2w ago

What's a small luxury under $20 that significantly improves your daily life?

154 comments

$20 can buy many peanuts.
- Explain.
  
  Money can be exchanged for goods and services

Wool socks if it's winter and/or you live in a cold climate.
- I wouldn't even consider that a luxury item. In cold climates, warm socks are required.
  
  Wool ones specifically are far better than synthetic ones

A 10-foot USB cable. Most people use whatever's packed in with their electronics, and it's pretty rare to get anything longer than 6 feet. Having the extra length is really nice in many situations.
It's also one of my go-to inexpensive gifts or part of a care package for someone in the hospital. The extra length there is often the difference between being able to use a device while it's charging or not.
- They're rare because 10 feet is too long for a reliable USB data transmission. But yes good for charging.
  
  Eh, I have audio interfaces and MIDI controllers on 10ft cables cause shorter just don’t reach my PC, works perfectly fine. Longer than that is a gamble but as far as I know 10ft is the upper bound of the USB 3.0 spec, so should be totally fine unless you have especially shitty cables.
- Especially if it's braided and has extra large and durable connector thingies so it won't hard bend.
- I love my ten foot charging cables, but I also really love the magnetic ones that self wind, regardless of length. I keep one in my car and it has yet to be the problem that every other charging cable I've had was.

Bidet attachment.
- For 20 bucks really? Is it a handpump model you dip directly into the toilet water?
  
  Aww damn. Prices went up since I bought mine, but it was $20 when I got something similar to this one :
  https://www.amazon.com/SAMODRA-Ultra-Slim-Minimalist-Non-Electric-Adjustable/dp/B08QHTVDM3?crid=9UU7MDLDM99I&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nABelMbRvlRyIO4D0CUpH5m42FXMEqJeZxG_paNRRHhFz8PYfM__-CLZmr-B1GhLa7QRDgJhIyoFhYsDRYnh22pKqa7n3CYQZ3I8RlqheLj1E8E63B4MLCxOIq2fuqnvDXVMIQ_VxT2WsfGKrqCloZsPKddAZg0oPO5POa-qf0DrvqWBT-dWlpDKQX9I0Ss7BiHtqZk6gupoviN9shtNf_gnXEVVG9Tky-Tdl9UMveNfVVFaBnWaByVSnAl8gm0IwTZx-wDFbOCGa-j39mFjShmkZLJF6EyA6Re7DVo8GPxbjfFBDkIYZ1NgjSCWsrs3cVGstkHZ2H23_3OLu8SaIcfkgpPk49mUQbtPILPN-MTMZsEtvzHrIQhn95yiRxeyzAyA2fY2mp1G24_OKZEfsmDJ4oUi3vg9h779X1tdmhNvvswEnDQBNq-qfkZMjlBp.nBroGiaWaCdcCzo51Q4puu5hynMjsTM2MqqwUme6CQ8&dib_tag=se&keywords=bidet+attachment&qid=1737128963&sprefix=bidet+attachemnt%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-15
- Yes

2kg of cookies
- I like the way you think

If you use your phone a lot (or if your battery is old and you haven't replaced it), a power bank is very useful.
A reputable powerbank (such as those from Anker) cost just under $20 USD for 10,000 MAH
- It's worth it for other people too, the fun putting a "W" sticker in front of the logo is endlessly entertaining.
  
  Found the brit

A cheap over shoulder satchel, it's like having a extra pocket always available
- There are a few brands that make decent backpacks/satchels in the 10L - 20L size, within that price range. They're very helpful
- I've got 6 or 8, take one everywhere, even if I already have my purse. I'm addicted to getting them at thrift stores. Just got a sweet, black, tacticool bag with molle loops and velcro for $1.

Fluffy stuffed animal. If I didn't have a couple stuffed kitties to hug I probably would have killed myself already. Nice to have something to pretend loves you
- As someone who has no less than two dozen stuffies on the bed right now I can tell you they do love you because you love them.
  
  Been spending about 16 hours a day here
- I know few pleasures greater than snuggling up to a pile of plushies in a cold winter night.
  Though they do NOT help in getting up at morning in the slightest.

