askchapo

Gonna jump on to the bicycle recommendation.

Use it for all of your transportation needs (I bus or Lyft when biking is not feasible) and you'll save oodles of money that you can use to grab other items from this thread eventually.

bidet bidet bidet bidet bidet bidet bidet

theyre like 20 bucks on amazon if u own a toilet highly recommend this is the shit i got (im sure theres more ethcial places to buy this shit idk)

https://www.amazon.com/SAMSICHI-Attachment-Retractable-Cleaning-Existing/dp/B0C56SCBM4

high key if you have hard water i had a problem where my water nozzle stopped automatically retracting after like 1.5 years bc of mineral buildup but it was 20 bucks so i cant be too disappointed so i guess not too lasting but idk maybe ill buy a more expensive one next time

A good pair of shoes, especially if you're on your feet a lot. Your body will thank you now and in the future for spending a couple hundred bucks on a pair of good quality shoes. It depends on what you're doing but I do most of my running around in ASICS and I can feel the difference if I wear almost anything else. There are good choices in Brooks, Saucony, New Balance, and Mizuno as well

Depends entirely on what you have. I'd say a used eReader and a VPN is one of the absolute best bang for your buck entertainment methods, but you can get by with your phone for reading if you don't read much. An Aeropress is fantastic for those who like coffee and don't have anything for making it. A good pillow, socks, shoes, and underwear goes a very long way, as does a comfy hoodie and sweatpants for lounging. Most of these can be quite inexpensive. If you're vegan, a good quality blender is night and day for making sauces and creams, milks, etc, or even a gym membership or set of dumbells can be massive for your fitness goals if you have any, along with a scale for you and a scale for food if this is something you personally want to do. No personal responsibility bullshit.

Try to think of what's missing from your life, any habits you wish you had to supplement your life or any you think need improvement, and go from there! This answer varies from person to person.

solid knives and pots/pans for cooking. Good, big ones that will survive the fucking apocalypse.

a duffel or backpack that's tough as nails

I'm gonna approach this question a different way and assume a situation where you're living out of a car or on someone's couch. A kind of basic kit for stuff that isn't a revolving good like food or hygiene products.

1. Basic, versatile wardrobe from thrift stores. Try to find high quality brands. If you're in a mixed climate this will be more expensive and you have to think in terms of layers. For places without much seasonal change, you can afford more variety. You can buy new for socks and underwear.
2. Comfortable footwear that will protect you from water. Walking will be your main mode of transport.
3. Tools like a knife, flashlight, a small mess kit (spoon, fork, cup/bowl). Reusable water container that's easy to clean. Sewing kit.
4. Something that will keep you dry when spending extended periods in the rain. Probably a poncho over an umbrella. Something that fits over your body and pack.
5. Accessories like a hat and sunglasses for spending time in the sun. Throw in a couple bandanas.
6. A basic pre-paid phone that can do wifi calling and can run a web browser. A small notebook with blue and black pens. A sharpie.
7. Build a first-aid kit from scratch to maximize space/weight
8. A good bag to carry it all in, something that won't hurt your shoulders
9. Small grooming kit (comb, brush, scissors, mirror, nail clippers, file)

All this isn't completely necessary if you scrounge and scavenge a little more. You can leave out the mess kit and just take free silverware packs. Hotels usually have free note pads and pens. Churches and shelters may give out some grooming stuff and clothing.

A nice chair

You could get a cheap pistol which could lead to several other lifestyle improvements if you used it well. Jokes aside I think for that ammount of money it depends on your local environment. I could say good cold weather gear but maybe you aren't in a place with cold weather. I could say a car tow hitch but you might not be in a place where people drive alot and you could save thousands by being able to tow friends cars. You could probably take a class in something and that be the thing I think. I dunno what things you are intrested in but that would be my vote.

A Phillips sonicare toothbrush and a bunch of the heads. Idk if any other "sonic" or electric toothbrushes are similarly effective but it's one of the few things I've bought in the last 10 years that I unequivocally recommend to everybody.

I always used to have one or two little problems when I would go to the dentist normally and ever since getting it I'm golden. When I have to go somewhere without it for a few days and take a regular toothbrush my mouth starts to feel disgusting.

Products I own that I have gotten way more value out of than I expected:

Philips Norelco electric shaver- paid about $40 for it over 10 years ago and use it daily. Works just as well as new with annual razor changes (about $20).

Oral B electric toothbrush- the Sonicare toothbrush was previously mentioned in the replies and this is just the alternative I use. Again, over 10 years of daily use.

Inzer lever lifting belt- bought it for about $100 20(!!) years ago and I thought it was a pricy purchase for the time. Now I see it as an absolute bargain. I've been using this thing 3x a week for the past 20 years through thousands of squat sets and not one stitch on the leather is loose.

