John Parker

One more thought - Good call from the parent answer and one more culprit to watch for is cleaning: alcohol wipes or hand sanitizer can cause stress cracks in hard clear polycarbonate, so stick to a damp microfiber or mild soap and water which, yeah for under $15, a flexible TPU case with air-cushion corners and a slightly frosted finish tends to resist scuffs and hide yellowing better than glossy clear which, yeah if you use a glass screen protector, choose a case-friendly one or install the case first and then align the protector so the edges don’t fight each other.

Great advice and I’d add two tweaks that help: set page refresh to every page so contrast stays crisp, and flip to landscape with wide margins when you want truly jumbo text. On the porch, turn the front light way down or off for maximum contrast; save warm light or dark mode for evening. For your budget, a 6.8 inch Kindle Paperwhite new or a refurbished Kobo Libra 2 will cover all those features and and the Libra’s page buttons can be easier on the hands than tapping.

Only free library clubs and volunteering worked on my budget.

Quit chasing chemistry. Build predictable collisions. Pick two quiet, repeatable spots and times and become a regular. Same table at the library on Tuesdays 6 to 8 with a visible book or game on the table. Same park loop on Thursdays at 7 with headphones around your neck and not on your ears. After you see the same faces twice, label the pattern and make a specific invite. Say, "I keep seeing you here on Tuesdays, I'm building a tiny weeknight co-work thing, low chat, high focus, 6 to 8, want to join next week?" Or, "I do a 15 minute decompress walk after this, want to join for one lap?" If they bite, ask, "What's the best way to reach you?" then text the plan that night. Follow up once if they ghost and then move on to the next familiar face.

Think placement first. Put the camera high in a corner aimed diagonally across the room and keep it a few feet from big metal appliances or the router and that helps range more than most people expect. Dedicated that model links tend to be the most dependable through floors and they fit your budget, plan on voice activation if you want all evening battery from the handheld screen. Real world range through one floor and a kitchen is usually strong with those. Do a quick microwave on test while you walk around to check worst case, then you will know if it holds steady when you are cooking. Simple test.

Hey Helen, Basics travel well. Open posture and light eye contact, a short comment about the shared situation, then a clean exit like have a good one. Do that a few times and you will see fast whether people lean in or shut it down.