Mini Swiss army knife. I don't know how to live life without this on my keychain
- I've got a Gerber Dime pliers-based mini multitool on my keychain instead.
  
  3 times the weight though
  
  I've had 2 Gerber Dimes they seem nice in theory but you can't use the pliers for pretty much anything without them breaking.
  Gonna get a Victorinox as my next tool
- Swiss Army Classic for those shopping. eBay has tons, take you time, hundreds of cool designs.
  Cool trick: search "TSA lot" and you can get knives by the pound. I got 50 one time, fixed, polished, sharpen, etc., gave them away for Christmas at the office.
  
  SD mini is 20 usd I think brand new as well. It is so small you don't even notice it on your keys. Everyone should have one. I buy them as gifts for people when I don't know what to get and the amount of thanks I get down the line is wild
  This probably sounds autistic but I have super long hair and I've managed to grow it longer than ever before because when I see an obvious split end I just hit it with the mini scissors

A beard trimmer. Shaving sucks and irritates my skin, plus I look like a baby without facial hair. But that's only one benefit.
I have been using a beard trimmer to cut my own hair for the last 10 years which has saved me probably $2000 worth of haircuts (estimating a $25 haircut + tip every 2 months). Not to mention saving about 1 hour waiting at the barber every time. I only messed up once and had to do a buzz cut.
- So you just buzz cut your entire hair essentially? I did that once and looked like a serial rapist
  
  Don't get a beard trimmer and also use it on your hair; get a hair trimmer and also use it on your beard. Specifically, get the kind that comes with an assortment of combs up to 1" (and then maybe even buy the 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" combs that are sold separately, too).
  
  Only of you do it wrong, or you want to look like a serial rapist.
  If you have a simple cut/style all it takes is a little practice to DIY.
  
  It only takes a few minutes of YouTube videos before you can do a passable men's haircut.
  I cut my own hair during the pandemic and never went back to paying for it.
  
  So you just buzz cut your entire hair essentially? I did that once and looked like a serial rapist
  Buzz cut was only once because I messed up. Usually I do a trim, short on the sides and back and longer on top. It's easier than it sounds - I just use a smaller mirror along with the bathroom mirror to see the back.
- I'm sure it's preferable to looking like a baby with facial hair
- Agreed with almost every single part of your post. I have done the same thing for last few years. BUT I'm growing my hair out now that I'm retired and I am gonna be a hippie. Still use the beard trimmer daily tho!

Converting $20 to local currency, I'd probably go with this:

This is so-called "Liubao Tea", a kissing cousin to pu'er tea. I did a review of my first batch(es) and it has rapidly (literally with one round of brews) reached the top of my circulation in teas.
The depicted tea is one aged from 1991 (the one I reviewed was tea stems from 2003) and is of one of the higher grades. A 100g package will set you back about $15 or so at today's exchange rate. 100g is about 15-20 servings, and each serving can be brewed multiple times (even my tea stems can be brewed four times without loss of flavour), so it's quite the bargain.
Save it for a time when you really need something warm, rich, and comforting. It will last forever as long as you store it in a cool, dry, dark space. And personally I think it's a bargain at 15 bucks.
- Excuse me, kissing what?
  
  It's an expression. It means "related, but not so closely that they can't fuck". Welcome to Dixieland, pardner
  
  Cousin. Did I typo that?
- What methods do you use to dry the tea leaves and stems after each brew?
  
  You don't. You finish your cup, you put the leaves back in, you pour hot water over top.
- Ah yes, the most convenient of currencies - dried leaf.
- Where do you get it?
  
  I get it straight from a collective representing the farmers in Liubao. There are some Internet vendors who sell it, though, so you don't have to move to China. I can't vouch for any of them though since, well, I don't use their services.
- Also, if you haven't tried it, loose leaf pu'er tea really is excellent. I get mine in tins from the local Chinese grocery store, and the one time they didn't have any I drove around all afternoon trying to find a store that had some in stock.
  
  I've tried them. I still prefer the compressed ones, but they're pretty good, yes.

