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People share 30 things they bought for under $300 that have significantly improved their lives

"A wagon for groceries! OMG!"

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People share affordable products under $300 they use daily that have significantly improved their lives.

Frugal shoppers are always on the lookout for good deals to save money. And buying items on a budget that actually prove to be good quality and truly useful is a rare combination.

In a Reddit forum, member @MedfordQuestions posed the question: "What’s something you bought (under $300) that noticeably improved your quality of life and you actually use every day?"

Smart shoppers happily shared the best buys they've made that have had the biggest impact and improvement on their day to day lives. These are 30 of the best products under $300 people use daily that have significantly improved their lives.

shopping, bargain, buying, buy it, shop Ill Take It Brandon Scott Jones GIF by CBS Giphy

"Tons of answers, but today I'm saying curved shower rod. Cost maybe $15 but it pretty much added two full feet of space at shoulder-height and my shower doesn't feel claustrophobic anymore." —@far_tie923

"75 yr old retired lady with my car parked away from my condo front door. A wagon for groceries! OMG! Thankful for it every time I use it. Also, it came in really handy taking my toddler great-niece for her first Trick or Treat!" —@pook1029

"Surprisingly, an electric toothbrush. I kinda thought they were a waste of money until I got one for Christmas about 8 years ago They actually do an incredibly good job." —@STLGentleman111

electric toothbrush, electric toothbrushes, electric toothbrush gif, dental, dentist Camera Teeth GIF by Big Brother 2022 Giphy

"A vacuum robot - especially if you have pets. An air purifier - stopped sneezing every morning as soon as I woke up. Automatic cat feeder - now I just refill (and provide wet food) and its easier to control portions." —@catfvb

"A good ergonomic desk chair. Didn’t realize how much my back was suffering until I upgraded total game changer." —@Nintengodboi

"Noise-canceling headphones. They give me peace of mind whenever I need a break from everything." —@UsefulIdiot85

noise cancelling, noise cancelling headphones, headphones, cancel noise, no noise Season 6 Headphones GIF by Parks and Recreation Giphy

"Leatherman multi-tool. It has saved me in so many situations and is essential when I'm at work." —@Quicky-mart

"Blackout curtains for my room. Absolutely improves my sleep quality, especially during the times of the year when the sun rises earlier." —@lilmemer3132

"I started taking vitamin d3 5000iu daily (with magnesium and vitamin k2 for absorption) because i read it'll help my psoriasis. Didn't help my psoriasis, but my lower back pain was gone. Like poof, disappeared. This might not work for everybody, but it worked for me. All for some cheap vitamins." —@uncultured_swine2099

socks, matching socks, spongebob, buy socks, new socks spongebob socks GIF Giphy

"Throw out all your socks and buy a bunch of identical ones. Never have to worry about matching again." —@DismissDaniel

"A really good pillow!" —@Sunlover67

"For me it was my walking pad for under my desk when I WFH! I am obsessed with it. Before I would sit all day and then feel rushed to immediately get outside and moving after work. Now I walk while I work and have so much more time to do stuff with friends and family after work because I'm multi tasking. I'm also the leanest I've ever been!" —@FairCandyBear

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"A fitbit. Since I bought my first fitbit ~7 years ago, I move more overall, am much more active, and feel better. Proof? I'm currently on a 1673-day streak of >10K steps/day, my base heartrate is 53, and I'm 70 years old." —@DrGail106

"I have 3 laundry baskets in my trunk for shopping and groceries. It’s much easier to carry in a real full basket than lots of bags. I also find it helps in keeping my car organized and I get to organize the baskets when I put the groceries in the cars." —@morningchampagne

"I recently bought a charger with two USB-C ports and one USB port. I love the flexibility of charging my phone, watch, and something else with one box!" —@TrumpetsGalore4

good sleep, pillows, pillow, cuddle pillow, sleep sleep gif Giphy

"Pillows between your legs. I use a king at 6’0 and adjust based on if my knees like it more if the whole body. The amount of stress it takes off your hips and back is ridiculous. Also a cuddle pillow, which is what I call a super soft pillow I wrap my arms around. Great for your shoulder, and also, obviously, great to cuddle." —@BooksandBiceps

