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“Many Many Books”: Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives

Interview With Expert

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I am a chronic cheap buyer and trust me, most of the things that I have bought have lasted for years and honestly made my life easier with just a few bucks. It’s a glorious moment when you find such a thing, and it almost feels like you’ve found a diamond hidden in rocks, doesn’t it?

When Reddit user CuteSofiaturner asked netizens, “What have you bought for less than $100 that changed your life?”, people gushed with the wildest answers imaginable. You’ll find yourself nodding along to most of these things, though, so just scroll down and check them out for yourself!

More info: Reddit

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#1

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Adopt a pet from a shelter :).

bidextralhammer , Mia X Report

45points

A girl 1 week ago

That costs way more than $100 here. Worth it. Just saying it's not cheap.

22points

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#2

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A condom.

klay-theist11 , Nataliya Vaitkevich Report

42points

Freya the Wanderer 6 days ago

Condoms are much easier to change than diapers!

9points

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#3

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Socks. They were the worst present at Christmas when you were a kid, but as an adult you learn how precious nice comfy socks are.

QuizzicalSquirrel , Kaboompics.com Report

38points

Kris 6 days ago

I got a pack of pokemon socks for my 35th b-day. Best gift I got!

3points

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It's only natural for us all to seek comfort, even when it comes from the cheapest of things as it is almost like a "small win". We often crave these kinds of wins as that's what life is all about; breaking the routine and finding something that adds more zest to the daily and mundane life clock.

To understand more about it, Bored Panda reached out to Eden Lobo, a counselor and psychology professor, for an interview. She mentioned how small, cheap purchases can have a surprisingly large impact on our well-being. She believes that they often provide immediate, tangible benefits that make us feel more in control, comfortable, or inspired in our daily lives.

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"These small changes, while often subtle, add up to create meaningful improvements in how we feel and interact with our surroundings. By making these small, positive shifts in our environment, we often feel more capable, content, and fulfilled," she added.

#4

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Comfortable and supportive shoes. Less back/knee pain is amazing.

Embarrassed_Flan_869 , Pixabay Report

38points

HTakeover 1 week ago

May be under $100, may not be. But worth their cost either way.

6points

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#5

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A good pillow, trust me it's a game changer.

LeToxic , Andrea Piacquadio Report

35points

KatSaidWhat 1 week ago

I bought "hotel quality" pillows earlier this year. That "hotel" is clearly a highway roadside motel.

9points

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#6

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Many many books. Too many to name.

For example if you’re a smoker, Allen Carr’s classic The Easy Way to Stop Smoking has been greatly appreciated as a life changer.

Christmasstolegrinch , Element5 Digital Report

35points

Patricia Steward 6 days ago

Use the library. It's free, and likely has electronic books as well.

5points

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While speaking about cheap items that can be actual life-changers, Prof. Lobo elaborated on the significant impact these things can have on our mental health and productivity. She narrated that they are often practical tools that improve or change our environment, routines, and habits.

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"Even the smallest of changes can have a cumulative effect, creating an environment that supports productivity and promotes positive mental health. These cheap/affordable investments make it easier to maintain habits, focus, and a balanced state of mind, which in turn enhances our overall quality of life," she explained.

However, it's not all rosy when it comes to buying such cheap things. Prof. Lobo claimed that there can be risks associated with relying on cheap purchases for happiness, especially if the purchases become a primary way of coping with stress, boredom, or difficult emotions.

#7

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A dash cam.

Micronlance , topntp26 Report

29points

DennyS (denzoren) 1 week ago

1000%. I can drive with a little confidence that I have evidence.

6points

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#8

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives An actual Chef’s knife.

HiggsFieldgoal , Los Muertos Crew Report

29points

Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 1 week ago

But won't they miss it?

11points

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#9

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A bidet.

anon , Max Vakhtbovycn Report

25points

Tabitha 1 week ago

TBH, indoor plumbing, period. Greatest achievement, who in goes hand in hand with providing clean drinking water. Revolutionary.

7points

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Prof. Lobo emphasized that short-lived satisfaction, financial strain from frequent purchases, emotional reliance on the cheap goods bought, avoidance of underlying issues associated with these frequent purchases, clutter, and overconsumption are some of the risks associated with it.

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She noted, "To avoid these risks, it can be helpful to practice mindful purchasing—considering whether a purchase will truly add value or address a specific need. Focusing on long-term happiness sources, like relationships, personal growth, and health, can provide a more sustainable foundation for well-being than frequent purchases."

