7 Items Under $50 That Will Improve Your Life, According to Rachel Cruze
Written by
Laura Beck
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Molly Sullivan
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Keeping up with the Joneses might drain your wallet, but smart purchases that genuinely improve daily life? That’s a different story. Personal finance expert Rachel Cruze recently shared seven items under $50 that have legitimately made her life easier — and none of them involve trying to impress the neighbors.
“Feeling like you have to buy the next thing to keep up with the Joneses is always going to be a no for me,” Cruze said in a recent YouTube video. “But what I am here for is a list of affordable items that legitimately make your life easier.”
Here are the seven purchases that made Cruze’s list.
Nonstick Skillet
Topping Cruze’s list is a quality nonstick skillet — specifically the ceramic or stone varieties, not traditional Teflon. “I found some on Amazon and I’m telling you, it is like the best thing because we make eggs all the time in my family, scrambled eggs,” Cruze explained.
Her reasoning is refreshingly practical. Despite receiving high-quality stainless steel cookware as a wedding gift nearly 16 years ago, she found herself frustrated with the finicky nature of cooking eggs in traditional pans. “I don’t have time to be a chef. I just need scrambled eggs. I need to clean that thing quick and I need to go,” she said.
While she replaces her nonstick skillets every five to six years, the under-$50 price point makes the investment worthwhile for the daily convenience.
Fast Phone Chargers
Cruze admitted she recently learned that not all charging cords deliver the same speed — a revelation that came after purchasing a longer cord. “I came back to my room like 2 minutes later and it was like already 20% charged and I was like, ‘Wait, what?'” she recalled.
The combination of length and fast-charging capability transformed her charging experience, allowing her to use her phone comfortably while it powers up quickly from low battery levels.
Borax Cleaner
“Not to be dramatic, but this basically will clean anything,” Cruze said about this cleaning product that’s become essential in her household. “When I say anything, I’m saying anything. I mean, mud, wine, chocolate, like whatever it is, you name it, it gets it out.”
The cleaner excels on fabric, which Cruze particularly appreciates with kids in the house. She’s used it successfully on outdoor furniture, couches and even marker stains. “My mom is a believer. Most of the moms that I know are believers,” she added.
Aldi Mac and Cheese
This recommendation came from Cruze’s son Charles, who declared Aldi’s individual mac and cheese cups “the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had” — despite having tried mac and cheese at numerous nice restaurants.
The single-serving format solved a practical problem for Cruze, who wanted to satisfy her son’s frequent mac and cheese requests without making an entire box each time. Now it’s her kids’ go-to meal when babysitters come over.
Automatic Card Shuffler
With kids who love card games like Uno and Monopoly Deal, Cruze’s family was constantly shuffling. Her husband Winston finally ordered an automatic card shuffler. “I was like, ‘What is this thing?’ It’s incredible. I mean, absolutely amazing,” Cruze said.
The purchase transformed family game nights, eliminating the repetitive task of manual shuffling during marathon gaming sessions.
Touchland Hand Sanitizer
At $14, this “bougie” hand sanitizer initially seemed ridiculous to Cruze — until her fifth-grade daughter insisted on buying it with her own money. After trying it herself, Cruze became a believer.
“It’s like instead of the sticky, nasty hand sanitizer feel, it’s like silky. It’s like really smooth and it doesn’t smell. It actually has a good scent to it,” she explained. Despite the premium price for hand sanitizer, the superior experience won her over.
Quality No-Show Socks
Cruze’s mother-in-law gifted her high-quality no-show socks in her Christmas stocking, which became her favorite stocking stuffer. The difference from cheaper versions is significant — these actually stay on your feet.
“Getting a good one that actually stays on your foot is really important cause the really cheap ones like I feel like ends up folding or whatever,” Cruze said. She ordered more from Amazon after discovering how much better quality no-show socks perform throughout the day.
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