What are some affordable items (for $55 or less) that are so life-changing that you consider them to be must-haves? In this post we have collected the results from the recent Reddit post, where the users have shared the most useful items that they bought for a reasonable price of fifty five dollars (or less than that), which had a life-changing aspect on their lives.
Don’t just take our word for it: thousands of people have already verified the validity of claims – and we are just compiling the list to make it easier for you to find them at (arguably) the best price on AliExpress.
$55 Is not a little amount by any means, but if the impact is high enough, the money is considered well-spent. The impact can be measured in the quality of sleep, the reduction of time spent performing everyday tasks, and reducing the money spent on buying things that you already have vs. bringing the glory back to the products that you already have.
AliExpress ‘Must Haves‘ That Cost $55 Or Less
ELECTRIC HEATING UNDERBLANKET
Price: $53.70
A heated blanket is not just for comfort, though it is pure bliss when the room is on the colder side (bonus: you can save on heating costs and you don’t need to fight your dad over the thermometer settings).
People with achy joints will love it: be that a sports trauma or just an occupational one (having to stand on your legs for the most of the day, etc.).
A smaller size is available for the local application.
FABRIC SHAVER
Price: $11.62
Refreshes sweaters/coats etc. in no time and saves replacing the garments that are in otherwise good condition.
HEADLAMP
Price: $14.49 (option B: including batteries)
I want to strongly second this for anyone who hikes even occasionally (or does frequent overnight camping, like me!). You should always have a headlamp with you.
They take up next to no space/weight, and will literally save your life in an emergency situation, even if that “emergency situation” is just walking back to your car after dusk.
And if the power goes out, it is so much better than having to use candles / cell phone flashlight: reducing the fire hazard and freeing up your hands.
A list of AliExpress must haves wouldn’t be complete without a reasonably-priced electronic item.
HANDHELD VACUUM CLEANER
Price: $28.90
Regular-sized vacuum cleaners are great, but you don’t always want to carry the whole thing to a different room, extend the cable, plug it in, and then do the same thing in reverse. For the smaller cleaning jobs, it makes more sense to have a smaller portable one. With a portable vacuum cleaner, it takes half the time to do a spot cleaning sweep.
If you have pets it’s also worth paying the little extra for the handheld vacuum. The model we linked below has 4 different types of nozzles, and it is small enough to keep in the car or in a cabinet.
PILL TIMER
Price: $4.44
Being over 30 means probably having (or wanting) to take a lot of vitamins, supplements, and/or other pills.
And to take those pills on time there is this handy pill timer. It can be set to beep at a certain time as a reminder. Never forget to take your pills again!
GOOD KNIFE
Price: $44.97
A good, sharp chef’s knife will make cooking much easier. Remember to budget for a sharpener too, to keep it sharp. All knives need care.
If you are going to spend on nice knives, when it comes to knife sharpening it is really important learning how to do it. It makes a world of difference to have truly proper geometry.
GRAM SCALE
Price: $11.53
A gram scale can be used for a lot of minor measurements. Measuring spoons re okay, but they are not nearly as precise as a good gram scale: spoons are just an approximation, after all!
It can easily measure water since 1 g. = 1 ml. The power of the metric system: no more measuring by volume in the kitchen is life-changing!
BLACKOUT CURTAINS
Price: $5.96+ (size plays a big role in price)
We all know that a good night sleep at a comfy hotel is life-changing. The bed sheets are soft and fresh, but also the total absence of the light plays a BIG role too.
With the blackout curtains you will fall asleep so much faster now that the room is pitch black at night! Also, if you happen to work night shifts, they can drastically help.
This product is not just a must-have from AliExpress, it’s a must-have in general. If you can find one locally for a cheaper price – even better!
DETACHABLE SHOWER HEAD
Price: $5.94 (head) + 4.75 (hose)
A detachable showerhead does a much better job than a static one, especially the ones where you can switch the strength of the stream (like this one!).
You get the water on yourself from all angles, leaving no place untouched.
It’s extremely easy to get installed: 1. unscrew the regular showerhead, 2. screw in the hose, 3. put the showerhead on the other end of the hose.
PORTABLE BIDET CLEANER
Price: $3.91
You haven’t experienced complete cleanliness, unless you have tried a bidet. They’re quite common in the Middle East and in other countries with warmer climate, and for a good reason: heat amplifies the smell.
