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Post your best $50 and under purchases ever

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I bought an unworn, brand new pair of Yeezy Boost 350's from a friend a week ago. He bought them on release but his girlfriend had bought him shoes as his birthday gift so he totally forgot about the Yeezys and they just sat in a box in his closet untouched.

For exactly $50, I snagged them. So comfortable. So worth it. Such a good friend.
 
In 2011 I paid $6 for ye olde original Voxatron Debut Humble Bundle. Got Voxatron, Binding of Isaac and some other games I didn't really get into. BoI is obviously great and I loved Voxatron's concept but the creation tools were a bit beyond me. Fast forward to last year and anyone who owns Voxatron can now claim a copy of PICO-8, Lexaloffle's tiny fantasy console that does a ridiculous amount with only 128*128 pixels and 16 colours. I had been doing #onegameamonth for a little while so I got on this immediately. As soon as I tried it I was hooked; I have made at least twelve or thirteen games I'm happy with since then, at a rate much higher than I'd been able make games before. Won't get into it further here, but check it out if you're into hobby game dev or even think you might be. The community is doing some amazing stuff. Never regretted that $6 for a second, and plan to buy the current deal ($15 for Voxatron and PICO-8) for some younger people I know to get them interested.
http://lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php


Hmm... Probably Sandisk Clip mp3 player. I like it better for music/podcasts than any ipod or phone i've ever had.
I have one of these too and I love it.

Got a Logitech G500 in 2013 for definitely under $50 and it's still doing the business. What a mouse.
 
I really like my Aeropress. Great coffee maker that is very cheap ($30) and also super simple to use. It travels super easy too.
 
TEKTON 2830 Precision Bit and Driver Kit for less than $15

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AMC Stubs card which has been $12 a year.

Cool just joined but mine was $15. Do i still get the benefits if i order from fandango?
 
Foam Roller. It was 10 Bucks. You roll on it, and it cracks your back like when you're at the chiropractor. the cracks in your spine releases oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide and makes you feel good. For neck, spine, lower back problems. It helps a lot. When my back hurts, it hurts a lot to use it but it really helps. It really does.
The foam roller can also be used to massage other parts of your body. It helped cure my shin splints after running for example.
You should have a foam roller. Write it down, and make sure that the next time you go on amazon you get on for free.

BookBook for Iphone 6S - 45 Bucks. Bookbook is an Iphone cover that strengthens the phone, makes it more protective but also gives it a better grip. These newer smartphones are so thin that they are not comfortable to hold naked.
´Besides this, the bookbook also doubles as a wallet. It has rooms for social security, student card, credit cards, gym cards and other things, and a hidden compartments for money. it has a hold for the camera, and the bottom and top are free so it doesn't obstruct headphone and speaker and charging.
When I leave the house I only need the bookbook and keys. In that sense, it has made life more simple, not having to have a wallet. the bookbook fits in my pocket, so I dont even need a jacket or anything. It really makes a smartphone feels like a jack of all trades tool. a swizz army knife for the 21th century.



Acis Running Shoes - As a casual runner, I like many other poor sobs just bought Nike Running Shoes because Nike running shoes are the most heavily marked in the world. they also look cool and are in so many styles. I got these amazing Lunarglide 200 dollars shoes, and they felt amazing to wear. But after running in them in 20 minutes, I suddenly felt a weird pain I had never felt before. It was shin splints, and I've delt with it on and off for the last 4-5 years. After researching it turns out that Nike running shoes has a shitty reputation. Its a big scam and a joke as far as being good for runners.
I got some Acis 30 dollars shoes at a supermarket, and while they are ugly, they get the job done.
The problem with the Nike running shoes seems to be that they often have to much heel. your foot is unnaturally elevated which puts pressure on your shin. It's been a nightmare to deal with. The acis are neutral, and comfort is decent. But they dont fuck up my feet which is key.
 
Two years ago I got a Saturn from a someone clearing out the attic. Among the games were a boxed copy of Nights with 3d controller, DragonForce, Shining force, Albert Odyssey, Legend of Oasis, Shining of the holy ark,Lunacy, Mortal Kombat 2,Mystal, and a few other games for $20.

Jesus that's probably worth a small fortune. Quick check of ebay shows a current $80 bid for Dragon Force alone.
 
