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Aug 27, 2023

32 Affordable Products That Will Upgrade Your Life

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Noisy cabinet doors are now a thing of the past.

BuzzFeed Staff

This game-changing pack comes in a variety of 100 peel-and-stick dimmers shaped to fit lights on most electrical appliances.

Promising review: "Ingenious little idea. I suffer from migraines, so I know how a little LED light can irritate you in an otherwise pitch black room. This product does a great job of dimming those harsh LED indicators that EVERYTHING seems to have nowadays. They are neat, not unsightly." —Jarom A. Daszko

Get them from Amazon for $1.49.

Reviewers say this spray will leave wavy or curly hair (from 2a–4c hair) shiny, soft, and bouncy. And it's free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic colors or dyes, propylene glycol, gluten, wheat, and nuts!

Promising review: "This is the BEST product EVER! I will never use another hair detangler ever again. We use this product daily in my house, my daughter, my son, and me. Both of us girls have long and thick curly hair, and it allows us to brush through our hair with no problems! And my son mostly uses it to style his hair before gel, and because it smells so good! We tried a few products from Walmart, Ulta, and Target, and nothing was good enough. This is now on my Subscribe & Save every month!" —Tamira McLelland

Get it from Amazon for $7.99.

Promising review: "Where has this been all my life? I love it. This is a lifesaver! I’ve been looking for something like this for years. I always forget 10 minutes later if I actually took my medicine or just put it down. I’ve tried so many different ways, making marks on the bottle, making stickers, and other pill containers. None ever work. And pill containers are so bulky when I only need one pill." —Niki

Get a pack of five from Amazon for $19.99 (available in two colors).

Promising review: "My 6-year-old daughter has keratosis pilaris, commonly known as 'chicken skin.' This year it really flared up during warm weather so I gave this wash along with lotion a try. Wow, I saw results after just a few uses and after a couple of weeks most of her bumps disappeared. Thrilled we skipped a trip to the dermatologist! Can’t beat this price for the results either." —Ashley Steigerwald

Get it from Amazon for $13.99.

Warning: Only use this for your sturdier stuff, because it's a strong little device and might put holes in your more delicate clothing.

Promising review: "This lint remover wasn’t confusing or bulky like some others. You just run it down your clothes to remove lint, hair, and fuzz, and it does its job! I was worried it would be sharp to the touch but it’s not, which is great if you have little kids. It’s easy to clean — you just pick it out with your fingers; it doesn’t get stuck." —JLemons

Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in two styles and multipacks).

Promising review: "This has been my saving grace!! No longer do I have to routinely pull 3-foot-long strands of old goopy hair up out of my drain. Catches everything. Must have for pop-up drains!!"—Chels

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

Tidy-Cup is a woman-owned small business that was started by Julie Reinhold, who created this drip catcher as a way to stop her economy-sized detergents (which she loved) from dripping all over her laundry room.

Promising review: "I had no idea I needed this until I saw it on TikTok. Listen, it’s the little things that matter. This little thing saves me the headache of a laundry room mess. I love it. Fits perfectly on my liquid detergent. No more messes!" —Luke & Christina

Get a set of two from Amazon for $12.

And they come with a little carrying case!

I recently ordered these little lifesavers, and I have to say I am...forgive me lord for I'm about to pun...HOOKED. I'm obsessed with my AirPod Pros as they are — I use them everyday for calls and music-listening purposes — but can never leave the house with them in fear of them dropping out of my ears. (If I so much as smile or laugh, they fall out!) Well fear no more, because since I've started using these super-reliable silicone hooks, I've taken my Pods on runs and walks with absolutely no sign of slippage. I highly recommend these for anyone else who'd finally like to use their AirPods Pro in peace.

Promising review: "Must have, it works. These are absolutely needed, stop my headphones from falling out, perfect fit. Will save you lots of money from replacing missing headphones." —Shevy1280

Get a pack of three from Amazon for $13.95.

Promising review: "These have been a lifesaver while I work outside!! Comfortable. They also seem to be easily adjustable to different size ears." —Kim

Get a pair from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in four colors).

Promising review: "This is one of my favorite kitchen gizmos, and it doesn't take up room in the drawer! I eat lots of olives, and this keeps me from having to wash or get a clean fork when I'm in the middle of making a salad or just want a snack, and it makes spearing the olives easier, too. It comes with two sizes to fit any jar. (Even though if you need this, I feel like you probably get the big jars, right?) They are stretchy and easy to get on and off. I usually just rinse it between uses and then wash the whole set-up when I open a new jar (which is about weekly)." —Emily

Get it from Amazon for $8.99.

Promising review: "Serves its purpose and now my roommate and I never have to text each other asking if the dishes are clean or not." —Maggie Claire

Get it from Amazon for $5.33.

You'll get 12 fridge-friendly drawstring closure bags in three varying sizes: Four large bags, four medium bags, and four small bags. Nifty *and* thrifty!

Get them from our Goodful shop for $12.99.