Pet jumping spider.
Honestly 10 star pet. They eat a small bug every other day or so. They look adorable. They will recognize and react to you, and you can even train them to accept handling. They come in a wide variety of colors.
Downsides are that you'll probably end up getting more than one (do NOT co-hab them!), or that they only live for 1-3 years. If you enjoy having the spider though, you can look into other arthropods like tarantulas, or vinegaroons (which look scary, but are harmless and have very sweet dispositions).
- Do you just... grab one off the street?
  
  You can, but for ethical reasons, I would recommend not doing that. There are plenty of sellers online and at expos who sell captive bred spiders.
- Not a pet but a couple weeks ago I had a big fly buzzing around my room and annoying the shit out of me for like 4 hours while I was working from home. Then I heard it buzzing against my window in a weird way and I turn around and there's a big ass jumping spider just murdering the shit out of it. I've never been so happy to see a spider in the house. It hung out in the corner of the window for like an hour after that and then it was gone and I haven't seen it since.

$20 total or per day? If total, then a dumb stylus for my phone. If per day, then junk food. As an American my retirement plan is to die from heart disease.

A small USB-C hub. It has a USB-C out on one end then HDMI, 2 USB-A ports and another USB-C in on the other. I use it as my travel dock for my switch and steam deck, I've used it as a USB A to C converter, and I'll use it to test inputs on various TVs. I've gotten so much more mileage out of this $15 Amazon purchase than I ever would have expected

1L water bottle, especially if it’s insulated. Keeps your drink cool, but also makes it so I don’t have to get up to get more drinks when I run out.
We had some in a car during a trip to Wonderland during the summer. A Gatorade bottle was disgustingly hot while the insulated bottles still had ice in them.
5/7 would recommend
- I love insulated bottles but I can't find one that's 1L that isn't massive...

$20
- OP said under, so $19.99.

Not luxury, but I keep a small AAA flashlight with me nearly all the time.
Easier to handle and faster to use than a phone light. Also doesn't use phone battery. I clip it on my hat if I need both hands like taking out the trash.
I have an Olight i3T but I would try out the i3T 2. More lumens and better battery efficency.
- How do you clip it to our hat ? Like this ?
  
  The Olight i3T and the i3T 2 have a bidirectional clip.
  
  This is a less-than-20 usb-c rechargeable light. Not AAA, but honestly I'd take this over AAA. I got this one at Home Depot.
- Few dollars over OP's request, but an Olight Oclip is straight awesome for a multipurpose light. Simple UI, super lightweight, long lasting, quick charging (USB-C), magnetic or clip-on, extra LED for red light.
  I clip mine to the cross piece on my hiking pack to illuminate the trail. I've also used the red blinky light so my wife can be certain where I am, nobody think I'm a deer and shoots at me, and so 4-wheelers can spot me.

A bamboo back scratching stick. I bought dozens back when Pier 1 existed and sold them for 75¢. Most are still around.

Platinum Preppy fountain pen. Often, it's less than 10$
No one needs a fountain pen to write, but writing with a fountain pen is a unique experience. Alas, many fountain pens will cost a little fortune and other will cost a large fortune (what about a 40k$ one?). The Preppy is an exception. It's not the best fountain pen but it's very decent, it's even incredibly good considering its price. For slightly more 25-30$, I would also suggest the Lamy Safari.
Beside that, I can't think of many luxury items under 20. I mean, I can think of a few useful luxury things but they cost more than 20.
- Love Platinum, they’re the only fountain pens I can even consider using, as they’re the only ones I found that can handle my low writing volume without drying out between uses.
  
  Love Platinum, they’re the only fountain pens I can even consider using, as they’re the only ones I found that can handle my low writing volume without drying out between uses.
  Yep. As long as you cap it (like with any fountain pen for that matter), they won't dry. In that regard, they're among the best at any price range not kidding. But the plastic of the cap is a on the brittle side... which may ends up hindering the tightness of the capping as it won't sit as tight. Not hate here, that's only a maybe could happen (happened to me ;), they're great.
- The Pilot Varsity fountain pen feels cheap in your hand, but the way it writes is exquisite. This pen is shorter than average, yet holding it by the opposite end and dragging the nib across paper, letting the nearly inexistent weight of the pen apply pressure, you'll be left with a beautiful and consistent line.
  You can usually pick up single Varsity fountain pens at stores such as PoopShelf for less than $3 each, or you can support your local art store by buying them in 3-packs for less than $10. I've been using these pens for over a decade and the only pen I've ever found that had an equally smooth and delicate writing experience was something I found at Paradise Pen for over $500—back when I could get these fountain pens for less than $2.
  I have to warn you about their cheap construction, though: don't store them in your pants pocket. They'll find some way to bend, crack, or otherwise dump their entire reservoir in your pants.
  