"Kindle. I got mine maybe a month before covid hit and it really helped to keep me entertained during lockdown. I've read over 100 books per year since getting it." —@steff-you

"Coffee mug warmer. Daily at work. It’s the little things." —@ChrisShapedObject

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"Bidet is THE answer in the summer especially." —@Resident_Letter_214

"Bought a weighted blanket and my sleep improved 100%." —@Single-Zombie-2019

"Adopted my dog for £165 from the shelter. Pure joy every single day." —@Urban_Peacock

screw driver, electric screw driver, electric screw drivers, screw driver gif, screws Shoot Shooting GIF by Stavario Giphy

"Electric screw driver for $15 is my favorite product of the year - built a whole kitchen of Ikea cabinets." —@GUmbagrad

"Zojirushi rice cooker." —@Neerolyte87

"Said it elsewhere, an extra freezer. So good to have the extra space!" —@Nastyoldmrpike

"A Tilley hat. I've had mine for about 10 years. It's been through oceans, pools, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, washing machines...and it still looks brand new. Still has a lifetime warranty. Still has a warranty protecting it against being lost. AND it fits my large, misshapen head. Best $100 I ever spent." —@crunch816

dental floss, dental floss gif, flossing, floss teeth, flossing teeth Maggie Gyllenhaal Teeth GIF Giphy

"Dental floss. Learned my lesson after one root canal. My mouth is so much healthier. I can’t go to bed without flossing or my teeth feel disgusting." —@grptrt

"Prescription eyewear from online seller (ie Zenni). My optomitrist quoted me $ 600 + tax (CAN $)for the lenses alone - not including new frames ($ 375 + tax for the ones I liked). Instead I bought a style of frame I had been wearing for years, and including my complex and somewhat high progressive prescription it was about $ 150.00 USD including shipping. I wear them everyday, have had many complements and best of all I CAN SEE. This was a life changer." —@Kindly-Can2534

"A milk frother. I use it to froth my half and half every morning, the husband uses it to mix pre workout, I use it to mix flavor packets into carbonated water and I use it to mix chocolate collagen in milk for chocolate milk. I’ll never live without one and they cost $10." —@Toby-the-foodbambino

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Passenger on 274-day cruise is surprised to learn the one word you can't say on the ship

"It's like saying 'Macbeth' in a theater."

via Mattew Barra/Pexels
There's one word you can't say on a cruise ship.

There are some things you just don't say. You don't yell out "bomb!" on an airplane, make jokes about carrying weapons while going through security, or, as Michael Scott from The Office knows, loudly proclaim that a boat you're currently on is sinking.

Those are all pretty obvious examples, but sometimes etiquette and decorum are a little more subtle. If you're not experienced in the ways of the venue you're in, you might not know all the unspoken rules. And you might find out the hard way. Cruise ships, for example, have their own very specific set of rules and regulations that guests should abide by.

On December 10, 2023, Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas set sail on the Ultimate World Cruise—a 274-day global trek that visits 11 world wonders and over 60 countries.


cruise, 9-month cruise, Marc Sebastian, cruise life, vacation, titanic, unspoken rules, etiquette, cruise etiquette, royal caribbean 9 months is a very long time to be aboard a boat, even a giant cruise ship. Photo by Peter Hansen on Unsplash

This incredible trip covered the Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Mediterranean and Europe with a ticket price that ranges from $53,999 to $117,599 per passenger.

With such a unique and incredible offering, it's understandable that Royal Caribbean wanted to invite plenty of influencers to help them get the word out.

Aboard the Serenade to the Seas was popular TikToker Marc Sebastian, who documented his experience throughout the journey. In one video with over 4.3 million views, he revealed what he’s learned over his first few weeks aboard the ship; the biggest was the one word you’re not allowed to say.

