Fyi this also works with a steel faucet or sink in a pinch
What's the most unexpectedly useful item you've ever bought under $20?
a year ago by Edison2 to c/asklemmy
Venus_Ziegenfalle 35 points a year ago
LifeInMultipleChoice 39 points a year ago
Okay so maybe I've grown to used to the smell of garlic but is it a common problem that people are worried about their hands smelling like garlic/onions? Maybe it's because I wash dishes as I cook, so whatever I chopped/prepared them on I would have washed in the sink while it started to heat up in the pan, but I guess I need to sniff my fingers more after doing so.
Suck_on_my_Presence 17 points a year ago
I don't know about worried, but onions absolutely make my hands reek. To the point where it can ruin a meal I'm eating, especially if it's a hand food like a burrito or burger or something. I don't mind garlic on my hands, but onions are just awful for some reason.
I don't have one of these bars, but I'm seriously contemplating it.
LifeInMultipleChoice 5 points a year ago
Ill report back tomorrow, I'm sure I'll end up making something with onions or garlic in it haha
halferect 10 points a year ago
I think it's home cook weird shit, now sell me something to get rid of fried food smell from clothes. I'll live with garlic and onions which smell amazing over fried oil smell that saturate you skin and leave you as a soggy French fry
LifeInMultipleChoice 9 points a year ago
BenchpressMuyDebil 3 points a year ago
I... cook in a terry cloth ("towel") bath robe when I know I'll go out after cooking. I guess it functions similar to a smoking jacket:
To protect their clothes, many men would wear their robes-de-chambre while smoking in private. These robes acted as a barrier against ash and smoke
Probably doesn't help for not having your hair smell
Hugin 19 points a year ago
So any stainless steel will do that. No need for a special disk. I use a stainless steel cocktail shaker to peal garlic. Then when I rinse it clean it also removes the smell from my hands.
Just drop the cloves into the shaker and shake hard for 30-45 seconds. Most of the garlic is now peeled and some just need a bit help. So much faster and easier.
LilB0kChoy 2 points a year ago
Useful for people with those things too! We have one and I love it. I hit it with hand soap and use it like a regular bar to both clean my hands and get rid of the smell.
Since it's for that specific purpose it sits in the soap tray by the sink and is always right where I need it. No hunting for some random steel utensil.
meekah 6 points a year ago
These are mostly a myth to my understanding.
There is some theory on how the chromium in stainless steel could help with breaking down and removing the smelly compounds from onions and garlic off your hands, but there aren't any studies proving this.
In my experience just properly washing your hands with water for 15-20s works just as well. I think the "soap" kinda works because it tricks people to not just rinse their hands.
TherapyGary 15 points a year ago
LilB0kChoy 3 points a year ago
Your understanding is incorrect.
Water plays a crucial role in this process. As you rinse your hands and rub them against stainless steel, the surface acts as a catalyst for redox reactions. Sulfur compounds on your skin are chemically altered, potentially breaking them down into less odorous forms.
Ageroth 4 points a year ago
As hugin said, the best way to wash oils off your hands is with other oils. Pour a little bit of whatever cooking oil you have on your hands and make sure to thoroughly spread it on your hands, like in between your fingers and under your nails, then wash with hot water and soap. The capsaicin oils will mix with the cooking oils, dilute, and be more noticeable to remove. This also works for poison ivy oils and pine sap
Little8Lost 14 points a year ago
Somewhere i worked had that. (Edit: but more for privacy)
It was so funny seeing passerbys using it as a mirror.
Absolutly funny 10/10
iknowitwheniseeit 8 points a year ago
Probably you mean 85% of infrared, not 85 parts per thousand (or 8.5%) of ultraviolet?
FlashMobOfOne 7 points a year ago
Window film is so glorious. I have my bedroom windows blacked out with it, easier to sleep, and yes, always cool temperatures in there.
thermal_shock 5 points a year ago
I added these last summer too. Roughly a hundred bucks to cover three patio sliding doors. Huge difference.
