What to Buy With an FSA When You Have $100 Left
A hundred dollars buys more than bandages. LED light for breakouts, a massage ball you control from your phone, a Tempur-Pedic neck pillow: each fits the budget on its own. Add a Letter of Medical Necessity and humidifiers, air purifiers and ergonomic gear join the list. Here are the picks, and how long you have to spend it.
The quick answer
What should you buy with $100 left in your HSA or FSA?
One or two good things under $100 each, from LED skin care to a smart humidifier.
Many need no paperwork. Others, like a humidifier or an ergonomic mouse, need a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) for a diagnosed condition. Check your plan's deadline first.
Jump to the picksEstimated pre-tax savings: about $6 to $30 per item, at a 30% combined tax rate.
Caeli handles the LMN at checkout: a telehealth intake in under 3 minutes.
No LMN needed
Seven things under $100 you might not know your FSA covers
A small balance is a chance to try something you have been curious about. LED devices that treat breakouts, a Therabody massage ball you control from your phone and a home blood pressure monitor all sell for under $100, and every item below fits that budget on its own: pick one or two, not the whole list. None of them needs a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN). IRS Publication 502 counts "devices used in diagnosing and treating illness and disease" as medical care, along with dental care like a night guard, and Publication 969 adds over-the-counter medicine (the Cicaplast balm is an over-the-counter skin protectant), so you can buy these in the Caeli shop with your benefit card. Tracking something instead? Our smart ring guide explains when a wearable qualifies, and our prediabetes guide covers glucose sensors. What an LMN adds, and how long you have to spend, come after the picks.
The skin care splurge
Omnilux Blemish Eraser
Mild to moderate breakouts
A small silicone LED device that pairs blue (415 nm) and red (633 nm) light, made to treat mild to moderate acne. It comes with 14 hydrocolloid patches made with salicylic acid, and Omnilux says its Mini line is FDA-cleared. Our red light therapy guide covers the bigger panels and wraps.
Price
$95
Est. tax savings ~$29
Therabody WaveSolo
Knots in the back, neck and calves
A 3.4-inch vibrating massage ball in textured silicone, with more than three vibration settings, Bluetooth control through the Therabody app and a 200-minute battery.
Price
$100
Est. tax savings ~$30
Omron Evolv Blood Pressure Monitor with Storage Case
A blood pressure number between check-ups
A one-piece upper-arm monitor with no wires or hoses, clinically validated and listed on the US Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing. The cuff fits arms from 9 to 17 inches, it stores 100 readings per user, and it syncs over Bluetooth. Our blood pressure guide compares the rest.
Price
$66
Est. tax savings ~$20
Pure Enrichment PurePulse Trio TENS, EMS & Heat Muscle Stimulator
Sore muscles and stiff joints
A TENS, EMS and heat unit in one, with 9 TENS and 7 EMS modes, heat up to 109.4°F and two channels to treat two areas at once. Our arthritis guide shows where TENS and heat fit best.
Price
$90
Est. tax savings ~$27
Homedics Infrared & Red Light Pain Therapy Wrap
A sore lower back at the end of the day
A rechargeable wrap with 40 LEDs, 880 nm infrared and 660 nm red, on an adjustable strap for the waist and back. Homedics suggests 20-minute sessions, once or twice a day.
Price
$50
Est. tax savings ~$15
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5+ Soothing Therapeutic Multi-Purpose Cream, 3.38 fl. oz.
Dry, irritated skin in winter
A skin protectant with 1% dimethicone, 5% panthenol and madecassoside, accepted by the National Eczema Association and gentle enough for babies from one week old. Our eczema guide compares it with other creams.
Price
$33
Est. tax savings ~$10
The Doctor's NightGuard Advanced Comfort Dental Protector
Grinding your teeth at night
A moldable guard with a soft top layer to cushion and a firm base layer to stop bite-through; you fit it at home with hot water, and it lasts about six months. Our TMJ guide covers when a custom guard from your dentist is worth it.
Price
$25
Est. tax savings ~$7
Use it up: no LMN needed
Or spread it across the medicine cabinet
If you would rather turn the balance into things you reach for every winter, these four come in just under $100 together at today's shop prices: a thermometer that reads in about two seconds, a stocked first aid kit, drops for dry indoor air and strips for a stuffy night. For sun care instead, our sunscreen guide has picks at every price.
Homedics Non-Contact Infrared Body Thermometer
Checking a fever without waking anyone
A non-contact thermometer that gives a reading in about two seconds, in °F or °C, with a color-coded backlight that flags a high fever. It stores up to 50 readings and can also read the temperature of a room, food or a liquid.
