Value is subjective.
Manufacturing costs may be low to mass produce a product or item that is commercially sold anywhere, and depending on demand, prices can skyrocket.
But there are relatively affordable things that aren't the subject of an intense bidding war on the secondary market like eBay.
So what are these useful products that don't cost a fortune?
Fortunately for us, Redditor acidiclee asked strangers online:
"What item under $50 drastically improved your life?"
Practical lifesavers can be found at a next-to-nothing cost.
Laundry Room Upgrade
"It's a small thing: a closet rod installed above my washer/dryer, and extra hangers."
"Now clothes get taken out of the dryer and put on a hanger right away rather than end up as a pile on the floor, or in a basket never to be properly put away."
– bengine
It Really Sticks Out
"Curved shower rod."
– Beauregarden
Pet Owner's Dream
"A rubber bristled broom. I have two dogs and two cats, and my house is all hardwood and tile. A regular broom just sends the fur floating everywhere, but my rubber broom keeps it all nice and tidy and easy to pick up. It works on my area rug and upholstered furniture, too!"
– Boose81
Rinse With Ease And Comfort
"Shower chair. I've got a f'ked up back and I initially got it for that but even if my back was fine I'd still have one, they're so useful. If you shave your legs, you won't regret it."
– mad_fishmonger
Electronic wonders never cease.
Fancy Headwrap
"Head-band headphones. It's like a thin elastic fabric band with thin bluetooth headphones inside. Around £20 from the bald richest guy. So ear plugs weren't enough to stop the random footsteps and furniture noises through paper-thin ceiling at night, but adding those to the set with random "sleep music" from YT drastically improved my sleep."
– obviously_suspicious
Take Charge
"Battery pack to charge your phone."
"We’ve all been in situations where having your phone on is super important, and not having to be tied to an outlet is even better."
– blackmagic999
Presto Heat-O
"A cheap microwave and coffee maker for my work van. I have an inverter for my tools that I use to run them. Hot coffee and hot lunches make a huge difference, especially on bad days."
– outlaw-gentleman
Solutions to these headaches were well within these Redditors' budgets.
Meds Management
"My 9$ pill organizer."
"Friends have laughed at me because it seems like an old people thing, but I‘ve finally managed to stick to my meds (yes, ironically my ADHD is so bad I couldn‘t even get that done). To me this was a real life changer!"
"Bonus points: I‘m the only one who knows which day it is during the pandemic."
– Sweetholymary
Kitchen Space
"My apartment has like 0 counterspace, in reality only a total of 5 feet spread through three areas next to the sink and stove. I spent like $15 on a 4 foot table. That now holds all my kitchen stuff like toaster, distiller, crock pot, and instant pot. It has just enough room for all that."
"Since it is a common question, the distiller is for purifying water. It boils water then collects the steam and condenses it back to water in a pot on the side. It is the exact same process as how to make stronger alcohol, but this is a higher temperature so it leaves behind solids that I clean out once a week. I like pure water and I get all my minerals from my foods. I enjoy cooking so I choose menu items that get all my minerals."
– Nicholi417
Measure Of Success
"11 pound capacity digital kitchen scale. For baking, cooking and correctly identifying portion sizes."
– HokeyPokeyGuy
Heat Pack
"Hot water bottle. I live in cold Scandinavia and have chronic pain. It gets used pretty much all year around."
– melkesjokolade89
An apple slicer drastically changed my life.
The thought of coring an apple prevented me from eating the one thing everyday that supposedly keeps the doctor away.
Now, all I have to do is place the handy tool above the apple, press down, and viola! A healthy snack in seconds.
So, what's a similar tool to use on whole pineapples??