Korhaka 5 points a year ago
How easy are they to cut to size, or if you need to use multiple to cover a window how does the gap/seam look? Have been thinking of getting them, but we also want to replace our windows at some point. I assume you can't just reuse them?
tetris11 6 points a year ago
Pretty easy to cut, but of course it'll never be perfect, and it's better to cut smaller than larger since it sticks to the window using water, and needs a complete seal, so any corners that overlap a frame will just slowly force the whole thing to peel off.
Very easy to re-use, it sticks using water and requires a flat piece of card (e.g. an old credit card) to spread it out over the window
masinko 6 points a year ago
At least in home depot, some of them come with a specific blade tool, or one that's not too much more expensive. It's hard/sharp enough to seamlessly cut through the tints, but not scratch your window.
Vinny_93 73 points a year ago
Oh man, there's this German company Beurer that makes simple equipment for medical home application. They make this sort of zapper thing, which is battery oper and it just heats the shit out of a little ceramic plate. Put that on a bug bite, it heats away the irritation. No more itch, no more venom in your body, just gone.
I am no longer careful around biting bugs. Keep in mind it's not supposed to work for stingers.
I figured for 15 euros it'd be too bad if it doesn't work but I now can't imagine not having it.
I've since also bought a TENS/EMS machine of theirs and a laser hair removal tool is underway for my wife.
I completely trust this company based on just two products.
Lemminary 37 points a year ago
Oh wow, there's a product out there? I've been heating the back of a spoon on the stove and applying it directly to the skin for a minute all these years. You gotta do it carefully, but it works very well!
Nerdage
The mechanism relies on denaturing the mosquito proteins injected with the bite. Meaning the heat causes the proteins to loosen up and deform so they no longer interact with the surrounding tissues in the same way.
idiomaddict 20 points a year ago
I’ve just run a spoon under the hottest possible tap water. It’s hot enough to work and it’s not hot enough to actually burn you
PetteriPano 15 points a year ago
My wife swears by it. For me it does nothing. She gets wasp-sized bumps from mosquito bites.
rumschlumpel 6 points a year ago
I got a device from a competitor (the original company's devices are >20€ nowadays). Worked great, too, but its longevity sucked - the next year, the ceramic plate didn't get hot enough anymore, even with fresh batteries. Yet another example of "buy cheap, buy twice".
chunkystyles 5 points a year ago
I don't have a device for this, but I do the same thing by running water as hot as I can stand over bites and it works.
leadore 2 points a year ago
Yeah I use the hottest running water and also scrub it with soap to get as much as possible off.
I've also used a hair dryer to heat the bites up but you have to be careful not to hold it too close to the skin and burn yourself. I'm very reactive to bug bites and I seem to get a million bites within seconds of going outside.
muntedcrocodile -12 points a year ago
What did beurer make in 1930-1940ish?
GrantUsEyes 39 points a year ago
As a fellow non tech person... There are dozens of us!!
nickiwest 6 points a year ago
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.
MarieMarion 16 points a year ago
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.)
pineapplelover 2 points a year ago
Nope not a coincidence at all
JigglySackles 5 points a year ago
Excuse you. Some of us have a well kempt full beard thank you very much.
KoboldCoterie 47 points a year ago
A roll of really heavy duty velcro. The kind that can, for example, stick a sledge hammer to a wall. It's about $12 for 5 feet or so, and about a 1" piece is sufficient for most tasks, so it lasts a very long time. I use it for all kinds of stuff; it's amazing how many uses for it you find when you have it.
TheFermentalist 69 points a year ago
He stuck a sledgehammer to his wall.
FartMaster69 13 points a year ago
Something every kobold needs.
KoboldCoterie 16 points a year ago
A lot of small things. I have some velcro on the wall in few rooms that I can stick a tablet to, for example. I've got velcro holding down a few items on my desk - a USB hub, speakers and the like, that I want to move sometimes, but that were commonly getting knocked off (by the cat). I've got a small whiteboard and a few places I can stick it, so I can use it to sketch something up and take it with me to our workbench, for example, and not have to precariously balance it.
All things that could be solved with other solutions, obviously, but the heavy duty velcro just happens to be a one-size-fits-all solution that leaves no permanent marks and is very convenient to set up.