"So here's [what] I've learned about cruising since I've spent 18 nights on this floating retirement home with a Cheesecake Factory attached. First, number one, you're not supposed to talk about the Titanic," he says in the clip.

Titanic! It's the ultimate taboo when you're on a giant ship traversing the ocean. Even after all these years, it's still too soon to make even lighthearted comparisons or jokes.

@marcsebastianf

someone get whoopi on the line girl i have some goss for her #ultimateworldcruise #worldcruise #serenadeoftheseas #cruisetok #cruise #9monthcruise #titanic

“Who knew that? I didn’t,” Sebastian said. “I brought it up to an entire room of people having lunch that our ship is only 100 feet longer than the Titanic — when I tell you that utensils dropped. Waiters gasped. It’s dead silent.”

Sebastian was flabbergasted. "It wasn't in the... handbook," he joked. "Not that I read the handbook, clearly."

After the unexpected reaction, his cruise friend told him, “You’re not allowed to talk about the Titanic.” It makes sense.

Who wants to be reminded of the tragedy that killed around 1,500 people while sinking one of the most impressive engineering feats of the era? More experienced cruisers chimed in that they were familiar with the unique piece of etiquette.

cruise, 9-month cruise, Marc Sebastian, cruise life, vacation, titanic, unspoken rules, etiquette, cruise etiquette, royal caribbean Pro tip: Don't ask the band on board to play "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion Giphy

"When I went on a cruise, my mom told me saying Titanic was equivalent to screaming ‘bomb’ at an airport," Mikayla wrote in the comments.

"It’s like saying Macbeth in a theatre, it’s an unspoken rule" another commenter added.

"I’m sorry you’re telling me you had a Harry Potter like experience saying Voldemort at Hogwarts but it was the titanic on a modern day cruise I’m cryingggg" joked another.

Later in the video covering little known cruise facts, Sebastian admits he was surprised to learn that cruise ships have godmothers and that the pools are filled with seawater.

In an update from June of 2024, Sebastian explains that he only stayed on the cruise for 18 nights. He was not booked to stay throughout the entire voyage, and for him, that was a relief.

He initially jokes that he was kicked off the boat for saving a penguin that had jumped aboard. But in the end, he admits he was more than happy to deboard early.

"I walked off that ship not a happy man," he said, saying the ship was overstimulating and stressful. In another video, he films as the ship navigates the Drake Passage, one of the most notoriously dangerous and choppy stretches of water in the world. It looks stressful indeed, to say the least.

Cruising isn't for everyone, let alone for 274 days straight! But now Sebastian knows the golden rule for his next cruise.

This story originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Fans cheer after tennis player asks for crying child to be removed from the stands

The little one had been crying for over 10 min during the tennis match.

Photo credit: Canva

Tennis player asks for crying child to be kicked out of Cincinnati Open

Babies, toddlers and children belong in public spaces just like the rest of society. Unless an event or place of business is clearly marketed as child-free then children deserve to be in those places at their parents discretion. It's their presence in varying situations that help teach them social norms of the environment in which they're existing. If parents bring a two-year-old to a casual dining restaurant and they throw a tantrum, chances are both the parents and the child are learning from that moment.

But as parents, when brining our children into public spaces, we also have to be aware of our surroundings to adjust parenting expectations accordingly. Meaning, you wouldn't parent your toddler the same in a movie theater as you would at the park. Different situations call for different levels of situational awareness, so when one parent brought their child to the Cincinnati Open a player had to ask them to leave.

tennis; Cincinnati Open; Emma Raducanu; Aryna Sabalenka; crying child; tantrum at tennis; tennis match Tennis player serving under a clear blue sky.Photo credit: Canva

Emma Raducanu was in a match against Aryna Sabalenka, as she was about to serve you could hear a child crying in the crowd. Instead of serving the ball to Sabalenka to start the match, Raducanu looks over at the umpire seemingly frustrated and says, "it's been like 10 minutes" referring to the child crying. The umpire looks surprised and clarifies by asking if the tennis player wanted the child to be removed to which a chorus of voices responded to the question in the affirmative, as did Raducanu.

