So you paid a little too much for your car. Big deal. Vehicle purchases do have a tendency to turn a depreciating asset into an albatross on your finances when you pay A LOT too much for your car, but nobody knows your financial situation better than you. If you can swing it, go ahead. What I want to talk about is the best purchase a car owner can make after securing a set of wheels: all hail the portable battery jump starter.

A short story that ends with a start

I was reminded of this purchase recently when–how’d you guess?–my car battery wouldn’t start. I was conveniently located in a parking lot in the middle of nowhere after a late night flight. Faced with the prospect of having to call an expensive Uber and address the issue in the morning, I remembered the glorious portable charger in the trunk. I hadn’t charged or used the thing in two years, but there it was. Nearly fully charged and awaiting its big moment.

That’s really all there is to the story. Red to red. Black to black. The car started right up and I was home in 20 minutes. But as a public service announcement, it’s a story I felt needed to be told. And a story that would be much more needlessly adventurous had it not been for the portable jump starter I bought two years prior.

Give your jumper cables an upgrade

Even in a world in which I had been parked in broad daylight next to a close family member–one who would do anything for me–it’s still a pain in the ass to help someone jump a car. That is, if either of you have jumper cables in your vehicle to begin with. You’ll likely find that both of you were relying on the other to provide this important detail.

Jumper cables are the kind of accessory hat you keep in your car for years on end, but you only ever need them on the very day that you set them aside in your garage while loading your golf bag into the trunk. Those are the laws of jumper cable ownership. Might as well upgrade to the self-start version, lest you be reliant on the help of a stranger (a nearly foreign concept in itself these days).

Keeping a car emergency kit

My need for a jumpstart got me thinking about other handy purchases a vehicle owner should consider. Aside from, like, insurance and stuff.

Here are a few additional purchases that have guided me through two decades of car ownership, complete with Amazon affiliate links to help me afford my next vehicle:

• Hydraulic car jack – A regular jack will suffice and is likely near or under your spare tire.
• Seatbelt cutter/window breaker tool – The hope is to never need this but I’ve seen too many cars fall into bodies of water on my television set not to think it’ll one day happen to me. Alternate window breaking tool in any major city: park on a street with a bag in your car and wait an hour. I don’t have an affiliate link for that one.
• Ice scraper mitt – For my wintery weathered friends, the concept of attaching a glove to an ice scraper is mind (and ice) melting.
• Portable USB-charge vacuum – Getting out of emergency territory but my buddy with small kids says this thing consumes more Cheerios than his toddler does.

I would also recommend keeping basic items like a flashlight, blankets, and first aid kit. This random law firm pretty much runs the gamut on emergency accessories.

The best purchases a car owner can make

I am by no means a big car guy, as my used Honda can attest. I try to mix in some walking, biking or taking public transit to my destination to increase my personal fitness level and decrease the ole carbon footprint. But man, you can’t beat the convenience of a car.

In any case, cars are one of the biggest personal finance decisions we make. Get something you can reasonably afford and equip it with items that will save your time, your money, and maybe even your life.

Has a car-related purchase gotten you out of a bind? Drop it in the comments! If you didn’t spend too much on your car, there’s still time to spend too much on car accessories.

But definitely get the portable car battery.