On A Budget - Everyday Carry

In order:
1. What you already know you need to EDC.
2. Make a list of what you would like to EDC, in general terms: flashlight, knife, etc.
3. Determine your budget.
4. Prioritize #2 - flashlight over knife, or maybe knife over flashlight.
5. Make a list of what items fill the niche identified: flashlight: (AA or AAA), modes, purpose. Narrow down two or three specific items that fit your criteria: Fenix E05, Maratac AAA, whatever.
6. Start making lists of websites that often have sales: either they list sales, or they have "good finds" threads to point you towards sales.
7. Start browsing. How urgently you need something will factor into whether or not you take the time to shop for a good bargain, or bite the bullet and pay normal rates.

I know how money can burn a hole in your pocket, especially when you see all the new toys - but you can save yourself a lot of time and wasted effort by stopping and brainstorming on a pad of paper first, before taking the plunge.

When you get to the level if gear I buy, the only thing you don't have in your pocket is money.

Remember, you don't need the latest and greatest things. Maglites put out light, and a Victorinox Classic cuts.

Yep, Maglites do - but for what you'd be saving on the light itself, you'll make up for spending on batteries.

Research, and the opinions of other people with the same kit can be insanely helpful.

Ace hard rubber comb.
Split ring key ring with home and car keys (if you drive).
Wallet.
Loose pocket change.
Bic pen

Optional:
Swiss Army Knife Classic SD
Streamlight Nano
Altoids box with assorted band aids, alcohol swabs
Bic lighter (if you smoke)

I Just bought a new Mag to replace the fancy "Tactical" LED that worked great except when I needed it to. I think I paid 10 bucks for it and got a LED upgrade kit for 7. Cheap, Bombproof, and effective. It only puts out about 30 lumens or so, but thats enough for me. And the LED is easy on batteries, too.

I've found that this place is one of, if not the best place to get ideas for carry.

I'm not proud, my first LED flashlight was one of those 3AAA 9-LED paperweights from the dollar store. But it was, at the time, the brightest flashlight I'd owned. I was the perfect light for me until I saved enough for my Preon2, and the most important tool is the one you actually have.

Except for the dollar-store multi-tool. Those things are

I think it's just me - I could never, ever get one of those AA LED upgrades for a mini-Mag to work. Ever. Which made me absolutely insane because I still love the Maglite AA design.

It's not just a matter of what you carry, but what it costs. Check out American Science & Surplus http://www.sciplus.com. Lots of stuff - not all EDC, but all of it inexpensive and well-described.

AA maglites are given out as corporate freebies by the truckload, total no brainer there, I've seen genuine SAKs given out as well, usually the keychain sized ones. These can be picked up as swag from tradeshows or found for peanuts at yard sales and secondhand shops. An incan maglight is still a very useful tool, and a SAK is a SAK Cheap Chinese SAK clones are worthless junk.

Dollar store stuff is usually crap.

Some sort of keychain solution is necessary, split rings are dirt cheap, as are Tec-clips (40 cents apiece in the forum store if I recall correctly), adding a hook to your keychain, homemade or otherwise, to keep it off the floor of your pocket is invaluable.

KA-Bar Dozier, SRM 710, CRKT Drifter, all decent every day folders for $15 or so.

Timex Camper, decent field watch for $15 - $20

Paracord and a knot book or two (or YouTube vids) will keep your fingers occupied and provide you with useful and attractive handicrafts with a little patience, $10+

A serviceable first aid kit will fit in an Altoids tin as previously mentioned, bandaids, iodine ointment, steristrips, sterile wipes and a pair of tweezers make a good start and can be gathered up without a major investment.

Zippos are cool, Bics work - first time every time, even if they've been sitting neglected for a couple of years.

Ball pens are the work of Satan , luckily Platinum Preppies and Hero Parker 51 clones are $2 or so.

Moleskines, cool, US Army logbooks, arguably cooler, better paper, same size and less than $4 apiece.

Cheers, Ted

fixed you´ll want a bigger opinel, wouldn´t you (SAK blade is small allready)

Oooh fun! Assuming they already have phone, wallet, and keys on some kind of keychain like every person has then my suggestions would be:

Knife: Kershaw OSO Sweet-$20 (my buddy has one it's great for the price, and a flipper to boot!)
MT: Victorinox Super Tinker-$20 Has scissors, a few drivers, cap lifter, backup blade, tweezers, toothpick, all most people need
Torch: Streamlight Microstream-$20 AAA, bright for size/purpose, has a clip. Only has one mode but for EDC it's good enough IMO (I carry mine all the time)
Lighter: Mini Bic-$1
Watch: Casio Illuminator-$18 Highly functional, tough, great value. I have a variant of it as my beater watch and it takes the beatings quite well.

Total cost before shipping/tax: $79

All of these were Amazon prices except the bic (hit up a 711), Amazon offers a lot of free shipping too so if you buy them all together you'd do pretty well within your price range even after shipping. This isn't just the cheapest stuff I could find, I would carry this exact set up happily.

Think about buying pre-owned like in B/S/T or other forums. Many items are in new condition and you can get some very good gear at a reduced cost.

everyone is different, but i'll play
and honestly, im in this boat, i dont carry a lot of expensive stuff on me, but do have some nice stuff (have about half a dozen LMs now - PS4, Wave, ST300, Blast, Mut, and I feel like I might have another unopened...., a nice benchmade etc).

wallet - i have gotten, but not yet used, a nice Vic wallet at OficeMax or Office Depot for ten bucks. Leather.
The wallet Im actually using now was a gift, so i dont want to count it.

ok, so now something to put the remaining 90 in.

my mt that I carry is the LM PS4, its 25 bucks (new) and has a lifetime warranty. There are cheaper, I own some cheaper one. I like leatherman. That said, I bought a USED E4 leatherman off of this forum for ten bucks and it came with two other small multitools, so deals are there....well, here

so now we're at 65

Can pocket carry it, but I dont like that, hate my pockets loaded up.
So a biner from a hardware store. The ones I use for my keys (various vehicles and uses) came from Home Depot, rated at 75lbs, cost - two bucks. Come on various colors.

So we're down to $63

Im using a cost led light now, it was one of the free ones, do the survey and pay shipping. It was less than five for the shipping, but lets say five bucks.
Before that I member shipped me a free mag solitare. Wasnt bright, but it was a good temp light.
I want to get something else similar in size (1 AAA) to replace the coast, and seeing prices from 10-30 bucks. One in particular that I like I found on DX, was 15 dollars, just aint gotten around to ordering it yet as i dont use my light often.

Im now at 58 united states dollars.

I dont carry a knife, have a small blade on the PS4 that does most of the tasks I need a blade for (at work i need something bigger and have a folding box opener issued by work).
But lets include a knife - who knows where this could be. From a dollar at walmart for a 3" folder to the $120 auto benchmade on my dresser to the uber expensive knives out there that are well over 200 bucks.

But for S&Gs, lets say a 20 dollar buck or sog or whatever. Its a small knife that is made by a reputable maker.

38$ remaining.

I also carry, daily, chapstick. a buck

37.

I dont have anything else I carry on a regular that I would consider my 'EDC' outside of my school bag/other bags that have some items in them but dont get worked much (the items, not the books )

thats just me though.
with the 30 left over, i'll grab lunch, go to the record store and buy a springsteen live LP, and put a few gallons of gas in the truck.