10 Best Bets for $75 or Less – Beer, Boots, Watches & more

Seventy Five dollars. That’s a lot of money. It’ll get you a couple pairs of Levi’s, a nice dinner out, or a couple months at your local gym. Seventy Five dollars. It is a lot of money, especially if you spend it right. Ten picks follow, all for $75 or under, and some of them are much, much less.

 

Randolph Engineering Intruder Sunglasses – $79.95 ($159)

Just over the $75 line, but still getting the mention here because they’re a steal at this price. Compared to their aviators (and AO’s Original Pilots), these are a little more angular, and therefor a little meaner looking. But they’re not overly aggressive either. Bayonet temples here. Matte black frame keeps the shine to a minimum. 58mm. On sale via Nordstrom Rack.

 

Bespoke Post “Weekender” – $45.00

Featured in last week’s handful, but still applies for the best bets. Originally just offered in a natural canvas, they’re now making it in Navy, Grey, and Olive. That’s great news for those who think the original gets a little too dirty, a little too quickly. Dimensions are 20″ x 12″ x 8″.

 

“The Martian” by Andy Weir – $9.00 – $14.88

About to be a movie starring Matt Damon, with numerous comparisons being made to Robinson Crusoe by critics and other authors. Our Music Correspondent (who reads quite a bit and can recommend a good book as well as a great album) says it’s engaging and smart. Also available in audiobook for $26.95 through Amazon’s Audible.com. Whiskey, sadly not included.

 

H&M Polyurethane Wingtip Boots – $59.99

Hang on. Before most of you wharrgarbl about the imitation leather here, know that every so often an email comes in asking for vegan-friendly shoe suggestions. So, for those who choose that route, here you go. For the rest, know that JC Penney has begun to put their extremely popular Deacon boots on “sale” and thus, codes will drop them under (often well under) seventy five bucks.

 

GAP Straight Fit “Black Fill” Cords – $38.97 w/ TODAY ($59.95)

According to the description, they’re garment dyed and use black yarn (instead of white) to get a super-saturated look. 56% cotton, 44% polyester. 5-pocket style. Straight fit here. Always on sale. Code is good for an extra 35% off (lots of exclusions apply) through today, 9/14.

 

J.C.F. Lambswool Shawl Collar Cardigan – $65.80 w/ RINGRING

Decently thick lambswool, a shawl collar to keep your neck warm, and a nordic dot pattern that’s casual but still interesting. A go-to, layer for your place to throw on, a lot, once the temps dip. A better looking alternative to an old hooded sweatshirt, and the lambswool with breathe while still keeping you nice and warm. RINGRING is good for an extra 30% off AND free shipping no minimum through today, 9/14. That’s an extra $5 in savings if you’re getting just one item, say, this sweater.

 

Opinel No8 Knife – $12.95

All kinds of right & simple. So much so that it once was displayed along with a Rolex and a Porsche 911 in a museum exhibit titled: “The 100 Most Beautiful Products in the World“. Also incredibly useful. It’s one heck of a letter/box opener, and if you do lots of shopping online, it’s great for removing tags, slaying those inflatable plastic packaging protectors, etc. Stainless steel blade measures 3.25”. The locking collar (just spin it to keep the blade in place) is an extremely well designed, classic safety feature. It’s a well made tool that looks great too.

 

Billy Reid K-Swiss Arlington in White Leather – $69 FINAL ($155)

Lightweight, canvas sneaker season might be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean you have to shelve sneakers entirely until the spring. Transitioning to a more durable suede, or in this case, leather sneaker should look awesome up against jeans and washed chinos. From the Billy Reid & K-Swiss Collaboration. Pretty sure these are final sale.

 

Deschutes Brewery Black Butte XXVII Reserve – $17ish per 22 oz

Bend Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery has an annual tradition of taking their already great Black Butte Porter, monkeying with it via some exotic ingredients, chucking it in Bourbon Barrels to age, and having the ABV hit double digits. The result is a fall beer worth seeking out. This time around they use cocoa nibs (a pretty consistent ingredient from years past), apricot puree, pomegranate molasses, and… rose water. The result is, oddly enough, an Imperial Porter that’s inky and fresh at the same time. There’s a crispness to it. Plenty of people let this cellar for a bit. But if you can’t wait, opening a fresh one won’t disappoint either.

 

Timex “Chesapeake” Blue Dial – $44.00

A new arrival on Timex.com. Between this sharp dress-style and their new Waterbury collection (and Chronos), Timex has been knocking it out of the park lately. 40mm in diameter, and according to the description it’s a brass case. That should give it a better feel than some of their lighter weight, almost flimsy feeling watches.

For other best bets under $75 from previous months, click here.