What is an item below 100 bucks that everyone should own?
What is an item below 100 bucks that everyone should own?
968 comments
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A bidet. Fight me.
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Fight me.
Okay, but I'm bringing my power washer.
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Like this?
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Preach it brother. Enlighten the unwashed (m)asses.
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The only people who would fight you about how great bidets are are people who have never actually used one
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The only people who would fight you about how great bidets are
are people who have never actually used oneAre people with dirty bums
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After I going through my second ~$30 bidet. I upgraded to a ~$300 Toto bidet with heated water and seat. No regrets.
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You didn’t know you needed one until you use it. Life changing.
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Love my bidet.
10/10 for squeaky clean buttholes.
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If you're butthole squeaks... Please see a medical professional
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I have COVID to thank for showing me the light. Never going back.
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We just got one. We even splurged for the fancy one that hooks up to warm water. It is life changing. I feel very dirty whenever I have to do a poo somewhere else. Underrated appliance, for sure.
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Best purchase I ever made. Can't believe I lived without one before. America needs more bidets.
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One of my life purposes is converting people to The Way of Bidet. I have bought over a dozen as gifts for people and pretty much anybody who is actually willing to install it and try it loves it and hopefully converts others in turn. Clearly superior to wiping in terms of hygiene, saving money on TP, and not irritating the bum.
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Have you ever tried Linux?
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Bidet fight? Bring it on.
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Saves trees and refreshing. I get disappointed when I travel and I don’t have a bidet.
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I feel like this is the new version of "bum fights"
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$100?
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You can get an attachment for your toilet for under $70.
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Absolutely.
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Bidet under 100? Wtf. I thought it's a dream to own one because they are like 1000.
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God damnit. I was hoping reddits love of bidets would stay on reddit, yet here we are
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Have you used one? What do you have against them?
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One I didn't see mentioned yet: a rice cooker.
Put in rice, add water, push start button, and you get perfect rice every time. I'm usually against single-purpose kitchen tools but a rice cooker is soo worth it.
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So much this. I’m usually responsible for cooking for the week, and prepping rice was so much of a hassle in the middle of cooking everything else that most of the time I didn’t even bother and went for pasta instead— way easier to cook, but easily 3x the calories.
After I got a rice cooker, I just pop like 4 cups in that mfer and we got enough rice to last through like 2 days worth of dinner + bentos for lunch the day after.
Get a rice cooker y’all.
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what's the difference with cooking rice the normal way?
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Love mine.
When I make chicken or beef stock I put it in I've cube trays. On some mornings I add the rice, a stock ice cube, and maybe some miso. I let it ride while I get ready and then crack an egg on the cooked rice and add some avocado, tamari and rice seasoning (nori and sesame)
Best breakfast and super easy
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ok this might sound heretical but a "hack" i learned from cooking youtube is to just boil rice like pasta then drain. I do this for about ~12 mins with white rice and it comes out perfect every time with no risk of messing up. Downside is you need to drain it.
unsure the validity of this claim? but apparently there can be a non-insignificant amount of arsenic in american grown rice, and boiling can help leech it out into the water.
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For anyone who doesn't want a rice cooker but can't find a good basic white rice recipe: Put rice and water in a pot (1 cup rice to 1.5 cup water. People will tell you 2 cups water, punch them, or ignore them, your choice.) Turn it on high until it boils, stirring lightly occasionally to stop it from sticking. As soon as it starts boiling (not simmering) cover it with a lid and turn on low. Keep covered until it's done (just taste it to test if it's done.)
P.S. You can add whatever seasonings you want if you find something good online or something. It's not important to actually cooking the rice.
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A toothbrush
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If you are going to splurge, an electric toothbrush brush just feels better - although manual are just as effective when used properly.
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They absolutely 100% are never as effective in any situation.
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A pair of high fidelity earplugs (aka concert earplugs or filtering earplugs). You can get a good non-custom pair for $15–$40, and that’ll work well for the average person for a long time.
They’re excellent for live music, airplanes, and anytime you want the world to be quieter but still need to be able to understand speech. And for music specifically, they can bring the volume level down just enough to be safe without muffling the sound like traditional foam earplugs do. Protect your hearing, kids!
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Protect your hearing, kids!