But outside of the obvious aspect, it is basic hygiene: paper just doesn’t compare to what the water can do.
A bidet attachment is great. A portable bottle can do a good job too.
SHOEHORN
Price: $1.23
I’m surprised that they seem to have gone out of style. So simple and cheap. A good shoe horn instantly turns 5 seconds of the most annoying wriggling and forcing into a 1 second maneuver.
The major benefit is saving the back of the shoe from looking like an accordion.
LONG CHARGING CABLE
Price: $4.12 (3-meters / 10 ft.)
Long charging cable (braided, not plastic). You will no longer be restricted to laying on one side of your bed when the phone is being charged.
A high-quality 3-meter (10 ft.) cable is less than $5.
BAMBOO UNDERWEAR
Price: $8.66 (4 pairs)
Bamboo fiber is the nicest material for underwear and t-shirts that I have ever experienced.
It’s soft, breathable, and relatively inexpensive – bamboo grows very fast, and is considered an eco-friendly sustainable material. So you’re not only giving your ‘privates’ a better wrap, you’re also saving the planet!
TUB HAIR STOPPER
Price: $1.13
It’s a rubber plug type with holes in it to you put in the tub drain. It catches ~95% of hair and gunk, while still allowing the water to flow down. After your shower, just remove from the drain and pull off the hair (this part can maybe be a little gross, but hey, it’s your hair) and toss in the garbage.
Result? Cleaner water pipes, better outwards flow, less plumbing maintenance.
GOOD TOWEL SET
Price: $24.56
Why waste all of that shower goodness just to rub yourself with sandpaper after you get out? A thick, cozy bath towel can be a godsend after a good steamy bath. A definite must have item!
We found a 3-piece embroidered set: get one for you, and one for your significant other (a Mr. and a Mrs. embroidery is a nice touch to avoid confusing them between each other).
SHAMPOO BRUSH
Price: $2.50
A shampoo brush is something most people have never heard before, and we think that should change.
So what exactly is it? A shampoo brush is a silicone pad with soft bristles that is used to gradually apply shampoo to your scalp, distributing it evenly across the surface while massaging your hair.
Not only will your hair feel cleaner than ever, but your scalp will thank you as well.
REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE
Price: $6.58+
A reusable water bottle reduces the amount of plastic used (if you previously used single-use plastic bottles). The advantage here is obvious.
But if you get a larger size – 2 or 3 liters, depending on your preferred daily water intake, it’s going to be oh so much easier to track the amount of water you consume throughout the day, simultaneously saving you the extra trips to periodically fill it up.
ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
Price: $9.75
Advantages of using an electric toothbrush:
1. Less effort to brush your teeth
2. More effective at cleaning (vibration forces the smaller particles out)
This toothbrush has a 2-minute shut-off, and 30-second vibrating reminders (30 seconds per front/back and top and bottom jaw = 2 mins.), which helps you get the most efficiency out of the process. It is the 21-st century, after all.
MEAT THERMOMETER
Price: $1.58
A meat thermometer takes out the guessing of the process of cooking meat.
You will know exactly when your meat is cooked to the desired consistency. Especially useful when cooking steak.
TONGUE SCRAPER
Price: $1.37
The feeling I felt the first time I ever used a tongue scraper after buying it can be compared to the epiphany Archimedes must have felt when dipping into the bath.
The amount of stuff that came off was satisfying, but concerning at the same time – I couldn’t believe that I have lived my entire life without thoroughly cleaning it.
This tongue cleaner has a soft-ish rubber ridge, which is sufficient to remove the residuals without causing the unpleasant feeling of a harsher surface.
BOX CUTTER
Price: $1+
If you are buying things from AliExpress or Amazon often enough, a simple box cutter is a worthy investment. It saves your knives, and makes opening boxes (and folding them for recycling) much, much faster and easier.
An ergonomic version can be placed on a keychain for faster access (or if you wish to lose more things at once 😂).
SILICONE COOKING UTENSILS
Price: $7.70 (3-piece set)
Silicone vs: plastic is not a fair comparison. While most plastics start to melt at high temperatures, silicone does not have a melting point and remains solid until combustion occurs.
It is also not going to scrape the non-stick layer of the pan, which means it will continue being a non-stick pan (thus saving you the expense of buying a new pan: the only downside is that the kitchenware company is not going to make money).
