Purchase under £100 that's changed your life

[Zakky1]

Tell me about something you've bought that you dont think you can live without now. Something that isn't essential to your everyday life, doesn't have to be luxury but just something that's made a difference to your life.

I recently got a small handheld vaccum as my main wasn't working so I got a cheap one till I could research on a good one anyway its really helped with back problems as I'm not having to lug it up the stairs.
Also I had a bit extra this month so wanted to get something practical to make life that little bit easier, any suggestions?

A cheap fluffy throw from Aldi use it loads on a night.
A heated shoulder warmer great for shoulder pain, tummy pain and also as a lap warmer working from home.
Eyebrow dye purchased in lockdown use it on the ends of my eyebrows which look lighter as I am mid 50’s.
Good quality tweezers.
Babyliss big hair looks like a salon blow dry effect.
Clinique chubby stick use like a lipstick in a natural shade. I have two one in my make up bag and one in my handbag.
Wireless. Key board and mouse for working st home.
Would love a weighted blanket but I am 6ft tall and menopausal so often overly hot.
Glasses wipes.

The egg pricker and topper.

20years on and a perfect boiled egg every time

Olaplex shampoo and conditioner.
Amazing on my hair. Only need to wash once every 6 days now.

@gogohm

Subscription to a dating website, was £99

He's lying beside me now

this really made me laugh, I love it!

My passport
My Fitbit
Fitbit scale

@PinkFootstool

The Ordinary AHA/BHA peeling mask. Holy crap, the first time I used it I felt like I looked years younger. I use it only occasionally now, but it's still amazing for my skin.

I keep ice packs in the freezer for migraines, rashes, bruises, general injuries etc - I need them a LOT!

Not that cheap (£35), but for my migraines I bought a set of Migralens sunglasses. Green tinted. Unbelievable, I wish I'd bought them years ago. I've spent the whole day by the sea today in blazing sunshine and with them on plus a big floppy hat: no migraine. Life changing for me.

is the mask that good?? i've had a ton of The Ordinary stuff sitting in the bathroom cupboard for months (a gift, but I'm v lazy/ low maintenance when it comes to skin stuff) but i've got some of this mask so now i think i'm gonna give it a try :-) ta @PinkFootstool

Is it a mask or is it the red stuff in a bottle ?

Smart scales, around £30 from Argos. They show your muscle tone, visceral fat, etc. Not so much for me but have been revolutionary for DH and his diet and health.
Also I second the stainless steel cafetiere. Keeps coffee hot. I also use a small glass cafetiere as a milk frother (heat milk in microwave, then pump for a few seconds). No need for a coffee machine.

This dressing gown. So thick and soft like being in a cloud.

I also bought an Oodie each for my son and I. It's huge on him as he's only 7, but very much looking forward to using them in the winter as it's too expensive to use the heaters in the flat. Last winter I got very cold and grumpy!

Further to earlier post...

I bought a mahoosive Monstera Deliciosa, 8feet tall, on gumtree for £80 two years ago. It makes me so happy. It fills huge space in my lounge and makes my house look like a jungle. Feel so peaceful, relaxed and at one with nature in its presence.

I also adore my weighted blanket, stainless steel cafetiere and rice cooker.

Also, double insulated stainless steel tumblers for picnics. Great for keeping wine cool

@deedlededee

Yes I've got a remouska too and I love it. So good for doing a roast dinner (for 2) wilh meat, roasties, parsnips, swede all in the time it takes my main oven to warm up. It has saved so much electricity.

@yellowsofa Which olaplex is it? I get so confused with all the different numbered ones. What does it do - make you hair smooth and straight which lasts for 6 days? That would be the utlimate dream! My roots do get quite greasy though. Is that not an issue?

@Roystonv

Hold it on an upside down V and turn both handles simultaneously outwards or inwards whilst rolling the spring across your face.

It takes a bit of playing a round but once you get the knack it’s so easy.

Dreamland faux fur heated throw - my house is really old and never feels really arm. This has been a godsend and I’ve definitely saved on heating bills since snuggling under this.

Breville cafe-style sandwich press. Lovely toasted sandwiches, one of the few things I like about autumn/winter.

