I have led a pretty solid life to this point and I like to think a major part that has led me to success is being “efficient” with my time, money and resources. I also am OCD about researching every major product I purchase making sure everything I buy offers the most bang for the buck. Whether it is for travel, fitness, cooking, business or day to day life I have searched for the best options with a fine toothed comb, which I want to show you here!
I also linked almost everything so you can buy it on Amazon right now if you want!
Days are getting busier and time is getting more valuable. Not to mention you only have so much mental strength for stress or little annoyances, thus I have some gadgets and tools for you to take some of that away!
The goal here is to give you some products I purchase that make my life easier, save some money and allow me to do more of what you love! Some of my favorite examples you will see are things like the Ninja Blender, Persil laundry detergent, Gecko Waterproof Backpack, Aveeno lotion and my La Sportiva Trail Running shoes.
Travel Necessities
Before you keep reading be sure to checkout my top travel hacks, tip and ideas to for travel as well as my best budget travel ideas so you can take more vacations!
- “Trendy backpack.” Another one of the favorite things I own is my Herschel Backpack. I use it 300x a year so spending around $80 is worth it. It also is great for work if you have a more casual workplace.
- Speaking of Herschel they also have great looking laptop bags and my favorite fanny pack! You laugh but fanny packs are great for hiking, the pool, traveling around, beaches and tuesdays.
- Sanuk Slip On shoes… life changing. These are cheap, so comfy and perfect for beaches, pools, walking the dog and anytime it is hot outside if you don’t want to wear flip flops… even a nice beach dinner they work!
- Luggage. This is tough as it is costly but sooooo worth it. It is one of the places I spend a lot more for the quality as I LOVE my Ogio luggage. They look great, hold together well, are strong and protective as well as very easy to roll. My carry on is great with oversize wheels making sure it moves without an issue and is really sturdy. I use my large bag for everything… but it does cost $300! I have had it for almost 10 years though and is still killing it. It is really sturdy as well protecting everything inside better than any other luggage.
- Sweatpant joggers like these are all I wear on flights. I get cold on planes so I always make sure to have pants and then layer my top half.
- Everyone needs a light comfy day bag and I love my Gecko waterproof backpack since it is lightweight and folds right up! It is probably my favorite travel item and comes in tons of colors. Great for when you are hiking down there to keep your phone, camera and food dry. It has soft padded shoulders too so it is much better than the string packs.
- A great gift are these expensive nike running socks. It is hard to justify buying them for yourself but these are amazing for long travel days and hiking etc.
- If you have a Gopro this is the best accessory out of all of them! It is a bubble dome for amazing underwater pictures. It lets you take pics half in and half out the water!
- iPhone tripod. If you’re a loser like me and take lots of travel pictures then this little gadget is money. It folds up small, is around $20 and is perfect for travel shots or food shoots. It also extends to a selfie stick if you are one of those, one of the best ranked of its kind.
- I never go anywhere without my airpods. I have had every ear and headphone like Dre Beats etc. These are a perfect gift and so easy to travel with, have twice the charge life due to their case and as you know “they don’t even fall out.” Running, travel, gym, poolside or tuesdays, they are great.
Health & Fitness Must Haves
For my top 4 ways to motivate yourself to exercise click here!
- Staying hydrated and drinking water is one of the most important things you can do! With that said I have 4 Nalgene water bottles and pretty much always have one by my side.
- I always have Nuun tablets stocked as they are great for electrolytes and just dissolve in water. Imagine gatorade without all the sugars and such. Plus they have 57 flavors… approximately.
- Pre-workout. This is tough because there are a million out there. I am not a health expert but I researched a lot and use two of the better “healthy” and more natural ones that won’t mess you up too much but still give you the extra oomph you need. Legion pulse is often ranked the #1 healthy pre-workout and I love it. It is normally a touch more expensive but it is worth it. I also use Amino Energy, which is also healthy and better for your body than most and is really affordable. Amino also has a mocha latte flavor as well, which is amazing if you are a coffee drinker!
- We are all getting old… we all need a foam roller in our life. It really is stretching x5.
- One odd fact about me is I have oddly soft skin for a male. I luckily also have always had pretty clear skin and I really think it is because of Aveeno lotion. It is great for your body but especially your face as it moisturizes without a greasy feel after… it just vanishes.
