Amazon's secret overstock section is packed with savings — our picks start at $3

Want to save time and money in the kitchen, and perhaps shed some pounds as well? Two words for you: meal prep. Ditch those plastic containers (they're not great for microwaving, even if they say "microwave safe") and go with glass. These are stackable and way easier to clean too.

$32 at Amazon

Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is, in my opinion, as a former automotive journalist, one of the most useful nonmechanical upgrades a car can have. It used to mean shelling out hundreds for a new head unit; now it's about the cost of a week's worth of coffee. What I like most about this one — beyond the 50% discount — is that the screen isn't as tall as many others, so it fits better under sloped windshields and won't block your view of the road.

$60 at Amazon

My wife and I have slowly been getting rid of all of our plastic cutting boards, replacing them with wooden ones. It's been a slow process. Plastic is cheap, but wood, depending on what you buy, often isn't. Unless it's 50% off like this cutting board, of course. It also features a cutout handle for ease of use.

$12 at Amazon

Has anyone else noticed how the sun's been setting earlier and earlier? Pretty soon, I'll be coming home from my after-work gym sessions in the dark. These solar lights will keep my walkway illuminated so I'm not tripping over forgotten toys or whatever else ends up in my path.

$35 at Amazon

If you're working on a desk that doesn't have a ton of room, this lamp and power strip combo will be a lifesaver, and right now it's 50% off. It'll also save you from finding yet another free outlet (one that's probably across the room, at that) to charge your phone or other devices. 

$16 at Amazon

Every single time I go to the dentist, they ask me, "How often do you floss?" I sheepishly respond, "Not enough." Instead of dealing with a mess of strings or single-use flossers that are terrible for the planet, opt for this $13 water flosser. It's rechargeable (no cords!) and it's compact enough to stow in a cabinet or drawer when it's not in use.

$13 at Amazon

A few Septembers back, I woke up one morning to a few inches of snow on the ground. The leaves hadn't yet fallen, and due to the weight of the wet snow, the 50-foot maple in our backyard had shed some gigantic branches. I bought a small chainsaw and did the cleanup myself for way less than the pros. Had I snagged it when it was 50% off like this one, it would've been even cheaper.

$30 at Amazon

As someone who runs their dishwasher daily and has a preschooler with a lunchbox similar to this one, let me give you some advice: Get one that's dishwasher safe (this one is!). I didn't, and I end up handwashing it every single night. Don't create more work for yourself. It's well worth the $7.

$7 at Amazon

As a never-going-to-be-in-recovery Yeti addict, I have to admit, when I'm just running to a neighbor's backyard party, I don't bother filling up my large, heavy coolers. Instead, provided everything fits, I throw my drinks and food into an insulated lunchbox and it's good to go. Unless you need ice to be kept for days, a lunchbox like this one is the best, most economical choice by far.

$15 at Amazon

None of us think we're going to get in an accident when we get behind the wheel. Man's (or woman's) best friend deserves to be safe while riding along in your car.

$35 at Amazon

The bathrooms in my house, despite being recently renovated right before we moved in, have already started to feel a bit dated thanks to millennial gray walls, brushed nickel hardware and builder-grade white tile. Not one to spend thousands to redo a perfectly fine bathroom, I instead opted to replace the cabinet pulls and the mirrors, and you'd be amazed at how much of a difference it made. This mirror works well whether you have a single vanity or double (just buy two!), and the black trim instantly classes up the room. 

$32 at Amazon

My bathroom cabinets had become a mess of epic proportions. Trimmers, cleaning products, mouthwash — everything just got tossed in until the moment I actually needed something. Then? Chaos. I'd have to take everything out just to reach the back. My solution: pull-out cabinet organizers. Now I can see exactly what's in the back without digging through a mess. Bonus: They were incredibly easy to install.

$38 at Amazon

Listen, I love my AirPods, but I still have an old pair of Sony headphones that are so comfy and sound so good that I can't help but smile when I throw them on. The downside? They're corded. Yep. I used to have a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter that worked just fine, but now that I've joined this decade with a phone that only has a USB-C port, I needed a new adapter. For just $3 each, I bought one for me and one for my wife.

$3 at Amazon

Summer may be half over, but there are still plenty of outdoor movie nights to be had well into fall. This 720p projector isn't breaking any resolution records, but it is down 65% to just $28, which is by far and away the lowest price it has ever been.

$28 at Amazon

Keeping my workbench organized is a constant struggle. Between the half-dozen batteries charging at any given time and drills, impact drivers and other tools scattered everywhere (I'm notoriously bad at putting things away as I go), it gets messy fast. This wall mount won't magically turn me into a hyper-organized person, but it does clear up my work surface by giving most of my tools a dedicated spot on the wall.

$43 at Amazon

When it comes to phone cables, braided or not, Apple-branded or not, they all wear out eventually. So why not stock up while they're stupid cheap? For just 50 cents apiece, you get six cables in varying lengths, from 3 feet all the way to 9. Perfect for when your kid's in the backseat and needs their iPad charged during your next road trip.

$4 at Amazon