I said my water bottle because it reminds me to stay hydrated. Hopefully that was a good enough answer 😬
UPDATE: I got hired! It is for a medical scribe position at my local hospital.
Just had an interview where I was asked: “What is a purchase you’ve made that was under $20 that changed your life?” What would you respond with?
Post-interviewThis guy interviews
I’m a chameleon baby! I’ll play your silly little game. Just make sure you come with the questions and interview them too.
Absofuckinglutely. Interviews are a 2 way street.
Any gardener knows, that <$20 purchase of seeds led to thousands of dollars spent collecting every variety of everything you’ve ever wanted to grow 😂
You forgot: raised beds, soil delivery, tools, oh more tools, fence to keep out the rabbits and deer, more seeds and more plants when the seeds don’t come up. Lol. I’m sure some people save money by growing their own food, I’m not one of them. Hey, but home grown tomatoes. Priceless.
Potatoes! You gotta try homegrown taters!
Those are so easy and so good! We usually do them in grow bags, and they produce every time!
That’s a good answer….seeds!
"Hopefully, the $12 I paid to park for this interview."
This is a really good answer forreal
Damn that’s a good one. I’d hire you in a second. If it was a sales job I’d make you lead the department.
No you wouldn’t
If I was the CEO and owner I'd give him the company.
Source: I am Tim Apple
Hopefully.
Or the gas to get there
Really, just anything relating to you getting the job. As a manager that hires, I look for this shit.
Perfect answer... brings some lightness to the ordeal.
That is a great answer. And a bit of humor interjected as well plus hopefulness and a positive outlook. Hopefully would bear well with interviewer
If a place dings them for this answer then it's not a place worth working for.
There’s a free parking lot right outside. Hope you didn’t apply for some sort of budget management role
I adopted my cat for $6. That would be my answer.
My sister’s cat had a $10 adoption fee. She gave them $10 and they gave her a $10 credit to use at their store towards supplies. Technically, she got a free cat.
No such thing as a free cat.
Not even my foster failure? They were like here he needs a foster and I was like cool, free cat.
My husband was like when’s he going up for adoption? I go soon. He stayed with us for 12 more years. Husband still tells me I stole the cat lol
On his episode of felonious fosters...
My "free" cats have been expensive. The one I paid $35 for? So inexpensive over the long term.
My fancy boy cost a $150 “donation”
Ok he is not fancy
Mine looks like he escaped a junkyard
Agent Jack Bauer?
I got mine in a cardboard box in a Walmart parking lot. She’s barely past feral. She scares me sometimes lol
The Cat Distribution System never fails
My cats were $0. One was a kitten from my best friend’s barn cat and the other one I “inherited” from a friend’s mother that was going into a nursing home.
I got 2 free cats and they cost me $500, plus $100 a month for their whole lives for fancy grain free food WITHOUT counting all of the things I bought to spoil them.
Bougiest yard cats ever.
My cats were free, but then I got them shots and fixed so there were some costs there
I got a free kitten once. Almost $1,000 dollars in vet bills the first few months told me never again. The ones I adopted from the shelter included the initial vet visits and fixing for much, much lower.
I got mine for free because someone found her but couldn’t keep her. She definitely changed my life 🥺
Mine was abandoned as a kitten I. The dollar general parking lot. She is the most spoiled being in my home- child included.
Meat thermometer. It ensures no food poisoning from undercooked meat.
and food poisoning for people you dont like!
Oh man, I read that just scrolling through and had to scroll back up to give you the upvote you deserve.
How about a book?
This is a good one. Strunk & White’s “Elements of Style” completely changed my life. I apparently couldn’t write worth a damn before and it made me a much better writer, which turned into a career in corporate writing
This and “The Copy Book” were absolute game changers for me.
Strunk & White’s “Elements of Style” completely changed my life.
Some decades ago, a new department head gave a copy of that book to every person in our design department. It still lives on my bookshelf, even though I am retired now.