The match had to continue according to the umpire but she promised to make a call to have the parent take the child outside of the stadium. If you've ever watched a tennis match, the venue is completely silent outside of the sound of the ball whizzing from one racket to the next along with the grunts of the players. Because tennis is accustom to such quiet events, players are known to ask to have someone removed for being distracting so Raducanu's move shouldn't be surprising.

tennis; Cincinnati Open; Emma Raducanu; Aryna Sabalenka; crying child; tantrum at tennis; tennis match Focused intensity on the tennis court.Photo credit: Canva

This is where parental situational awareness may have helped save some embarrassment. The match was played outside in the 90 degree heat, which means the small child was likely hot, uncomfortable and bored. There's not much for spectators to do outside of spectate when at a tennis match. For that reason, people feel as if the parent of the child should've been more courteous of others by removing the child into an air conditioned area or finding somewhere for the little one to let off some energy. If nothing else, this was a teaching moment for the parent albeit frustrating for the players and other spectators.

"6mo boy dad here. We took him to Bingo with my mom when he was I think 3mo and I spent probably 1/4 of the evening walking him around the parking lot because they had a strict policy about excess noise while numbers were being called. I knew about it when we signed up to go, and I took that responsibility very seriously. The stakes for that were so much lower than this, and I still felt afterwards like I had made a mistake and we haven't done it again since. He was and still is just too young. If a player called out my crying son and I at a tennis tournament after 10 minutes of me somehow staying in my seat for whatever reason, I don't know that I'd ever leave the house again," one person writes on a Reddit post about the situation.

"It was 100 degrees out and the child had been screaming for 10+ minutes at this point. I would've lost my patience wayyyy earlier," another says.

"Yep. If we’re out and my toddler starts fussing I take her outside to walk around for a bit. If she still won’t relax I tell my wife to enjoy dinner(we only go out with her family) and I’ll see her at home later. I’m not going to ruin someone else’s day/night by forcing them to listen to a kid crying. Tennis is supposed to be a quiet spectators sport. The ump shouldn’t need to be asked to kick the baby out," someone else shares.

tennis; Cincinnati Open; Emma Raducanu; Aryna Sabalenka; crying child; tantrum at tennis; tennis match Tennis match in action: focused and ready to volley! 🎾Photo credit: Canva

"Cincinnati resident here. With the heat and humidity we've had, I can't fathom taking my almost 2 year old to one of these tennis matches. We get her out for 30-45 minutes at absolute most before getting her inside to cool off and hydrate. That poor baby must have been so hot and miserable" one commenter expresses.

People were sympathetic to the parent's fear of missing out as well as the obvious discomfort of the child but overwhelmingly they all agreed that the tennis player had every right to ask them to remove the child. Babies and children belong in public places just as much as the next person but having an escape plan when possible for meltdowns is essential to the courtesy of everyone else.

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The longest — and probably largest — proof of our current climate catastrophe ever caught on camera.

It was the largest such event ever filmed.

Exposure Labs

All GIFs and images via Exposure Labs.

Photographer James Balog and his crew were hanging out near a glacier when their camera captured something extraordinary. They were in Greenland, gathering footage from the time-lapse they'd positioned all around the Arctic Circle for the last several years.

They were also there to shoot scenes for a documentary. And while they were hoping to capture some cool moments on camera, no one expected a huge chunk of a glacier to snap clean off and slide into the ocean right in front of their eyes.


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A glacier falls into the sea.

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Massive swells created by large chunks of glacier falling away.

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It was the largest such event ever filmed.

For nearly an hour and 15 minutes, Balog and his crew stood by and watched as a piece of ice the size of lower Manhattan — but with ice-equivalent buildings that were two to three times taller than that — simply melted away.

geological catastrophe, earth, glacier melt

A representation demonstrating the massive size of ice that broke off into the sea.

