What are the purchases under $300 that have improved your life?

I’ve bought books, each for less than $300, that have changed my life. Can’t get a better bang for the buck than a good book.

I recently bought a used Microsoft Surface Pro 3 from ebay for around $200, and installed Debian Linux on it, with a special kernel for the Surface. It runs Linux really well, and is now my main computer. I hate Microsoft as much as any normal person, but this hardware is excellent. I can use it as a tablet (the touchscreen works well) or with a wireless keyboard. Having a keyboard detached from the computer is far better than any laptop, for ergonomics and flexibility.

It came with Windows 11 installed, and I even kept it on a small partition that I boot into sometimes for Zoom meetings, as Zoom doesn’t work well on Linux—and for testing websites.

The machine was in absolutely perfect condition. The only issue is that the battery life is pretty bad (couple of hours at most), but I don’t know whether that’s because the battery is in bad shape or because of Linux power management.

A laptop (I'm from a 3rd world country, so yeah it's a big deal).

If you don't already have them: noise cancelling headphones. If you like earbuds, the AirPods Pro are great. For sitting at a desk, over-ear headphones are extremely comfortable and have enough battery life to go all day. You can get a refurbished pair of Bose QC35 II's for $259.

- Linen sheets - nice and cool in the summer, cozy in the winter, only get softer with each wash and I prefer the texture over cotton or silk.

- Bidet, seriously no idea how I lived without this for so long.

- Standing desk, ranges in price, standing obviously has its benefits but also just being adjustable so that your arms are in the correct spot while sitting is huge.

- A nice (big) enameled dutch oven, le creuset and staub are both good choices - more versatile than a cast iron pan, less maintenance, will last forever.

- Mobility, stretching and self massage tools: yoga mat + foam roller + lacrosse balls + theracane + resistance bands + some sort of routine (joe defranco and kelly starrett come to mind), spend the extra cash on a deep tissue massage and some yoga classes

A jacket that you feel good in.

Nothing makes me feel more confident than leaving the house in my favorite jacket.

An SDR radio. I can now spend hours listening to HF radio and discovering more about signal processing in a funny way. It feels like being connected and listening to another wireless transmissions world, no need for metaverse uh :-D

Books comes to mind: some quick examples

- I learned to do my own electrical work, a-z from a book from Home Depot, just by reading it on my daily train commute .

- Learned to sail, and received required certification all from a book.

Books really do open your world up.

Making the assumption that you work at a desk all day, and ignoring the good recommendations of a solid pair of noise-cancelling headphones, I'd recommend an ergonomic mouse and a nice keyboard. Personally I'm really into Logitech MX Vertical and MX Keys, but MX Master 3 is also very nice to work with. Has resulted in issues with wrists and hands reducing a lot. Your mileage may vary, though.

Pineapple corer. Think I got one for $5 off aliexpress years ago. Didn't think it would work, but it's super easy to take a pineapple and get almost all the fruit out. Pineapple's are good winter fruits since they are shipped in from the tropics regardless.

Oculus Quest 2

Buttkicker (used from Amazon) and installed it to my chair with an amp. Now playing games and watching movies has an extra Oomph.

An Ender 3 3d Printer I got years ago and use it everyday (it's even paid for itself selling stuff on Ebay)

Soup maker

Put everything inside, hit play, it will heat, blend, and stop automatically

It is basically a pot with a timer you can use to cook/heat several things, and not worry about forgetting you left something cooking

Dishwasher - saves so much time.

Here are all of my favorite sub-$300 purchases:

- A Moccamaster

- A really nice electric kettle

- A set of Insta-crates from Costco

- A crokinole board.

- A nice set of power tools (Makita, Dewalt, or Milwaukee).

- A REALLY nice steak dinner.

- A used T450s

any sort of sport that you've been looking to get into.. to suggest for me, buying a yoga mat and starting ashtanga

Group Exercise. You can easily get yourself a few (perhaps six) months of group exercise under a trained instructor.

Nintendo Switch + Ring Fit Adventure. Great if you have kids and find it difficult to make up time for sports.

A garlic press.

1. Air filter 2. Dehumidifier

A nice estate (pipe lingo for "used") smoking pipe + a tin of Presbyterian tobacco.

A bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail with change.

Overhead noise-cancelling headphones

Bugassualt

Save it for a rainy day. Having a good rainy day fund helps take the edge off day to day living.