It can bite you everywhere you go. It might be in your car, at a friend’s house, in a client’s office and most anywhere else. What is it? Your phone or tablet is running dangerous low on power. Maybe it runs low enough that it just shuts off. I don’t know how many times I’m talking to someone about this and they only have a single charger and yet their devices are constantly running out of juice. Today I’ll provide links to some fairly universal cables that won’t break your piggy bank.

The USB Cables

If you have a recent iPhone/iPad, you need a lightning adapter. Sure, you can buy one from Apple and pay a premium just because it comes from Apple. Or you can buy Amazon’s version of the same cable and save 20% or more. AmazonBasics USB A to Lightning Compatible Cable currently sells for $13.99 and it is Apple Certified. You can even get it in white or black. For those of you with an older iPhone/iPad, the appropriate AmazonBasics cable sells for $7.99.

Nearly all other smartphones and tablets use a Micro USB connection for charging and syncing. Since it isn’t a proprietary Apple connector, the prices are even less. The AmazonBasics USB 2.0A to Micro B cable sells for $5.49! I have several of these cables in my house, my car and in my travel bag so that I always have one when I need to charge my devices. There is even an adapter that will convert Micro USB to Lighting if you want to use the same cable for a mixed bag of devices.

The Outlets

Hopefully you stocked up on the cables you need using the links above. Cables are great, but you now need a USB port to provide electricity to the cables. If you are in a car, use the AmazonBasics 2-Port USB Car Charger and it sells for just over $9. Get one for your car. Get one to take on the road for use in a rental car or even your friend’s car. It has two ports so you can power two of your devices or two different people can charge at the same time.

When you at, put some USB ports on a wall outlet such as the Philips USB Outlet Surge Protector pictured above right. I’ve got a couple of these in locations most convenient to me. I also carry a Belkin 3-Outlet, 2 USB Port Surge Protector in my travel bag. It is the perfect little power strip to carry with me. When not traveling, I use it at home. If you just want a simple single port charger, the AmazonBasics Wall Charger is perfect.

Pick up some USB cables for your devices and outlets that you can put in convenient locations and you’ll be able to keep your phones and tablets juiced up and ready to go!