25 Things Under $5 That I Think You Absolutely Need In Your Life

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1.

A double-sided tongue scraper and brush, aka the oral hygiene gadget you never knew you needed. Buh-bye, bad breath and aftertastes, I won’t miss you.


Amazon

Promising review: “This is one of those tools that you don’t know you need until you actually use one. I’d never used a tongue scraper until my sister introduced me to them. Why would I need one when I use my toothbrush to scrape my tongue, right? Using this tool gets so much grime and grossness out of your mouth and tongue that you didn’t even know you had. Your mouth won’t feel clean until after you’ve used it, period.” —Katherine

Get it from Amazon for $4.46.


Amazon

Promising review: “This is one of those tools that you don’t know you need until you actually use one. I’d never used a tongue scraper until my sister introduced me to them. Why would I need one when I use my toothbrush to scrape my tongue, right? Using this tool gets so much grime and grossness out of your mouth and tongue that you didn’t even know you had. Your mouth won’t feel clean until after you’ve used it, period.” —Katherine

Get it from Amazon for $4.46.

2.

A bar of fancy French shea butter soap without the fancy price tag. That plus the over 1,000 positive reviews have me saying “Oui, s’il vous plaît.”

Several bars of the soap


Amazon

It’s paraben-free and not tested on animals!

Promising review: “I generally go through at least three bars of soap in month. This soap has lasted the entire month and I still have a good-sized portion left. It hasn’t broken into tiny pieces like my usual soap. It’s also smells great and adds moisture to my dry skin. I’ll be ordering more and trying the other fragrances. Great as a gift, too.” —Kuda

Get it from Amazon for $3.99+ (available in 32 scents).

3.

NYX Butter Gloss, a buildable lipgloss beloved by over 4,000 reviewers that actually won’t leave your lips all sticky like the other glosses you’ve tried over the years.


amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: “Skip the expensive mall store — buy this. This is one of those drugstore products that lives up to its reputation. ‘Angel Food Cake’ is a nice, rose mauve color with no yellow undertones. The color stays true and won’t turn orange while you’re wearing it. It’s not sticky like so many inexpensive lip glosses. It will also keep your lips reasonably hydrated. The color won’t be dramatic enough for some, but as an..ahem…mature woman I need to keep it subtle. This gloss is all you need for everyday wear.” —Toomanycats

Get it from Amazon for $4.97 (available in 24 colors).


amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: “Skip the expensive mall store — buy this. This is one of those drugstore products that lives up to its reputation. ‘Angel Food Cake’ is a nice, rose mauve color with no yellow undertones. The color stays true and won’t turn orange while you’re wearing it. It’s not sticky like so many inexpensive lip glosses. It will also keep your lips reasonably hydrated. The color won’t be dramatic enough for some, but as an..ahem…mature woman I need to keep it subtle. This gloss is all you need for everyday wear.” —Toomanycats

Get it from Amazon for $4.97 (available in 24 colors).

4.

Or for a bit more of a statement, BH Cosmetics Color Lock matte lipstick, a vegan and cruelty-free shea butter formula that stays put, period.

The lipsticks in several shades


BH Cosmetics

Promising review: “This lipstick is so nice! It goes on very smooth and has deeply pigmented, rich color that, true to its name, doesn’t budge. It has the staying power I’d expect from a liquid lipstick but without drying my lips out. Stellar!” —Rosa T.

Get the Dark Rose shade from BH Cosmetics for $2.50 (originally $5; available in more shades here).

5.

