Tools make the world a better place.
Some tools are more vital than others of course, it might help to have a calculator but you can still do the math.
You may find it near-impossible, though, to talk to your friend on the other coast without a phone.
With the usefulness of tools in mind, Redditor KingPin1010 asked:
“What life changing item can you buy for less than $100?”
The nose knows.
“A nasal irrigation kit – either the electronic pump or simply the squeeze bottles.”
“I started using them both leading up to surgery on my sinuses, and I haven’t stopped using them since.”
“It takes some getting used to, but the relief and clean feeling is amazing.” ~kundersmack
The little things can make all the difference.
“Rice cooker.”
“That f*cker kept me fed during depression when I barely had the energy to get out of bed.”
“Takes less than nothing to get some rice in there and flip the switch.”
“Want something sweet?” Throw coconut and sugar in there.”
“Want flavor but can’t be f*cked to make anything? Get some Spanish rice or saffron going.”
“You can throw tofu in there with it if you need .”
“Yeah it’s not the best for you but hot food is better than no food.” ~ HotTopicMallRat
Or…
“New pair of socks.”
“If you’ve been wearing the same pairs forever like I typically usually do theirs nothing like putting on a new pair of freshly bought socks, you can totally feel the difference.”
“I never realized til was an adult sadly but I appreciate the feeling of new socks all the time.” ~ Spider-Mike23
Sleep is important.
“I thought that I liked memory foam and other fancy pillows, but the real life changer for me was a buckwheat pillow.”
“I have sleep apnea, and it allows me to get my head into the perfect position and keep it there comfortably.”
“Before you go out and buy one, please research the pro’s and cons. They aren’t for everyone.”
“Consider them if you like a firmer pillow, occasionally wake up with an achey neck from lack of support, and want a pillow that breathes well.”
“Someone in the comments has also pointed out that you will win every pillow fight you get into.”
“Downsides are: if you shift around in your sleep a lot, you’ll need to adjust the pillow to fit your new position.”
“Adjusting the pillow and settling in makes a little bit of noise as the buckwheat husks rub against each other, kind of like dry leaves crinkling.”
“Some people are also allergic to buckwheat, but there are other similar fillings such as millet husks. Organic fillings also need to be replaced once in a while, since it breaks down over time.” ~
Phosphero
Sometimes, it’s not about making the work easier – just more enjoyable.
“If you have a large lawn or a property that requires a lot of yard work get some 3M Worktunes.”
“About $50 and they’re a combination hearing protection and Bluetooth headphones so you can actually hear your music without destroying your eardrums.”
“They’re a good gift too for anyone you know with a lawn or wood shop or something.”
“At my old house it was a 4-5 hour ordeal to mow and trim the property.”
“I’d likely have went fully insane without those.” ~ Kulladar
Though, sometimes it is about making the work easier.
“A good shop vac.”
“You will not believe how many uses around the house you’ll find for it.”
“Cobweb removal, water removal, gravel removal, vent cleaning, soot trap cleaning, (after a good scrub since it’s likely dirty from other tasks) car vacuuming, dust sucking, the list goes on.”
“Seriously if you plan to buy or already own a home go get a shop vac.” ~
AZymph
The weight of the matter.
“A kitchen scale.”
“Completely changed my food consumption, since I could easily measure portions.”
“I learned what they actually SHOULD be, not what we in the US act like they are.”
“That + MyFitnessPal (the free version, even!) = Me losing 120lbs over 18 months and developing a much healthier relationship with food and eating.”
“Very simple tools, but great for enacting real, lasting change ” ~ missdolly87
Seeing clearly is the ultimate luxury.
“prescription contact lens”
“edit didn’t realize how many people would want to know where to order.”
“So far my fastest option is ordering from opticontacts.com they will only take a week or less.”
“Lens.me is another option with more exotic brands but they take much longer to arrive as they ship out of Dubai.”
“Neither will ask for a prescription from doctor. You just manually input your rx” ~ iamgeekusa
The real spice of life is convenience.
“Paprika recipe app and the corresponding software for your PC.”
“The thing is a miracle.”
“Not only can you download recipes from websites – it pulls the recipe and instructions out and leaves all the chaff (“My grandmother always told me when she made this apple pie that it reminded her of the time that ….”)”
“- But you can add ingredients to your grocery list right from the recipe, create meal plans and menus, and share access with another person (they have to buy the app too and use shared login).”
“It’s changed the way I meal plan, shop, and cook.” ~ 1workthrowaway
Don’t forget to hydrate.
“A Brita filter water pitcher and reusable bottles.”
“I cut out most drinks aside from water back in October and we were going through 2+ cases a week.”
“It was expensive, heavy, took up way too much space, and was such a waste of plastic!”
“I ended up buying a brita pitcher from walmart for about $18.”
“We fill it up 2 or 3 times a day and everyone has their own water bottle now.”
“When quarantine started and no one could find bottled water, but we were good!”
“There were so many positives to buying the brita pitcher that I wish I had bought it years ago!!” ~
Dutchie420x
While not every item on this list was the pinnacle of modern technology, they are all tools to help make our lives just a little bit more enjoyable.
Remember to take the time to enjoy yourself today, maybe even with a tool from our list.