Price
$30
Est. tax savings ~$9
Johnson & Johnson All-Purpose First Aid Kit - 160 ct.
A first aid kit that is actually stocked
An all-purpose kit in a durable plastic box, with BAND-AID bandages, gauze, cleansing wipes, NEOSPORIN, TYLENOL, BENADRYL and an instant cold pack.
Price
$21
Est. tax savings ~$6
TheraTears® Dry Eye Therapy Lubricant Eye Drops, 1 fl. oz.
Dry eyes from heating and screens
Lubricant drops with a hypotonic, electrolyte-balanced formula made to replicate healthy tears, for up to 12 hours of comfort, in the 1 fl oz bottle.
Price
$20
Est. tax savings ~$6
Breathe Right Extra Strength Nasal Strips, 72 Strips
A stuffy nose at night
Drug-free nasal strips with an added band that Breathe Right says gives 50% more strength than its original strips.
Price
$19
Est. tax savings ~$6
With an LMN
What an LMN unlocks, each under $100
This is where most people leave money on the table. A humidifier, an air purifier or a vertical mouse is an everyday item, and Publication 502 counts one only when it is "used primarily to prevent or alleviate a physical or mental disability or illness"; supplements count when "recommended by a medical practitioner as treatment for a specific medical condition". An LMN is the record of that: a clinician names your condition and ties the product to it. Allergies, sinus trouble, back or neck pain, wrist pain and high blood pressure are common, so many readers already have a condition that qualifies.
Getting one usually means a doctor's visit. With Caeli it is a telehealth intake of under 3 minutes, a licensed clinician usually signs in minutes, and the LMN is dated before you buy, which is what makes the purchase count. Each pick below fits $100 on its own, and each links to the Caeli's Picks guide that covers its category in depth.
The humidifier
Levoit OasisMist® 450S Smart Humidifier
Sinus trouble or eczema that flares in dry winter air
A 4.5-liter tank runs up to 45 hours on low, with warm or cool mist and an Auto Mode that holds the humidity you set in the VeSync app. Levoit rates it for rooms of 215 to 430 sq ft. Our humidifier guide compares five humidifiers and the sinus care that needs no LMN.
Price
$90
Est. tax savings ~$27
Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max Auto
Allergies or asthma in a bedroom or home office
Blueair's HEPASilent filtration in a small unit rated for a room of about 105 sq ft, with three fan speeds and an Auto mode, and a quiet 19 dB on low. Our air purifier guide sizes eight HEPA purifiers by room, and our allergy guide covers the rest of the allergy kit.
Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse
Wrist pain from a day at the mouse
A 57° vertical grip that Logitech says puts less pressure on the wrist, sized for small to medium hands, with a left-handed version and quiet clicks. Our vertical mouse guide has the keyboards and trackballs to go with it.
Herman Miller Oripura Laptop Stand
Neck pain from looking down at a laptop
Unfolds into position with no tools and holds laptops from 11 to 16 inches, up to 6.2 lb; pair it with a separate keyboard and mouse. It is also in our tech neck guide, beside the monitor arms.
UPLIFT Desk Adjustable Footrest E3 by UPLIFT Desk
Low back pain at a desk chair
Four tilt angles, from 6 to 25 degrees, and a grooved rubber top that grips your shoes; it arrives assembled. Our lower back pain guide builds the rest of the desk around it.
Withings Body White
Tracking weight for blood pressure or a weight plan
A Wi-Fi scale that records weight and BMI to the free Withings app, so you can weigh in without your phone. Our smart scale guide steps up to the Body Scan models.
Thorne Super EPA Pro
High triglycerides or cholesterol
A high-EPA fish oil: 1,300 mg EPA and 320 mg DHA per two-gelcap serving, which Thorne says supports cardiovascular health. Our brain health supplements guide and supplements guide explain which supplements an LMN can cover.
