Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The $75-Or-Less Purchases That Give Them The Most Joy

People Share The $75-Or-Less Purchases That Give Them The Most Joy
Harry Cunningham/Unsplash

You may have heard of the phrase "retail therapy" before, which is the act of buying things for personal enjoyment.

Well, there's some truth to that.

The University of Michigan actually studied the affects of shopping on our sadness levels. Purchasing something you enjoy can actually decrease sadness 40 times better than not purchasing something.

There are tons of other benefits like dopamine increases, anxiety reduction and improved mood. We wanted to know what people are buying to give them that rush of happy hormones and increase their joy.


Redditor greyblacknavytan asked:

"What can you buy for $75 or less that will provide the most happiness?"

It might be time to start a wish list!

A sweet treat.

"The chocolate bar I’m eating right now is doing it for me. It's a Tony’s Chocolonely milk chocolate sea salt and caramel."

- knovit

"$75 of Tony’s is a great use of money imo."

- lostinbass

The amino acids in chocolate actually change our brain patterns to make us happy, so definitely a good investment.

Your neck will thank you.

"Get a nice pillow. So worth it. I got the a memory foam one from Amazon for $50. My neck is in premature heaven."

- googlemeagoose

"Memory foam pillows are hit or miss. For me, they're all miss. Feels like I'm resting my head on a rock."

- Snoo74401

"I was the same way until I got a pillow that you stuff to your own firmness with shredded memory foam. It has the feel of a memory foam pillow but it's 'fluffier' if that makes sense. Add to that the customizability of the firmness and you have a perfect pillow IMHO. Just don't throw the extra stuffing away immediately, sleep on it for a while and adjust as needed."

- liberal_texan

Splurge on some nice food.

" Food."

"I'm poor but not so poor that food is the main concern. What I mean is some nice cuts of meat, chanterelles, russet potatoes, cream, a nice wine and the rest for beer. I could make a meal for kings on that. It would make me so happy!"

- Redditor

"For sure, similarly you could even provide a meal for a group of friends for that amount which would make a group of people happy."

- Chocolateismy

Invest in your hobbies.

"Invest in a hobby like good hiking boots or high quality yarn for knitting or so on. Hobbies keep you happier, healthier, and can help you make new friends."

- Fredredphooey

"Good hiking boots are going to cost more than $75."

- Captain_Hammertoe

"Save money by buying just one boot."

- Ian1732

11 years of happiness.

"I paid the Humane Society about $75 when I adopted my cat; he has thus far provided me with 11 years of affection."

- MatthewHWood

For something silly.

"Googly eyes and some blue tack."

- asthma_mermaid

"This is my favorite first date. Just walk around sticking googly eyes to stuff together. It's always so much fun."

- Skrappyross

"Another one I really liked was leaving sweet notes in books in a bookstore."

"We took some notecards and wrote a short paragraph or two about a favorite book. What we'd enjoyed about it, how we wished we could read it again for the first time, that we were excited the new owner of the book is on the verge of that experience. We signed them with our (common) first names, but included no other contact information."

"Then we snuck them into books in a bookstore."

"It was a super fun date."

- TheDiplocrap

Just vibes.

"I clicked on this thinking I'd be enlightened by some suggestions... Instead, everyone is telling me to do drugs, go to the gym, and relax with a vibrator."

"OK... You all convinced me. I'm going to buy a vibrator."

- jonsconspiracy

"Vibrators are pretty enlightening tbh."

- dumbbinch99

Make a donation.

"3 cataract [treatments] to restore sight via the Fred Hollows foundation."

- SaffyAs

This can apply to any foundation of your choosing! You're sharing joy with those who need it.

A bidet.

"100% a bidet. A clean butthole makes for a happy day."

- thr0w4w4yanon

"Bidets are so underrated. I just don't feel clean without it anymore, yk?"

- possumpussie

Maybe you don't have $75 to spend right now.

Well, even the act of filling up your online shopping cart and hitting "save for later" can give a rush a dopamine.

You're definitely worth that little bit of joy from buying that item that's been sitting in your cart for weeks.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Jennifer Siebel Newsom
@jennifersiebelnewsom/Instagram

Gavin Newsom's Wife Has Stark Warning For MAGA Women Who Still Support Trump—And She's Absolutely Right

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, First Partner of California, shared a message for the women of MAGA in the wake of the firings of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

The two women were the first Cabinet members of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump’s second administration to get their walking papers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of Artemis II crew
Nicholas Kamm/Getty Images; @atrupar/X

Trump Tries To Blame Awkward Silence During Call With Artemis II On Technical Glitch—But The Video Says Otherwise

President Donald Trump was not fooling anyone when he blamed a supposed technical glitch for the Artemis II crew’s silence during their historic fly-by of the Moon.

Artemis II is the first mission to bring astronauts toward the Moon in over half a century, launching successfully on April 1 to the delight of space enthusiasts and the general public alike.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dan Levy; Catherine O'Hara
CBS Sunday Morning/YouTube; Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Dan Levy Gets Choked Up While Visiting 'Schitt's Creek' Town For First Time Since Catherine O'Hara's Death

Dan Levy has been open about his grief after the loss of the late, great Catherine O'Hara.

Catherine O'Hara was a lot of things to a lot of people, with her versatility and willingness to create big, memorable characters that people love and cherish, from Kate McCallister to Delia Deetz to Moira Rose.

Keep ReadingShow less
Laura Ingraham
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images; @lauraingraham/Instagram

Laura Ingraham Gets Blunt Reminder After Awkward Video Of Her Doing The Griddy Dance Goes Viral

After sharing a video of herself doing the "Griddy," Fox News talking head Laura Ingraham was called out for appropriating Black culture after years of attacking Black people, Black Democratic leaders, sharing racist stereotypes, and attacking their basic human rights on her program.

The Griddy is a popular celebratory dance seen in the NFL, NBA, and the game Fortnite. It was popularized by NFL players Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings.

Keep ReadingShow less
Domino’s delivery driver Dan Simpson is seen on a Ring camera going the extra mile during a viral Boise, Idaho delivery.
@katey_93/TikTok

Internet Steps Up To Help Out Idaho Domino's Delivery Driver Who Went The Extra Mile For Customer

It started with a missing Diet Coke and turned into a six-figure thank-you.

A 68-year-old pizza delivery worker is heading into retirement with an unexpected boost after a small act of kindness sparked a viral moment—and a wave of support from strangers who chose to pay it forward.

Keep ReadingShow less