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Ever feel like life is one big cluttered junk drawer? Between work, errands, and whatever chaos is happening in your group chat, it’s easy to feel like you’re just shuffling through life. But here’s the thing, simplifying your life doesn’t mean tossing all your stuff and moving to the woods, unless that’s your vibe, of course. It’s about those little, everyday upgrades that make you breathe a little easier, without needing a trust fund or a Pinterest-perfect, minimalist wardrobe.
One Redditor asked folks online what everyday items they purchased which made their lives much easier, and the answers are as entertaining as they are surprising.
More info: Reddit
My dogs. My mornings start super happy with the two of them doing an excited dance celebrating that I got out of bed. Long morning walks that I wouldn’t take if I didn’t have them. A long break in the afternoon for another walk and training (they are farm dogs). They are always happy to see me, to get a scratch behind the ear, to work with me. Even if the day was bad, snuggling on the sofa together will make everything better. If they are angry (cats, trespassers) they never hold a grudge or are unhappy for long. They are content and it’s contagious.
Whiteboard which serves as a visual reminder for anything.
If i write it down in a phone calendar or a notebook, i won´t remember.
10 ft. charger cable for my phone. WHY did I spend half my phone using life crouched on the floor trying to use a half-dead phone tethered to the wall with a 3 ft cord? I am NEVER going back to shorts!
At its core, simplifying your life is all about awareness and intentionality. It’s less “how much stuff do I have?” and more “how much joy does my stuff bring me?” You don’t need one of those spotless, all-white apartments that make you wonder if anyone even lives there to embrace simplicity – it’s about making thoughtful choices, no matter the size of your space or bank account.
The pros say that there are a few different ways you can simplify your life, from cutting out toxic people, taking control over your time and money and getting rid of bad habits, which all can help make life easier. It makes sense, if you think about it: if you get rid of what doesn’t belong in your life, be it people or stuff, you make room for what really counts.
Electric kettle. I used the type where you put it on the stove for years, but when I got my electric kettle it simplified heating up water for tea, coffee, even instant mashed potatoes. Push the button and forget it. it has a Keep Warm feature which is awesome for topping off your tea. Much safer than using the stove also. I recommend the brand Breville.
Kindle Paperwhite. I’ve had mine for over 6 years and it’s my favorite gadget. It makes moving and traveling a million times simpler.
But, at the top of this list is decluttering your home. Research shows that our environment has a direct impact on mental health. Surprising, isn’t it? Believe it or not, a messy, cluttered home can cause stress, mess up your sleep, and even lower productivity. By simplifying your life, whether through decluttering, organizing, or investing in the right tools, you can create an environment that supports your well-being.
So, that robot vacuum you’ve been wanting can actually help boost your mood by cleaning the house for you. I have one, and let me tell you, it’s saved me from wading through cat hair tumbleweeds that used to roll around my living room like it’s the Wild West. It’s pretty amazing, though sometimes, it freaks out and gets stuck under the couch, like it’s plotting revenge for the mess I made with my morning cereal.
Tools. Having the right tools to repair, modify, improve, or build something can vastly simplify automotive and home maintenance. It can also be cheaper to buy the tools once than it is to pay someone to perform the maintenance regularly.
Large computer monitors. I work with financial modeling and my sheets can have thousands of rows. The less I have to scroll the better.
I’d say the key pad lock on the entry to our house. There is a 4 digit code to unlock and enter home. Never have to worry about my kid losing his key. Never have to worry about losing our house key or even taking my key when I go out for a walk. If we need some one to check on the cats when we are gone we can give them the code which we can change at anytime. My sons friend and neighbor knows it if he ever needs anything and we aren’t home. (Good kid we are close with him and his family) my favorite part: if we all go somewhere we aren’t waiting on the person who drove with the keys to unlock the front door. Or if we are all in the car to go somewhere and someone needs to run back to the house (this happens way more than I ever thought). They can just run back in the house using the keypad with out having to shut off the car and take the keys.
A bread maker was a total godsend for me, especially during the pandemic when we had actual food shortages and had to wait a few weeks for an available grocery delivery slot
Also kind of mundane, but a dishwasher. I never had one growing up, and rented a bunch of apartments afterwards that didn’t have one. I bought my first apartment 3 years ago and made sure to have one installed, and it was life changing. No more toiling over the sink for almost an hour every evening, and no more eczema on my hands and ruined nails.
You don’t have to blow your budget on grandiose solutions to improve your life. Sometimes, it’s the tiniest upgrades that make the biggest difference. An air fryer? Game-changer for some folks. You keep resisting getting one until you try your cousin’s delicious fries. Let’s just say, your stove will just gather dust after that.
How about a product that cuts down a tedious chore, like a bread maker? Life-saver. These small investments in comfort and functionality aren’t just about convenience—they free up mental energy and bring a surprising amount of joy to your day.
Think about it. A tiny tool that saves you 20 minutes of frustration every day might not seem like much, but over time, it transforms your routine. That’s the thing about small changes; they add up in ways you don’t even notice at first, but suddenly, everything just works better.
A scythe. Our motorized weed whacker was stolen. I was tired of the maintenance, the noise, how heavy they are, etc. I bought a scythe (at a fraction of what a professional weed whacker would cost. We have a farm and buy the big guns for landscaping).
We have about 5 acres of wildflower meadows and orchards and I was surprised by how well a simple scythe works. It is nearly as fast as a machine, my back doesn’t hurt because it’s so light, and we don’t [end] insects or frogs when mowing.
I even started to mow the tiny stripe of lawn around the house with it. Fast, efficient, silent, meditative, good for my back and good for nature.
Also, I feel really good with a 70 cm (28 inches) blade in my hand.
Never was I more grateful to a thief.
