There are a multitude of inventions and advances that have come from African Americans. From gas masks to blood banks to peanut butter, these contributions have saved lives and made life easier. But have you ever wondered which ones are actually keeping money in your pocket? Here are just three:

Who: Jan Matzeliger What: Automatic Shoe Laster How It’s Saving You Money: Shoe lasting is the process of stretching fabric around a mold and attaching it to the soles. Before Jan Matzeliger’s automatic shoe lasting machine, professional shoe lasters did it by hand. The work took a lot of time and effort, so shoe lasters were paid a lot of money. This made shoes expensive. With the automatic shoe laster, shoes became much more affordable.

Who: Lewis Latimer What: Carbon Light Bulb Filament How It’s Saving You Money: The filament is the part of the light bulb that burns and creates light. Before Latimer’s carbon filament, Thomas Edison was using paper as a filament, which burned out in about fifteen minutes. Because of the carbon filament, we don’t have to buy large quantities of light bulbs and change them every fifteen minutes.

Who: Ludwick Marishane What: DryBath How It’s Saving You Money: This is a new invention created by a young man from Limpopo, South Africa. He created an antibacterial cleanser that cleans and moisturizes the skin without being washed off. It is especially useful for those with limited access to water and offers a cheap way to get clean. Problems such as the ones faced by the inventors above tend to bring out the creativity in some. Their creativity has made life easier and less expensive for many people. These, too, are the people we celebrate during Black History Month.

Problems such as the ones faced by the inventors above tend to bring out the creativity in some. Their creativity has made life easier and less expensive for many people. These, too, are the people we celebrate during Black History Month.