You are driving down a beautiful and remote highway in Nevada. It does not have any landmarks, and you do not have a destination. Just miles and miles of sand, low growing plants and more sand.

The highway takes a sharp turn, and you enter a little town. You are running low on gas, and it is getting dark, so you decide to drive around to look for a gas station, and perhaps a hotel.

The town appears to be empty, and all the windows are boarded up. At the end of a road find an old house. “What the heck”, you decide to yourself, “I should check it out”. Besides, this is the only house that you can enter without removing the boards from windows.

Inside the house appears to be empty. The dust is the only thing that stayed. All the doors are taken off, except one. Of course, now that your interest is peaking, you decide to enter it. Inside the room is a table with a wallet on it. You open the wallet, and it has a fresh, untouched crispy $5 bill in it, and it looks like it has just been printed.

You turn around, and there is a laptop on the floor, with AliExpress open in the new tab.

“The start have aligned” – you think to yourself, even though you don't believe in astrology. Now that your balance has a positive $5 on it, you have to spend it.

And here are some sweet product ideas.

AUTOMATIC DOOR SHUTTER

Price: $5.49

This handy device attaches to the doorframe, and slowly closes the door after it is opened. The mechanism is mechanical, and does not require the use of batteries.

Because closing the door behind yourself is for peasants.

DEBIT/CREDIT CARD WRAPS

Price: $1.99

If your bank, like most of the banks, does not allow you to customize your cards, this is for you.

These credit/debit card wraps make a regular boring card into a work of art, or into a witty commentary on the political or economic issues.

MINIATURE (WORKING!) LAMP

Price: $2.85

This is a tiny lamp. It looks like a lamp for ants, but it works like a regular lamp.

If your desktop is as cluttered as mine, this might be the perfect size for it.

AIRPODS CASE WRAPS

Price: $5.45

Everyone already has Airpods, so why not make them a little more unique?

4x CABLE WRAPS

Price: $0.58

Handy little silicone straps to make your cables more organized. You get 4 cables for $0.58, which is less than $0.15 per wrap. Great deal!

SMARTPHONE RING HOLDER / SIDE STAND

Price: $1.00

You can use it to hold your phone, and then the table can also use it to hold your phone.

HARMONICA

Price: $3.67

Hopefully, you will spend your life without going to prison, unless you count buying products at these prices, because it is basically a steal of a deal!

But in case you want to feel what it's like to live in Southern states in 1930's, here is a little harmonica.

WOODEN RINGS WITH RESIN DETAIL

Price: $0.84

Great-looking rings for an especially low price.

50x STICKER SET

Price: $2.63

A HUGE collection of stickers for a very low price.

ICE CREAM MOULDS

Price: $4.51

Summer is coming! Make your own ice-cream with these food-safe silicone moulds.

PEN HOLDERS

Price: $4.53

If they're not holding anything, it looks like they are worshiping you.

BEARD

Price: $0.98

Can't grow a beard? Don't want to spend money on Minoxidil? No worries!

This beard will have you feeling very Nordic. Just don't start invading Denmark.

TRAVEL SOAP SHEETS

Price: $0.74

These single-use soap sheets are awesome. Super-compact, and useful for camping and travelling.

Since they're sheets, they're TSA-compliant (you can put them in your carry-on). Great for hand-washing hands and clothes in the hotel sink.

YELLOW-TINTED GLASSES

Price: $1.19

As I mentioned before (and as you probably noticed yourself), the summer is coming!

There are a lot of sunglasses on AliExpress, but these ones have been especially popular in the last quarter.

RETRACTABLE HOLDER

Price: $3.09

Even if you are not a fisherman or an old-timey motel clerk, you can still make use of this handy retractable holder.

Unleash your inner dad and never lose your keys again!

3x WATERING BOTTLE ATTACHMENTS

Price: $1.07

Yes, you can make holes in the bottle cap with a hot piercer, but these look less ghetto.

USB VOLTMETER

Price: $1.70

If you are dying to know how much power your USB devices are emitting or receiving, this voltmeter will help you answer this burning question!