A precious and ridiculously affordable cat spoon that can conveniently perch on your cup and provide a smile on mornings when you’re ~feline~ blue.


amazon.com, Amazon

Promising review: “Love this little spoon! It fits perfectly on the edge of my coffee mug. Now I no longer have to go searching for spoon to stir my morning coffee! Since it sits on the edge of the cup, my fingers don’t get sticky from a wet handle. Plus, it’s absolutely adorable and makes me think of my own kitty while I’m away at work. This spoon has become an essential part of my morning routine.” —Brianna S

Get it from Amazon for $2.79.


amazon.com, Amazon

Promising review: “Love this little spoon! It fits perfectly on the edge of my coffee mug. Now I no longer have to go searching for spoon to stir my morning coffee! Since it sits on the edge of the cup, my fingers don’t get sticky from a wet handle. Plus, it’s absolutely adorable and makes me think of my own kitty while I’m away at work. This spoon has become an essential part of my morning routine.” —Brianna S

Get it from Amazon for $2.79.

6.

A pad of days of the week Post-Its you can use for important reminders or to create a customized calendar, or just to organize your schedule *and* your desk space in a Pinterest-worthy way.

The purple pad of lined notes with MTWTFSS at the top so you can circle the day


Target

Get it from Target for $3.99.

7.

Strong and cute mini cactus magnets for a fun fridge update that definitely doesn’t succ(ulent).


Amazon

Promising review: “The cutest little magnets! Stronger than I thought they would be — one can easily hold an invitation on the fridge.” —Mallory

Get a set of six from Amazon for $2.99 (available in two colors).


Amazon

Promising review: “The cutest little magnets! Stronger than I thought they would be — one can easily hold an invitation on the fridge.” —Mallory

Get a set of six from Amazon for $2.99 (available in two colors).

8.

A miraculous rust stain-removing spray that’ll give you serious bang (and OMG-worthy results) for your buck. Trust me.

Above, a toilet tank with the inside totally brown. Below, the tank mostly white


amazon.com

Promising review: “I cannot say enough great things about this product. We just purchased a home that has a well with very high iron content in the water. I tried everything to remove the stains from our three toilets, but nothing worked. I found this product online and immediately ordered it. The results blew me away. I didn’t have to scrub at all. I let it sit in the tank for several hours and the results floored me!” —Toni Huitt

Get it from Amazon for $4.97.

9.

The Cat Dancer, a super-simple wire toy that every cat and owner alike will become paws-itively obsessed with. It’s the under-$3 way to get your cat to perform the most hilarious antics of their nine lives, so I suggest having a camera ready.


amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: “I have a whole room filled with cat toys that my cat is not interested in. It’s funny how the least expensive cat toy I have makes him go wild. He plays with this until he’s panting like a dog and I’ve never seen him jump so high. I’m certain this toy will help him lose his belly. He loves it! I highly recommend it!” —Kwoo

Get it from Amazon for $2.49.


amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: “I have a whole room filled with cat toys that my cat is not interested in. It’s funny how the least expensive cat toy I have makes him go wild. He plays with this until he’s panting like a dog and I’ve never seen him jump so high. I’m certain this toy will help him lose his belly. He loves it! I highly recommend it!” —Kwoo

Get it from Amazon for $2.49.

10.

Some jumbo sticky note divider tabs that are must-have companions on your quest to become the greatest note-taker of all time.

The yellow, orange, pink, green, blue, and purple tabs being used to divide a notebook into study chapters. The one at the front has a list of notes labeled "On Test"


Amazon

Check out BuzzFeed’s full write-up on Redi-Tag dividers.

Promising review: “These sticky notes are excellent. They come in a booklet, with a clear cover over and a card-like paper with a blue mandala pattern at the back, which is really neat and beautiful. The colors are quite bright and look exactly as the picture shows. The tabs are neat and noticeable at any angle. I think every student or teacher in high school or college should own these, and many businesspeople should too. They’re extremely useful for taking notes, lesson/project/essay/test/other planning, and getting important information down on a note that won’t get lost in your planner or notebook. I’ll keep these in my book bag and carry them with me to school, and I’ll definitely repurchase as soon as I come close to running out.” —malik

Get a pack of 60 from Amazon for $3.59.

11.

Absolutely OMG-worthy bubble tea earrings, which are basically tapioca-lling your name.


