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I am not a mechanically inclined person. However, people have used the adjective 'resourceful' while standing in the same room as me, and I can usually resolve my mechanical issues in a way that is suitable to me with whatever items are at hand. Call it ghetto-rigging, call it an absence of taste, but it takes a truly inventive mind to duct-tape an alarm clock to the side of a refrigerator when table-top space is sparse.

Throughout my score and some odd years, I've run into a number of situations where the right tool for a problem simply cannot be improvised, at least, not without undue effort. This is my attempt to list the absolutely essential items one should own. The criteria for the items listed here are simple: the tool must be highly affordable, not easily substituted for, and relatively general in its application. Also, my target demographic is typical dorm or apartment dwellers who are satisfied with a non-aesthetic, non-elegant fix. And remember, this is for mechanical solutions. After four years in college quarters and some time in the real world, I've found that the bare-bones set of tools looks something like this:

You could argue that I'm leaving out a saw, or that a rock will substitute for a hammer, but I'm targeting somewhere between Bob Villa and a caveman.

Now, here's where my narrative takes on a more earnest tone. Below are some items you can find in a Walmart or Target or hardware store for under $5 that are invaluable in dealing with cracked plastics, broken shoes, torn clothing, organizing wires, improvisational surgery, etc. They're the auxiliary core toolkit. The theme of the top row is "cohesion":

1. duct tape: there are paradigms devoted to its uses. The main advantage is the quantity you get in a roll.
2. shoelaces: a strong, durable, dirt-cheap solution to any problem in need of a knot. It even comes with aglets (the end things) to prevent fraying.
3. super glue: great for busted toys or gluing coins to the sidewalk. If you have a need for adhesion that would ordinarily take tape, super glue will do you better.
4. epoxy: this stuff is amazing. Get the waterproof kind, and you're set to permanently repair any solid object, including cracked fenders, mugs, porcelain, whatever. Even load-bearing items.
5. zip-ties: if you interact with any flexible objects, ever, you need these. I recommend getting one of those multi-packs with various lengths. Organize all your wires, affix lights to banisters, secure emergency items under your car. And you can chain them together.
6. sewing kit: it'll mend tears, but there's also a variety of situations that call for a needle. Boils, for instance. I know what you're thinking, and I have tried using staples to repair a garment, but this is really the only way.
7. eyeglass repair kit: even if you're occipitally flawless, you will find use for a really small screwdriver and the included screws.
8. lighter: yeah, there are illicit uses, but the helpful ones are less obvious. If you have frayed threads, a quick torching will fuse the ends solid. Or if you're using an aforementioned needle to get at a splinter, sterilizing it would be a good idea. If you have a wasp nest but no bug-killer, just add almost any aerosol to the flame for an insecticide.
9. pocket knife: the one pictured here is probably more than $5, but you just want something with a blade and a leatherpunch. Honestly, of all the items so far, this one is the easiest to find alternatives for, but it needs to be mentioned on principle.

Unless you have the skill, time, and resources to solve all your mechanical issues with methodical rigor, buy everything on the list above. It will set you back maybe $25, but I guarantee it's worth the utility.

If you've read this far and still find these words to bear any credibility, you might be wondering what sort of fancy gadgets, say, $20 or less could get you. These are a few of my favorite things:

1. head lamp: get one. If it weren't for the price, this would be a bare essential. Beyond serving as a fashionable accessory, it's good for tinkering under cars, under sinks, spelunking, and any outdoor, night activity.
2. multi-purpose tool (mpt): Leathermans are great, so are Gerbers, but even a cheap one will get you the convenience of a screwdriver, knife, file, and pliers in one package. I've used these to assemble many a Walmart furniture piece.
3. ratchet ties: these do for moving what János Bolyai did for non-Euclidean geometry. It's like a big rope that you can easily tighten to secure stuff into a U-haul or the bed of a truck.
4. carpet cutter: it's a really nice exacto-knife. Good for opening packages, cutting cardboard, sharpening pencils, even cutting carpet. And it's a lot less dangerous than trying to slice thick materials with a pocket knife.
5. bungee cords: hold doors open, create a makeshift clothes line, stretch over a milk crate like a lid. They're all they're cracked up to be.

This is the list that my experience has put together. I tried to hold it to items that are universally applicable, but it's worth mentioning that most of these things are also handy to keep in your car or to bring camping. And no, I'm not a professional photographer, but thanks for noticing.

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