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10 Ride-or-Die Essentials that Genuinely Make Life Easier

These are my ride-or-die essentials — the things I use every single day that save me time, energy, money, or help keep me from devolving into madness.

Listen… if your life is anything like mine, she is already doing the absolute most. Show me an easier way to do literally anything, and I’m taking it. These are my ride-or-die essentials — the things I use every single day that save me time, energy, money, or help keep me from devolving into madness. Some are tiny little upgrades, and some genuinely changed my life… but all of them make being a functioning adult way less exhausting.

And yes, I’ll include links where it makes sense, because if I’m trying to make your life easier, I might as well make shopping easier too.

Let’s get into it.

1. A Huge Water Cup You’ll Actually Use

If you’ve ever thought, “I would drink more water if I could just pour it straight into my insides like I’m a houseplant,” then congratulations, I have just the thing for you.

A big insulated cup (Stanley, Stanley dupe, whatever) is a personality trait at this point.

2. Dry Shampoo That Saves You on Your Worst Hair Days

This one is self-explanatory.

If you see me with fluffy hair, mind your business — it might be 4 or 5 days old. I can go a WHILE without washing my hair, because it’s thick and takes forever to style. Good dry shampoo buys you time, confidence, and the illusion that you have your life together.

3. A Mini Vacuum or Crumb Buster That Lives on Your Counter

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but cleaning does not have to involve dragging out a full-size vacuum and all it’s attachments.

A tiny handheld vacuum on your counter has been weirdly life-changing, especially on those work-from-home days.

Crumbs, coffee grounds, dog hair, nail clippings… gone in seconds.
It turns a 10-minute chore into a 10-second one, and honestly, it’s just cute. I use it far more often than I thought I would.

4. A Sunset Lamp or Soft Ambient Lighting for Instant Mood Reset

Soft lighting does 80% of the emotional labor in my home.

A sunset lamp or warm ambient light instantly makes your space feel cozy, calm, and easier to manage. It helps with wind-down routines, makes cleaning less annoying, and tricks your brain into believing everything is okay.

Plus it just looks pretty.

Seriously, I turn this thing on within 2 seconds of entering my bedroom because it just makes everything feel so vibey and comfy. If it ever dies (I’ve had mine for years with no issue), I will be buying another one the same day. That’s how attached to it I’ve become.

5. A Comfy, Wireless Jelly Bra for Girls Who Hate Wearing Bras

I haven’t seen an underwire since the pandemic, and I’m not ashamed to admit that.

I genuinely don’t understand how women are out here strapping prisons to their chest and then pretending like everything is okay. It’s like medieval torture. I refuse to participate.

But the truth is, even if you like to let you girls swing low and proud like me, sometimes you HAVE to wear the damn bra.

6. An Air Fryer for When Cooking Feels Like the End of Days

If you hate cooking but you love eating, you need this air fryer. Well okay, you can use any old air fryer I guess, but this one comes in pretty matte colors and doesn’t look like a crusty old metal appliance.

This thing makes everything fast, crispy, and low-effort. Veggies? Throw them in. Frozen snacks? Bless you. Chicken? Yes ma’am.

If you’re chronically busy, this is your best friend. It makes a great gift, and has a longer basket design for big batch cooking.

This suggestion might seem like another obvious one, and maybe it is, but the true lazies know that if a meal takes longer than 10 minutes to make on a weeknight… it ain’t happening.

7. A Skincare Routine That’s Three Steps or Less

You don’t need 15 products and a skincare fridge. You just need:

  • A gentle cleanser (Confession: I’m too lazy to use a cleanser. I use Dr. Bronner’s soap on my face and nothing else. Sue me. But use whatever you want… just wash your damn face.)

When your routine is simple, you actually stick to it. I have tried the 10-step routines (and that’s not even a long one) and I always fell off. It just wasn’t convenient while traveling to carry around so many bottles and liquids. And then I always felt guilty when I forgot to use them, because obviously, skincare isn’t cheap!

Once I cut back to only 3 or 4 products, I noticed a real improvement in my skin because it was so much easier to stay consistent. And I felt confident spending a little more for three nice products than I did buying the cheapest of 8-10 items to try and save a little money.

It’s a win-win.

8. A Good Supplement Organizer

Do you know how many vitamins I stopped taking simply because I forgot they existed?

My ADHD does not play around when it comes to supplements (or produce that I’ve put in the fridge drawer.) Basically, if I can’t see it without digging around, it isn’t real.

It’s lazy self-care at its finest. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a flight attendant. I am all about the three C’s compact, convenient, and easy to carry. This thing checks all those boxes. And it’s always in my bag when I have that lightbulb moment of “oops I forgot to take my vitamins.”

And look how cute she is! For under $10? Girl it’s your own fault if you don’t have one.

9. A Portable Phone Charger Because My Phone Is Always at 3%

If you are chronically on-the-go (or chronically scrolling), a portable charger is non-negotiable. There’s nothing worse than being out in the world, vulnerable, with a dying phone. I refuse.

Literally, I never leave home without it. The peace of mind this thing has given me is worth every penny. I actually left it in an airport once and had another one in the mail immediately because going a day without it was a hard no from me. I take it on walks, into concert venues, and anywhere I might be using my phone and away from an outlet.

It can charge my phone to 100% and still have juice left! Like…hello? Amazing product right here.

10. A “Reset Kit” for When Your Life Becomes a Pile of Crumbs

Every type-B girl needs a little personal emergency kit to save her in times of “I forgot to brush my hair this morning,” or “oh cool, I just ripped my t-shirt on the doorknob.” In fact, I have whipped my kit out more for other people’s emergencies than for my own, which makes me feel like a straight-up hero.

Mine usually has:

  • Lip balm
  • Hair tie
  • Safety pins
  • Pain reliever
  • A snack
  • A mini deodorant
  • Band-Aids
  • A few dollars folded up like I’m someone’s grandma

Put it in your purse or work bag and suddenly every bad day becomes 90% more manageable. I got a bridal emergency kit because they have a little bit of everything in them, and then I beefed mine up with a few personalized extras.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, feeling good isn’t about becoming a productivity robot or reinventing your entire personality. It’s about the tiny, almost laughably simple things that remove just enough friction from your day to make life feel smoother, calmer, and more doable.

These essentials aren’t meant to turn you into a different person. They’re meant to support the person you already are.

You don’t have to “fix” yourself to feel better.
You just need tools that work with your energy, not against it.

If any of these essentials make your day even 1% easier, that’s a win.
Stack enough little wins together, and suddenly life feels lighter without you having to work any harder.

Duh.