CLOUDY PENDANT THAT ALSO GLOWS IN DARK

Price: $1.25

A pendant that has a piece of the sky in it, and it glows in dark. Nothing much needs to be said.

EARRINGS

Price: $1.49+

A lot of them have 3 earring sets per lot for ~$2.50 (that's like $0.83 per pair!)

NOSE HAIR TRIMMER

Price: $3.44

While some of the nasal hair are manually removed by picking your nose (your FBI agent sees it all!), the more efficient way of doing it is with a nasal hair trimmer.

WATERPROOF CONTAINERS

Price: $1.52+

Pack, click, lock.

Prevent any dust, water or anything else from getting into them, to ensure that the tools and/or documents are readily available for you when you need them!

SOVIET KEYCHAIN

Price: $0.95

Na Zdorovye, Comrade!

100 Pcs. SET OF GOOGLY EYES

Price: $1.49

Time to put them on EVERYTHING!

CUFF LINKS (31 DIFFERENT DESIGNS)

Price: $2.03+

Don't tell anyone how much they cost!

Over 30 different designs are available for any taste in the listing.

PINS (30 DESIGNS)

Price: $0.51+

And if cufflinks aren't your jam, these pins might be.

Made from metal, they are of a very high quality of cut and print!

KEYBOARD CLEANER

Price: $0.87

I've cleaned my keyboard for the first time in years, and let me tell you: it was not pretty.

Ensure that your keys are more sanitary and are free of spores and foreign lifeforms 🤮

RETRACTABLE FIST

Price: $1.39

A silly thing, because you shouldn't take yourself too seriously!

New Year is coming, Christmas is coming, maybe someone-who-is-somewhat-important-to-you's birthday is coming – but we're on a verge of a financial collapse, and you just can't spend too much money.

No reason to worry! There is a fine line between having to go bottle binning and being able to afford to bring some joy via the means of surprising them with a novel physical possession.

In this post we have picked 20 best selling things from AliExpress for $5 or less. Buy away! And maybe get something for yourself too.

Best-selling things from AliExpress

TELESCOPIC SINK RACK

Price: $4.83

The first thing today is this handy telescopic sink rack. It fits any kitchen sink – the size is adjustable.

You can make it bigger or smaller depending on the sink width, and load it with the sponges and steel wool balls and any other miscellaneous stuff that you might need to dry and use.

On the side there is a little rack thing for drying the wiping cloth. The rack has slots on the bottom, so that it does not collect the water.

SLIGHTLY INAPPROPRIATE MAGNETS

Price: $2.99

Here we have slightly inappropriate, but artistic in their own way avocado and banana magnets. Best fit for fridges, but if you have any other metallic surfaces, like a furnace or an oven door, they can be placed on them as well.

SLIME CLEANERS

Price: $2.50

Here is a 90’s childhood favourite – a cleaning slime. Just as the self-improvement book your parents hopelessly got you for Christmas, it is good for collecting dust, albeit in a more concentrated manner.

Just like your girlfriend at a Bed, Bath & Beyond, is quite efficient at picking up junk.

FRIDGE CABINETS

Price: $4.20

Another thing that is pretty handy in a household is these fridge cabinets. They will help with organizing the fruits, veggies and any other knick-knacks you might have randomly and disorganizedly sitting around. 

GREEK STATUES

Price: $1.13+

Check out these greek statues. There are 10 different options to pick from. The attention to detail on them is pretty outstanding, if you ask me.

They are sold individually, and it is better to buy more than one to complete the look.

NAIL CLIPPER

Price: $1.92

This nail clipper got curves.

According to the feedback, it is very sharp and solid, and the angle of it makes it easier to operate.

I didn’t know I needed my nail clipper to be ergonomic, but now that I think of it, it makes perfect sense.

WOODEN SPATULAS

Price: $0.95+

Another item that is pretty classy are these solid wood spatulas and spoons.

Wood is better than plastic, as it does not melt when you are scraping it against hot pots, and it is less likely to leach chemicals into your food. Typically, such kitchen products are sold at $4 and more at our local homeware stores. 