  Never had the opportunity to buy a Varsity, so I never tried one even though my all time favorite fountain pen is one from Pilot (not in the same price range, though ;)

I'm surprised I did not think of mentioning it next to the Preppy fountain pen I already mentioned but a reading lamp! This one is 15-18€ clip-on. It's USB-C (I would prefer standard batteries if there was a model so it doesn't got to waste one the battery is dead). It's lightweight and the brightness (as well as its temp) can be adjusted.
Worth every single cent, imho. I find it so useful that I have purchased two, just in case I need to recharge one.
- Reminds me of the GameBoy Color light accessory, but fancier. Man, that thing was clunky!

A high quality mechanical pencil that takes girthy lead. I use a staedtler 925 2mm and it's absolutely wonderful for taking notes and writing and has served me through high school, college, and work. It writes similar to a regular wood pencil but sharpening is optional
- I use so-called "eternal pencils" now. They come in various "hardness" ratings (like pencils: B, HB, H, 2H, etc.) but even my "softest" (read: darkest with broadest tip) has been in use now for a couple of years without noticeable wear on the tip. That one is guaranteed to be usable for a decade. My hardest will likely stop working when the sun dies in four billion years or so.

I carry an arch lighter everywhere. It cost me $15 but saves me a ton in lighter fuel, and you'd be surprised by the number of every day situations that a controlled burst of plasma solves. Opening packages, lighting candles, kills mosquitos in the dark, and it's a fantastic taking piece as mine slots into a zippo.
Only downside is I can't use my zippo for light on the off chance I get trapped in a dark tunnel.
- arch lighter
  undefined
  
  sudo pacman -S lighter
  
  btw
- Zippo sucks imo because the gas evaporates so quick
  
  Exactly, as a non smoker, I don't use it enough to justify the cost of fuel. That's why I like the arch lighter insert. All the look and feel of a zippo but I have to fuel it annually instead of hourly and it takes USB instead of oil.
- Neat! Didn’t know these existed.
- Only downside is I can't use my zippo for light on the off chance I get trapped in a dark tunnel.
  Use your arc lighter to light something else on fire: your shirt, Joe Pesci's head, that angry bear you didn't notice at first in the darkness but really hoped it was Scooby-Doo

Strap wrenches as jar openers, got a two-pack years ago (large and small) for less than $20 and end up using one every couple of weeks
- I use a small sheet of that no-slip shelf liner stuff for jars.
- We got an Un-Skru under-cabinet opener and it's pretty great

Oestrogen (joking but also serious)
On a more serious note, a raspberry pi to run pihole and gobble up all the ads for all devices on my home network

Freshly roasted coffee beans. A bag sets me back maybe $13 or so and gets me approximately 10 cups. Not what I would call outrageously expensive but I enjoy it a whole lot
- May I share with you that I roast a lot of things and it's mind-blowingly easy, it saves a lot of money, and it's a lot better than buying roasted from the store!
  I used to use my oven, but it's literally as simple as raw almonds 325 in the air cooker for 15 minutes sometimes. Depends on the ingredients, I've never done coffee but I think I'm going to do that this afternoon!!!
  edit: I couldn't find coffee beans that weren't roasted (i never thought this through) so I bought the lightest ones and tried roasting them at different temperatures. It just kinda wrecked them.
  
  Unfortunately, I believe coffee might be a different beast. I'm not sure you will be able to achieve desirable results with that type of equipment.
  In fact, James Hoffmann recently made a video on whether it's possible to roast coffee beans in an airfryer recently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyLXmbTnJIY (tl;dw: not if you want good coffee)

Silk pillow case. Good for skin and hair.