This is probably the best answer. Pick something like “atomic habits” or some other self help, businessy nonsense. HR eats that shit up.
Lmao that’d be a borderline red flag for me
For people that think, it is. Fortunately HR never bothers itself with useless things like rational thought.
HR usually is only doing a phone screen and wouldn’t ask something like this.
Who Moved My Cheese? 😅😅🧀
The Art Of Living + Letters From a Stoic can both prob be bought new for under 20 bucks you get a 2 for 1 answer yay
Never split the difference- by Chris Voss
Does it get better? I am a couple chapters into the audiobook and so far it hasn't provided any valuable insights.
Google- never split the difference cheat sheet summary - breaks down the tools and purposes. You’ll go from 30% of getting what you want to 90% in most cases.
machiavelli's "the prince:"
really helped me with ethical decision making....
I thought “a library card.” It would be a great, cheesy answer if library cards weren’t free…
Hand the interviewer a 20 and wink.
Questions stated under $20. You fail for lack of attention to detail.
Lint roller
Once upon a time I was an Admin person in charge of coordinating my team's contribution to a report. I tried giving out gag prizes for the people who got their bits in on time. The guy who got the dollar store lint roller seemed genuinely perplexed as to how I considered it a gag gift.
Apparently they're useful ig.
Lint rollers are really pert hair rollers imo
This is 100% accurate.
I'd say this with a 100% straight face, while displaying corgi glitter for the world to see.
World of Warcraft changed my life... But probably not in the way that they're looking for
I ran a raid guild in WoW for nearly a decade. I learned an enormous amount about organization, event scheduling, conflict resolution, and motivating large groups of people onwards despite significant challenges. Overall, a super rewarding experience.
It definitely cost me way more than $20 though, but it was a very fun time in my life, and I also grew a lot as a person.
You didn't pay less than $20 for WoW. Over time, you have likely spent hundreds just in sub fees.
Username is apt. Even I wouldn't hire someone who answered that because they probably will smell up the office
Obviously not everyone can use this, but I’d say: “I purchased a day-pass to my local rock climbing gym and met my husband. So, very life-changing.”
Otherwise, as a writer, I’d probably go with whatever book has influenced my writing the most over the years. Probably Speak, because it was the first book that made me realize I could like reading.
I did a day pass with my friend, then he suggested to try bouldering first. yup, broken leg in under 5 minutes. Best money I ever spent.
I'm just popping in to say Speak is an amazing book.
My first music album. Having the control over what music I hear instead of just listening to radio grew my love for music and the appreciation for what technology can provide.
A marriage license. That was like over 20 years ago so I don’t know how much they cost now. We’re still married lol.
My penny collection. I've spent around $20 over the years on pressed pennies from vacations. I can sit and look through the box and have all the good memories from those trips in my hand.
A Long Island iced tea. It was wayyy too strong, but that drink is what put me over the edge to text this girl I’d never met but knew of through a friend and introduce myself, we’ve been married 16 years.
Liquid courage indeed.
You may think a long island is iced tea with alcohol in it. It's actually alcohol with alcohol in it.
Congrats.
Poop stool to raise my feet when pooping
Sir, this is a job interview.
Yeah? You asked what changed my life
Some of the top comments now makes his reply to you super funny.
Am I hot desking? I need a place to keep my poop stool.
What about your poop knife?
ahh the squatty potty
I have one too!
This feels like a question that's trying to size up either your class status or your priorities without sounding like it's discriminating on that basis. But there's no context really, so who knows
Fuck around and say "a packet of noodles" and you have pegged yourself as someone who would be grateful for the bare minimum.
As someone who actually conducts interviews - nah. It's a personality gauging question. Theyre almost certainly just looking for you to be able to think of any answer or just not panic if you cant think of one. Chances are at absolutely any job you will encounter situations you do not have a prepared and rehearsed answer for, and they want to know you wont lose your shit in this type of situation.
