What's the most unexpectedly useful item you've ever bought under $20?
-
I mean, this was in, like, 2003. That's probably $50 in today money.
Oh 2003? Nah $20 stretched hard back then, especially if it was a thrift store. Man even as a kid I could get so much stuff with $5 at a thrift store, I think I literally got a PC and a DVD player for like $10. Nobody was trying to maximize profit on every thing cause more was on the way.
Hasbrown at McDonald's were .80¢, they are now $2.70. That $20 was more like $67.50 in actual purchase power.
-
Really good nailclippers:
https://www.victorinox.com/en-US/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Personal-Care/Nail-Clipper/p/8.2050.B1
If you're willing to go over the $20 barrier, you get more functionality:
I liked it enough, I bought two more.
Smallest MagLite:
https://maglite.com/products/solitaire-led-key-chain-flashlight-with-gift-card-gift-box
wrote on last edited by [email protected]I have a pair of these safety 1st nail clippers:
https://safety1st.com/en-ca/products/fold-up-nail-clippers-10435
They're meant for babies, and I think my parents got them when I was a baby, but to this day they are still sharper and easier to use than any other pair I've bought or used.
-
Anybody know if these work with oat milk or almond milk? Does it froth?
Oat milk, yes, to some extent. Almond milk does a little (less than Oat), but not like cow milk.
-
Are you using these on double glazed windows? I've read this film could get them to crack under the heat.
Yeah double glazed, and no hasn't been an issue by my reckoning
-
Vacuum sealer.
They are always available used at thrift stores and they are simple machines but I can reseal bags of chips or other grocery items.
You can make your own bags for cheap from a roll and then individually wrap portions for the freezer that stay longer and don't get freezer burn.
And if you get one that has a hose attachment you can seal bottles of wine, mead, or Tupperware for the fridge if you get the right lids.
I liked the other attachment that fits around mason jar lids. Creates a tight seal, the jar does not crush the contents, and you no longer need plastic bags. Also, the glass jar can go straight into the fridge.
-
Raises hand tentatively...
Although I do feel I'm learning stuff from being on here.
Same.
I'm no programmer by any means, but I've always been more tech-savvy than the average bear. I finally took the plunge and added a Linux partition to my computer because I read enough posts here that piqued my curiosity.
-
This post did not contain any content.
An emergancy fm/am radio with a crank generator and solar panels.
Came in clutch when power was out, not only could I listen in on the news, I could also charge my phone.
I'd list it as unexpected because I did not expect to actually have to use it. But im really glad I had it.
-
This post did not contain any content.
10 foot long phone charger
-
Excuse you. Some of us have a well kempt full beard thank you very much.
Not to mention the broke single mum tech neckbeards!
-
There are dozens of us! I'm a mom who works in publishing and don't know a linux distro from a pokemon (other than Pikachu.)
I bet you there is a distro called Pikachu, just to fuck with people like us.
-
balaclava. I wear it all the time. It’s a great way to keep my mouth and nose covered from the nasty germs when out in public.
I thought you meant baklava and I thought, yes, good idea. Have baklava in mouth at all times.
-
An ezel. You know, the kind that artists use to put their cavvas on.
I'm a digital artist, so I have a display drawing tablet. Eventually having the tablet completely horizontally flat got annoying to draw on. I ended up sitting cross-legged and awkwardly perching the table on the edge of my desk on my lap to get some sort of comfortable angle on it. However that was annoying too.
I went and looked what a tablet stand costed for my tablet model and... It damn near costed the same as my tablet! The. I had an idea. There's this cheap ass hardware store called Harald Nyborg in Denmark, maybe they have cheap ezel?
Lo and behold they do. Made from the crappiest cheap wood available, it serves its purpose perfectly! I've had it for a few years now and never needed to think about getting that dedicated stand for my tablet.
Easel. But we understood.
-
A back scratcher. Got a pack of 4 for a few bucks after one I was gifted broke. I'm old and have one quite arthritic shoulder, so half of my own back is unreachable. It's especially shitful getting an itchy back at night, but now I don't need to get up to relieve it. I use it every day, and every day I bless the person who first gifted me one.
My grandfather had this thing called the bear claw! It was basically a strip of pointy plastic tines and it fit over an out-facing wall corner.
I found myself with a back scratcher in every room as I got older until I learned that the reason my back is constantly itchy is because my fine back hair.
I bought this thing called The Man Groomer which is basically an extendable back shaver, and now I don't use back scratchers anymore... Honestly a humongous relief from needing to scratch my back like 75 times a day. Now I need to scratch it zero times.
-
What do you use to wash your back? I have a brush but it keeps slipping out of my hand.
These are my solution, I have bad shoulders... I get them at the dollar store.
-
I thought you meant baklava and I thought, yes, good idea. Have baklava in mouth at all times.
I’m not going to argue with this one. We all need more baklava.
-
There are dozens of us! I'm a mom who works in publishing and don't know a linux distro from a pokemon (other than Pikachu.)
I'm an old lady but I also happen to use linux! You don't have to be a tech neckbeard for that, just dislike Windows.
-
I didn’t buy an aeropress for years as I had a coffee machine and was like, surely that’s better.
But finally got one, and my god. The simplicity. The ease of cleaning. The nice coffee.
It’s basically my sole way of making coffee now, despite more pricey alternatives at my disposal.
+1 for the Aeropress!
-
A package of blue-tack - it is basically sticky play-dough that is completely opaque and you can use wads of it to blunt the pain of stupid LEDs on on your tech shit. I am currently sitting in my living room looking at my TV and various components including router and stuff...easily 20 gobs of blue-tack masking 20 blinking LEDs.
Ooh, good idea! I hate all those lights.
-
Blue tack is very handy stuff. But you know, they make blackout stickers for exactly this application. They look a lot nicer. Though personally, I just cut little pieces of black electrical tape.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]I've tried (electrical tape) that but found it is gummy and leaves a sticky mess.
-
I got a bread maker for free. I asked my coworkers and THREE different people said they had a bread maker that's just sitting there, unused as gifts that they don't want.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]I'm one of those who gave my bread maker away. The problem was when I was making bread with it, it was so good I'd quickly eat it all up and kept gaining weight, so I stopped using it.