Seriously, PROTECT YOUR FUCKING HEARING. I was young and stupid (now I'm no longer young) and went to way too many raves, gigs etc. without any sort of hearing protection, and now I have a nice constant background track of EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE and can't hear higher frequencies worth shit
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Right ear went to working in a call centre. Left ear seems to be trying to decide if it's going to recover or not from some unaware idiot in Tesco suddenly walking up and slamming his stock cart shut right next to me. I really hope I don't end up with stereo EEEEEEEEEEEEE but it feels like an inevitable matter of time at this point. There goes the left one again....
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I know it’s way more expensive, but the last gig I went to, I used my AirPods Pro in transparency mode, and it reduced the sound down from an insane ~110db to peaks of 90! Definitely worth protecting your ears.
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Yeah, I can't stand losing the high frequencies and overall feel of the music with "musician's" earplugs. How anyone other than a drummer plays with them and is satisfied is beyond me. I have some Etymotics just sitting here.
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Just went to my first concert with a pair of these and I highly recommend. Not having a headache and ringing ears the next day was really nice.
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Do you have any brand and model recommendations?
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I’m no earplug connoisseur, but I’ve been using Westone’s WM16 for smaller venues, and Etymotic Research’s ER20XS dual-flange for louder situations. I haven’t tried much else, but these work well for me. I’ve also heard great things about Earasers, Eargasm, and Hearos.
Earasers are a bit more expensive and appear to have a unique ergonomic eartip. iirc you can get them for $40 elsewhere, maybe Amazon. I’ve read that Earasers’ “-19dB Peak” model has a very slight sound reduction, so I’d probably opt for their middle “European Standard” model. On the other end of the price spectrum, Hearos is particularly inexpensive at a glance. Idk anything about specific models.
Some brands have multiple types of earplugs (e.g. for music, shooting, construction work), so make sure you’re getting one designed for music or “high-fidelity” or something like that. Any of the “good” brands are probably going to work just fine. (Read the reviews if you’re unsure.) Most brands seem to include multiple eartip sizes in the package so you can choose the right fit.
Beyond that, there is some element of personal preference. For example, I first tried Etymotic’s classic triple-flange version and didn’t like how deep they stuck into my ears. It felt invasive. But the dual-flange model feels great for me.
And finally, there are different options for how much attenuation (noise reduction) you want. Like I mentioned, my “-16dB average attenuation” earplugs feel good for small/medium venues (a backroom venue of a bar, maybe a theater). For a larger venue (arena or stadium, or even just a really loud loud theater) you’d definitely want more significant average attenuation, probably in the low-to-mid twenties.
Most earplugs will be confusingly marketed with multiple attenuation values. One will be an official NRR value, which is apparently required but controversial, and the other(s) will be the average and/or peak decibel reduction “when the product is used correctly” as reported by the manufacturer. It seems people don’t talk about the NRR as often. But it’s fun that they’ve made it more complicated for us to compare products.
I should also mention that if you’re a performing musician or hardcore concert-goer, you may consider springing for custom-molded earplugs, which are way pricier. I haven’t made that upgrade yet, but everyone who does seems to think it’s life-changing.
This got long, sorry!
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+1 for Eargasm. The real MVP is the keychain carrying case which ensures I never leave home without em. As a drummer, DJ, and loud music enthusiast they're one of my best purchases ever. I genuinely forget they're in sometimes, but then I'll take em out and it makes a big difference. Awesome quality of sound, just less damage.
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I didn't even know this existed. I really suffer in places with too much background noise.
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For anyone reading this, I definitely recommend Earasers. I have spent the better part of my life around really loud music things, especially because of my job. These things work wonders and are incredibly comfortable and low profile
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I’ve been using my AirPods Pro 2 at races. They seem to work exceptionally well with noise cancellation on.
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I have done this same thing. My hearing is a bit hypersensitive and these kinds of headphones have helped me in many different, loud situations!
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Went to my first concert recently—I loved it, but immediately knew I should have bought a pair of these.
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Even regular earplugs at a loud concert work amazingly well for me. I can still hear conversation (people yelling over the music) but the deafening volume of the concert is brought down to acceptable levels.
I don't understand why concerts are so loud. They're just...so, so fucking loud...
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If you have a car get a dashcam. It’s more valuable than any insurance because it will definitively prove what happened when something goes wrong. Bonus: you can post videos of bad drivers doing stupid things on the internet for imaginary points.
