10 Purchases Under $100 That Improved My Life

10 essential items that I use constantly that don’t break the bank

I pride myself on not spending money mindlessly. Partly because I’ve moved houses, cities, and even countries so many times in my life, the thought of owning too many items stresses me out. As I prepare for a new and exciting chapter abroad this fall, I’ve started reflecting on purchases I may need to make for the transition, which got me thinking about some of the best purchases I have made.

The first purchase I made with my own money was when I was 15. I bought a $90 white cardigan. You might be thinking, $90* is A LOT to spend on a cardigan, especially for a 15-year-old, however, 8 years later I still wear it constantly and it is nicknamed my “travelling sweater” by friends.

There are many purchases, like the one above, that have improved an aspect of my life. Not that I’m encouraging consumerist habits, but I now deem these purchases as necessary for my productivity, domestic life, career, and/or academics.

I’ve ranked my top 10 best purchases that have personally improved the quality of my life from cheapest to most expensive, in no particular order other than price.

Prices listed are in CAD (Canadian dollar) for what I bought them for.

Soft or Hard Cover Books ($1.99 — $40)

Call me old-fashioned but I am still pro paper books. I see the functionality of Kindles and have many friends who love theirs, but there is nothing that will compare to a classic paper book in my eyes. There is just something so comforting about holding a physical book in your hands.

Books are great investments in my opinion as reading is a great way to expand your knowledge. I personally enjoy buying non-fiction books, and they can be really cheap. I like buying my books from second-hand book stores or local book fairs, when they are open. I’ve bought books as cheap as $2 to as expensive as $40.

Spotify Subscription ($4.99 — $14.99)

Whether you are pro Spotify or pro Apple Music, I think a music streaming subscription is a must-have for daily life. I first bought my Spotify subscription back in 2015 in my last year of high school and paid $4.99 a month for over six years — which in my opinion is not a bad price to get millions of songs at your fingertips.

Headlamp ($25 — $60)

I live in an area with an abundance of hiking trails so one of the essentials for hiking is making sure you have a functioning headlamp, especially if you are aiming for those sunrise and sunset hikes.

However, another purpose I have found for my headlamp is using it as a light to read before bedtime. I find that my bedroom light is quite harsh, and honestly, once I am in my bed I don’t want to get up to turn off the light after I’m done reading. A headlamp was a reading game-changer for me.

Very soon, I’m actually going to invest in a more expensive headlamp that is rechargeable so that I don’t have to keep replacing the batteries, but I got my headlamp for around $25 and it has been more than worth it.

Mini Steamer ($20 — $40)

This was a random purchase for me, but one that I now really appreciate as a mini steamer has come in handy multiple times. It’s compact and light, which makes it very easy to travel with, so when I was on the road or travelling a lot, it was nice to have something to de-wrinkle my clothes if I needed to look a bit more presentable. It’s also faster and easier to use than a traditional iron and board. The best $25 I have ever spent.

Lap Desk ($25 — $60)

In a remote world, a lap desk was a no-brainer for me to invest in. I currently use it every single day, especially because I am working from home and need to be on my laptop for at least 8 hours a day. I have a very basic one that has some cushioning on the bottom and then a flat, hard surface for my laptop. I will most likely upgrade to an adjustable lap desk very soon, but this was $30 well spent.

8-in-1 USB C Hub (~$40)

Newer Apple laptops have special USB-C ports that are not really compatible with anything except for other Apple products. Figures. This 8-in-1 port hub has saved my life. It has every port I may ever need such as HDMI, a micro and normal SD card slot, and different USB ports. For anyone that has a device that uses USB-C ports, this is a great purchase to make.

Selfie Light Ring ($20 — $50)

Surprisingly, this has been a really good purchase for me. I don’t ever really take selfies, so I don’t use my light ring for that (despite the name), but it has come in handy for many other situations.

Firstly, I live in a basement suite that is poorly lit and the selfie light has been really helpful for the rare times I wear makeup. I have to take pictures of art for my job and the selfie ring, provides better lighting when I need to take photos for digitization. It is also extremely useful for Zoom events, to supply lighting when I am hosting or part of events, so I don’t look like I am in a dungeon all the time. All-in-all, this is probably the most surprising purchase in terms of its usefulness.

High-Quality Yoga Mat ($30 — $90)

This is another purchase that 15–16-year-old Angela made that seemed to be a lot back then, but has survived the test of time. I purchased a $70 yoga mat during the first few months of my new job. At the time, my parents thought I was crazy for spending that much money on a yoga mat, but a good quality yoga mat has made all the difference.

It is better on my joints, comfier to use, more stable, and has retained its grip even 7–8 years later. It definitely does not look as new as it could, but considering that I didn’t take good care of it for the first few years I had it, it’s still holding its own very well, as it is fully intact. If I were to go back in time, I would make this purchase again.

Air Fryer ($50 — $150)

Okay, so I’m cheating a little bit on these last two items because they were gifts and I didn’t spend a single nickel on them, but when I move abroad I potentially will have to re-buy both of these items and I can’t imagine not having them in my life.

My best friend gifted me an air fryer for my birthday last year and it has changed the way I cook. I know there are lots of opinions on air fryers being “over-glorified convection ovens” but I’ve found mine to be extremely useful. To paint a picture, I live in a basement suite with roommates and we have a very small and simple kitchen space.

At one point, our oven broke and it took our landlord two months to replace it despite our pleas. Low and behold, we all ended up using the air fryer every single day because of our broken oven. Even when the oven got fixed, we all still use it almost every day because it’s easy, a perfect size for single meals, and faster than an oven for some items. It’s a great cooking tool.

Essential Oil Diffuser ($40–$130)

I get stressed and overwhelmed very easily, so when my mom gifted me an almost $100 essential oil diffuser, I was skeptical that it would help. Now, I am glad I was wrong. There is something very comforting about my diffuser, even if I am not using it every day.

It’s allowed my basement suite to smell better without having to use toxins and synthetic perfumes like Febreeze, it creates a calming space, and it’s really fun to experiment with different oils. Lavender and citrus oils are personally my favourite. I didn’t think I would get a lot of use out of it, but it is on blast at least a few times a week.

I truly believe that there are three categories of purchases: usefulness, pleasure, and mistakes. These items have survived monumental chapters in my life and will continue to do so. I’m very confident to say that the purchases listed before are ones that have either given me slivers of happiness, increased my productivity, or continue to be utilized, even after years have passed.