“If you could be any animal, what would you be?”
I stared blankly for a second and then said “I don’t like this question. I’m here for a job interview.”
Ask me what I would do in a realistic hypothetical job situation, if you want to gauge my candid performance. Judge my personality if you’re running a club, not a business.
Oh my god I was asked this question in my very first job interview at 16. I blanked for about 45 seconds, then blurted out: probably a cat because I love sleeping so much...
Needless to say, I didn't get the job.
T-Rex and start quoting Robert from step-brothers.
I mean if you’re gonna be dismissive at least have some fun with it
That’s what it comes across to me as well. One of those sneaky “vibe check” questions smh.
Yup. Just like “hey so what brings you to Virginia” or “What do you do for fun?” Or “tell me about a time outside of work…”
These are discrimination questions merely disguised in pleasantries.
They want to know if you have kids, a spouse, medical conditions. Will you prioritize work above all else.
Shady suns of bitches
Or they’re just trying to put you at ease by engaging in small talk
They can be both. People are rarely intentionally classist and not wanting to give a poor person a chance, and not realizing they maybe respond better to the type of answers a rich person would give than a poor person’s honest answer.
Are some people discriminatory in interviews: Yes.
Should you go into every interview with a chip on your shoulder and assume that someone asking about your interests is being discriminatory: No.
Wasn’t trying to imply otherwise.
Was just pointing out prejudice and bias is often completely unconscious behavior on the part of the person exhibiting it, and isn’t even necessarily them doing anything wrong.
It can still unfairly hurt those who are poor or from a less stable background.
"Discrimination Questions" A possibly Life-changing $20 spent? ... Box of condoms.
Orientation. 300 new employees. HR passes out a piece of paper. “Here’s a fun game to get to know each other! Go around the room and find one person who fits each category. Write their name in the box, and return it to us for a chance to win a prize!”
The categories? Find someone who was born in another country. Find someone who speaks another language. Find someone with more than 3 children. Etc. Worth noting that it was an industry known for and full of undocumented immigrants.
During my sorority recruitment days (a thousand years ago) we were told to ask where they were planning to go for spring break so we could size up whether or not they could afford the dues. I agree; this is a sneaky discrimination question.
User deleted comment
26d
Nah fr bc what in gods name does this have to do with the position
LMAO!!!
She must be up-charging, I got an hour for that price
My cat was free. Does that count?
A second bottle of sake at the restaurant where we were celebrating my husband’s birthday. Got drunk, stayed in a hotel instead of going home, made some dumb choices, the consequences of which just got home from school a few hours ago.
Ma'am, again, this is a job interview.
Well sure, if you want to go with the old safe bullshit answers. What’s your greatest weakness? Well, I just work TOO hard, hyuck hyuck! I’ve actually gotten more job with real but slightly humorous answers. I think most people appreciate that out of the sea of bullshit. Probably not this story for an office job, though.
Condoms… cheaper than diapers.
My Dash egg cooker lol
A truthful answer: an Ethernet cable. The problem is this answer is rather flat, and not particularly deep.
A better answer: some kind of instructional or self help book probably. This speaks to a calculated unique decision point you made, when compared to other candidates.
My first thought was a longer cord for charging my phone. Could always spin that into an actual answer that sounds somewhat good: people will often just stick with the default or status quo, but I’ve found that making small adjustments/investments can lead to fairly significant improvements if people will just take action.
First month of gym membresy
Four therapy copays
Damn what plan are you on??
It’s a plan through work. Copays tiny but prescriptions coverage almost non existent- it’s cheaper for me to GoodRx all of my scripts versus go through the plan
‘Massage’ in Thailand. Jk. ‘Mouse mover so I don’t really have to work during the day and look active all day on teams’ Both solid for an interview…
My last lottery ticket.
Did you win?