Amazon, amazon.com

One reviewer even used them as Barbie-sized beverages for their kiddo’s dolls, LOL!

Promising review: “I get compliments on these earrings all the time and my coworker wanted to buy them for her daughter. Came as pictured, seem durable, and have not broken or anything.” —Saral

Get them from Amazon for $1.78+ (available in six designs).


Amazon, amazon.com

One reviewer even used them as Barbie-sized beverages for their kiddo’s dolls, LOL!

Promising review: “I get compliments on these earrings all the time and my coworker wanted to buy them for her daughter. Came as pictured, seem durable, and have not broken or anything.” —Saral

Get them from Amazon for $1.78+ (available in six designs).

12.

An iconic Lizzo lyric sticker that may come with the side effect of getting “Juice” stuck in your head from now till eternity, but honestly that would be a blessing.

The sticker shaped like a Happy Meal box with the words "Baby I'm the whole damn meal"


StylishSista/Etsy

DAVID YOU AIN’T BEING SLICK, DON’T DARE TRY TO COP A FEEL!!!! We can all agree this is one of the best lyrical couplets in history, right?

StylishSista is a Black-woman owned shop that features all sorts of pop music and self-love inspired stickers and goodies. Also check out more great Black womxn-owned Etsy shops!

Get it from StylishSista on Etsy for $3.49.

13.

Positively adorable erasable pens with sweet little animal-shaped grips who promise not to tell anyone that you had to erase the word “guarantee” four times before you spelled it right.

The three pens with grips shaped like a penguin, pig, and bear next to a hand using one to erase blue ink


Amazon

It took me about two decades to start spelling that one right on the first try. Anywho, this set comes with six cartridges of refill ink — three blue and three black — so you’ll be good to go for a while.

Promising review: “Adorable and functional! These erasable pens are awesome! Growing up my mother always used erasable pens, but there was frequently a remnant of ink. I was hesitant trying these pens out, but I was pleasantly surprised! The ink flows smoothly and erases completely, much to my shock! I also love the cute design. I lived in Japan years ago and these pens bring back many fond memories!” —Laurakn79

Get a set of three from Amazon for $4.99.

14.

Amazingly affordable (I’m talking under $3) Scotch Brite stainless-steel scrubbers for burnt- and crusted-on messes on your cookware that’ll basically pay for themselves with one very impressive use. Having to put in a ton of effort to scrub pans clean? I don’t know her.


amazon.com

The reviewer above got those amazing results by using one of these in combination with Bar Keepers Friend!

Promising review: “I like to use a lot of cast-iron and stainless-steel pans. But you know what’s the worst? Burnt-on oil. I bought these on Amazon because they were both cheap and well-reviewed. I expected these to be tough on my hands. They weren’t. I expected them to fall apart pretty quickly. They didn’t. I expected to have to use a lot of scrubbing force. I don’t. What did they do? They removed the burnt-on oil on my stainless-steel pans and cast-iron pans with a refreshing ease. You apply a little pressure and move it around, and the grease disappears. These are cheap enough not to even give another thought to. Just put them in your cart and get them.” —DM

Get a three-pack from Amazon for $2.48.


amazon.com

The reviewer above got those amazing results by using one of these in combination with Bar Keepers Friend!

Promising review: “I like to use a lot of cast-iron and stainless-steel pans. But you know what’s the worst? Burnt-on oil. I bought these on Amazon because they were both cheap and well-reviewed. I expected these to be tough on my hands. They weren’t. I expected them to fall apart pretty quickly. They didn’t. I expected to have to use a lot of scrubbing force. I don’t. What did they do? They removed the burnt-on oil on my stainless-steel pans and cast-iron pans with a refreshing ease. You apply a little pressure and move it around, and the grease disappears. These are cheap enough not to even give another thought to. Just put them in your cart and get them.” —DM

Get a three-pack from Amazon for $2.48.

15.