Former BuzzFeed Shopping parenting editor Chandni Reddy has this and raves: "Is it possible for a drying rack to be life-changing? Why yes, it is. I caved and bought this grassy patch after my kitchen started to look like an episode of Hoarders. This thing instantly organized my kitchen by creating a dedicated spot for baby stuff. Bottles, pump parts, sippy cups...this bad boy can hold a LOT (at least six bottles and four cups at once) and dries everything quickly. Did I mention it's a heck of a lot more cheerful and stylish than your regular drying rack?"

Promising review: "Newborn twins are a mess. They took over our house within moments of coming through the door. For this type A mama, it was a horrifying side effect of the two most precious things in the world. A friend gave us one lawn at our shower, and we promptly hopped on Amazon and bought a second to manage the sheer volume. The lawn and the accessories are a convenient and cute way to keep your bottles and pump parts organized. There is ample space in one for one baby's needs." —Lacey

Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in three styles).

This set comes with a bottle brush, straw brush, nipple brush, and a detail brush that all sit within a cup and easy-drain container.

Promising review: "I love this new bottle brush set; works well with a variety of bottles and sippy cups. I especially like the straw brush. The handy cup that it comes in is super cute yet very functional with allowing all the brushes to properly dry." —ZoeyBella

Get it from Amazon for $15.57.

Promising review: "This is an unbelievable product! I work 12-hour shifts in the hospital and need protection for the corn on my left great toe. I purchased the size large and it fit well. Underneath my socks and athletic shoes, I completely forgot I was wearing it — bonus! The silicone is very soft and flexible and cleans easily. The product is priced well for the quality and quantity (six) that is provided. Each toe cap is packaged individually in the bag so the order can be shared with others if desired. I would absolutely recommend this since it has held up quite well for the 17 hours I often have it on (from the time I wake up until I am back from my shift). Cleans and dries easily and has maintained its shape." —LJ

Get a set of six from Amazon for $12.34 (available in two sizes, a multi-size pack, and three colors).

Dress Strong is a New York–based Etsy shop run by Christina where she sells the holy grail product — the DressWeights.

The adhesive is strong but removable, so they can be used again and again!

Promising review: "These are, hands down, a complete lifesaver. I recently attended a multi-day conference event, where wardrobe malfunctions were a non-negotiable. Add in Mid-Atlantic summer breezes and skirts and well, you have a potential disaster on your hands, right? NO. These babies will keep your hemlines down where they belong, and they work hard without being cumbersome — they're lightweight but dense, can easily be adjusted or moved without removing the backing, and they store in their own case — what more could a girl ask for?" —Etsy Customer

Get a set of four from Dress Strong on Etsy for $15 (also available in multipacks).

Promising review: "Bought this for my 85-year-old mother who has a bit of arthritis in her hands. She loves this jar opener. She commented on the ease of use and likes the fact that it can be used on smaller bottles. Made a daily task much easier for her." —Christine

Get it from Amazon for $10.99. And check out this similar bottle opener that can mount underneath your kitchen cabinets.

There are a number of things that bug me in this world, but one thing that consistently grinds my gears is the feeling of soaking wet, sopping sleeves after I've cleansed my face. No matter how high I roll them up, water just finds a way to trickle down towards my sleeves. I've even resorted to just wearing T-shirts to avoid the problem, but then my arms are still soaked and I still end up leaving a puddle of water behind in the bathroom. Enter: these cozy-soft cuffs. They're truly adorable, absorb allll the water, dry quickly, *and* they're machine washable! To me, they're a must-have and worth every single penny to avoid a small but totally annoying problem.

LABeautyologist is a small biz owned by beauty guru Nayamka Roberts-Smith. She's known for creating the 60-second-rule: cleansing with fingers for a minute to allow your cleanser's ingredients to get to work on your complexion.

Get a set of two from LABeautyologist for $25 (available in five colors)

Each pack comes with four bands, which can stretch from 12 to 18 inches and hold adequate tension.

Promising review: "Say goodbye to rearranging your fitted sheet every morning! My boyfriend sleeps like he’s rolling down a hill, so every morning I would wake up to the scratchy feel of my mattress cover because my soft silk fitted sheet was all over the place. Thanks to these Bed Bands, our sheets stay put no matter what. The only way for your fitted sheet to come off is if you manually remove these first. I wish I would have bought this so much sooner." —Khalysee

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $12.99 (available in three colors, two sizes, and four pack sizes).

The kit comes with small, medium, large, and extra-large attachments, so you should be able to use it with any bottle in your house.

Promising review: "I use a really thick curl cream in my hair. The bottle has a pump, but you can only use it for about half of the product. I decided to use this to keep the bottle stored upside down to get more of the product out of the bottle. I was able to use the full bottle of product, was able to squeeze out the exact amount that I needed for each use, and I no longer have to beat the bottle on the palm of my hand to get the product out! This saved me time, energy, money and some sanity! If you are thinking about it, just get it!" —Cynthia Reed

Get it from Amazon for $16+ (available in packs of two and six).

Promising review: "Very useful! I love that the cup is removable so if you have one of those giant Chick-Fil-A ketchup cups, it can sit within the holder without the added cup, but a smaller sauce like from Wendy’s can sit inside the additional cup so it won’t fall through." —catherine

Get a set of two from Amazon for $11.99 (available in three colors).