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If only there was actually a good car dashcam, but every time I go down that rabbit hole I give up frustrated. The quality (build, mounting, video, whatever) is shit in pretty much all of them, and the "passable" ones look like a web cam from 2005 still.
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People lie. Even a shittiest, cheapest dashcam will be better than nothing, when you have to prove to your insurance company who was really at fault after a collision.
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I've bought the N2 Pro from Vantrue a couple of years ago and I've been super happy with it. The quality is pretty good and it has actually capable night vision and parking surveillance. I've also bought one for my brother in law (who got into an accident just a month after) and one for my grandma. Not to sound like an ad, but these are definitely worth checking out even if it's an older model.
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Look for a BlackVue or Thinkware.
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I got one for $40 that's 1080p, and the "high endurance" sd card I got for $15 is still going 4 years later.
Don't overthink it. You don't need something fancy.
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I'd say before you even get a dashcam get an AC jump-starter. Those are less than $100
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Definitely get one for your teenage driver. It keeps them honest and safe. And they will pay for themselves many times over if you get in an accident that wasn't your fault. It's like having your very own personal unimpeachable witness riding with you.
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I agree and I have a dashcam. Best purchase ever, even though I hope to never need to use it.
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I got my dash cam after someone tried to blame me for t-boning myself..
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A bike. Poor people in underdeveloped countries can use it to get access to education and markets, while people from developed countries can ise it to keep healthy and reduce their environmental footprint
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I was going to say that, but out of the 6 bikes in the garage none of them are under $100 even second hand.
In fact I would advise against getting a cheap shitty bike that isn't going to last. Spend the extra money, get something good. It's better for the environment and your wallet in the long run.
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I've driven "good" bikes all my life. Aluminium frame, disc brakes, fancy suspension, 3x9 gears. That sort of thing.
Wanna know what my best biking experience was? Riding a steel frame, 3-speed dutch-style rental omafiets with no suspension and regular-ass brakes on a vacation. That thing was hella comfortable, sturdy as a brick and convenient.
If I lived in a not fully car-brained city where you can safely bike and was tight on money, I'd absolutely buy an old cheap used regular-ass steel frame bike with no frills and use the hell out of it until it's irreparably broken. You can leave that thing standing in the rain, locked with just a frame lock (or perhaps even no lock at all) all without worrying that it might get damaged or stolen because there isn't much to damage or steal in the first place.
I also don't see how buying a "good" bike in any way helps the environment when the alternative is re-using something that's already been built and successfully used before.
I love my 2000€ Brompton that I daily-drive but I'd be nearly as happy with a 100€ bike like I described above. You don't get more bike when you go above that price point, you only get a more fancy bike.
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I have a bike in a city and it’s faster than the cars. The cars are always stuck in traffic as I fly by. Bikes are the best.
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In some cities it's faster to walk than to drive, lol.
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I was gonna say this.
$100 on craigslist or a local bike refurbishing place (where I got mine) will get you something that will last for years.
Throw in a $15 bike lock, a cheap returned helmet, and a $5 rear bike light and you're set for life.
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If you live in America, there are certainly a lot of things to consider on this point; mainly whether cycling in your area is even safe—obviously the ideal solution would be to move to an area with safer cycling, but that's not an option for everyone—and I'd much rather someone not cycle than die because their area has horrible roads for cycling and they didn't think about that. Check the safety of your area, and consider moving to a safer area for cycling if necessary (Or if you're in it for the long haul, consider pitching in the community and trying to lead it towards a safer cycling future)
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A first aid kit
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And a disaster kit, tailored to the most common disasters in your region. If you have a first aid kit you already have a large portion of what it needs!
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Very important that whatever first aid kit you get has a tourniquet, or that you buy one separately.
They are easily the most important life saving device in any first aid kit. 99% of the time you won't need it for normal cuts but when you are dealing an injury that needs one you WILL regret not having one.
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Not sure how's the law where you live, but here everyone must have a first aid kit in their car.
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The Haynes manual for your car. Even if you're not a mechanic they are so detailed they will walk you through fixing almost anything, they're made for the laymen. I'm a diesel mechanic and even i own one for my cars.
When friends buy a new car i buy them a Haynes manual.
They don't do them for ever single car in the world and the coverage isn't as great on later model stuff but if you own s car 5 years or more old they're great.
