What's the most unexpectedly useful item you've ever bought under $20?
-
Very wholesome! How do you keep yours and his from getting mixed in the laundry?
The packs come in different colors so I use the white ones and he uses the grey ones.
-
Less syllables always wins.
Kleenex, tissue.
Band aid, bandage.
Xerox, copy.
IPad, tablet (some people call their android tablets iPads)
Plucker, flosser.It's not really that bad. Some are even shorter:
Google, search.
Invisalign, retainer.Some are iffy:
Sharpie, permanent marker. (You could just say marker, depending on if you have any other markers in the house to disambiguate from.)
And some are definitely shorter as brand names:
Q-tip, cotton swab
Velcro, hook and loop
Sawzall, reciprocating saw(And if there was a shorter name for "oscillating multi tool" I would be so happy.)
I can't think of any others.
-
You can use mine.
close enough. -
An Aeropress. I bought it when work removed the free coffee and was super surprised at how good it tasted vs what they were serving. Later, I found a bean hand grinder that fits right inside the Aeropress plunger and now I take it on work trips, vacation and camping.
It's not fully inclusive for $20 because you need a cup, some way to procure and heat water and beans but still, it's served me well.
I've found that it tastes kinda plasticky compared to my glass French press. Am I aeropressing wrong?
-
Only when I leave the house, which I don't most days, since I work from home. People who need to change more frequently (I can't imagine that e.g. roofers can wear the same pants even twice) could still leave things in their pockets and move them over either when they get undressed or when they get dressed (I imagine the former, leaving your wallet and keys in the fresh pair, would be especially important if you get very dirty).
Huh. I work from home, but I dress in different clothes every day. Guess I’m a fancy boy.
-
This post did not contain any content.
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.
-
Why would I want to remove that smell
.(half joking)
It's my favorite part of cutting onions
-
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.
And the money you save is amazing
-
Not a comercial; But I bought on a whim a very cheap, usb midi pedal from temu, that I use for triggering hotkeys on many apps by using a midi to hotkey converter. It's awesome for streaming, it is sturdy as hell and the midi protocol allows me to do a lot of trickery under the hood. Like toggle buttons or different keys for press and release states. It makes me want to try out more midi equipment from that site.
Also for about 3 dollars I bought a used ceramic crockpot back when I was in college and I am still using it to this day. It instantly became a staple of my home cooking it's stupid easy to use and the thing will probably keep working for decades.
I've been thinking about getting foot pedals for my computer for a while. And my wife and I got a crockpot for Christmas when we first moved in together ~13 years ago. Still use it a bunch.
-
And the money you save is amazing
No kidding. I saved enough for a big bag of zip ties.
-
Huh. I work from home, but I dress in different clothes every day. Guess I’m a fancy boy.
I change my clothes regularly, but I wear basketball shorts as pajamas and don't put my wallet, keys, etc. in them.
-
I change my clothes regularly, but I wear basketball shorts as pajamas and don't put my wallet, keys, etc. in them.
Ah, gotcha. I’ve found that if you always put those things in the same place, you never lose them. Looks like you have your method figured out
I’m a nightstand guy but yours sounds slightly more efficient.
-
What's the point of the hone?, I thought knife sharpeners like the Rada did the same thing as a hone?
wrote on last edited by [email protected]The edge is just a little rough after the removal of material with the wheel, the hone grooms the metal so the grains align roughly in the same direction. It also "peels away" ragged and folded edge grains.
The hone takes it from a sharp but rough edge, to a razor sharp edge.
The hone is also the best tool for quickly refreshing the knife edge without having to sharpen it on the wheel. Just 10 seconds before any major cutting.
-
I've found that it tastes kinda plasticky compared to my glass French press. Am I aeropressing wrong?
I have an old one, maybe they were manufactured differently. The main part is a hard plastic. I never noticed a plastic taste, but it could also be the rubber/silicone plunger stopper that imparts a taste. They do now sell a glass one, but I've heard that it's overpriced.
I know people who also swear by their French press. From what I know, regardless of the brew method, the grind is the most important factor, followed by the water quality and temperature.
-
I have an old one, maybe they were manufactured differently. The main part is a hard plastic. I never noticed a plastic taste, but it could also be the rubber/silicone plunger stopper that imparts a taste. They do now sell a glass one, but I've heard that it's overpriced.
I know people who also swear by their French press. From what I know, regardless of the brew method, the grind is the most important factor, followed by the water quality and temperature.
If its made before 2009 its likely not BPA free and you should consider upgrading to a modern one. I think the plastic was changed again around 2014. Mine is from that time period and doesnt have an after taste either.
As well as the glass one you can get one made of tritan, which would be my pick over the glass as its mostly the same look, a lot cheaper, and pretty much unbreakable.
-
This under US$5 milk frother from Ikea. Froth up milk, pour the coffee in, so nice.
Also very good for making hot chocolate.
-
Wool poncho. I've used it to stay warm, stay cool, as a groundcloth under my sleeping bag, as a blanket, as a pillow, as a decorative throw, as a cat bed, as a picnic blanket, as a beach blanket. It's incredibly useful and versatile.
There is no way you got that for $20. I keep meaning to get one since I love my wool coat I got at a thrift store but they are never that cheap.
-
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.
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.
-
This post did not contain any content.
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.
-
For some reason it makes me happy you're on here, I thought it was all tech neckbeards. Wish your family luck in bargain hunting!
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.)