Geometrinen_Gepardi 5 points a year ago
I have a IKEA pergola on my backyard and I've been trying to come up with a way to attach some plastic paneling on top of it without drilling. This might be it.
RecallMadness 1 point a year ago
Most common adhesives will be less effective under hot (ie sunlight) conditions.
If you don’t need it to come off, 3Ms GPH (General Purpose High-temp) VHB tape. 50% of your car is probably held together by it.
Geometrinen_Gepardi 1 point a year ago
Thanks, interesting industry knowledge. I need the panels to come off some day though. Otherwise I would have looked at glues/epoxies from the start.
prex 5 points a year ago
Just in case you havent seen it: Don't call it velcro
KoboldCoterie 7 points a year ago
That's pretty funny. Unfortunately for them, I and probably almost everyone else don't really care about their brand identity, so I'll keep calling it all velcro. I'll also keep call all tissues Kleenex, and all adhesive bandages Band-Aids, and all the others that have become synonymous with their product. That's what they get for being too successful, I guess.
riquisimo 1 point a year ago
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.
lightnsfw 4 points a year ago
Last time I did install work we used double sided Velcro for cable management. I snagged a roll and made a jig to split it in half with a box knife to get twice as much and I've still got a ton left over a decade later. It's really handy stuff to have around and better than zip ties in most applications I use it for.
KoboldCoterie 8 points a year ago
It's velcro all the way down!
It sticks with adhesive, and I don't doubt it would rip wallpaper right off, but using adhesive remover before trying to pull it off lets you work it off slowly and not cause damage to paint or surfaces.
TheFlopster 37 points a year ago
I bought a reusable tote for like $3 in the section at the front of Target where they stick all the cheap stuff. It looks like it's made of woven burlap. It says "Going to Market" on the sides. It's shorter than the standard reusable tote, but a reasonable width.
I bought it on a whim and thought it would sit in my trunk after I forgot about it. I use it all the time, and I've gotten a ton of compliments on it at checkouts of various stores.
idiomaddict 10 points a year ago
Isn’t everyone a better off Ted fan? Some people just don’t know it yet.
Actually, I just realized that I have only seen Portia de Rossi in two things and they were both fucking killer. Maybe I should watch ally mcbeal…
toynbee 1 point a year ago
It's too bad I don't have a note about you, because I feel like that would make this more contentious but probably interesting.
If I were going to make one about you, and you were as honest as you think you can be, what do you think it would say? I haven't looked at your post history and I don't remember your username from elsewhere (sorry), so I'm genuinely curious how you'll choose to represent yourself.
toynbee 4 points a year ago
As for what they are, the green text in my screenshot.
How depends on how you access Lemmy. In my client, Connect, I expand a comment, tap the three dots to the right of it, and click "add user note."
TheFlopster 3 points a year ago
I'm honored!
hakase 34 points a year ago
$20 bread maker I found at at a thrift store. There's no telling how many hundreds of loaves of healthy, fresh baked wheat bread I've churned out of that thing over the past two years, especially now that we're grinding our own wheat too.
VetOfTheSeas 17 points a year ago
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.
jollyroberts 7 points a year ago
I loved my breadmaker back in the day. I'm in an apartment these days though, so no room for a new one after the last one broke.
RvTV95XBeo 23 points a year ago
Did you try getting rid of the old one and putting the new one in its former place?
r0ertel 32 points a year ago
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.
HexagonSun 5 points a year ago
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.
r0ertel 7 points a year ago
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.
tankplanker 4 points a year ago
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.
viking 2 points a year ago
Is it an authentic aeropress, not a cheap knockoff? There are a bunch that sell under the same name but aren't in fact manufactured by aeropress ltd., and those can taste off since the cheap plastic is not certified for use with boiling water, and might not even be bpa free.
0x0 2 points a year ago
It's Aeropress™ and purchased from a reputable roaster. I suppose it's unknowable to me if some shenanigans were pulled further up the supply chain.