| Product | Price | LMN cites | Key feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levoit OasisMist® 450S Smart Humidifier | $90 | Chronic sinusitis or atopic dermatitis | Warm or cool mist, app-set humidity |
| Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max Auto | $80 | Allergic rhinitis or asthma | HEPASilent filtration, about 105 sq ft |
| Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse | $60 | Carpal tunnel syndrome | 57° vertical grip |
| Herman Miller Oripura Laptop Stand | $55 | Cervicalgia (neck pain) | Tool-free, 11–16 inch laptops |
| UPLIFT Desk Adjustable Footrest E3 by UPLIFT Desk | $54 | Low back pain or abnormal posture | Four tilt angles, 6–25° |
| Withings Body White | $70 | Essential hypertension or obesity | Weight and BMI over Wi-Fi |
| Thorne Super EPA Pro | $93 | Hyperlipidemia | 1,300 mg EPA per serving |
Levoit OasisMist® 450S Smart Humidifier
$90
- LMN cites:
- Chronic sinusitis or atopic dermatitis
- Key feature:
- Warm or cool mist, app-set humidity
Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max Auto
$80
- LMN cites:
- Allergic rhinitis or asthma
- Key feature:
- HEPASilent filtration, about 105 sq ft
Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse
$60
- LMN cites:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Key feature:
- 57° vertical grip
Herman Miller Oripura Laptop Stand
$55
- LMN cites:
- Cervicalgia (neck pain)
- Key feature:
- Tool-free, 11–16 inch laptops
UPLIFT Desk Adjustable Footrest E3 by UPLIFT Desk
$54
- LMN cites:
- Low back pain or abnormal posture
- Key feature:
- Four tilt angles, 6–25°
Withings Body White
$70
- LMN cites:
- Essential hypertension or obesity
- Key feature:
- Weight and BMI over Wi-Fi
Thorne Super EPA Pro
$93
- LMN cites:
- Hyperlipidemia
- Key feature:
- 1,300 mg EPA per serving
How an LMN works
These are some of the diagnoses a clinician can cite for the picks above; each product category has its own, longer list. Caeli's intake asks a few questions about your condition, a licensed clinician reviews and signs, and one LMN covers the product and similar ones for 12 months.
Conditions a clinician can cite include:
- Chronic sinusitis
- Allergic rhinitis
- Asthma
- Atopic dermatitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cervicalgia (neck pain)
- Low back pain
- Essential hypertension
- Obesity
- Hyperlipidemia
You don't have to work out which product needs a letter. Caeli flags it on the page you are shopping, and handles the LMN at checkout when one is needed.
Your deadline
How long you have to spend it
A Health FSA is "generally 'use-it-or-lose-it'", says IRS Publication 969, but a plan can soften that one of two ways, never both. A carryover lets unused money roll into next year, up to a cap your plan sets; for 2026 the IRS allows a carryover of up to $680 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32). A grace period gives you up to 2½ months after the plan year ends to keep buying, which is March 15 for a calendar-year plan. Some plans offer neither, and then the money goes at the end of the plan year.
One trap: many plans also have a run-out period, but that is extra time to file claims for purchases you already made, not extra time to shop. What counts is the date you buy. For more on the rules, see our use-it-or-lose-it guide.
If an LMN pick is on your list, get the letter before the deadline too: it has to be dated before the purchase.
The date that counts is the day you buy. Pick your one or two things, and Caeli takes care of which ones need paperwork.
Make it count
Spend it well, and keep the record
Keep the itemized receipt for everything you buy with your FSA, and for an LMN pick keep the letter with it; that is what a claim or an audit asks for. Read strictly, Publication 502 counts only the extra cost of an everyday item in a special form, though most administrators process the full price against a valid letter. Buy through Caeli and the record keeping is done for you: every Buy-with-Benefits purchase is vaulted, itemized and audit-ready.
Questions
Frequently asked
What happens to money left in my FSA at the end of the year?
It depends on your plan. With a carryover, unused money rolls into next year up to your plan's cap (the IRS maximum for 2026 is $680). With a grace period, you have up to 2½ more months to spend it. With neither, it is forfeited at the end of the plan year.
Is a run-out period extra time to shop?
No. A run-out period is extra time to submit claims for purchases made during the plan year. The purchase date is what counts.
Do I need an LMN for anything on this list?
Not for the first two groups: the LED device, massage ball, pillow, TENS unit, wrap, balm, night guard and the medicine-cabinet basket need no LMN. The humidifier, air purifier, mouse, laptop stand, footrest, scale and fish oil do, for a diagnosed condition. With Caeli, the intake takes under 3 minutes.
Can I buy a humidifier or air purifier with my FSA?
Yes, with an LMN that ties it to a diagnosed condition such as chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis or asthma. Get the letter before you buy, since it has to be dated before the purchase.
Does one LMN cover more than one product?
A Caeli LMN covers the product and similar ones for 12 months. It names your condition and ties the product to it, so keep it with your receipts.
Can I buy a toothbrush with my FSA?
No. IRS Publication 502 treats a toothbrush and toothpaste as a personal expense, not medical care. Spend the balance on items like the ones above instead.
One good thing, bought with money that was about to disappear.
Whether it is clearer skin, a better night's sleep or a mouse that stops the wrist ache, the last $100 can buy something you will use every day. Browse everything FSA eligible in the Caeli shop.
Shop FSA-eligible picksLMN handled at checkout · receipts vaulted automatically
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