Promising review: "Holy cow these suckers work! I'm so grossed out by the result, but at the same time I have a sick sense of satisfaction. I used these in my house plants that are breeding fungus gnats like wild. I used them in conjunction with beneficial nematodes, and they definitely cut down on the number of gnats in our house. Unfortunately I added a new houseplant, plus repotted one that had outgrown its prior home, and we are wrapped up in them again. I'm buying another package of sticky traps as soon as I finish this review!" —Megan

Get a pack from Amazon for $6.93.

BTW, it's BPA-free, FDA-compliant, heat-resistant up to 450 degrees F, and dishwasher-safe.

Promising review: "The Frywall works very well and I am very pleased with it. My range top is black and you can see each little spot of grease. Before now I got really tired of cleaning my range top thoroughly each time I fried anything. You have made my life much easier. Thanks." —Laurie J. Englehardt

Get it from Amazon for $21.95 (available in four colors).

Wine & Whiskey Co. is a Texas-based Etsy shop selling a wide range of adorable phone cases and T-shirts, plus genius car accessories (obvi).

Promising review: "Love it. Perfectly holds my 40-ounce Hydro Flask. No more rolling around the truck cab. Arrived quickly and works as described." —Jason J. Mease

Get it from Wine & Whiskey Co. on Etsy for $12.99 (also available in multipacks).

Promising review: "These work very well to dampen the sounds of my idiot roommates slamming cabinet doors at all hours of the day. Just make sure you're wiping down the part of the cabinet they'll stick to before applying them. The adhesive is good and should hold for a while." —LMA

Get a sheet of 100 from Amazon for $6.99.

HustleSewShop is an Oregon-based shop that makes quality home goods with the option to have them personalized.

Promising review: "LOVE these splash catchers! They save me from having to chase the puddles that form around the base of our faucet before they start creeping over the counter. So reasonably priced, made well with neatly finished edges, and packaged with gift-ready care. Highly recommended!" —Alina

Get it from HustleSewShop on Etsy for $13.50+ (available in sizes S–XL and six colors).

Promising review: "LOVE this purchase!! I wish I had taken a before picture; my disgusting roommates destroyed our microwave, it was filthy. They would’ve never cleaned it since they’re slobs but this purchase saved me SO much time. All the food came off very easily and it looked brand-new after! Amazing, wish I could give it 10 stars." —Marissa

Get it from Amazon for $7.29+ (available in four colors).

Promising review: "This rolling device is like pure magic. You simply roll it around your oily areas, and BOOM — the oil magically vanishes into the ball never to be seen again! This is an item that #tiktokmademebuyit for sure! I saw a video on TikTok and immediately went on the hunt only to be disappointed that this item was sold out everywhere! I eventually got added to a waiting list here on Amazon, and once they had it in stock again, they charged my card and sent it my way! If you have the chance to purchase this and you have oily skin, get yourself on the waiting list if you need to, and just kick it until it shows up. You will be pleased. Thank me later." —Veronica Cooper

Get it from Amazon for $12.97.

Promising review: "I usually store my glasses in their case. I don't know why that's such a hassle, but I like to be able to just reach for them. But they are also unsafe when they are just sitting on my desk. This little koala solves my problem! He holds my glasses securely and does it in the cutest way possible. Now I can sit at my desk, grab my glasses, and get to work with a smile on my face. And at the end of the day, I just leave them with my koala for safe keeping. Seriously, just get one. I haven't lost my glasses once since I got this." —Bianca

Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in 11 styles).

And it's dishwasher safe.

Promising Review: "Hate the smell of garlic and onions on your hands even after a number of washings? This bar takes them away in seconds. I like that is shaped like a bar of soap (very cute in my soap tray). It's simple to use and comfortable in your hands. A couple of $$ cheaper would be nice but it works so I guess it was worth it. Whenever guests see it, they have to try it. They always ask me how it works. I tell them it's magic." —Kat K

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in three shapes).

Wad-Free is a small biz that was launched during the pandemic. Cyndi, the founder, learned CAD (computer-aided design) to create the pads.

Promising review: "Wow!!! You wonder if things like this really work and well, I can absolutely confirm it does! First, I was impressed that the package came with two of the devices because I was only expecting one. So there was one for the fitted sheet, and one for the flat sheet. Finally, I tried it out, and my sheets not only did NOT wad up, they came out of the dryer feeling fresher, feeling more dry, and unwrinkled! I will be buying a set of these for each of my immediate family members and close friends! What a great gift!!!" —katy

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $19.99 (also available in a four-pack).

FYI: The towel absorbs 10 (!) times its weight in grease and absorbs liquids 20 times faster than other fabrics. Plus, it comes from a woman-owned small businesses based in Denver, Colorado.

Promising review: "This is great. I don’t like using loads of paper towels in draining meat, but I didn’t know what else to use. The bacon sponge is absorbent and easy to clean. It performs as advertised and makes me feel better about eliminating another source of waste." —PamelaRenee

Get it from Green City Living on Amazon Handmade for $14.99.

The reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.