I'll add that the thing I noticed is that it tastes plasticky if I use water at 205°F but not 185°. I prefer the hotter temp because I think it gives a better extraction, and I need the caffeines.
Zier 31 points a year ago
Metal Chopsticks $9 https://www.amazon.com/... These are no longer for sale. They are not just for eating. Great for deseeding jalapenos, tomatos. Mixing small sauces. Too many uses to list. They are super durable. Very 'buy it for life' vibes. The tip texture is the most helpful. Not to be used as Ninja weapons.
Little8Lost 15 points a year ago
Chopsticks are also nice to mix fluids in a bottle because for some they are long enough
I also started eating potato chips with them, can reach deeper in + clean hands
Nusm 4 points a year ago
I’m gonna leave this right here…
SNACTIV LITE Finger Chopsticks... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXG8ZTNG
Zier 2 points a year ago
I do those things as well. I have some metal deep frying ones, they are about 14" long. I use them a lot when stirring deep soup pots. And when they are dirty, I use the fat end to swish the dish sponge around in deep containers that my had can't fit in.
drhodl 4 points a year ago
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.
Undaunted 1 point 8 months ago
If you get the Rambler, it has a flathead on the file and a philips on the combi tool thingy. This is the one I have on my keychain and it's amazing. Of course it's definitely not so robust as the 91mm models.
kayzeekayzee 27 points a year ago
Once found a whole functioning pc (minus ram and the hard drive) at a thrift store for $3. My guess is it came from an office, and when they plugged it in, and when it didn't work, they assumed it was junk. Actual value of the parts was like $300.
pineapplelover 24 points a year ago
A swiss army knife sd classic. I have it on my keychain and use it a lot
pineapplelover 3 points a year ago
Ima be honest, I didn't think it would be this useful. I just thought it was probably ok for a good emergency knife but I have used all of the tools in this small handy dandy tool many times over.
rouxdoo 23 points a year ago
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.
Soapbox 3 points a year ago
That's true. It hasn't mattered for me, as I have never removed any from the lights I blocked with it. I would assume the purpose made stickers would be better about residue if they need to be removed.
LovableSidekick 3 points a year ago
It's also great for holding electronic components in place while you solder them into circuit boards - even LEDs lol.
nebulaone 23 points a year ago
- knife sharpening steel
- squeezing bidet (made me realize how gross using toilet paper is)
- caffeine pills (extremely cheap [15€ for 180pcs. x 200mg] compared to coffee and great if you're in a hurry)
- Raspberry Pi Zero (tiny single board computer, tbh not in use anymore, but I had fun tinkering for days)
- remote controlled power outlets
- easily cleanable drinking bottle and switching to drinking tap water
Nemo 22 points a year ago
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.
Krauerking 4 points a year ago
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.
Krauerking 3 points a year ago
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.
Venus_Ziegenfalle 20 points a year ago
Opinel carbon steel pocket knife. They're awesome. Cheap, robust and easy to keep sharp. Just need to oil the blade every now and then for corrosion resistance and you're good to go.
FlashMobOfOne 19 points a year ago
My pocket stun gun was $19.99. Decided I needed a defense mechanism I could conceal after an encounter with a scary aggressive homeless man.
Also has a flashlight.
VetOfTheSeas 20 points a year ago
Be careful with a stungun. It requires close range confrontation, and It's not effective if the assailant is drugged up or heavily drunk and ignores the shocks.
Mace gives good distance, and pepper in the eyes doesn't care about the stimulants in your blood stream.
Also practice with it. A large number of people carry self defense tools and choke under pressure/fail to use it correctly during situations.
FlashMobOfOne 9 points a year ago
I tested it on myself.
It works fine.
Flocklesscrow 12 points a year ago
lol, you completely missed all that advice.
Liz 3 points a year ago
path: 0 17989991 17991969 17992022 17998816, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 1
Stun guns are useless.
FlashMobOfOne 6 points a year ago
Always appreciate when people offer their opinion with a YT video. I'm definitely going to watch it. Thank you.
FlashMobOfOne 20 points a year ago
Go judge someone else. It wasn't my decision to turn whole cities into mental institutions. It was Ronald Reagan's.