A beyond clever cruelty-free concealer pen that looks like the highlighters you had in your pencil case in high school, so it’ll blend in in your bag just as well as the moisturizing, lightweight matte formula blends into your skin.

Four of the highlighter-shaped pens in different colors


@thecrayoncase / Via instagram.com

It’s from The Crayon Case, a super cool and affordable Black woman-owned makeup brand that whimsically designs all of its products like school supplies and specifically strives to make makeup accessible for beauty beginners. Check out some handy charts and quizzes (here and here) to find your perfect concealer shade match on the brand’s Instagram!

Promising review: “This concealer has amazing coverage, yet it has a great light and spreadable consistency. I could use it as a foundation if I wanted to. I’ve never found a concealer that matched me so perfectly.” —Krista M.

Get it from The Crayon Case for $5 (available in 30 shades).

16.

A pair of sleek silicone mask applicator brushes with several benefits that’ll make a mask day more effortless (and therefore more relaxing): it evenly spreads a thick layer of product without any getting caught or wasted in bristles, it’s easy to clean, and reduces mess!


amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: “GAME CHANGER! I love these! I no longer dread putting on my face products. I was using my fingers to apply the product to my face, and it was so messy and got in my nails too. When I came across these silicone brushes I knew I had to have them. They are amazing and the low price is a steal. These brushes really changed my routine. I use my facial products more often because I’m no longer worried about the annoying mess. The silicone brush is very flexible and spreads the product on my face nicely. Cleaning the brush is a simple task, just rinse and pat dry. Highly recommended!” —Wells Family

Get a set of two from Amazon for $3.98.


amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: “GAME CHANGER! I love these! I no longer dread putting on my face products. I was using my fingers to apply the product to my face, and it was so messy and got in my nails too. When I came across these silicone brushes I knew I had to have them. They are amazing and the low price is a steal. These brushes really changed my routine. I use my facial products more often because I’m no longer worried about the annoying mess. The silicone brush is very flexible and spreads the product on my face nicely. Cleaning the brush is a simple task, just rinse and pat dry. Highly recommended!” —Wells Family

Get a set of two from Amazon for $3.98.

17.

Genius biodegradable straws made from — get this — avocado pits. They don’t get as soggy as paper straws and aren’t as clunky as metal ones, but are still eco-friendly. Just when you thought you couldn’t love avocados more.

The box of straws


Amazon

You won’t have to feel guilty about throwing them away, but the manufacturer also says the straws can be washed and reused 8-10 times!

Promising review: “Best disposable straw I’ve tried! They held up for days with no change, zero taste, and they’re flexible and feel like traditional plastic straws. The fact that they’re made using avocado pits (that were going to landfills) and are completely biodegradable is huge. I’ll continue using my stainless steel straws at home and in the car, but these are fantastic for parties and vacation!” —Tavenner K Bonsall

Get a set of 50 from Amazon for $4.99.

18.

An aww-worthy Schitt’s Creek David sweater sticker sure to get a certain Tina Turner bop playing in your mind — whether it’s Tina’s version or Patrick’s is up to you.

A hand holding a sticker shaped like David's lightning bolt sweater with the text "Simply The Best"


LaceyOlsonDesign/Etsy

Get it from LaceyOlsonDesign on Etsy for $3.50.

19.

A whimsical and helpful little frog sink strainer that’s toad-ally ready to help you keep icky food debris out of your drain.


amazon.com, Amazon

Promising review: “I bought this on Amazon after seeing it at a kitchen store, thinking it was adorable, and then leaving it there because I suspected it was overpriced. Indeed, it turned out that Amazon was offering it at about half the price of the kitchen store. I was sick of dish strainers breaking, looking gross, and constantly twisting and blocking the drain. I was starting to dread doing the dishes, and especially having to reach my hands into a bunch of clammy, disgusting dish water to unplug the strainer (shudder). With this one, there have been zero problems. It’s cute and does what it’s supposed to do. I’m extremely happy with it.” —mlrowley