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As far as anyone knows, this was an unprecedented geological catastrophe and they caught the entire thing on tape. It won't be the last time something like this happens either.

But once upon a time, Balog was openly skeptical about that "global warming" thing.

Balog had a reputation since the early 1980s as a conservationist and environmental photographer. And for nearly 20 years, he'd scoffed at the climate change heralds shouting, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"

"I didn't think that humans were capable of changing the basic physics and chemistry of this entire, huge planet. It didn't seem probable, it didn't seem possible," he explained in the 2012 documentary film "Chasing Ice."

There was too much margin of error in the computer simulations, too many other pressing problems to address about our beautiful planet. As far as he was concerned, these melodramatic doomsayers were distracting from the real issues.

That was then.

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The glacier ice continues to erode away.

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In fact, it wasn't until 2005 that Balog became a believer.

He was sent on a photo expedition of the Arctic by National Geographic, and that first northern trip was more than enough to see the damage for himself.

"It was about actual tangible physical evidence that was preserved in the ice cores of Greenland and Antarctica," he said in a 2012 interview with ThinkProgress. "That was really the smoking gun showing how far outside normal, natural variation the world has become. And that's when I started to really get the message that this was something consequential and serious and needed to be dealt with."

Some of that evidence may have been the fact that more Arctic landmass has melted away in the last 20 years than the previous 10,000 years.

Watch the video of the event of the glacier calving below:

This article originally appeared 10 years ago.

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Cool video shows 5 reasons why classic TV actors look so much older than stars of today

Archie Bunker was only 46?

via Wikimedia Commons and Wikimedia Commons

Carroll O'Connor and Bea Arthur.

When we look back on classic TV shows from the ‘60s and ‘70s, there is a major difference between those shows and what you’d see on Netflix in 2025. The actors in the classic TV era looked a lot older than the stars you see on TV today.

Throw on an old episode of Sanford and Son, and you’d probably swear that Redd Foxx was in his late 60s, but no, he was just 49. Bea Arthur was just 50 when she played the grey-haired title character on Maude. Jim Backus was only 52, and he and Lovey got stranded on Gilligan's Island. And, amazingly, notorious Astoria, Queens grouch, Archie Bunker, played by Carroll O'Connor, was just 46 when All in the Family debuted in 1971.


Even if we look to the ‘80s, The Golden Girls looked a lot older than their ages. Bea Arthur (Dorothy) was 63, Betty White (Rose) was also 63 years old, Rue McClanahan (Blanche) was just 51 years old, Estelle Getty (Sophia) was 62 years old, and was younger than her daughter on the show.

Why is it that classic TV stars looked so much older than today’s actors?

So, why is it that these stars looked so much older than the actors of today? TV Guess-o-Matic took a deep dive into the topic, and they attribute the phenomenon to the "environmental aging hypothesis"—the idea that the cumulative effect of lifestyle factors, fashion choices, and environmental toxins literally ages people faster. Here are five environmental factors that contributed to the actors’ premature aging.

- YouTube youtu.be

1. Cigarettes

“In the 1960s and '70s, over 40% of American adults smoked. So these actors were chain-smoking between takes, at lunch, basically everywhere. Smoking affects your voice, and it destroys your skin's collagen and elasticity.”

2. The Sun

“Before the widespread understanding of UV damage, sunbathing was a popular pastime. People baked themselves with baby oil and reflectors. So, many actors accumulated significant sun damage, leading to a more weathered complexion.”

3. Fashion

“Back then, guys were in suits, ties, and fedoras. That old-school formality just looks more grown-up. Women wore dresses, skirts, and tailored outfits, even at home! And hairstyles were more structured and coiffed—think beehives and bouffants. These styles, while elegant, made actors appear older than their years.”


4. Fitness

“The modern fitness boom really started in the 1980s. Before that, most classic TV stars weren't hitting the gym like today's celebrities do.”