Would I be here if I did?
"dildo as big as my arm so I can constantly get fucked when big corporations like you aren't doing it."
“This kid shows leadership potential.”
Is it wrong I laughed way to hard at this?
This person sounds like mgmt material, hire them!
They ain't that cheap tho
Tax included or excluded? Because for $19.99 pre tax I got a tap head water filter that not only saves me money to change filters compared to the brita prices but also saved me so much rage from me being the only one to refill it instead of people leaving it out empty or putting it back into the fridge with handily enough water to cover the bottom. My happiness of this change is indeed life changing. 
I'm pretty fond of the needle-nose pliers I use to pluck my nose hair.
The first drink I bought my wife
Eye mask for sleeping.
My rest improved TREMENDOUSLY.
I would literally get into a whole passionate spiel about electric toothbrushes. Would give them different tips, show them how cheap and affordable they can get up to, how much of an effect they can have based on my personal experiences.
Not even just as a job interview "make up a good response" BS answer. Just because I fricking genuinely think it changed my life and I think I should change this interviewer's life too outta sheer passion for electric toothbrushes.
I might say dental floss. I’m passionate about oral hygiene.
Box of condoms
The subtle art of not giving a fuck
🚩
Sushi gun
May I ask what this is?
I think I would tell them that I bought and read the book called, “The Seven habits of highly effective people“.
It’s actually a great book if you are trying to find time to accomplish everything you need to do!
Pregnancy test
Never got this question before, but thanks. It keeps us aware of what's being asked out there. I think the water bottle was a good answer. So I'd think the ideal reply is anything that's positive & even better if it promotes good health.
A book, like someone said sounds good too. Here's other answers I'm thinking off the top of my head:
- My first month's payment on a gym membership because I plan to stay as healthy as I can!
- How about a long distance phone bill for a call w/ a loved one I hadn't spoken to in a while. It lifted my spirits & we had a great conversation.
I hate these kind of questions.
I asked ChatGPT and this is what it said:
A great response to this question should highlight a purchase that had a meaningful and positive impact on their life, reflecting both personal and professional growth. Here’s an example of a strong response:
"A purchase that stands out to me is a small planner that cost me around $10. I bought it when I was struggling to manage my time effectively and felt overwhelmed by my responsibilities. This simple tool helped me organize my tasks, set clear priorities, and track my progress daily. It not only improved my productivity but also reduced my stress levels and gave me a sense of control over my schedule. This experience taught me the value of organization and planning, which I apply in my professional life to stay on top of my projects and meet deadlines efficiently."
This response shows self-awareness, problem-solving skills, and an ability to translate a small change into significant personal and professional benefits.
Wool socks
I was thinking of this. I purchased 2 pairs of Darn Tough Merino wool socks for $19.99. It has a lifetime warranty, no questions asked. After a few years of wearing them, my nail poked through one sock. I took the pair back to REI, and I got a brand new pair in exchange. When the other one wears down, I'll do the same again and exchange it for another pair.
A bag of cheese doodle on my credit card, I received 6 miles on my $2.00 purchase on my frequent flyer credit card
This is a fucking stupid question.
It's an interview question. 90% of them are stupid. (From someone who does interviews).
Which begs the question: Can we come up with something better?
I like to think mine are better. But I'm biased lol. I focus on personality and potential proficiency. Basically if you've got a good attitude, I can teach the rest. Or my team can. Imo these dumb questions like the one OP was asked. Or the "how much would you charge to wash every window in NYC?" Are signs to not take the offer if it comes.
Dinner I bought for my wife on our first date
The last meal I had. I didn’t dramatically change my life but that’s not what they’re asking. It changed my state from hungry to not hungry and very subtly altered my molecular composition.
There's no wrong answer. They just want to see if you're capable of using your brain for 2 seconds and get a taste of your personality.
From some of the comments I've read here, there are a lot of wrong answers.