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A water kettle. Doesn't have to be any fancy one, but it really fucking rocks for anything you might think of : want hot water for tea? No problem. Need hot water to steep something? No problem.
Most mid-range ones are insanely power efficient too, often being alot better than just boiling water on a stovetop, or using a microwave. And, depending on insulation, heat can be stored for over 6! hours.
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Maybe specific, but if you do any DIY housework, get an endocscope. Baiscally, a 10 foot long flexible wire with a camera and light at the end. Uses your phone as a screen. Can be had for <$50. So many of my house projects would have been impossible without it. Also good for finding stuff under the couch.
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A fire extinguisher
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And not that one that's been sitting there for many years. They need to be replaced and you need to know how to use them.
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Water sensor alarms.
If you have any doubts about the pipes in your house or have a feeling that water might enter your basement, sensors will help you sleep at night.
Water damage to your home is no joke. I know two separate homeowners who have had leaks from their refrigerator's plumbing (water and ice dispenser). The damage for each homeowner was quite extensive given how small the leak was.
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I second this!
Most people who have heard of water sensors know of the moen one. I'm in Canada, and my plumber recommended a Canadian company, Sinope. They were much less expensive and had a sensor in the line and ones you could put in and around appliances that use water.
The in-line flow sensor shuts off the water if it senses abnormal flow anywhere. But the physical sensors shut off the water when it's leaking at that spot.
We've had no leaks, but the flow sensor shut off the water when I filled the kiddie pool and forgot to turn it off. It also cuts short, excessively long showers (that can be turned off).
The safety net is fantastic to have. We can install that freezer ice cube maker without a worry.
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I went to go check out Sinope's site, and it was already in my browser history. I wonder what past me was looking up...lol
Besides that, the smart valves are so much cheape than Moen! I might have to actually get one now. The ever looming threat of potential water damage stresses me out way too much.
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Seriously, these are a lifesaver! I add a couple to every housewarming gift. Some models can even email/txt you when they trip so you can have peace of mind when on vacation.
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Home owners insurance or renters insurance should cover that, right?
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In one case, it was under warranty but heavily disputed and it took a lot of posturing to get the work done.
In the other case, insurance took care of it, but flooring that would have been covered by insurance would not match the rest of the area, so the owners decided to renovate a lot more than they wanted to.
To me, the pain of having to live through the repairs/renovations is enough to make me vigilant of water leak issues.
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Yes, indeed! I have an automatic sump pump in my basement, so that covers heavy rain and potential burst pipes. But my cousin had pipes freeze and burst while he was away for Christmas. Even though he had insurance, the repairs took months.
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Yup. They're super cheap and awesome on the rare occasion they go off. If you place them right, you'll even be alerted to tiny leaks like a slow drip from the toilet supply.
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My dad would say a cast iron pan. That would outlive you and your kids.
I would say maybe an air fryer, I think you could get a decent one for less than $100USD. I use mine every day.
Otherwise, maybe good waterproof boots. I got some decent ones at an outlet store. They are kind of dressy so nice enough for work, but also warm AF and during the winter they are so good.
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Why does the thought of being outlived by ones air fryer feel worse than being outlived by ones cast iron pan?
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An air fryer is an appliance with electrical parts, including probably some fragile cheap electronics, moving parts (the fan that blows the air around) and parts made of different materials in a machine that is going to experience lots of cycles of heating and cooling. That is to say, there is a pretty sizable room for wear and tear. Hopefully it'll last you many years, but one doesn't really expect a machine like that to last for generations, especially considering things like planned obsolescence. A pan has no moving parts, no powered components, nothing but a hug sturdy slab of metal formed into a specific shape. As long as you take care of it properly to avoid corrosion, there's not really anything to break about such a thing. So the idea of the later lasting practically indefinitely makes sense, the former not so much.
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Probably because normally you'd expect to outlive the air fryer but not the pan...
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Plus one for airfryer. Bought one that was on discount a few years back, has a spot on top of the cabinet when not in use but it's almost always on the counter.
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I know people like air fryers, but I personally would recommend a NuWave. I know As Seen On TV, but it can be an air fryer from what I can tell, but is also just a really easy to use convection oven that's reasonably cheap (though it is over $100), and everything that is going to be touched by food or it's drippings can go in the dishwasher!