5. Weight of the world

“Actors from the ’60s and ’70s carried the weight of real-world trials. Many still bore the scars and memories of World War II. And the Great Depression. They faced adult pressures early, and chronic stress ages you faster than almost anything else. It can literally etch itself onto a person's face.”

George Orwell famously wrote, “At 50, everyone has the face he deserves,” and classic TV stars are no exception. Looking back at how stars appeared in the past serves as a great reminder of how far we’ve come as a society and a gentle reminder to be mindful of your health.

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Couple's viral Elvis wedding shows what happens when an extrovert marries an introvert

The minute she began belting he was fleeing the scene.

@ortaledri/TikTok

Proof that opposites attract.

A video of a Vegas wedding, wherein a bride appears to be chasing down her groom while belting out Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You,” not only went mega-viral on social media, it incited a perpetual flurry of negative comments.

Upon first glance, perhaps some of the conclusions people jumped to were understandable. First off, you’ve got a Vegas wedding, Elvis and all—which tends to lend itself to the stereotype of rushed or even forced nuptials.

Second, even in the onscreen text, the bride wrote “you decided to surprise your camera-shy husband with a wedding song and you had to chase him down the chapel because he disappeared on you."

With these factors in mind, it’s no wonder that people saw the little-over-a-minute-long clip and thought the husband might not want to be part of the ceremony at all, or that the wife was pressuring him in some way.

Watch:

@ortaledri Surprising my shy husband with his favorite Elvis song at our Vegas wedding ended up Elvis enjoyed it more 😭 #canthelpfallinginlove #elvis #wedding #elvispresley ♬ original sound - Ortal Edri

Needless to say, comments looked a little something like this:

“Bro looks like he would rather be in a dentist’s chair..!”

“Poor guy looks so uncomfortable.”

“This looks like his worst nightmare.”

“Is he marrying you willingly?”

However, after talking to Ortal Edri and Shamir Fink—the bride and groom, respectively—folks might be compelled to think that nothing all that questionable was going on at all. Rather, it was simply a case of an extrovert marrying an introvert (something many of us can relate to).

Turns out, both Edri and Fink met making music (Edri is a professional singer and Fink a producer). For over twelve years, they’ve been recording out of their Blue Fire Studio, where they work as a team. Edri told Upworthy that for every live performance she does, Fink is there with her, running sound.

Having only a few days to prepare, Edri, who knew she wanted to surprise Fink by singing at the ceremony, chose to sing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” to honor Fink’s late father, who was a “big fan of Elvis and loved that song” according to Today.

On the big day, Edri recalls that there were nerves, excitement (and drinks) involved, for both parties. But she went on with the surprise as planned, and tried to “take the lead” to “ease the pressure” from her groom, who was already a little "overwhelmed."

Fink, who normally stays far away from the spotlight, was reacting more to being filmed than anything else. It was the first time he has been in a video with Edri, after all.

Knowing this, the clip tells a slightly different story. After all, it’s not uncommon for introverts and extroverts to be attracted to the opposing energies of their partners. As psychologist and podcaster Abby Medcalf PhD explains, the challenge normally is found in maintaining the relationship since each person has “different wants and needs.” One partner wants to go out when the other wants to stay at home, for example. Or in this case, one partner wants to be center stage with a mic in hand and the other wants to stay behind the scenes.

However, Medcalf says that harmony is established when partners don’t try to change each other, but instead make agreements and/or compromises that honor those differences. Part of that might mean getting out of our respective social comfort zone from time to time.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

While Edri noted that the video did receive a lot of hate, she and Fink also received an “incredible amount of support, love, and encouragement.”

“Many people, especially couples who are opposites, connected to the video and told us how much it made them smile. It was a great reminder that opposites really do complement each other. If we were both the type to want the spotlight, it probably wouldn’t work!”

Just goes to show that a small video never tells the whole story. For other introvert/extrovert relationships out there—the world might not understand, but as long as you understand each other, that’s what counts.

As for Edri and Fink—they are currently working on a debut album. Follow them on TikTok and Instagram to know when it’s released.














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