Bicycle…there’s nothing better than hopping on my bike to run small errands or just have a simple activity to do after work. keeps you moving and is a blast to ride down hills, on the road passing by beautiful waterways, or in a city with bike paths.
Simplifying your life often begins with understanding your needs. Figure out what part of your daily life feels unnecessarily complicated. Once you pinpoint the pain points, you can make targeted changes that improve your quality of life.
So, if you’re ready to make life simpler, start small. You don’t need to overhaul your world overnight. A tiny step can pave the way to a life that feels lighter. Because sometimes, the smallest things really do make the biggest difference.
I only own clothes than I’m 100% comfortable in. I do wfh and am a very casual person in general, most of my clothes are T-shirts, sweatshirts, leggings, and athletic shorts. I have a couple rompers, 1 pair of jeans, and a couple jackets and hoodies. Everything matches everything, and I only own what I love. No more space being taken up by clothes I don’t wear or being uncomfortable in my clothes.
For me it’s my kettle and tea. Drinking tea and even the ritual of preparing it nurtures me and brings me so much peace and clarity. Maybe that sounds goofy, but staying hydrated and getting your antioxidants throughout the day makes life simpler and happier. Wow I am making myself thirsty. Time for some chamomile.
An iPad! I use it for drawing, reading, taking notes for uni, textbooks, videos, browsing etc. It’s so much easier than having paper handouts, textbooks, notebooks and other things to pile up and carry around. It wasn’t cheap but worth every cent!
A nice (but not expensive) over-the-sink kitchen dish rack.
I have an extremely small kitchen, and don’t usually make enough dishes to run the dishwasher.
Everything dries so much better that the counter top racks, it stays cleaner, holds way more dishes, and gave me a counter back.
My 3D printer.
I can’t begin to mention how much that thing has helped me produce parts to repair broken items around the house.
It’s also terrific for whenever I need a custom hanger on the wall, some holder for a brush or an item. Most underrated tool ever.
Pressure cooker. Can cook just about any stew, soup or curry with minimal waste, super quick..Also sterilises things. That plus a cast iron skillet and a Dutch oven are almost all I ever use to cook with.
So this was not under $30, I’m thinking around $130… but still completely improved my life! I got a printer that uses toner cartridges rather than ink. Before that I swear every time I went to print something the printer would tell me I was out of one or more colors, and would not print – even if i just wanted to print greyscale the printer wouldn’t print unless I change the cartridge. Most of the time even after I changed the “out” color it wouldn’t recognize the cartridge as new unless I changed all of them. The whole printer ink industry feels like a complete scam. If I have something I want printed in color, which is rare, I just send the print job to stapes.
I’m on a fluid restriction diet, so I measure out my allotment each morning. I recently bought a $25 ice shaver and now it’s my favorite gadget. With shaved ice as a snack, I can keep hydrated all day and stay within my limit. It has changed my life for the better. I get to have a solid substance to nibble instead of little sips. It doesn’t take much to make me happy.
This stupid little mobile keyboard from Amazon.
I have fat fingers and HATE typing stuff on phone keyboards, so this thing is a godsend.
I synced it up to my phone in like 10 seconds, and it functions like a full PC keyboard (works on iPads/tablets too). Such a big help when typing out long emails, etc.
Automatic closing door hinges $20.
My husband put them on a bathroom door. It keeps the dog out!
The dog would go in the bathroom and drink from the toilet bowl when someone forgot to close the bathroom door.
Now the door closes on its own !
Poor doggy lol.
Journal!
Tracking everything and keeping lists makes everything easier. Tracking my sleep, spending, bills, due dates, and everything else is a life changer. Need to know when you gave your dogs their heartguard? In the journal. Doctor’s appointments, oil change records, receipts, recipes, movies and books read and to read. Its amazing how something so simple has helped me out.
Its anywhere from $1 to $20 to get started so it’s also a cheap way to radically improve yourself.
Yoga mat, a TRX, resistance bands some second hand free weights, running shoes.
Maybe all in $300 bucks could be more if you opt for high end or big brand names.
They’re the essential fitness goal tool kit. I have added some more like a big balance ball to stretch on, maybe that was another $10.
Compared to annual gym memberships, it’s way less expensive, I own it, and am much more likely to use it because I don’t even need to leave my own house to access them.
Next I’d say, kitchen tools. Food processor, pots and pans, good knives. Cooking at home is healthier and better for my health.
Various storage boxes. Some examples: I have one for all baby toiletries and nappy whatnots that I can keep safely in the bathroom and grab when I do nappy changes. I have another inbthd pantry which holds all my spreads (pb, honey etc). I have one in my wardrobe which holds winter scarfs, hats and gloves. Being organised and grouping things together helps me be tidy and live more simply.
The best purchase under $40 I have ever made was an app, that for less than $5 per month, will basically eliminate all of the ads you’d see on the internet, while also protecting your privacy when browsing and increasing the overall speed of your computer significantly (trust me, the speed boost is quite noticeable, as ads slow down your computer while they load). It is called a VPN
Probably my desk calendar. As long as I keep things noted in it, I don’t get too far behind or lose track of important dates or business transactions.
Steel thermal cup and steel thermal water bottle. I bring my own coffee and cold water every morning and save money, time and tons of single use cups/bottles.
An old tear drop camper. I use it to sleep on land where I’m building a tiny house. It is nice to wake up at the project and to also have my own space to live semi off-grid and simple.
A mini trash can for my cup holder! You know that Starbucks straw wrapper you always end up finding on the floor or the gum wrappers that end up under ur seat? Yea well I spent the best 10/15$ at auto zone on this adorable trash can that has kept my car so clean my friend noticed and I got her one for her birthday and now SHE too loves it!
auto zone cup holder trash can!.
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