have flashlights and for quick tasks they work just fine, but I found myself using like a dedicated flashlight somewhat often. If you get one like this, like you can clip it onto your hat or your shirt or a stroller. So, if I'm going for a nighttime walk, I'll take this along. Plus, this one just takes AAA battery, so it lasts forever. You never have to recharge it. It's way brighter than the flashlight on your phone. It's also just really durable. You can drop it. You can get it wet. Actually, I don't know if you can get this wet. I think you can. Anyway, in a world where our phone kind of does everything but not everything well, I find that it's kind of nice to have a dedicated tool like this little flashlight. A compact umbrella. When it comes to umbrellas, I think that portability trumps size because even if you have a really big umbrella, it's still kind of a pain to fit more than one person under it. I like a small, portable, but high quality umbrella. You don't want a cheap, flimsy one that's going to turn inside out when the wind picks up. I keep this Totes Titan compact umbrella in my car so I'm never caught without it if an unexpected storm comes in. Bad luck. Phone grip. Even with a smaller phone like the iPhone 13 mini, it can be hard to hold the phone and type with one hand. This little phone grip, the Snap 4 Lux, makes it easier to hold and reduces hand strain. It also doubles as a stand that can be used in landscape or portrait mode. It's magnetized so you can stick your phone to any metal surface. It's a nice little upgrade to any phone in my humble opinion. Mag connect for your keys. If you live in a multi-car household, it can be cumbersome to carry around multiple fobs all the time. It's just a lot of bulk on your keychain and in your pocket. The solution is to make your key setup modular so you can switch out your fobs depending on which car you're taking. You could also just have two sets of keys, one for each fob, but I like the modular setup for myself. You could even use these little magnet connectors for other things like gym tags or keys that you use less often. I'll link to these ones below in the description. Reusable tote. Throw one in your car. Leave one in your favorite suitcase. I find that when I'm traveling, I always wish I brought a reusable tote bag like this. It saves plastic. It holds way more than those flimsy grocery bags. Bonus points if it folds up into a tiny little pouch. This one is from Orbert Key. It's really nice. I mean, you can find cheaper ones on Amazon, but I'll link to this one below. This Contigo water bottle Hydro Flask is so overrated. Stanley, don't even get me started. I mean, the standard Hydro Flask model, you can't even use it with one hand. You have to like unscrew the top. It's just a plastic and metal cylinder. Like, why does it cost $50? Get yourself a Contigo. These are the most functional water bottles I found. Actually, my wife found them and she converted me. You can use them with one hand. You can close the top so they won't spill. Once you open the top, you have to push the button to open the seal so it still won't spill until you push the button. If you're traveling, you can lock it so you can't push the button. So, it definitely won't spill. They have a little carrying handle. You could use a carabiner. They're slim enough to put in your backpack. And they cost like half as much as a Hydro Flask. Contigo TSA pre-check. Okay, technically it costs $78. So it's over 50, but that's for 5 years. So that comes out to like $16 a year. And in my opinion, even if you only fly occasionally, that's worth it. I mean, if you fly three times a year, that comes out to $5 a flight. I would pay $5 to avoid waiting in line for a half hour, wouldn't you? You're worth it. I also like Clear, which lets you skip the pre-check line, but I think if you can only choose one, pre-check is the way to go. A luggage scale. This is like $9 and it'll mean that you never have to pay for an overweight bag or do that awkward repacking at the check-in counter ever again. I actually never really used one of these until we started flying with kids, which means we just had to pack a bunch of extra stuff. All of a sudden, it was very easy to hit that weight limit for checked luggage. If you have one of these, you can weigh your luggage at home, so there won't be any surprises at the airport. Two books. Number one is The Simple Path to Wealth. And number two is The Psychology of Money. This video is about affordable products. It's about saving money or being frugal, but also improving your life. These are the only two books that you ever have to read about personal finance. If you read both of these books, you will know more about money than 99% of the population. You'll know how much you have, how much you