> I just got the phone this morning and Im terrified of breaking it but I only have like 30 dollars left to spend on stuff. Ngl I used to be the person who bought the official cases directly from Google for like 40 bucks every time. Such a waste of money honestly. I learned my lesson after a drop that cracked my screen because the official silicone was just too slippery. Now I always go for Caseology Athlex for Google Pixel 8a Active Orange because the grip is actually insane... it feels like sand paper but soft if that makes sense. It fits the 8a perfectly and has that raised lip around the camera bar which is huge since that bar gets scratched so easily. For the screen, dont overthink it. I switched to using amFilm 3+2 Pack for Google Pixel 8a Tempered Glass a few years back and been happy ever since. You get three screen protectors and two camera lens covers for like 10 dollars. The alignment tool they give you is basically foolproof even if you have shaky hands like me. The fingerprint sensor still works great too which is the main technical thing you gotta worry about with cheap glass. You should be able to get both of those for under 25 dollars total on Amazon right now so you will even have some lunch money left over haha. Good luck with the new phone, the 8a is a beast for the price.

I have been very satisfied with the technical tolerances on these specific budget options. For under 30 dollars, you can actually get solid protection that works well.

• Spigen Liquid Air Pixel 8a Case TPU Matte Black for the military grade drop specs
• JETech Screen Protector for Pixel 8a Tempered Glass 3-Pack for the 9H hardness rating These components fit perfectly and dont break your remaining budget. Very happy with how they perform.

Wow ok that changes things. Gonna have to rethink my approach now.