Not this exact one, but a manual food processor:

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They are about $20. I use it exclusively for making salsa, which I am obsessed with. If you have access to fresh tomatoes from the garden, this is livin'.
 
I pitched in on the Bubblegum Crisis Blu-ray set on kickstarter for $50. My friend got me the mondo Amano artbook set The Sky for like ten bucks. :3 Most recent was another out-of-print drawing book for $30 which goes for $100.
 
I could have a very long list given how often I go to a thrift store so I will just post my most recent get.

Bose Companion 5 Multimedia Speaker System which goes for $300 used on amazon.

for $6 from my thrift store last week.
 
I got some garbage printer for some where around $50 and it came with Creative Muvo MP3 player, that thing was awesome. Nothing fancy it was just a simple little MP3 player that was easy to use and worked.

Sound protection ear muffs for $30. I find loud noises like alarms, road construction etc annoying so I love having the option to put on my muffs and tune it out.
 
Tickets for the band Gallows back in 2009 (possibly early 2010 as my memory is a bit fuzzy) when they played a solo show in Chicago in a small club. Original line up. Band was on fire, crowd was on fire. Drove all the way from Detroit to see the show. One of the best nights of my life. Tickets probably weren't even 20 bucks.
 
I'm also going to include the Panasonic K-KJ17MZ104A Eneloop Power Pack. I haven't had to buy batteries for a while.
 
Just came in the mail yesterday. I finally found a watch that I had as a kid almost 30 years ago. It's in mint condition too. I can not put into words the good feelings and nostalgia this brings me.

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Years ago I was saving for Final Fantasy VIII. I had managed to save $30 towards it, but then something occurred at home which essentially meant I was not going to be able to save any more money for at least several months. Long story short, I was starving for something new to play, so I decided to purchase Resident Evil 2 and Mega Man Legends instead (both GH at the time, on sale for $14 each instead of the usual $20.)

~$30 for these two games still ranks up there as one of the best video game purchases I've ever made. I played FFVIII years later and was so disappointed... and at the same time so glad I didn't pay full price for it. One of the few times my impatience paid off.
 
A few things come to mind:

Super Mario RPG (SNES)
This wasn't released outside of the USA. I picked up a used copy when I was on a business trip to the states for about $35. It has really great writing and never felt like work unlike a lot of RPGs. It's still my favourite RPG many many years later.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (NDS)
I was in Spain browsing in Game to kill some time before catching my train and noticed they were selling brand new mint copies of this for €3.95. I even got a free energy drink with the purchase because of an in store promotion they were running too. The game is great. I can't remember much about the energy drink other than it was red in colour.

Microfiber Sports Towel
I've been swimming three times a week for years now. I have a full kit bag of things that I use in the pool for training. I waited far too long before getting a microfiber sports towel. It was life changing. They're incredibly light and take up hardly any space. No more attempting to cram too much into the kit bag and its really light too. Unlike a usual cloth shower towel. I think I paid about £12 for my first one. You can get them from about €6.

Seasoned Cast Iron Frying Pan
You know you've got a great pan if its heavy enough to double as a deadly weapon. Heavy pans distribute heat more evenly across the whole surface rather localised hot spots of a thin pan. I paid about €35 for my first cast iron and its still going strong many years later.

Books
Not an obvious purchase but a great one. You can change your life by reading books that cost less than $50 each. Knowledge is power.
 
I got 50 AAA games from steam for $50...not really.

Seriously though it has to be this.

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The Nostromo N52.

I have never been able to master the WASD on PC and all the hotkeys around it. This thing plus Macros took me from a total scrub in WoW battle grounds to a decent player. The N52 eventually broke, but now I have a Razer Nostromo which is pretty much the same.

Complete Famicom Disk System $40
Famicom $25
Super Famicom $10
Sealed FF6 $3... Yes that's right, three.

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Cool collection. I need to get my old systems out of boxes and onto shelves.
 
$15 waterproof bluetooth speaker

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It's got a suction cup for the shower, it's also got a mic. Taking a phone call while scrubbing in the shower was pretty awesome.

If you want a major step up, I recommend the JBL Clip 2 for ~$60
 
I was out of town and traveling last year and met a home stager at a dinner thing and got some handyman work without really expecting to. Trouble was I was traveling and didnt have any tools, so I went to Harbor Freight and spent like forty or fifty bucks or something on a cheapo oscillating tool and some basic hand tools.

