5 inexpensive products that will definitely improve your life

5 inexpensive products that will definitely improve your life

Now, we're pretty hesitant to call any purchase an investment. Contrary to what your shopaholic friend might think, a Chanel handbag is not an investment.

But there are some things that will undoubtedly make your life better at a reasonable cost. Maybe they'll save you money, improve your health, eliminate stress or just save you from a whole lot of frustration.

Here are five products that don't cost that much but can improve your life.

1. SLOW COOKER 

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Singaporeans are always complaining about not having enough time to cook, or indeed, not knowing how to.

A slow cooker or crockpot solves both these problems. All you need to do is cut up some ingredients, dump them into the machine and then wait. When you open the crockpot, your meal is magically prepared.

There are tons of slow cooker recipes that require zero skill to get right. And best of all, an electric slow cooker will save you money in the long run if it encourages you to eat at home more often.

And just in case you think a decently-sized one is expensive, you can actually get a 3.5L slow cooker for under $50 on Lazada.

2. PORTABLE LUGGAGE SCALE

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Anyone who's ever taken a budget flight back to Singapore after a shopping spree in Bangkok knows that airlines can be annoyingly strict about overweight carry-on luggage, especially when they know very well that they can force you to pay for expensive check in baggage before allowing you onto the flight.

A portable luggage scale costs less than $30 and can save you from the stress of trying to guess whether your backpack weighs more than 7kg.

3. POWER BANK

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A Singaporean's worst nightmare is their smartphone running out of battery just as the MRT breaks down. Cut off from the outside world, you have no idea what the hell is up with the MRT this time, or the extent of the breakdown.

You also have no way to call a Grab/Uber or phone a family member to come get you when you're finally released.

Don't want to waste money on a taxi each time the MRT breaks down? Well, you can check bus routes and figure out how to get to your destination… except, of course, if your phone battery is dead.

But the worst thing about not having a working smartphone is that you are unable to kill time and numb yourself to the surroundings by losing yourself in Candy Crush or complaining to your friends on WhatsApp.

All this agony can be avoided by purchasing a power bank. Xiaomi makes one of the best value power banks on the market at under $30.

4. BAG RESEALER

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This nifty little plastic gadget, which costs just $2 at Daiso, helps you to get more out of every junk food purchase.

They reseal your potato chip / seaweed snack / keropok bags so the contents don't lao hong as fast, and so you don't end up with crumbs everywhere.

5. BLUE LIGHT BLOCKING SCREEN PROTECTOR

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If you're Singaporean, you probably: #1, spend hours and hours on your computer every single day, and #2, are myopic.

Protect your already lousy vision with a blue light blocking screen protector. You can get one that fits over your screen or buy special glasses that protect your eye.

But since you're Singaporean and we're also known as the myopia capital of the world, you probably don't want to have to wear something over your actual glasses. So stick with the screen protector.

Do you own any of the above products? Share your reviews in the comments!

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