Summary

The article lists five cheap purchases under $100 that have improved the author's life.

Abstract

The author shares five purchases that have significantly improved their life, all costing less than $100. These purchases include app subscriptions, online courses, physical books, Kindle ebooks, and earplugs. The author provides details on each purchase, including the cost, benefits, and personal experience. The article concludes with a call to action for readers to share their own proud purchases.

Opinions

The author believes that the GIGL app is an excellent investment for book lovers, with a yearly subscription costing only Rs. 365.
The author highly recommends the Prompted Journal app for building a journaling habit, with a yearly subscription costing only Rs. 390.
The author praises the OneSec app for helping them break their smartphone addiction, with a yearly subscription costing only Rs. 99.
The author values the Uptime app for providing concise 5-minute book summaries, and they received a free yearly subscription for writing a book summary for the Uptime content team.
The author found the "Take Charge of Your Time" online course by Ankur Warikoo to be an eye-opener for time management, with a lifetime access costing only Rs. 699.
The author recommends the "The Ultimate Guide to Effective Communication" online course by Ankur Warikoo for improving communication skills, with a lifetime access costing only Rs. 549.
The author appreciates the "Restart Your Life" online course by Coolmitra for teaching efficient use of time with limited energy, with a lifetime access costing only Rs. 393.
The author prefers to buy physical copies of re-readable books and has a collection of 10+ physical books, with a total estimated cost of Rs. 2000–3000.
The author finds Kindle ebooks to be a cheaper alternative to physical books and has a collection of 20+ Kindle books on their phone, with a total estimated cost of Rs. 500–1500.
The author switched to earplugs for noise cancellation instead of noise-cancelling earphones, with a pack of six earplugs costing only Rs. 250.
The author is proud of these purchases and encourages readers to share their own proud purchases.

5 Cheap Purchases Under $100 That Improved My Life

and I am Proud of it.

It’s not about what we earn, it’s all about how we spend what we’ve earned! — Stephen Magnus

1. App Subscriptions

Currently, I have four in-app subscriptions.

a. GIGL

The online repository to listen to and read book summaries anytime, anywhere (available on both Android and iOS devices).

I have talked about it a lot of times in the past.

It has a lot of books in different categories so you will not get bored.

It’s yearly subscription hardly cost me 365 Indian rupees and it’s completely worth it.

b. Prompted Journal

The best journaling app I have found so far.

It provides you with new prompts every day to write.

If you're someone who wants to build a journaling habit, then this app is a goldmine for you.

Also, it contains a dive-deeper section with a customized message to help you get started.

Its yearly subscription only cost me Rs.390/year.

c. OneSec App

OneSec is an excellent app to track your app usages and to break your smartphone addiction.

I have shared in an article on how this app helped me "Cure My YouTube Addiction".

It’s a yearly subscription that cost me only Rs.99 (which is definitely a steal).

It basically puts a customized message on the opening screen to help you break the craving.

d. Uptime

This is something that I haven't purchased.

I wrote a book summary for Uptime content team, and in return, they gave me an entire-year app subscription for free.

Don't have time to listen to long book summaries or audiobooks?

Then uptime is a game changer for you.

It provides you with concise 5-minute summaries to listen to and read.

Total Estimated Cost (App Subscriptions) = (365+390+99) = Rs. 854 ≈ $16.47 < $100 -> According to Cost of Living in USA.

2. Online Courses

a. Take Charge of Your Time by Ankur Warikoo

Excellent course on time management.

It completely changed my perception towards time.

If you're struggling to manage your time, then this course is an eye-opener.

The best thing about this course is that it's accessible for a lifetime, and it also provides you with six monthly live sessions so that you can clarify your doubts with the instructor.

The course cost me only Rs. 699.

b. The Ultimate Guide to Effective Communication by Ankur Warikoo

Again, the same instructor, but with a different topic.

If you're someone who struggles to communicate with people either virtually or in person, then this is a must-do for you.

It hardly cost me Rs. 549 (for its lifetime access with six live lessons on this topic with the instructor).

c. Restart Your Life by Coolmitra

This course teaches you how to make efficient use of your time with limited energy.

10 video lessons and a actionable PDF version to help you take action.

It cost me Rs. 393 for its lifetime access.

Total Estimated Cost (Online Courses) = (699+549+393) = Rs. 1641 ≈ $31.42 < $100.

3. Physical Books

If you've been my reader for a long time, then you might know how much I love books.

I prefer to buy physical copies of those books, which I think are re-readable.

So far, I have 10+ physical books in my library, and each of them is worth re-reading.

Here's a list of them:

Think and grow rich.
The power of your subconscious mind
Built to serve
Wings of Fire
The last book for your best life
The Compound Effect
Bhagavad Gita as it is.
The habit of winning
Unleash your business online. and More.

Buying all of these hardly cost me Rs. 2000–3000, but it was one-time and a lifetime investment.

Total Estimated Cost (Physical Books) = Rs. 2000–3000 ≈ $45-$70 < $100.

4. Kindle Ebooks

Apart from physical books, I keep Kindle versions of books on my phone.

This helps me read books anywhere, anytime.

Buying digital books is a lot cheaper than buying physical books.

Currently, I am reading "The Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramhansa Yogananda.

This book in itself is a gem. Definite read for everyone.

Currently, I have 20+ Kindle books on my phone, which hardly cost Rs. 500–1500, but again, it was totally worth it.

Total Estimated Cost (Kindle Ebooks) = Rs. 500–1000 ≈ $10-$35 < $100.

5. Earplugs

Earlier, I used to buy noise-cancelling earphones for deep focus, but soon as the year passes, it stops working anyhow.

Then next year I have to buy it again, which wastes a lot of money.

So I switched to earplugs.

First of all these are so cheap. The pack of six earplugs hardly cost me Rs. 250 ≈ $5.4 < $100 and secondly it does its work brilliantly.

It gives you complete noise cancellation while studying, doing meditation, and working.

So it is something that has definitely improved my life in a lot of ways.

Final Thoughts

So these were my top 5 cheap yet best purchases of my life to date.

I don't regret spending even a bit of money on these items.

Tell me in the comments, which items you're proud of purchasing.

I am sure there must be a lot of things of which you are proud. I am excited to read your comments.

Thank you for reading.

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