Get it from Amazon for $3.99.


amazon.com, Amazon

Promising review: “I bought this on Amazon after seeing it at a kitchen store, thinking it was adorable, and then leaving it there because I suspected it was overpriced. Indeed, it turned out that Amazon was offering it at about half the price of the kitchen store. I was sick of dish strainers breaking, looking gross, and constantly twisting and blocking the drain. I was starting to dread doing the dishes, and especially having to reach my hands into a bunch of clammy, disgusting dish water to unplug the strainer (shudder). With this one, there have been zero problems. It’s cute and does what it’s supposed to do. I’m extremely happy with it.” —mlrowley

Get it from Amazon for $3.99.

20.

Versatile silicone putty earplugs you can mold to get a perfect fit and use for everything from snoozing to swimming. The obnoxious construction next door and your S.O.’s snores are no match for these babies.

A reviewer's ear with the semi-opaque white, putty-like earplugs covering the opening


amazon.com

Here’s what BuzzFeed Shopping editor Emma Lord says about these wonders: “TBH, I swear by these so aggressively that I have them on a subscription. They’re like ear glue. My apartment is on a busy street and my upstairs neighbor is a noisy human being (does this count as a subtweet??) and once I pop these babies in I can barely hear a thing. Plus, my ears never get sore with these in like they do with headphones or other earplugs.”

Get six pairs from Amazon for $3.96 (or $3.76 with the Subscribe & Save option).

21.

A cool six-color pen, because why should you have to carry multiple pens with you when this baby can handle all your color-coding needs all by itself?


TheFinePrintPaperie/Etsy

It’s from TheFinePrintPaperie, a Black woman-owned Etsy shop with all kinds of cute pens and other desk accessories, too!

Promising review: “Love it! It was just what I needed for my planner.” —K.L. Burns

Get it from TheFinePrintPaperie on Etsy for $3.89.


TheFinePrintPaperie/Etsy

It’s from TheFinePrintPaperie, a Black woman-owned Etsy shop with all kinds of cute pens and other desk accessories, too!

Promising review: “Love it! It was just what I needed for my planner.” —K.L. Burns

Get it from TheFinePrintPaperie on Etsy for $3.89.

22.

A convenient laundry detergent cup holder that rests neatly under the detergent jug to stop you from making your usual soapy mess. Because anything that makes laundry less of a pain in the butt is a must-have, IMHO.

The cup holder hooked over a shelf, under a bottle of detergent, and holding a detergent cup under the spout


Target

Promising review: “Something I never knew I needed, but now can’t live without.” —LW

Get it from Target for $2.99.

23.

A super mini nail polish for anyone who, like me, likes to try out lots of new colors but hates wasting money and storage space for a full-size bottle of each one.


Sephora

Each bottle is about the size of a lip balm!

Promising review: “Great for a classic manicure. I haven’t been to a salon in some time and it’s been much longer since I painted my own nails. Two coats, second day and the color looks fresh without a separate base or top coat!” —Cococa3

Get it from Sephora for $5 (available in 26 colors).


Sephora

Each bottle is about the size of a lip balm!

Promising review: “Great for a classic manicure. I haven’t been to a salon in some time and it’s been much longer since I painted my own nails. Two coats, second day and the color looks fresh without a separate base or top coat!” —Cococa3

Get it from Sephora for $5 (available in 26 colors).

24.

A milk chocolate, red velvet, and marshmallow bar, which your still-leftover Halloween candy (probably time to toss that?) can’t hope to compete with. This is the luxury treat you deserve.

Broken up pieces of the bar


Dylans Candy Bar

Get it from Dylan’s Candy Bar for $3.25.

25.

And a LOL-worthy nose pencil sharpener that’s a bargain that’s nothing to sneeze at.


Amazon

Get it from Amazon for $3.25.


Amazon

Get it from Amazon for $3.25.

Telling your friends and your bank account that you ordered everything on this list:


Netflix

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



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