What's the most unexpectedly useful item you've ever bought under $20?
-
This post did not contain any content.wrote on last edited by [email protected]
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.
-
You wear the same pair of pants every day for a week straight?
I only have one pair of pants.
-
One of those tiny sd ones? I have a couple and love them. I carry a skeletool cx now but if I had to carry only the little victorinox I wouldn't complain.
It's a Climber, a 91mm model. Just small and sleak enough to be bearable on my keychain. The small ones are missing screwdrivers which I use quite often
-
It's weird, but despite owning a couple of nice pocket knives, I almost never have actual use for them.
My tactical torch though, is freaking amazing, and given my shitty old eyesight, I use it every day.Oh yeah a torch is also one of those things that you'll never catch me without. Though mine is quite a bit over the $20 mark.
-
One of these stainless steel bars of "soap". It's for getting onion and garlic smell off your hands. I was skeptical when my partner bought it, but it totally works. Rub on your hands under cold water and it's like you never even looked at the garlic.
Why would I want to remove that smell
.(half joking)
-
What's the point of the hone?, I thought knife sharpeners like the Rada did the same thing as a hone?
Honing doesn’t remove material. If you sharpen too often your knives wear down real fast
-
This post did not contain any content.
A very thin piece of linen cloth for summer heat. Soak in water, press against body, when it becomes too warm, let it fly in the wind for a few seconds, then press again.
-
Anybody know if these work with oat milk or almond milk? Does it froth?
Yep, should work fine, although the foam will have a slghtly different texture.
-
I find a good pour over cone makes better tasting coffee with a little less fuss, but the aeropress is irreplaceable for iced coffee.
The clever dripper is pretty nice pour over cone with a shut off valve.
When I'm making just one cup of coffee I use an aero press, for 2+ cups I use the clever dripper.
-
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!
I became a full-on programmer after joining Lemmy. Coincidence?
-
This post did not contain any content.
A pry bar. I use it to open cat food tins because my fingernails are not up to the task.
-
A pry bar. I use it to open cat food tins because my fingernails are not up to the task.
Or just use the handle of a metal spoon
-
Or just use the handle of a metal spoon
Not as effective
-
Or just use the handle of a metal spoon
Hard disagree. The pry bar is the superior tool. For one thing, it is indestructible, unlike my spoons which were getting scratched up. It is satisfying in a tactile way and because it is so ludicrously overpowered for the task.
-
Broke single mom here. My H&M usually offers a buy one get one discount on boys’ cotton boxers, so whenever I buy a pack for my 12 year old son, I grab myself one as well and they serve pretty well as pajama shorts which I pair with a cheap oversized cotton tee.
Very wholesome! How do you keep yours and his from getting mixed in the laundry?
-
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.