Instant Pot- I can't believe how much a simple pressure cooker has changed my life for the better but the time and money this saves me can not be understated. I've been using this nearly daily for the past 5 years and now consider it essential to my daily routine.

Foam roller- any dense foam roller will do. Mine was 20 bucks and will last a lifetime. Everyone can benefit from daily rolling.

echoing others:

• a comfortable pair of all weather shoes (rain and cold is a thing that happens where i am) that can be shined up to work in a formal setting. they aren't as great as they once where, but i got a newer pair of doc martens and they have been comfy and durable over the 100+ miles of walking i've done in the last 3 months. they come up higher on the ankle than the more formal docs i bought back in the late 90s, which are still great and comfortable. i'm sure there are nicer shoes/boots for the discerning customer, but i'm basic.
• a bidet attachment for your toilet. it will probably pay for itself in saved toilet paper. there are cheapies for $20-30 which are totally great. for my second one i decided to dollar down and get a $50 one and it's magnificent, all high quality components made hooking it up a breeze.
• an entry level, basic tier rice maker with steam tray. i got a 10 year old one secondhand Aroma like 6 years ago, and it still crushes. would i like an S-tier Zojirushi that sings to me and makes my rice most auspiciously? yes. but i am not upgrading until the Aroma shits the bed.
• the lowest tier vitamix
• instapot

If you have pets I highly recommend a robot vacuum. I have a Roomba brand one but other brands have decent ones too. Having a freshly vacuumed floor every day is sooo nice.

They do like 90% as good a job vacuuming as a person does but if you’re like me vacuuming more than twice a week feels like a lot, so 90% every day on a set schedule is better overall.

A good knife, and you wouldn't need 590£.

Shoes or boots, as others have said.

A good solid power drill if you're like me.

Whatever you use every day, most of the day, get a real solid version of that. Shoes, bedding, office chair, anti fatigue mats, knives, tools.

Dental work, too, though idk how much 500$ will get you.

If you don’t have one grab a cheap blender. Moderately healthy fruit smoothies for pennies on the dollar compared to a smoothie shop.

I don't think I saw it mentioned but here goes: A double edged safety razor.

Better shave, better for the environment, and cheaper in the long run. Just make sure you also get a razor blade disposal case and make sure those blades are safely recycled.

Clothes. When I was basically down to three pairs of pants that were going threadbare, a friend paid generously for a show I put on with my banjo. For $200 I managed to minimize the amount of trips to the laundry room and really feel good about how I looked.

Other things are kitchen appliances on the fritz and a good stock of convenience food should your burnout kick in too early.

If you cook and don't have a good knife, get a Victorinox Fibrox chef knife, preferably 7"ish, and an inexpensive whetstone. I use the back of a coarse leveling whetstone and a 1000/3000 grit combo whetstone. Neither should be above $20ish on Amazon. Use the knife especially to prepare vegetables and mince garlic and ginger.

Good shoes or good weather tolerant outdoor clothes like a rain jacket. When I had very little money, these I struggled to afford and often put aside the longest because I could not quite justify them to myself. But walking around in wet clothes and shoes is such misery.

Same with other basic stuff like a really good useful backpack, a good frying pan, something genuinely helpful for their home.

I suppose what matters is the type of person this is for. I for example got myself a secondhand home gym setup at the start of covid and it is in use still, has been a huge quality if life increase for a neurospicy introvert. Many say a robot vacuum is a really big help. My adult kid would love a dish washer if he could afford one.

Bonus: a body pillow, the best thing ever just for pure comfort.

Best $500 I ever spent was a portable air conditioner for the summers. Depends where you live of course, because almost nobody has AC here where I live. Residential units simply do not come with it.

One more thing came to mind. A good spacious enough freezer if you don't have one.

It saves so much money and time in the long run. You can buy fresh stuff in bulk and patch freeze it and just cook from the freezer. Or meal prep and freeze ready meals for spoonless days. Or freeze leftovers so you don't waste food. And eat berries and other good stuff all year round.

As for others recommending a good knife/knives. I would totally recommend that you also get a knife sharpener, or more specifically a whetstone. An afternoon of toil can leave you with a bunch of knives that are better than new, rather than throwing out perfectly good stuff!

Dehumidifier is a life saver for properties prone to damp and mould. We spent about £100 on ours and it keeps mildew from forming on stuff left under the bed/in wardrobes and also lets us dry clothes indoors all year round, saving us on running the tumble dryer.

A ~50$ handheld steam cleaner goes a long way.

If doing dry herb, a ball vape.

Headlamp.

Massage gun can be great, anecdotes aside, worth considering.