STICKY PAD & SMARTPHONE STAND

Price: $1.69

Here is another type of sticky pad. These ones are sold per unit rather than a roll. The key differences are:

1. The durability – this one is meant to be reused, and is made out of a more durable material that keeps shape, and

2. This one has a solid plastic piece in the middle, which can be used as a smartphone stand (OPTION 1 FROM THE LISTING)

MAGNETIC SMARTPHONE HOLDER FOR CARS

Price: $2.69

Here is a newer version of the magnetic holder for the car.

This is a newer version: now with the sleeker design and different sizes for plate options. It makes driving safer, skipping crappy songs easier, and GPS use smoother.

You can simply attach the included magnet to the back of your phone, place the holder anywhere on your dashboard, and reap the benefits of easy phone use.

FAST CHARGE MAGNETIC CABLE

Price: $2.77+

This is a magnetic charger cable that we’ve seen before, but this is a newer version of it, which now comes with a fast charge capability.

The cable is able to transfer more data and more power to your phone, because ain’t nobody got time for sitting around for 8 hours for their smartphone to charge.

There are options for Micro-USB, USB type-C and for iPhones.

EARRINGS

Price: $0.58

These earrings have been the best-selling earrings on AliExpress in the last few months.

There is a ton of listings for them, this one being the biggest discounted one.

FACE MASKS

Price: $2.32

Face masks – pun very much intended.

There are 6 different designs and almost 4,000 orders in this listing. The face masks are now made mandatory in a lot of countries, and this one is more fun than a simple one.

2 IN 1 LADLE + STRAINER

Price: $0.85

Here is another device that can make regular kitchen tasks more efficient – a two in one colander and ladle.

It has holes on one side, and a scooping part on the other – it makes removing the veggies from soup easier.

DRAWSTRING POUCHES

Price: $0.21

Christmas is coming, and the people that aren’t important enough to get a big present, but are not unimportant enough to be left without one can get something small placed into one of these cure drawstring pouches.

They are also useful for organizing the little things in your pantry.

RATTAN COASTERS

Price: $0.91+

Just about the only bad thing about owning an all-mahogany piano, is how posh people leave their negroni old fashioned drinkware on top of it, leaving it with moisture rings, that this 100-year old oak just can’t handle with grace.

These rattan coasters come in 4 sizes, and are perfect for making your morning Greek yoghurt parfaits feel even more fancy.

‘OVERLY CONFIDENT MAN‘ T-SHIRT

Price: $4.99

I don’t think this T-shirt needs an introduction, as it already feels quite comfortable around us.

Not sure this is the level of comfort I strive to achieve around hundreds of strangers, but if you’d like to have this lovely image displayed on your shirt like 500 of others did, the link is below.

ROTATING STAPLER

Price: $3.53

Here is a true gamechanger: a rotating stapler. It is a true staple of a proper executive office.

No longer you have to fiddle around with paper, trying to adjust the angle, awkwardly moving the paper around. This thing has a rotating top, with the head action second to none.

DOUBLE DISED TAPE ROLL

Price: $1.90+

A roll of double-sided tape. A thing that is very handy in the household tasks.

It will hold your smartphones attached to the wall. It is less likely to hold your life together. A 1-meter roll can be bought for $1.90, which is pretty reasonable.

EGGPLANT / PEA PENCIL CASES

Price: $4.87

And while we are on the p-word topic, here is an eggplant pencil holder. There is an option for a less elegant design, being a pea as well.

ORANGE MAN TOILET BRUSH

Price: $1.93

In honour of the election events, here is a tremendous toilet brush. It’s orange. Maybe it will do a better job at draining, or at least cleaning the swamp 😉

AliExpress is a good source for cheap gadgets, many of which are sold retail for 3, 4, 5 and 10 times the price. And today I will show you my latest 10 finds that you can get for $3 or less. 

Please get comfy, and take you wallets out – we are not messing around.

Cheap and Useful AliExpress Gadgets

OWL KEY HOLDERS

Price: $1.97

The first item is a total hoot.

This key holder also has a cool feature! When there are no keys hanging, the owls’ eyes are closed. When there are keys hanging, the owls’ eyes open. Totally not creepy.

Who doesn’t like owls? And who doesn’t like not losing their keys? Well, now every owl-lover can gain the wisdom of this predator of the sky by purchasing this key holder. You’ll never lose your keys again with a designated spot as cute as this one.

