High +QOL/Price Ratio Items

Little things I've bought that have had outsized positive impacts on my quality of life.

This list is ongoing. I'll add to it as I find more.

1. A portable charger with 100W output

Study cafes occasionally intentionally lack outlets, to discourage you from staying too long. A good power bank makes this someone else's problem. 100W output is fast enough to properly charge a large laptop (I have a 16-in M2 Max MacBook Pro), and at 25,000mAh, the capacity sits just under the TSA carry-on limit, so you can carry it with you wherever you go without any worries. I got this INIU one for $60. It's a little heavy (I've often called it a ‘brick’), but worth it IMO.

2. Individually wrapped flossers

Marginally more expensive than the regular bagged kind, but definitely worth the few extra bucks. They're tiny and individually wrapped, so you can keep a few in your bag and forget about them until the exact moment you have food stuck in your teeth — I use these.

3. An SD card reader

For the digicam person of the friend group, or other hobby/professional photographers: transfer photos straight to your phone instead of going camera → laptop → phone. Extreme convenience upgrade for under $10 — this Hicober one is USB-C compatible.

4. Earbuds with noise cancellation

Everyone ends up doing work in loud environments (library w ppl talking, cafes, outside, coworking space where people are taking calls), and being able to tune it all out is so frequently useful. I currently have the AirPods 4 with noise cancellation (do not get these, the battery life sucks. I bought them after losing my Pros with the intent to try them out, then missed the return deadline. I would repurchase the AirPods Pro 2nd/3rd Gen. I've heard good things about AirPods Maxes but I haven't bought it bc it squashes my hair and makes my face look like an egg.) I think AirPods Pros are vastly worthwhile, but even if you're more cost-sensitive, make sure to get a pair w/ noise cancelling feature.