If you think about it, this does make sense, as it's very easy to get lost in the purchasing world if you are getting things at a cheap rate. After all, constantly purchasing such cheap things, and hoarding them all, will surely not be a good thing, will it?

#10

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A massage gun!!!

We bought one for 30 bucks and it was a serious game changer.

I have really bad chronic upper back, shoulders and neck tension. I used to get a massage from a licensed masseuse every couple months.

Now with the massage gun I get my wife to go over my tension spots, and it's honestly one of the best feelings when you can feel the tension get relieved. Its an indescribable pleasure/relief.

Mr_BridgeBurner7778 , Alexandru Cojanu Report

23points

Orysha 1 week ago

Is it possible to use this kind of things alone?

3points

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#11

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives So I bought a topper for my mattress that helped it's one of the really thick ones also I just recently bought a new pillow it says it's good for side sleeping. My neck hurts me every morning when I get up it's been doing so for 30 plus years. 3 weeks into buying this pillow all of a sudden I don't have neck ache or headaches when I wake up. I recommend them both.

WolfThick , Castorly Stock Report

22points

Zaach 6 days ago

I need a pillow for stomach sleeping

1point

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#12

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives As a 30 something year old man who has lots of trauma, a pregnancy pillow that wraps around you.

AdAdditional5453 , freepik Report

20points

Blondie23 6 days ago

I had bought one for my middle daughter and she loved it for a time. She got tired of it for some reason and now the youngest uses it. She refuses to give it up!

4points

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When we asked Prof. Lobo about how people can make mindful purchases that will truly add value to their lives, she mentioned that they can reflect on their needs, goals, and lifestyle while resisting impulses that lead to quick, temporary satisfaction. Well, this does sound doable!

Lastly, she concluded the interview with some thought-provoking advice: "Mindful choosing focuses on making purchases that enhance well-being, productivity, and long-term satisfaction rather than providing fleeting gratification. By thoughtfully evaluating each potential purchase, you’re more likely to bring items into your life that support your values, goals, and happiness."

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#13

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A good electric toothbrush.

anon , Henrik Lagercrantz Report

19points

Cee Cee 1 week ago

Electric toothbrushes much better than manual. Ask any dentist

1point

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#14

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Well right now when it's cold AF outside and I work outside? Chapstick... Lots and lots of chapstick.

Proxymelon , Burst Report

18points

Cee Cee 1 week ago

Burt's Bees chapstick is a game changer.

7points

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#15

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Air fryer.

PositiveRainCloud , katarzynajavaheri0 Report

18points

DennyS (denzoren) 1 week ago

It's good but also has it's limitations.

2points

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Our expert definitely gave us something to think about, didn't she? Well, next time we decide to purchase something cheap, unnecessarily, we hope her words ring into our ears!

For now, that's it from our end, so you can freely scan through the rest of this amazing list of cheap items. Also, don't forget to tell us about your cheap, useful, and life-changing purchases in the comments below!

#16

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Silk pillowcase. Real, 100% mulberry silk. Not the fake satin that gets little pills all over it.

You use it every day so I suggest getting two. My skin and hair are so much better.

Silk is a protein based fabric. Our skin and hair are protein. Silk stays cooler, and breathes. Polyester satin does not.

Whatever pillow you like, put a silk pillowcase on it, and you will understand.

leafcomforter , arif khan Report

18points

Ace 1 week ago

I'm sure it feels very nice, but the protein thing is not the reason for it.

5points

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#17

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Magnesium and iron, definitely for when you have periods, it can really make a difference in if you are down with pain or able to work.

Duelonna , cottonbro studio Report

16points

#18

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives High pressure shower head replacement. $25?

anon , Pixabay Report

15points

Subaru645 6 days ago (edited)

Also helps to remove the little plastic restrictor they put in them

4points

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#19

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Tbh this year buying a heat blanket made me save tons of money and feel good.

We even got one each with gf.

crabzillax , wirestock Report

15points

Geoffrey Scott 6 days ago

My wife mocks me for taking her electric lap blanket she was not using. Put it at the foot of my bed, turn it on bake until bed time, 1st setting when laying down. If my feet are warm, I'm warm.

3points

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#20

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A gym membership and go there at least 3 days a week.