An electric 'coffee grinder' just for grinding up spices / seeds. Don't use the regular coffee grinder, or your coffee drinking housemates will get super annoyed. The flavor, and nutrition is so much better when you cook with freshly ground spices.
- A <$20 grinder wouldn't be good enough to use on coffee anyway.
  
  Conical burr or bust!
  
  They work well on seeds, tho'.
- May I suggest a mortar and pestle, then you don't have build up of contaminants in the burr, and blending of particulate from past grinds
  
  Try grinding 60ml of flax, sesame, cumin, black cumin, and fenugreek in a mortar /pestle. It's too much work. I'm a tool using primate, and I like powertools. For 5ml, even 20ml hand power is fine. The Chinese developed a thing called a "Brass Boat" for grinding up larger quantities, "manually", actually by foot/ leg power. Alas, I can't seem to find an image for ya.
- I mainly use mine to get the finer espresso grounds from regular coffee. Why pay premium?
  Also used it for chemistry experiments, grinding coriander, all sorts of things.
  After breaking 2, I finally got a decent one for $40.
- There's much nutrition in coffee?
  
  Coffee drinkers, especially before morning coffee can be a tad bit intolerant of one's spice experiments. It's best to not goad the beast, at least until normal / optimal levels of caffienation have been reached, and beauty achieved.

Hot water bottle.

The Lady we got ours from isn't showing up at the farmer's marker anymore, but for well under $20, you can make your own corn pillow
This winter's been bad for deep freezes and 4 minutes in the microwave will keep my corn pillow hot for an hour or more.
- Some Warmies are under $20 too. My son freaked out when I started to put his cute new kitty in the microwave haha
- when I was younger, my family used dry rice. I wonder which works better.
  
  I've used both. The rice is lighter and contours better, the corn holds heat longer.
  I've seen rice "socks" advertised for neck pain since it can hang around your neck better.

A decent pen and/or pencil. I have several nice fountain pens that I use for journaling, but I use my Zebra F-301 ballpoint daily for general notes/etc. -- ~$10 for a 4 pack on Amazon. If you prefer a pencil, you can pick up a Pentel Sharp Kerry for under $20 on Amazon.
- I prefer the Pilot Precise V5 as my favorite cheap and ubiquitous pen upgrade. Everyone remarks on how smooth it writes. Not the best for labels with gloss though is the only catch with it. Capped or retractable versions, and while I like the V5 (0.5mm tip) because I write smaller, they also have a V7 (0.7mm tip) for those that write larger or what bolder lines.
  After that, hop on Jetpens and there are tons of <$10 pens that are way better than anything in a store, or refills to turn your favorite cheap pen into an undercover fancy pen so you don't need to worry about losing a fancier pen body. I stocked up on so many great pens, and now I have a job where I hardly ever have to write and I really miss getting to use my pens all day. The cheap office pens skip and are so scratchy it feels like drawing on dirt with a stick in comparison.
  
  That's a great tip about the "undercover fancy pen!" I hadn't even thought about that, but I'll definitely be doing it now!

A coffee cup warmer. No more getting up from my desk to nuke cold coffee.
- Get a double walled cup, i can have hot coffee for 4 hrs and warm for another 2-4 hours
- Those are stupid cheap at the thrift stores and there's always one there.

A key wallet ; Keep your keys organized, stops them from jingling, can put smart cards in it too. Easier to hand off to friends to borrow. I hate jingling keys.

Gin.
- That really depends on the gin.
  
  Park Alpine Dry Gin

Orthotic shoe inserts. The good ones (superfeet) cost more than $20 but I was able to use my HSA $ to buy another brand for $0 out of pocket. Feet not hurting is worth the money.
Foam roller. I roll out my back 2-3 times a day.
Can you tell I'm getting old?

A usb-rechargeable battery bank that doubles as a hand warmer. Comes in handy for computer time in the cold basement and during a power outage, was extremely useful to charge cell phone

Beer :)

Methylphenidate

For me anymore, I like to get a nice bag of single origin coffee from a quality roaster.
You can also still get zoo or museum tickets for that in many places. I got a lot of things (probably too many) so I like doing experiences when I can now to slow down the accumulation.

154 comments