That shit ended up making me like eight hundred bucks before I left town and ended up paying for most of the trip. Some of the best money I've ever spent, even if I did have to leave the tools behind when I left.
 
Bialetti Venus 6-cup moka pot for homemade espresso. About 20-30 bucks I think.

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Goddamn this thing is great. I've used it every single day for the last two years and I still love it so much.

My man. I bought one two weeks ago. I don't know why I didn't do this 15 years ago. This was a great purchase.
Edit: I got the aluminum one.
 
Chromecast, and it's not even close.

Also a 4 pack of folding TV tray's at Target, it was around $40 if memory serves.

This

Also

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Uniqlo is selling them for 7.99 each right now. If you go to the flagship store in 5th Ave in Manhattan, you can get a 5 dollar discount for signing up with their news letter. So basically 2.99 each. I have more expensive $20 performance shirt from sports/outdoor brands. I just prefer these better. They are comfortable, quick dry, low profile, have regular and mesh versions that offer different sweat control. I must have 15-20 of them in my tee shirt drawer .
 
I was super poor, just out of college and living in a new city where I didn't know anyone. Had like $60 a month for entertainment. I blew $40 on Gran Turismo 1. Best $40 ever. Unlocked everything and played that game for a damn year.
 
Uniqlo is selling them for 7.99 each right now. If you go to the flagship store in 5th Ave in Manhattan, you can get a 5 dollar discount for signing up with their news letter. So basically 2.99 each. I have more expensive $20 performance shirt from sports/outdoor brands. I just prefer these better. They are comfortable, quick dry, low profile, have regular and mesh versions that offer different sweat control. I must have 15-20 of them in my tee shirt drawer .


These shirts feel like you're being embraced by a friendly angel. Also recommend.
 
Moto E (gen 2)
$11 after activation discount
used effectively an ipod touch, with better software than my old one.

I gave a similar answer in the last "best $50 and under purchases ever" thread.
 
Roku for under $50.... changed my entertainment setup forever.

Bose Noise Cancelling headphones for over $50. I can't ever imagine flying without them.
 
$50 helicopter flight over Stadium Australia and Sydney Harbour/bridge with the doors off at only 1000 feet. My cousin is a pilot and got clearance that day plus wanted to get his hours up. A total fucking steal, felt like I ripped him off.
 
Probably one of my yard sale finds.

$5 - 3DO with 14 games. Nothing noteworthy, and most of the games weren't even that fun. I eventually sold it for $300.

$20 - Virtual Boy with 6 games. Pretty fun to mess around with. Looks cool displayed in my game room.

$10 - 17 complete, mint condition NES games. Some real good ones too like Mega Man 2, Zelda 1 and 2, Duck Tales, Dragon Warrior 4. This is still my best yard sale find ever.
 
I actually hated having this thing since i always forgot to recharge it. I ended up buying and installing a Bluetooth head unit into my car.
But yea, you get what you pay for.

I have it charging all the time since I just hooked the dongle into a charging slot in my center console. The console has a little wire pass through that lets the dongle sit in my cupholder area without being in the way. Makes it extremely convenient and I don't have to worry about that. It definitely was a bit annoying until I got it worked out though.
 
Chromecast - I have been using it every day for the last two years since I moved and became a cord cutter.

Raspberry Pi 3 - Great and versatile micro-computer for such a low cost.

Cable modem - I forget the brand, but it was $40 on Amazon and saves me from the $8/month leasing fee Comcast would charge for their modem.
 
$5-10 for an IBM Model M(PS/2) + PS/2 Mouse

$20 for an IBM Thinkpad T40 that was loaded (1280x1024 15" screen, yes please)
I got the 1000 variant in 0.3mm, such nice lines

I was considering getting that, but I'm not how I feel about the rubber bits on the grip.

Also, something cool. The graphgear 500 is what the teacher in Stranger Things uses!

 
Rocket League, this game is worth any penny.
Doesn't matter if you're playing alone, with friends splitscreen or online.
Also the free updates with new modes and stages are amazing and e.g. Hoops is in my opinion better than the regular game itself.
It's perfect for solo or two player which is how I play the majority of the time.
 
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