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Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

76 points by krishadi

by futureshock

5 subcomments

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.

by Gazoche

0 subcomment

* 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.

by bergie

1 subcomments

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

by Lerc

2 subcomments

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

by sodapopcan

2 subcomments

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).

by ultrasandwich

5 subcomments

Aeropress coffee maker. Look up the James Hoffmann recipe on YouTube and you can never drink another coffee style again

by daringrain32781

2 subcomments

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.

by oxag3n

0 subcomment

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.

by GaryBluto

3 subcomments

An old, pre-online activation copy of Photoshop that I still use today.

by nicbou

0 subcomment

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.

by etyhhgfff

0 subcomment

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.

by proee

3 subcomments

Smartwool shirt and socks. no odor absorption so ability to wear without daily washing. Good thermal regulation as well.

by TulliusCicero

0 subcomment

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.

by nmaleki

0 subcomment

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.

by consumer451

0 subcomment

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

by krishadi

0 subcomment

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

by TulliusCicero

0 subcomment

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.

by bb88

2 subcomments

$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.

by jjcm

1 subcomments

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).

by mellosouls

1 subcomments

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.

by daza

0 subcomment

I've recently bought a used Apple TV (4K). Fantastic device, highly recommend this one.

by mid-kid

0 subcomment

~€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.

by neom

4 subcomments

Pocket operators are really fun to play with when you need a break from work.

by frm88

1 subcomments

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?

by frogperson

1 subcomments

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".

by kmfrk

0 subcomment

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

by twistedanimator

3 subcomments

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.

by sambapa

1 subcomments

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

by sleekest

0 subcomment

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.

by nuclearsugar

0 subcomment

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...

by m463

0 subcomment

- 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

by memorydial

1 subcomments

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.

by Fezzik

1 subcomments

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.

by rambambram

1 subcomments

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.

by tmaly

2 subcomments

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.

by coffeecoders

1 subcomments

For work: Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse, Anti fatigue mat
For home: Bidet
For personal: Kindle

by maxglute

2 subcomments

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.

by Scottn1

0 subcomment

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.

by 4d4m

0 subcomment

Illy espresso, less acrid than popular American espresso

by efortis

1 subcomments

A set of Wera lasertip screwdrivers.
Or, a Knipex Cobra pair of pliers.

by TulliusCicero

0 subcomment

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.

by KevinMS

0 subcomment

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.

by acheong08

1 subcomments

A £20 USB microphone from Aliexpress. The audio quality is so much better than laptop or headphone microphone

by technothrasher

1 subcomments

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.

by apothegm

0 subcomment

The book I taught myself HTML from in high school. My entry point to a lifetime of working with software.

by trevoristall

0 subcomment

[EDJY](https://edjy.com/products/edjy-fingernail-cutter) nail trimmers have been awesome and I will probably only ever use that from now on

by xeromal

2 subcomments

One of those reoriented vertical Logitech mice that reduce wrist pain. Amazing!

by ofalkaed

0 subcomment

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.

by theanonymousone

0 subcomment

A yearly Github copilot subscription :)

by epolanski

1 subcomments

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.

by erelong

0 subcomment

Like a gallon reusable metal water bottle; requires less refilling

by deepfriedbits

0 subcomment

Appreciate everyone adding links to their suggestions!

by steanne

0 subcomment

magnetic shelving for the side of the fridge greatly expanded upon the cabinet space usable to me as a shorter person.

by mastermedo

0 subcomment

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.

by skeptrune

1 subcomments

Custom motorcycle handlebar ends and levers. Cumulatively ~$80 and makes my riding experience drastically better.

by gus_massa

0 subcomment

Electric Fly Swatter

by 0xCAP

0 subcomment

Chi-fi IEMs. People have no idea what sound quality can be achieved under 100$.

by xnx

1 subcomments

Nesting silicone bowls with lids. Quiet and good for everything.

by bdcravens

0 subcomment

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? :-)

by ezekg

0 subcomment

Ergodriven topo standing desk mat - $99
Deltahub carpio 2.0 wrist rest - $35

by _DeadFred_

0 subcomment

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).

by agentifysh

5 subcomments

gotta be a tire inflater (not sure what brand) that came with a flash light and works rain or snow powered by car adapter

by scoofy

0 subcomment

Rohm Travel Sound Machine

by bentobean

0 subcomment

The “Cool Tools” catalog.

by brodouevencode

1 subcomments

A good burr coffee grinder.

by idontwantthis

3 subcomments

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.

by RickS

1 subcomments

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.

0 subcomment

by RattlesnakeJake

1 subcomments

Swiss Army knife

by lostmsu

0 subcomment

Small Bluetooth receiver for an older car.

by matheusmoreira

0 subcomment

Sensor Watch.

by ranger_danger

0 subcomment

Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket

by IAmBroom

0 subcomment

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.

by alligatorman

0 subcomment

Bidet
Weighted blanket
Shoehorn

by josefritzishere

0 subcomment

Microsoft Modern Webcam - $50 and the image quality is great.
3M WR209 Wrist rest - $20
Logitech M310 Mouse - $20

by platevoltage

1 subcomments

A nice tea kettle where the temperature is adjustable.

by andbberger

2 subcomments

a good mission burrito is like $10 and makes my life better

by mmmnnn

2 subcomments

fucking condoms

by borderprepper

0 subcomment

[dead]

by theturtle

0 subcomment

[dead]