The first meal/snack I bought for my younger siblings with my own money. Cemented the fact that I wanted to be there for them and sacrifice the little things in order to make their lives a little bit better
I might be in the minority here but I would love this question in an interview. Here is my answer:
Amazon once accidentally sent me a light switch that had timer buttons on it, I had to send it back, but ended up purchasing it again for like 15 bucks to put in my bathroom for the shower vent. I used to forget to turn off the vent after x time this allows me to set it for different time lengths and then it will auto turn off.
By itself may seem trivial however, this started my obsession with automating my house over the past 10 years, now I have motion activated lighting in the bathrooms and my closet echo enabled lighting and scenes to make life a little easier and it has also led to me getting the app enabled fire alarms and door locks that have saved my home from a fire when we weren’t there but my husband left the stove on a towel on it. I was able to let my neighbor in and he smothered the fire and turned off the stove. This gives me peace of mind and a greater quality of life.
I work in insurance and then would spin this into a conversation about the internet of things and sensor technology impact on insurance. I have done extensive research into both from a personal use and insurance product perspective although with the cyber security implications. It would be a great opportunity to showcase business and technology acumen.
Compression socks.
I would have said $20 worth of gas to get me to the interview
Marriage License
A Book! “Interviewing For and By Idiots”.
1st thought would be an egg spatula that really works. My 2nd thought was a wallet case for my iPhone so I can carry my license, credit card & a little cash when I don’t want to bring a purse.
Bluetooth page turner ring for reading on my iPad
Knife 🔪
Poop knife.
Honest answer for me is a silk eyemask
Glide floss. So much easier and better than the old kind.
Antibiotics.
Gamer girl bath water. (I got it with a 30% discount).
This is an old school hr reasoning question. The item doesn’t matter as long as it stay within the confines of the rules placed on it but what is being checked is your reasoning to your answer.
Some other examples I’ve heard are: favourite superhero and why? Favourite food and why? Favourite place to visit and why?
Potential answer: a notebook, because ive realized after working in a fast paced environment that I don’t always have my laptop with me to take notes and as such I found it helpful to have for those moments, and you can never have too many reminders regarding deadlines.
A new toothbrush
Or a tongue scraper! 👅
Ya, this is definitely the answer. I can’t live without this.
I'd be funny and say my wallet cuz it was less than $20 but I lost it. Really changes your life when you've lost your license and some important cards lol.
My first bag
Donuts
Rice cooker
A train ticket across China in 1988
Those little shakers of popcorn seasoning. My wife hates it. So at movies, I get to have my own bowl/container of popcorn and I can sprinkle as much ranch or garlic/parmesan I want on it. And she can't say boo! Life changer!
A bidet.
Tub shroom
Kinetic sand
"A hit of meth"
"The bullet I killed my ex wife with"
"A lockpicking set"
Are all probably answers that wouldn't help you at all
What do interviewers hope to gain from asking horrible questions like this?
I bought a cheap, stick to the counter, hand turned cheese grater during the pandemic and I haven’t bought bagged cheese since then.
Water
That interviewer must love Tim Ferriss.
What job was the interview for?
Contact lenses. Blind as a bat without them.
$15 lot lizard. Still can't find an antibiotic that helps.
So "your wife" as an answer is off the table, right?
iPhone protective case
My shoes. I bought a pair of white Keds for 5 bucks at Goodwill (many years ago before I started boycotting them) and they have lasted me an eternity. They aren't pretty anymore, but I can run a mile in them and they fit me perfectly.
A Hot water bottle
My Amazon mini trash cans for my car they help keep it cleaner than any vehicle I’ve had lol
Yeah if I was being truthful, Just Mercy would be the answer. Long before the movie.
Bluetooth speaker. Take it with us on trips and have a party wherever we are !
As an interview question: Seeds. Gardening gave me something to take care of and look after, a bit of purpose, responsibility and helped better my routine.