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A sun hoodie. Sun hoodies are meant to be worn on their own, cover your entire upper body, be very light, and have a high UPF (clothing equivalent of SPF). Instead of dealing with globs of sunscreen that wears out as you sweat, you can slip on a sun hoodie in an instant and get lasting protection. I got the REI store brand, which is around $50. Unfortunately, it looks like they're almost sold out of the nice visible orange color that I bought. It's only available in XXXL.
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A pen and paper, for work.
You know those people who seem useless and forgetful all the time? They don't write anything down so they are lost when they try to do things and too embarrassed to ask for advice again because they forgot what you told them. You also end up repeating stuff to them over and over again when they just don't do a task or mess it up.
Don't be that person, write stuff down!
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$99
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I love this. Literally encapsulates what everyone else has said.
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They covered this in Hitchhiker's Guide. The answer is a towel. A towel is just about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can carry.
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Since someone already mentioned dashcams and cast iron, my vote is: a bidet toilet seat attachment.
Fancy ones can roll $200+ but a super simple one with just a cold water hookup and no electricity will knock you back $50-60. I bought one right as covid was beginning to hit the west coast, and instantly realized I could never - ever - go back.
Huge bonus of the toilet seat style bidets is that, since you aren't actually replacing the toilet, they take like 5 mins to install and can be done in a home, condo, apartment, wherever.
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A bedbug proof mattress cover. Order it today. Doesn't matter what sort of life you live, anyone can get them and it's a horror show.
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I already had one, but thank you for subtly reinforcing my irrational fear given I have never known a single person in my area who has ever gotten bed bugs. One can never be too safe....
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And it's good for more than just bed bugs - Mattresses are one of the more expenses items in your home (at least they are if you've got your priorities right), and all it takes is one accident (whether pet, child, or drunk spouse) to completely ruin it
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Yes! My dog vomited on the bed just the other day.
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Pocket knife/multitool.
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I was going to say, a Swiss Army Knife. Lifechanging. I use it quite a lot. It's small for men's pockets, and you can get smaller ones too (mine is a cybertool, so on the middle-large size of SAKs). I also have a SwissTool that's huge and just tool porn and fun to use as a fidget device, but way too big for me to EDC, and way overkill for what I'd end up needing it for. Also the SwissTool is over $100. The Cybertool was at $99, and there's plenty of less specialized SAKs going down to like $30.
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I have the Swiss Army Rambler as my EDC. I need scissors a lot, and the Phillips head screwdriver comes in handy more than you'd think. Women's pants have small pockets and the Rambler is perfect.
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I've carried a Cybertool for years. It gets used almost daily.
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A plunger. Get it before you need it.
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Amen. Not so much an issue for 40 year old me but I had so many friends in my younger days who didn't own one because they didn't think they needed it...until they needed it.
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I know that feeling. When I was in college neither me or my roommates had a plunger when the toilet backed up. We tried to use a clothes hanger to unclog the toilet. It didn't work well.
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I put this off for way too long thinking "mehhh I won't need one"... and ended up overpaying for one when my only toilet got blocked
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I bought a toilet auger that works much better. It takes care of a lot of problems that the plunger can’t.
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If you have any interest in working on things, a ~$30 set of calipers is an awesome tool for figuring out hardware sizes and so much more. You can definitely spend much much more but as a hobbiest I'd recommend against it.
A few spare charging cables to keep plugged in around the house are always great too, I also recommend keeping one in your travel bag so you never need to think about packing one.
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A well stocked toolbox. Not just a random assortment of things but a well considered, well stocked toolbox with everything you need to tackle basic home repair.
To all those saying that tools are too expensive, they are not. Everything you need to tackle most home repair scenarios can be had under $100. Will you be turning screws by hand and adjusting wrenches? Yes. Will it be enjoyable work? Probably not, but you absolutely can have a good set of very basic tools for under $100 then add to it over time.
Get a hammer, adjustable wrench, angled pliers, razor utility knife, and 11-in-1 screwdriver. Buy additional tools as needed.
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A good pocket knife or multi-tool like a Letherman or Gerber. I always have a pocket knife on me and a multi-tool in my car. Either one gets used pretty much daily.
Knife: https://www.amazon.com/CIVIVI-Praxis-Flipper-Stonewashed-9Cr18MoV/dp/B08PF6NHLJ (there is a mini version of this if you like/need a smaller knife)
968 comments