need, how to get rid of debt, uh how much you can comfortably spend each month, and how much you have to save to be okay for retirement. And you'll also just feel less anxious about money. It's easy to bury your head in the sand when it comes to personal finance and wealth management, but I promise if you spend 10 or 20 bucks on both of these books, they'll be some of the best investments you've ever made. Cheap sunglasses for the car. Keep an extra pair of cheap sunglasses in your glove compartment so you're never squinting your way home during a sunny drive. It doesn't matter if they're not high quality or if they're not your favorite style. These are your car shades. You won't cry if they get scratched and they're always right where you need them. Car window shades. So, it is very hot where I live in the southwest United States. I'm talking 100 plus degrees all summer. This desert heat turns our CRV into an easy bake oven. That makes it even harder to stuff a toddler into a car seat. I don't blame the toddler. You can get a second degree burn from those buckles. Many vehicles come with tinted windows, but it's just not enough. So, I've tried two styles of window shades. First, these small panels that sort of stick to the inside of the glass and then these mesh covers that slip over the top of the door. The panels are okay, but honestly, the covers work better, even though they look pretty ugly. We keep them on our cars almost all year round. This is a function over form decision, much like buying a Honda CRV, and I'm okay with it. Car seat ice packs. We even took our car cooling efforts to the next level by acquiring these kids car seat ice packs. My wife found these, and honestly, I thought it was a gimmick. As a parent, you get desperate, and you end up buying a lot of stuff that isn't as useful as advertised. But these ice packs are surprisingly awesome. For example, if I'm taking my toddler to the library and I know that the car will be parked outside in the baking hot sun for a couple hours after I get her out of the car, I'll put one of these ice packs in her seat. When we get back to the car, the seat is actually cold. We don't have to wait for the car to cool down. And if she knows that the seat isn't hot, she'll get right in. Not going to lie, I kind of want to find a bigger one for the driver's seat. Blackout curtains, total game changer for sleep. Even if you don't think you're sensitive to light, give these a try. They're great for shift workers or kids' rooms who are taking naps in the middle of the day. really anybody who wants to take a nap. They're especially useful during summer when the sun's coming up at like 5:00 a.m. and when your kids have to go to bed when it's not quite dark outside. You don't have to go high-end. These are very much a function over form purchase. So, feel free to go cheap at least to try them out and see if you like them. House plants. Did you know there's actual scientific evidence that the presence of plants can improve blood pressure and academic achievement and attention? That's crazy. They also just look nice. Any room in your house can be improved by simply adding a plant or three. Try a snake plant like the one I have back here or a paos. Both are hard to kill, don't need a ton of light, and look great. You can get these for like 10, 15 bucks at your local hardware store or nursery. You can even buy plants online now. Seriously, it's like the easiest, cheapest home upgrade in the world. I mask. You probably don't have to buy one of these. You've probably gotten some free ones from stays at hotels or long flights. I recommend using them, especially during summer when the sunlight tends to creep into your windows at like 5:00 a.m. Seriously, these really work. Even if I don't think they're going to work, they always help me sleep in a bit. It's really the only way I can go back to sleep after an early unexpected wake up. If you don't have an eye mask, I'll link to a really good one down below in the description. Finally, earplugs. If you really want to supercharge your sleep, combine that eye mask with a good set of earplugs. I've never gone hunting. I really have no desire to kill an animal except birds. When it's 4:30 a.m. and this mocking bird is going absolutely ham outside my bedroom window, sounding like an aftermarket car alarm from the mid '90s, I've seriously considered purchasing a firearm. Instead, I pop in a set of earplugs, put on my eye mask, and go back to sleep. Earplugs are a lifesaver for anybody with small kids or light sleepers. There are a few different kinds. I'll link to the ones that I like down below. If you enjoyed this list, be sure to hit the like button, maybe share this video with a friend, and subscribe for more content like this. Thank you for watching and until next