Back to School Guide 2015: Picks under $50

UpdatedMon, August 3, 2015 at 5:00 PM UTC

It's that dreaded time of year when lazy summer days with their open invitation to sandals, surf and shirtlessness begin to give way to the crispness of fall, hoodies and the back-to-school doldrums. Ah, but there's hope on the horizon: You can always buy things to forget the scheduled machinery of life. And, oh, have we got some selections for you -- no matter your budget.

First up, our picks for the most cost-conscious of the back-to-school set.

We know what you're thinking: "A video game as a back-to-school recommendation?!" Why, yes. How else are you going to blow off all that misdirected academic anger and procrastinate?

With *Minecraft: Pocket Edition*, that's how. The Microsoft-owned crafting simulator is perhaps the best way to let loose and indulge the creative side of your brain for a little refresher... and you can even play it on mobile.

Price: $7 Amazon, Android, iTunes, Windows Phone

Gone are the days of heavy, three-piece stereo systems. Now, we have stylish, little boxes that connect to our gadgets wirelessly for some dorm-room or at-home dance parties. This little fella looks a lot like Jawbone's sleek Jambox at way less the cost. It's a must-have for those red Solo cup parties you know you're going to find yourself at.

Price: $35 Amazon

Remember cable? Hah, us neither.

For the price of Amazon's annual Prime subscription, you can get access to a vast library of on-demand TV shows, films and tunes and stream them all directly to your HDTV (or 4K!) set.

Amazon's Fire TV controller even gives you the option of barking voice commands at it, but you'll have to pony up for that extra-special privilege.

Price: $39 Amazon

Nowadays, no matter your age, we live and breathe digital life. This means we're all heads-down and smashing fingers against touchscreen glass. The downside to that is the drain on smartphone battery life. So to ensure you'll never miss an opportunity to post a 'fitspo' selfie (and we all know how much you love to do that!), there's this lipstick-like portable charger. It's demure enough to not attract too much attention and sleek enough to keep the focus on your cool.

Price: $10 Amazon

Sure, you can go the Amazon route, but Google's the one that started it all. With this itty-bitty Chromecast dongle, you can sling HBO Go (using "your own" login, of course), Hulu, Netflix and YouTube videos of Girls' Generation (just a suggestion) from your smartphone or laptop to the flat-screen nearby. And all without the need for an annual service subscription.

Price: $35 Google Store

Physical card games are the new video games -- kinda. For anyone who's throwing a get-together and won't mind a little foul-mouthed raunch, *Cards Against Humanity* is your go-to. Think *Mad Libs*, but with an excessively adult-leaning theme. The rest of the fun is up to your own personal level of filth and your friends' tolerance for it.

Price: $25 Amazon

C'mon, we all know that the only way to get through any school day or assignment is to gulp several cups of coffee. But you don't have to walk to your nearby campus gas station for a quick fix! The more discerning amongst you can plunk down for this grinder and make an artisanal brew that's sure to score you snob points. You'll still need a drip coffee maker, but this'll at least get you halfway there.

Price: $20 Amazon

Everyone needs a backpack. And let's face it: Messenger bags are so late '90s. If you're looking for an understated bag that'll accommodate your 17-inch laptop, this one's made for you. It also sports a "media pocket" so you can store your smaller-sized electronic gadgetry.

Price: $50 Cocoon

Accidentally bad-on-purpose, yet beautiful photography is the name of the game with this camera. Holga's 120N light-leaking plastic body means you'll end up with pretty pics that rival any filter you can add on Instagram. And the best part: It's the type of thing you can frame on your dorm wall to add that decorative touch.

Price: $33 Amazon

As gadgets go, a flash memory drive isn't the "sexiest" of options, but it's definitely the most necessary. With a whopping 128GB of storage and support for USB 3.0, this flash drive guarantees you'll be able to take those presentations, theses and movies to the laptop in whatever room you wake up in.

Price: $38 Amazon

Times have changed and so have our attitudes toward technology's uses. Take the Dube XS, for example: It's a vaporizer pen that'll let you get your preferred herbal hit or caffeine fix without any of the liquidy mess of coffee or Mountain Dew. Just pop in a cartridge (sold separately) and you're good to go and go and go...

Price: $40 White Rhino

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'Minecraft: Pocket Edition'

We know what you're thinking: "A video game as a back-to-school recommendation?!" Why, yes. How else are you going to blow off all that misdirected academic anger and procrastinate?

With Minecraft: Pocket Edition, that's how. The Microsoft-owned crafting simulator is perhaps the best way to let loose and indulge the creative side of your brain for a little refresher... and you can even play it on mobile.

Price: $7 Amazon, Android, iTunes, Windows Phone

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Back to School Guide 2015: Picks under $50

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