One of my favorite books to reference from time to time is Tribe Of Mentors by Tim Ferriss. This book is packed full of short life advice from the best in the world. Everyone from successful entrepreneurs to business owners, tech investors, and other authors.

One of the questions that Tim asks each one of these people is What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)?

The answers to that question run the gamut. Everything from an Apple Pencil to an eye mask for sleeping and a leather laptop sleeve. These purchases, no matter how small, positively impacted that person in some way. Whether it’s a product to allow you to sleep better, be more productive, or just be happier. These products are more than just material objects.

With millions of Americans now working from home, we’ve all had to make additional purchases to set up our home offices. Remote work is not going away either, it’s only going to grow.

According to Upwork, 41.8% of the American workforce continues to work remotely. Although an estimated 26.7% will still be working from home through 2021, 36.2 million Americans (22% of the workforce) will be working remotely by 2025. This is a staggering 87% increase from the number of remote workers prior to the pandemic!

With that said, I’ve made several purchases over the last few months that have positively impacted my work from home lifestyle. Here is my ultimate gift guide for your home office setup. Each coming in under $100.

Logitech Keyboard and Mouse Combo

As dumb as it sounds, this has been one of the best purchases I’ve made in a while. I’ve tried a few different keyboards and mice over the past few months and settled on the Logitech K380 Bluetooth keyboard and Logitech M355 Bluetooth mouse. Both of these Logitech products are minimalist in design and function, but still large enough to not make your hands feel cramped when typing.

A pet peeve of mine is a loud or noisy keyboard when typing. Same with a mouse. Yes some of them have louder clicks than others and just lack some finesse in their designs. Both the K380 keyboard and M355 mouse are compact, quiet, and reliable.

The Ultimate Gift Guide For Your Home Office

If you’re a digital nomad or just like to work from your local coffee shop on occasion, these are both great options that can be thrown into your bag and used with smaller tables without compromising too much space. And the fact that they are both Bluetooth means you don’t have to worry about those stupid little wireless USB plugs.

Both the keyboard and mouse make it more enjoyable for writing and creating content. And they just look cool on my desk.

Miady LED Desk Lamp

The Ultimate Gift Guide For Your Home OfficeHome office lighting is another important factor to consider since virtual meetings are now a thing. One of the easiest things to do to look professional during Zoom meetings is to have proper lighting, so it doesn’t look like you’re sitting in a cave.

Again I’ve tried a few different lamps and the one I ended up keeping is the Miady LED desk lamp. With three different color modes, four levels of brightness, and an adjustable neck, you can really dial in your lighting for Zoom meetings and then choose a different setting for working, reading, or even product photography. In my opinion, it’s the most versatile lamp available for a small home office.

Sounddance Laptop Stand

Keeping your laptop at the right height and angle not only offers better positioning during Zoom meetings but also encourages a healthier posture when typing or creating content all day long.

There are so many different styles and designs to choose from, that it can be difficult to know what will work best for your setup. I started out by just using a box that I would set my laptop on during meetings, but that just looks tacky and unprofessional, so I decided to upgrade.

The laptop stand I purchased is the Sounddance Laptop Stand. It’s an all-metal laptop stand that breaks down easily into three pieces for transportation. It’s compatible with all laptops from 10” to 15”. The design is minimal and sleek looking and it complements my keyboard/mouse combo quite nicely.

The Ultimate Gift Guide For Your Home Office

Coffee Or Die

What good is a home office gift guide without a proper coffee cup for your home office setup? My favorite coffee cup is just your standard coffee ceramic coffee mug. It’s what is written on the cup that matters. Printed on my coffee cup is the phrase “Own Your Shit.”

The ultimate gift guide for your home office setup

A pretty simple reminder every morning as I sit down at my desk to execute the plan of the day. No matter what happens, good or bad, I need to own my shit and take full responsibility for my assigned tasks and responsibilities. It’s more motivational than anything. It’s also unique which is why I like it.

I pair my unique coffee cup with an equally unique coaster. The coaster I use on my desk at home is ballistically rated to stop all handgun rounds. That’s right! It’s bulletproof! The coaster is made from the same materials as a level 3a body armor insert. You can find a set of these at The Armor Shop if you’re interested. It makes for a great conversation piece.

Wrapping It Up

These are my most recent purchases that have transformed my home office into a place that I can be productive, relaxed, and happy. And they are each under $100. If you have any purchases you’ve made over the last few months that have had a positive impact on your life, please share with us in the comments. 

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By Published On: May 4, 2021Categories: Writer Development5.2 min read996 wordsViews: 655