A tin of Tom’s Oil paint from Little Greene Paint Co. it gives a lovely finish and is really hard-wearing. I’ve just done my kitchen cabinets and feel like I’ve got a new kitchen for under £100!

My last one is a slight “cheat” as it was £115. A decorating platform. My place has got high ceilings. I’m really short and not a fan of heights - have never got on with ladders as I’ve never felt safe on their stupidly thin rungs. This feels sturdy and I feel so much safer on the wide platform - it’s going to more than pay for itself by saving on paying for decorators. It’s out of stock at the moment, but this is the one I got:

www.amazon.co.uk/Abbey-Folding-Scaffold-Platform-Ladder/dp/B01IFGVBQM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

Fleece bedding from Next a few years ago. So cosy during winter.

Any of my David Austin standards and shrubs. Got them last summer, quality on arrival was great and I still had new buds coming through well into November. The growth over the last year has been fantastic, they now look really well established. I’m a rose convert now and keep looking for anywhere I can squeeze in some more!

Diamond painting kits from Victoria’s Moon. I’m useless at drawing/painting/knitting etc. These were great during the winter lockdown months.

The £100 I took from my very small pot of savings and used to start me on my matched betting journey. I’m very risk adverse, so this was quite a big thing for me to do. I’m very basic in what I do, haven’t put in the effort to learn some of the more complicated stuff such as extra places. I started almost 2 years ago, but I also hardly did anything for around 9 months after Covid hit. So far, I’ve turned that £100 into £10k which is such a comfort to know I have funds in case things breakdown etc.

Meant to add a couple of the diamond paintings - I bought them for fun, rather than to frame and hang. They will also turn any photo into a kit. I did two as Christmas presents. One for a friend of her horse and one for another friend of her two kids. They turned out really well and both of them absolutely loved the gifts.

Steam juicer. I make lots of preserves but nobody in the family likes bits. This used to mean huge dripping jelly bags just waiting to be knocked over. No more, I can juice many kilos of soft fruit then make my preserves. Total game changer.

www.amazon.co.uk/Ribelli-Vegetable-Stainless-Extractor-Suitable/dp/B0756DCD59/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&rnid=419157031&keywords=steam+juicer&rps=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1630925188&refinements=p_76%3A419158031&sr=8-5

Sorry for the double images, it didn’t look like they’d posted first time around!

At the start of the first lockdown I bought a rice cooker from Yum Asia - it claims to reduce carbs in white rice by 25% but we only really use it for cooking sushi rice, which we eat at least once a week. It's simple and brilliant, and I will never attempt to cook rice in a pan ever again.

Bifocal sunglasses, cost practically nothing on Amazon or eBay. Changed my holidays completely, no reading glasses needed in the sun!

[quote coffeeschmoffee]@yellowsofa Which olaplex is it? I get so confused with all the different numbered ones. What does it do - make you hair smooth and straight which lasts for 6 days? That would be the utlimate dream! My roots do get quite greasy though. Is that not an issue?[/quote]
Shampoo No 4
Conditioner No 5

No greasy roots. Shiny silky hair.

I also put a tiny bit of No 6 and 4 drops of No 7 through my hair - not roots - before drying .

Sellotape dispenser: www.ryman.co.uk/ryman-tape-dispenser-large makes wrapping Christmas presents so much easier. Less than a fiver and last years.

Mosquito bite zapper - takes the itch out of bites by essentially cooking them:

www.chemist.co.uk/biteaway-insect-heat-treatment-device-pr.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9Nm68Jjq8gIVKIBQBh2KcQq_EAQYAyABEgJ7S_D_BwE

For the first time I could enjoy a holiday abroad this year without mainlining antihistamines and being made miserable by itching.

I have two purchases that please me everytime I use them. The first is a shower rack that holds 6 bottles/ soap and flannels behind the shower rail and on a 45 degree angle so that the liquid is always draining down the bottle. One more bottles lying around the bath getting slimy or falling in while I shower.

The second is a Joseph Joseph cutlery tray that is really narrow and holds all of our cutlery. In a rented kitchen with two drawers it leaves plenty of room for all the other crap that goes in drawers ... Looking at you 700 Calpol syringes...