Cobey1 , William Choquette Report

14points

Ace 1 week ago

Stats show that only 18% of members actually continue as active users after the first few months. And that's ignoring the 50% of signups that quit their membership within 6 months

4points

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#21

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A marriage license. I assure you, your life will change.

Aconductor2 , Filip Rankovic Grobgaard Report

14points

PhaseWitFact 1 week ago

As long as you're marrying your best friend and you love and trust each other. Unhappy marriages are worse than being alone.

5points

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#22

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A rice cooker.

Independent-Put-2618 , freepik Report

14points

DennyS (denzoren) 1 week ago

I got one of these last week but the thing is...I only use like 1cup at a time and it burns the rice. If I make the 5cup capacity, I'll have rice all week and I'm not a fan of reheated rice...so I'm in a pickle lol

4points

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#23

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Dumbells.

CaffeineFree_dom , Ivan Samkov Report

13points

Tabitha 1 week ago (edited)

Yes, but only if you mean the exercise equipment type, and not the human type.

7points

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#24

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A little machine that takes the fluffy balls of lint off your jumpers. My jumpers all look like new!

Kyutokawa , Madison Inouye Report

12points

Hans Georg 1 week ago

A pilling shaver.

2points

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#25

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives A musical instrument to learn.

Nischalachi , Pixabay Report

9points

Rodney Boathand 6 days ago

I have learned piano. Life changing. But, yes, i did pay 600 dollars for a quality keyboard. Sometimes you should not buy the cheaper model, for resale sake.

0points

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#26

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Memory foam earbud tips.

I always had problems with earbuds falling out of my ears especially when exercising. This has been a life changer.

It also makes noise cancellation a lot better. Helps to not get distracted and overwhelmed by all the noises outside.

FollowSina , SCREEN POST Report

8points

Blondie23 6 days ago

I finally got some that hook over my ears for pretty much the same reason. Mine were always falling out. Having them hook on my ears keeps them secure. Totally love them!!!!

3points

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#27

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives I guess this will depend on how bad your breath is but a good tongue scraper for less than $10.

A lot of people may not know that bad breath originates from your tongue. Your tongue holds a lot of plaque! A toothbrush isn't going to clean nearly as much plaque from your tongue as you think it will. A tongue scraper on the other hand will actively peel the plaque as you pull the scraper from the back of your tongue towards the front.

You'll be shocked to see how much plaque comes off of your tongue with just the first pull! Drinking more water and less sodas/sugar drinks is also a great way to control the freshness of your breath because water will help to flush particles without sticking to your tongue like sugary drinks will.

SmokeGSU , Antoni Shkraba Report

7points

Zaach 6 days ago

I have been brushing my tongue twice a day since 1971

1point

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#28

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Steamer for clothes

It's unbelievable how useful those things are. Yeah it won't let you iron your suit pants to have this nice crease but it helps with every other thing and doesn't require setting it up for 30 minutes. You need like 2 minutes with it to iron a t-shirt or a nice shirt. And because it's just steam the risk of burning yourself is also much lower than of an iron.

Rudyzwyboru , Ron Lach Report

7points

person (i think) 5 days ago

I must not be using these right. I got a well-rated one, but when I use it it seems to just decrease wrinkles by like 50% and it takes just as long as ironing. I was so excited about then but now I just get the iron out :(

0points

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#29

"Many Many Books": Folks Spill The Tea On 29 Things That Were Cheap And Changed Their Lives Silicone microwave popcorn popper. I used to make my popcorn on the stove. Cleaning up the oil and dealing with burnt pops was annoying. The silicone poppers are easy to use and don't require oil. Burning happens only is you're not paying attention.

Milk frother. No only does it froth milk, but it also mixes water/milk/coffee with hydrophobic powders like hot chocolate.

anon , Mateusz Feliksik Report

5points

Jessica SpeLangm 1 week ago

I bought a silicon popcorn popper and it's a b**ch to get the oil off after each use (because I like a little oil every so often). So, now it sits in a cupboard until I can figure out how to get the oil off and it not be a slimy, greasy mess to handle.

2points

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Rutuja Dumbre

Hey, am Rutuja! A storyteller at heart and a writer at Bored Panda. I have a strange love for words, and I mostly survive on coffee which is the driving force behind my writing. I enjoy working on articles that purely entertain our readers. When am not writing or trekking, you can find me staying up late and watching all the matches of Football Club Barcelona!

