What's something you bought under $25 on Amazon that is a life changer and why?

Don't automatically buy stuff on Amazon. They're often not the cheapest and they're a scummy company.
Not on Amazon, but I bought myself a nice t-shirt. It got me compliments and made me feel better about myself.
- They’re often not the cheapest
  No, but they're consistently reasonably close to that. I'm not likely to pay drastically more on Amazon than elsewhere.
  What they do have is a very large selection, which is a major benefit; I don't want to deal with eight different retailers and eight different orders when I can just hit Amazon.
  At a lesser scale, this is what made department stores do so well.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_store
  A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic appearance in the middle of the 19th century, and permanently reshaped shopping habits, and the definition of service and luxury.
  Amazon's basically done the same, writ large. They can offer pretty much anything you want from a consumer standpoint at a single location.
- Alternatively, do always look on there because they're often the cheapest and all companies are scummy.
  Amazon regularly beats out the brick and mortar stores in my country who reamed us for decades before we got access to the global market.
  
  just wait for the reaming you'll get when everybody but amazon goes out of business in your country
- Maybe thats the problem with people these days!
  People only care about price so now everything is built as cheap as possible, corners cut everywhere so now everything is shit.. because it needs to be cheap! It’s getting harder to find anything that seems built to last more than a year.
  As scummy as Amazon might be, they’re still the only company that offers anything that resembles convenience. eBay could’ve challenged Amazon but profit over service and those in charge walking round with their head up there arse’s and now it’s a poor copy of aliexpress that seems to be 90% chinese crap in the UK! I’m not wasting an hour trawling every online store when I know Amazon has it… so what if its £3 more!
  And sadly the cheap money has gone and no-one wants to offer a better Amazon because there’s money in it because… everyone wants everything cheap! 🤦‍♂️😞

USB switch. I have a desk with work laptop to the left, personal laptop to the right. My keyboard, mouse, and camera feed into the switch, then the switch into each laptop. With a press of a button, I can switch all my peripherals from one laptop to the other without unplugging/plugging USB connections

Buzio water bottles. I specifically love the half gallon size, but that's too big for most people, id say. But they're freaking great. Keep ice for like 2 days.
Sleep mask with headphones
Wall mounted tablet holder for bed
Ergonomic crochet hooks
Smart plugs
Neck light for reading/crocheting in bed
Rechargable pepper grinder set of two
Butane torch for the kitchen
Wall Mount manual can opener

This $6 plastic lid that covers your plate/bowl in the microwave. No more splattery mess, and the food cooks faster and more evenly.

About 3ish years ago brought myself a spring assisted knife for around 14$. Its my go to for everything where a knife is needed and holds a decent edge for a month or 2.
Edit: only downside is the spine is a bit too rounded so it's not the best for striking ferro rods
Edit 2: totally forgot tis the season. There's this solid ice cream scoop that has a gel that heats up using the heat from your hand. It's one piece of metal so it should last the giftee a while. I'll find the link for you. Here it is

A keychain jewellers loupe, inexpensive but invaluable, can be used for inspect something up close, whether it's writing on computer chips to helping with mushroom identification, to identifying makers marks on old silware.
In a similar vein, cheap usb microscopes, though less versatile are incredibly useful for soldering/inspecting PCBs
- In a similar vein, cheap usb microscopes, though less versatile are incredibly useful for soldering/inspecting PCBs
  While I did like getting one, I have to say that in retrospect, I would have liked an auto-focus function, which low-end ones didn't have when I bought one and I assume still don't have. Unless whatever you're looking at has a very fixed height, it's kind of a pain to keep fiddling with the microscope to bring things into focus as you move an object around.
- A loupe is a really fantastic tool to have. Should always have one at hand.

The GIR mini spatula is only 15 ish and is the highest rated spatula. Hey it’s not very sexy but everyone uses a spatula every day.
For 27 you can get Apple air tag. That’s a great gift! Put it on your dog collar. Put it on your car an. Never forget where you parked.
I got a handmade belt for 30 on Etsy that’s like THICK leather and it will live longer than me
- In the same vein, the GIR whisk is really nice. It's got a nice handle and isn't super tiring to use. And its like 14 dollars on their website

It was probably closer to $30, but a squeezy poop claw to clean up after my dog. Works so much better than a shovel.

I didn’t buy this on Amazon, but the Cirkul water bottles are awesome. Cheaper overall than buying energy drinks, but much better for you, easier to swap out flavors, practically never have to wash them by design, and it keeps me way more hydrated.
Bought mine from Walmart for $20, each drink pod lasts me 3 days at $4/pod, meaning I spend about $9.33/week on average, assuming I drink as much as I do consistently. The energy drinks I like most are about $2.50/each, so that ends up with $17.5/week, and that still means I have to throw it away and find another drink for the rest of the day. This one I just refill with water.
Since the flavor strength can be adjusted with a dial, it suits pretty much anyone, and because turning the dial to 0 means just water, I can easily just switch to plain. Definitely worth the investment.
- My family HAD to have these about two years ago. Everybody got their own bottle, and we got a bunch of pods, and two months later they would never be used again.
  
  Sad. I can’t imagine going back lol been using them for a few months now.

Clips to keep my glasses from falling off when I'm sweaty and active.

Why does it have to be on amazon?
What's next?
What's the best memory you have eating McDonalds?
What is the best party where you were drinking bud light?
I have the feeling this is my first attempt at corp AstroTurf on the fediverse.
- Id guess that because someone has a secret santa gift to buy with a $25 price limit and the party is coming up fucking soon.
- What's the best thing you ever bought for <$25 and why?
  
  For more than $25?
  
  To be fair that could be that boat ticket in 1995 or something :-)
  The title is bad for sure though, could have been "bought online" I guess.
- I think Amazon has better things to do with their marketing budget than spam Lemmy.
- Maybe they got a gift card the want to transform into a gift for someone else? That so hard to imagine?
- User mentions the most popular and widely-available online marketplace on the planet in his post? Impossible to be authentic, 100% shill confirmed.

Never made an Amazon account.
- What does this contribute to the question?
- Cool thanks for sharing your story.
- Oh wow! You're so cool and different!
  Next, tell us how you've never been to Walmart! That one always gives me chills!