It’s often said money can’t buy happiness — and that might be true in the broadest sense.
But there are plenty of purchases that can make your life better, and many don’t cost much in the grand scheme of things.
If you’re the type of person to feel guilty about purchasing things for yourself, maybe you need to be talked into it.
Following are several worthwhile splurges whose value you may not have considered before. Check them out, then treat yourself.
1. Smart vacuum
Traditional vacuums are cumbersome and noisy, and take time out of your day to use. And when life gets hectic, vacuuming can be easy to neglect.
A smart vacuum could be the answer to all of that — it takes care of business on its own, in relative quiet (depending on the model) and without taking up much space.
2. Weighted blanket
You can’t put a price tag on a good night’s sleep. And like fellow Money Talks News writer Kentin Waits, I was skeptical of weighted blankets — now I swear by mine.
These heavy blankets (usually weighing 10-20 pounds, with the ideal heft depending on your own body weight) feel like an all-night hug. Enthusiasts say these blankets help calm them and improve sleep. Sleeping with one definitely works for me and helps keep me from tossing and turning so much, too.
3. Password manager
As more essential products and services move online, we all have far more accounts than we used to — and more passwords than we’d probably like.
It can be tempting to reuse passwords just to avoid the hassle of having to remember so many. But the frequency of major website hacks makes that a risky strategy.
Fortunately, there’s an easy solution — a password manager.
This piece of software, accessible from your computer or phone, lets you come up with one password to rule them all — and then saves all your other logins with unique passwords so you don’t have to keep track of them all.
That means you can forever empty your brain of all the overly complex requirements of the modern internet to include a certain number of characters for one site’s password and a symbol and a number and three capital letters on another’s.
4. Secondary monitors
Here’s another thing about having more of our lives and work on the internet these days: We often end up having a lot of browser windows and apps open at once.
It can be hard to juggle all the things you need to look at on your monitor — a process I like to call “playing screen Tetris,” after the old video game that required arranging lots of weirdly shaped blocks.
That’s why I have three monitors, side by side, for my computer setup. As someone who works from home, it’s a real lifesaver to be able to spread out my windows.
Three might be overkill for some, but I would definitely consider getting another if you only have one. It’s like upgrading from a grade-school desk to an executive one.
5. E-reader
Some paper books can be tough to find, and heavy and awkward to hold at length. Then they take up a lot of space when you’re done.
Don’t get me wrong — I still have a big collection of paperback and hardcover novels, and enjoy reading that way.
But it’s hard to deny the value of e-readers these days, especially when they give you instant access to tons of free books.
6. Hammock
So far, every item on the list has a very practical reason behind it. But that’s enough of that. Our next advice: Get a hammock.
Sometimes you just have to get something because it’s nice and comfortable.
One of the nicest ways to be outdoors is fully reclined and hovering off the ground, and it’s really that simple.
7. Meditation pillow
Some people might say this is a stupid idea, since you can meditate anywhere comfortable. Forget those people.
“Having a dedicated spot for meditation helped me make it a habit. And it turned out to be a life-changing habit — improving my stress tolerance, my focus and my quality of sleep,” says Money Talks News managing editor Karla Bowsher. “So I figure the money I blew on a couple of fancy floor cushions is nothing compared to the increase in quality of life.”
Give yourself permission to find inner peace, regardless of how cheesy or frivolous it might sound. You know yourself best, including your experience with all the things you’ve tried before that didn’t work. So when you find something that works for you, grab it and run with it — it doesn’t matter whether it works for anyone else.
8. Bed pillow
Speaking of pillows, the right pillow for your sleeping style and body type will help improve your sleep health so you feel more rested every morning. And as we already noted, there’s no price tag you can put on that.
The right pillow will support your neck comfortably and promote proper airway alignment (parallel to the mattress) so you breathe well while sleeping.
You have plenty of options, depending on whether you sleep on your side, stomach or back. You also need to know what kind of loft suits your body frame and sleeping style and if you prefer a softer or firmer fill.
Once you figure that out, you can consider the pillow material, with choices for memory foam, down feathers and natural fibers like organic cotton and wool.
Plenty of companies will guarantee your satisfaction, too. Avocado offers a 100-night sleep trial, and Purple offers a 30-night sleep trial. That can buy you some time to figure out if your bedding splurge is worthwhile.
9. Bike
Let’s get back to the outdoors and consider the humble bicycle.
It can provide transportation, exercise, time to listen to podcasts and see great views — all at very little ongoing cost. Plus, it’s fun.
If you live somewhere suitable, a kayak might be good, too.
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