- Trail running and hiking shoes. It is hard to find good trail shoes that have a touch of fashion and don’t look like your dads Brooks. I don’t use hiking shoes on my hikes and just use supportive trail running shoes. I like these La Sportive ones, which come in multiple colors and are fairly priced. If wanting to spend a little more than North Face as a lot of good options like these.
- Shorts: I love my Nike running shorts and do pretty much everything in them. I have 5 pairs in all different colors.
- A great gift are these expensive nike running socks. It is hard to justify buying them for yourself but these are amazing for long travel days and hiking etc.
Day to Day Efficiency & Enjoyment Items
For tips on 6 Amazing ways to be successful see here!
- How often do you hate being a slave to your phone chord’s length. Bite the bullet already and get a long chord! I have 3 long chords, one in my bedroom, one in the living room and one for travel. I already feel better for you about this purchase.
- Bluetooth speaker. After much deliberation, reading and testing the JBL Flip 4 is the best bang for your buck. It’s small, waterproof and sounds great.
- Laundry detergent. Put down the Tide, it’s trash! I was tired of Tide and others never making my clothes smell fresh and they were fading my clothes. I researched, looked far and wide and found Persil, which is from Germany. It is the same price as Tide and others but leaves your clothes actually smelling fresh and cleans so much better without fading etc. Even my mom changed detergents!
Cooking, Drinks & Recipe Favorites
Check out my healthy, not so healthy, hosting, date night and drink recipes here!
- Ninja Blender. I mentioned this above but stop what you are doing and order one now! They are so good my friend Ben randomly just brought up how he got a Ninja Blender and it was a game changer... and then two males talked about it for 10 minutes.
- This powered milk frother, which I use to mix drinks is another top 10 favorite thing I own! Less than $10, mixes your drinks up and is really handy.
- Spirulina. As you may know I tell everyone to use spirulina as gram for gram it is the healthiest food on the planet! It is really cheap and it is a perfect superfood for your spirulina bowls, acai bowls or even my mermaid moscow mules!
- I always have a stack of two different protein bars at my house. I use Cliff Bars and Quest Bars as my go tos depending what I am doing.
- I make “bloody caesars” the Canadian version of bloody mary’s non-stop, per this bloody caesar recipe for you… and the best garnish on earth are pickled beans. Thus, I stock up on Matt & Steve’s Extreme Beans as a $20 3-pack is much cheaper than buying $10-13 ones at stores. My mouth is watering just thinking about them… *goes to fridge.
- I never was much of a coffee drinker but these little Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso & Cream Lights are a lifesaver and 1/3 price of buying coffee etc from a coffee shop. Hopefully this doesn’t make me sound like an alcoholic but they are also perfect for what I use in this Simple Espresso Martini recipe.
- People are really into the “healthy” organic Yerba Mate tea drinks. I try them but sometimes it just gives me a weird jittery feel more than the coffee “high”. It could be just me so give them a try. They taste really good and are allegedly more caffeine than 3 cups of coffee.
Outdoors & Camping
- Backpacking Backpack. These can be really expensive and you don’t want to skimp here especially if you are hiking Havasupai Falls or something big. I continue to use my bag I brought to Thailand 15 years ago and hate myself every time. I’m almost thankful that a friend who borrowed it lost it. If you are looking for a bag this is a great reasonably priced one.
- As mentioned, my Gecko waterproof day bag. My Gecko waterproof backpack is lightweight and folds right up! It is probably my favorite travel item and comes in tons of colors. Great for when you are hiking down there to keep your phone, camera and food dry.
- Lightweight backpacking tents are helpful if you are a hiker. This one is only $50 and great value.
- I always have a hammock as it is a great buy for the outdoors since it folds up and is versatile. Here is a great affordable hammock.
- If space is tight on your next adventure here are some great options for a Lightweight sleeping bag, an Inflatable or camping pillow and an inflatable bed that are God sends when lightweight is a necessity.
- If you need lightweight cooking supplies then look no further. I like a kit such as this one from Amazon that has a mini backpacking stove, stainless steel cup and fork and knife. If you don’t want the whole pack then you can get this Mini backpacking stove and a small stove fuel canister for your mini stove. Here is also a fun heavy duty spork! This lantern is also amazing as it folds up small and is lightweight!
- For the most cost effective dried meals I recommend Mountain House’s meals. You just add hot water and all set. I would bring ketchup or sauce packets if you can though.
- I always have Nuun tablets stocked as they are great for electrolytes and just dissolve in water. Imagine gatorade without all the sugars and such. Plus they have 57 flavors… approximately.