UNICORN TEA INFUSER

Price: $1.90

Who doesn’t love a good tea-bagging? With this Unicorn Tea Infuser, sipping on some tea gets even more fun! This Unicorn Tea Infuser holds your loose leaf tea in hot water for the perfect cuppa.

Also, who doesn’t love Unicorns? Like, how super cute! 🦄

COSMIC KEYCHAINS

Price: $0.85 – 0.91

The world is yours with these planet key chains!

You can literally hold the world in the palm of your hand…and crush it if you want to. It’ll be a relief to finally let your keychain carry the weight of the world instead of your shoulders for once. If you’re looking for more of an out of this world aesthetic, this key chain also comes as different planets like Jupiter, Mars, and … um … Uranus. 

BOOKMARKS

Price: $3.00

Yeah…books are still around. And apparently, bookmarks are as well.

Nerds will love this quirky bookmark for their latest read. Mark your place with these squished animal bookmarks. It’s like animal abuse…but it's not. The bookmark comes in a variety of squished animals like a Shiba Inu, Donkey, and Gecko. 

Regardless of which animal you choose, these bookmarks can act as conversation starters that can distract you from how boring the book is. 

NOTHING

Price: $2.84

What do you get the person who has everything? The answer is “Nothing”. We found it for you on AliExpress, and apparently, nothing comes in different shapes.

You can choose to be a dick and waste resources like gas, paper, plastic, and employee time by purchasing “Nothing” encased in a transparent shell for 2 dollars. Then when that special someone asks what you got them for a gift, you can say, “nothing.” Not only do you get to revel in the satisfaction of seeing their disappointment, but you get to see them get excited when they realize you did get them a present.

But wait, there’s more! You also get to experience their reaction when they realize that you did in fact, get them nothing. So, this is more of a purchase for yourself, if anything. 

CURTAIN HOLDERS

Price: $1.88

Adult purchases – how fun!

Though as far as being a real adult goes, purchasing these curtain holders is not a bad idea. They’re cute and practical. These curtain holders are a great way to mask that your home really is not put together, but it kind of is.

Purchase these curtain holders in a variety of colors to match your aesthetic (or the adult you’re pretending to be‘s aestheic). 

COINS/EARPHONES PURSE

Price: $0.70 + shipping

When you’re making that coin, you’re gonna need a place to put it. As in, literal coins because we both know you’re a broke bitch who is still penny-pinching. The good thing is, you can be a cute broke bitch, putting your pennies into this coin purse.

Choose from black, green, grey, or red for the perfect place to squirrel away change (or small miscellaneous items, earphones for example) without shame. 

DOUBLE-STICK TAPE

Price: $1.96 (1 meter / 3 ft.)

You can’t go wrong with double stick tape, you just can’t. Imagine the possibilities!

This tape could fix more than duct tape. Though just a fair warning, it won’t fix your heartbreak from your significant other giving you ‘nothing’ (or just how broken your life is).

But it could probably hang up those super cute umbrella hangers from earlier. You should purchase this tape just in case, because… adult things. Cheap gadgets don't get any more useful than this.

EMBROIDERED LETTERS

Price: $0.74 + shipping

Yeah, you never made varsity. You didn’t even make junior varsity. Your Dad still doesn’t look at you the same way.

But that’s all about to change with these custom letters! Live out your high school fantasy by purchasing these embroidered letter patches. By purchasing these letters you can be number one on the varsity team all the time. Just imagine the respect you’ll get walking around in your own custom letterman jacket as an adult.

Hey, maybe even your Dad will respect you this time around!

UMBRELLA WALL HANGERS

Price: $1.26 for 3

You know what everyone needs? Umbrella wall hangers.

That’s what we all work towards, right? Not hooks that hang up your umbrellas, but hooks that look like umbrellas. It’s essential for every household. These umbrella hangers are the ideal ones to purchase for your home.

Not only are they super cute, but they’ll remind you that a raincoat just isn’t enough on a rainy day.

This is a staple in cheap gadgets: it serves a good purpose and doesn't cost a lot.