When I was seven-years-old, I decided to use my allowance to buy one of those disposable cameras. It was less than $10, and my life was never the same!
Since I was so young, I wasn’t allowed to use my dad’s Nikon, in case I dropped it, so I never understood the joy he got from taking pictures until I got my own camera. Once I took my first photograph, I never stopped.
Now, I’m the one who gets pictorial evidence of special events or documents family trips. I’m the one who makes sure memories are preserved, and I love it.
You never know what purchase is going to be life-changing, but chances are, something was. Usually, these life-changing purchases aren’t even that expensive.
Curious about this or perhaps hoping for a recommendation, Redditor stampoutreality asked:
“What life-changing item can you buy for less than a hundred dollars?”
Kept Me In Food
"Rice Cooker. That kept me fed during covid when I barely had the energy to get out of bed"
– ArkadyKirilenko
"Chinese families know this. Got addicted when I married into one. We keep soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar around for condiments."
– ihbarddx
For A Good Night's Sleep
"A good pillow"
– wilsonianuk
"Completely changes the way you sleep am I right?"
"I had trouble for months getting good sleep, brought a under pillow and a memory pillow for the top and I swear a nuke could go off and I'd just sleep through it."
– viking_raider94
To Heal
"First aid kit. They are handy when you least want them to be."
– ThePhoenixBird2022
"My family is very outdoorsy, and my grandpa was a medic in the National Guard. He always stressed having a basic first aid kit wherever you go, and making sure to throw out anything that’s expired. That bag has more mileage than my grandpa’s ‘55 Chevy lol"
– IllurinatiL
"Exactly, you never want to need it but when you keep it handy it turns form a minor inconvenience to have near you to a potential literal lifesaver."
– MrPers0n30
"Yep. My freshman year of college I used lots of band aids on myself and my floor mates, and once had a girl come to my apartment at 2am to splint her broken hand until she could get to the doctor in the morning as she couldn’t go to the ER."
"Ironically I didn’t have it the day I ended up in a serious biking accident and had a nasty head injury. The off duty EMT who found me had a first aid kit with him and did more to actually treat me then the crew that showed up in the ambulance."
– IronDominion
Caught It On Camera
"A decent dash cam. I scoffed at the idea of a dashcam for years. A friend told me to try it out and it helped me out when I got in an accident a couple years back."
– Froggy-of-the-butt
"I keep thinking about getting a dash cam, but I also have an irrational fear that as soon as I get one I'll really need it like I'm tipping probability somehow."
– RomanSeraphim
Protect Yourself
"Condoms"
– DucoNdona
"Not buying them would be more life changing"
– rippin12000
"An even cheaper birth control method is to tell your potential mate how you spend 8 hours a day on reddit. Works every time."
– FartingBob
Arthur Said It Best
"A library card--free if you live in the library's district, a fee if you are a non-resident. So many resources for self improvement and growth...and so many free alternatives to paid services."
– TheSanityInspector
"Hot tip: Librarians want you to have a card, so they are very often willing to very liberally interpret the requirements to prove that you are in district."
– TrineonX
"Having fun isn’t hard, when you’ve got a library card!"
– psiv92
Can We Fix It?
"Basic tool set."
"A little youtube/Google work, a $100 worth of tools and you'd be amazed at the things you can fix on your car, around the house, etc."
"Bonus points if you're a man - chicks dig dudes that are handy"
"Bonus points if you're a woman - dudes dig chicks that can turn wrenches with them"
"Everyone wins!"
– 86Logs
"people love people who can handle their own sh*t**"
– granth1993
Once You Grind, You Never Go Back
"Pepper grinder. Seriously I will never use regular pepper again"
– Deleted User
"Same goes for coffee!"
– realityGrtrThanUs
"Recently got a salt/pepper grinder set and bulk peppercorn medley and pink Himalayan salt off Amazon and it’s been a great decision. We also buy bulk dried Thai bird chilies and grind our own for spice at home."
–swimsuitsamus
Run, Run, Fast As You Can
"Running shoes."
"Can easily get a quality, long-lasting and versatile pair under 100."
"Running can have such a massive positive effect for anyone struggling with their mental health I can’t recommend it enough."
– forreverendgreen_
"Been running a mile a day for the last few months. It may have unnoticed benefits to my mental health outside of the time spent running, but on a conscious level it's brought nothing but misery - whether hating the act of running itself to the tiredness that follows."
"I hope someday to feel the mythical runner's high. So far it feels more like a kick in the gut."
– texanarob
"Blackout curtains"
– Ny_Mike27
"Every time I date a guy and spend the first night over the next morning I’m always like “we gotta get some black out curtains for this room.” Knew I met the love of my life when he already had them lol"
– AndyJCohen
"I'm going to ask for this for Christmas."
"Here in the UK especially in the north, it can get sunny from about 4AM onwards in summer"
– Peniche1997
All of these are totally justified, but that last one is definitely the best!
