askchapo

I know it's a common answer to these sorts of things, but cast iron cookware saves my bacon. My three cast iron pans are basically the only things I use to cook now. I don't even bother to season them.

It really is about 95% as non-stick as teflon non-stick pans, and for the other 5%, it's just iron, so you can scrape up the food with a metal fish slice, no problem - it's been proven you actually absorb dietary iron when cooking in cast iron too, so it's an active health benefit.

My only downside would be its weight. But all the furore about maintaining it and seasoning and all this I have just ignored; After cooking I wipe it down with a chainmail scrubber or a sponge if need be, rinse it, and leave it to dry. It's stayed non-stick and never had any rust, going on 3 years now.

Step stools and a small step ladder (i got a flat-pack one from ikea, three steps and when I'm not using it I put pot plants on it). Can be used for everything from improvised squatty-potty to getting up to high places (shelving , cupboards, changing lights, dusting away cobwebs etc.)

I finally got an electric toothbrush after my dentist badgered me into it. It dramatically improved my dental health. My dentists barely has to do anything at cleanings now.

A double edge safety razor. The initial razor will set you back roughly 40 bucks but you’ll get a closer shave, less cuts, and save a lot of money in the long run from the cheap-ass razor blades. All better for the environment too. Get your ass some shaving soap and a vegan badger brush too. It’s zero waste and will save you money in the long run with no shaving cream.

r/anticonsumption has been a great resource for me, as I’m trying to hatch a new escape plan to finally gtfo my parents basement. I need all the money I can get, and if I can stick it to porky by buying less, even better!

I know it's cliched but....physical activity (not necessarily exercise). I try to work up a sweat one way or another six days a week. It's not fixed all my problems but it definitely helps with keeping my shit together overall.

A small thing, kitchen scissors, too useful, it will cut. Too lazy to bring out your knives? Kitchen scissors to the rescue.

Big change that improved my life:

Going vegetarian. Totally revamped my relationship with food, reignited my love of cooking, noticably improved my health and saved me a lot of money (mostly because going to resturants/ordering takeout became largely infeasible).

Little things:

Electric kettle. Being able to quickly and efficiently bring water to a boil is incredibly useful for cooking, cleaning, and, if youre careful, taking a warm bath.

Analog Wrist Watch. I have a cheap, self winding watch and I wear it on the daily. There is something nice about not having to take out your phone to check the time, the seconds hand is immensely useful, and it really helps launder my image as a person who is "put together". Interviewers like it and I always wear one while "networking".

Boot Dryer. This one depends on your region and season, but a functioning boot dryer is basically indespensable in the winter in some places. They work alright for soaked sneakers too.

Home coffeemaking equipment. This isnt cheap per-se, but if its replacing a daily habit of going out to buy coffee at a cafe it will save you a lot of money in the long run regardless of upfront costs. There is something very satisfying about the morning ritual of measuring, grinding, pouring, waiting, and drinking. There are also electric coffeemakers that can be programmed to start brewing as soon as you wake up if thats more your style. Those can be had for less than twenty bucks at thrift stores.

Admittedly, I don't think these suggestions were all that cheap, but they have certainly been impactful for me at least.

A set of cheap diamond sharpening stones and a leather strop. Spend an afternoon learning to use them and you will have razor-sharp knives for the rest of your life, making cooking much more enjoyable.

A set of big-ass steel tweezers. They are brilliant for moving around hot food precisely.

Quart mason jars (with reusable lids). You can use 'em to pickle veggies, drink water, freeze leftover soups/stocks, (with an inexpensive infuser) make cold brew tea or coffee, tons of different things.

I am the type to finagle things but a $20 multitool pry bar has really added QOL

CPAP machine, seriously I would maybe be dead without it. If you suspect you got sleep apnea at all look into it.

Stretching every day also has been a life saver as a guy in my 30s.

Get a good bed.

If you eat a lot of rice (and if you don't what are you doing): a rice cooker. A simple one will set you back 20-30 dollars, and it makes so many things, other than the rice i eat for almost every meal.

Half of this is expensive, but the higher quality stuff usually is.

• I highly recommend trying to buy good cookware (if you cook a lot). Even just one good stainless steel pan is a game changer. I've had some for 20 years and they still look new and aren't even coated in poison. I have no idea how much they cost these days, but I expect a lot more than a cheap one. Cast iron is a good alternative to stainless steel, but harder to maintain and can retain tastes/smells

• An air filter if you live anywhere with air pollution (every city) or a fire season. The cheap option is to get a box fan and put a big central AC filter on it.

• A plunger for the toilet and one for the sink/shower/tub.

• Something to trap hair before it goes down the drain and maybe you won't need a plunger

• A fire extinguisher

Not exactly a “need” aside from that you need some method of cleaning your floors, robot vacuum is a huge boon to QoL. It does like 90% as well as vacuuming as I do but it does it every day, sometimes I’ll have it go twice a day, vs me doing twice a week at best.