Hey, am Rutuja! A storyteller at heart and a writer at Bored Panda. I have a strange love for words, and I mostly survive on coffee which is the driving force behind my writing. I enjoy working on articles that purely entertain our readers. When am not writing or trekking, you can find me staying up late and watching all the matches of Football Club Barcelona!

Rūta Zumbrickaitė

Hi! Nice to meet you~ I'm very passionate about animals, especially cats, photography, small DIY projects, music and so much more! Could say I am the TV show The Office connoisseur since I have seen it at least a dozen times~

Hi! Nice to meet you~ I'm very passionate about animals, especially cats, photography, small DIY projects, music and so much more! Could say I am the TV show The Office connoisseur since I have seen it at least a dozen times~

What do you think ?

Pedro Badan 1 week ago

Some of these are great but many of them are waaaaaay more than $100.

12points

Deborah B 1 week ago

Thermal underwear. When the office is set to chill, and you're a woman trying to look professional while you're cold even with your suit jacket on, try a long-sleeved thermal singlet under your blouse. It's life changing. No one ever explained to me that layering starts by adding an underlayer, not just going straight to adding additional outer layers. So basic, right?

6points

Papa 1 week ago

That underlayer doesn't need to be thick and heavy either. I'm not ashamed to say that years ago when I'd have to spend the day outside in very cold weather I'd put on a pair of pantyhose under my jeans. It's amazing how big a difference that made, with very little bulk.

2points

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person (i think) 5 days ago

Fleece-lined tights FTW!!!

0points

James Doe 6 days ago

It's the stupidest thing in the world to waste insane amounts of energy on turning buildings into fridges, only to allow stupid formal wear (suits..) to be worn, instead of comfortable breathable light cloths. Plus on average the discomfort for females. Good you found a solution for yourself

0points

Roberta Surprenant 6 days ago

Husband gave me two sets of silk thermals almost 20 years ago, I still wear some of them because they are so thin and easy to wear under office wear.

0points

LonelyLittleLeafSheep 6 days ago

$1.79 organic cherry tomato start for my husband. He harvested seeds the first year and we are now on year 3 of fresh cherry tomatoes all summer and fall. What was once a couple of plants has grown to a 6x15 foot planting deck with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, lettuce, and beans from $1.79 starts or seeds harvested from store-bought produce. Having fresh veggies spring, summer, and fall has greatly improved our diets.

2points

Philly Bob 5 days ago

Plus I'm quite sure they taste WAY better than some of those store bought ones that taste like you'd be better off eating a softball.

0points

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Pedro Badan 1 week ago

Some of these are great but many of them are waaaaaay more than $100.

12points

Deborah B 1 week ago

Thermal underwear. When the office is set to chill, and you're a woman trying to look professional while you're cold even with your suit jacket on, try a long-sleeved thermal singlet under your blouse. It's life changing. No one ever explained to me that layering starts by adding an underlayer, not just going straight to adding additional outer layers. So basic, right?

6points

Papa 1 week ago

That underlayer doesn't need to be thick and heavy either. I'm not ashamed to say that years ago when I'd have to spend the day outside in very cold weather I'd put on a pair of pantyhose under my jeans. It's amazing how big a difference that made, with very little bulk.

2points

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person (i think) 5 days ago

Fleece-lined tights FTW!!!

0points

James Doe 6 days ago

It's the stupidest thing in the world to waste insane amounts of energy on turning buildings into fridges, only to allow stupid formal wear (suits..) to be worn, instead of comfortable breathable light cloths. Plus on average the discomfort for females. Good you found a solution for yourself

0points

Roberta Surprenant 6 days ago

Husband gave me two sets of silk thermals almost 20 years ago, I still wear some of them because they are so thin and easy to wear under office wear.

0points

LonelyLittleLeafSheep 6 days ago

$1.79 organic cherry tomato start for my husband. He harvested seeds the first year and we are now on year 3 of fresh cherry tomatoes all summer and fall. What was once a couple of plants has grown to a 6x15 foot planting deck with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, lettuce, and beans from $1.79 starts or seeds harvested from store-bought produce. Having fresh veggies spring, summer, and fall has greatly improved our diets.

2points

Philly Bob 5 days ago

Plus I'm quite sure they taste WAY better than some of those store bought ones that taste like you'd be better off eating a softball.

0points

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