FlashMobOfOne 10 points a year ago
Apologies.
Every time I mention I had a run-in with a homeless person, some self-righteous SJW discounts my experience and infers that I must have been in the wrong, though I was just sitting on a bus minding my own business on the way to work. My city has fare-free buses, so we end up having a lot of close encounters with untreated homeless people. (Also why I carry a stun-gun instead of mace, so if I have to use it there's no chance of friendly fire.)
So I figured you were another one here to cast aspersions, and I have a short fuse with it for sure. My mistake.
notastatist 1 point a year ago
What kind of flashlight??
Tattorack 19 points a year ago
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.
chaosCruiser 19 points a year ago
I got two of these squiggly window wedges. They are incredibly versatile and handy when you want to keep a window open.
bravesentry 19 points a year ago
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.
ouRKaoS 8 points a year ago
In the same vein: one of those little magnetic parts tray/bowl things.
I've gotten a few of them for free from harbor freight, and they're perfect for when you have the giant bag of screws and nee to pick out 6 "E's" and 6 "H's" for step 7.
MummifiedClient5000 3 points a year ago
Lidl's tools are surprisingly good.
And don't just take my word for it.
rumschlumpel 17 points a year ago
One of those cocktail stirring spoons with a long, round handle. Makes stirring a glass full of ice extremely easier compared to normal spoon handles. In contrast, I found mixing glasses and cocktail shakers fairly optional (and those tend to be more expensive than $20 anyway if they're decent quality).
toynbee 3 points a year ago
path: 0 17984963 17986776, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 3
Apparently there's a collector's club for these, but none of them displayed in photos were the twisted kind, so I didn't link there.
Obituarykidney 10 points a year ago
Not a plastic swizzle stick, a bar spoon. They are stainless steel and have various ends. This is the teardrop, makes stirring ice easier. There's also a coin (flat disc on the end that op was talking about), that is used for muddling and can also be used to stir ice, and the trident used to get garnishes out of jars like cherries and olives. Source: I am a bartender
toynbee 2 points a year ago
Ah, I'm no bartender but every cocktail kit I've had has referred to them interchangeably. I was thinking of the spoon style but ironically ran out of metaphorical spoons while trying to find a good example. Thanks.
edit: Added missing words.
RodgeGrabTheCat 1 point a year ago path: 0 17984963 17986776 17987127 17988847, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0
papertowels 8 points a year ago
The shoe horn is the bidet of getting dressed.
Tar_alcaran 16 points a year ago
Tesa outdoor double sided tape.
That stuff is basically magic. It will stick anything to everything and you can remove it from almost any surface without leaving a mark. I used to stick a dashcam to my car window, a birdbath to my brick wall, a remote LED lamp to the ceiling (felt iffy, works great!). It's even holding a metal plate from the doorknob in place because the door is more hole than wood by now.
It beats basically every other kind of tape of multipurpose glue, and it's removable. It's kinda thick though, so you might see it, but that's also a feature when sticking rough textures to eachother.
triptrapper 4 points a year ago
I'm seeing lots of different tapes from Tesa. Is it PET? PVC?
Tar_alcaran 3 points a year ago
It's this stuff: https://www.tesa.com/...
Or your local version of it, but this website refuses to turn to other languages for me.
triptrapper 2 points a year ago
Thanks!
Atomic 16 points a year ago
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.
ramenbelly 2 points a year ago
The answer to infection is here
Krauerking 16 points a year ago
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.
NewNewAugustEast 7 points a year ago
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.
sacbuntchris 16 points a year ago
A good, insulated cup. I make ice coffee every morning and a good cup doesn't get condensation and keeps the coffee cold for hours (I drink slowly while I work)
UndulyUnruly 8 points a year ago
Live life to the fullest and teach your mate’s cat to play the piano by carefully dripping tuna water between selected keys.
BigDaddySlim 2 points a year ago
Put a drink in your cup that you hate, that way you'll be reluctant to drink it as frequently. So if you hate pineapple juice, fill it up with that!
sacbuntchris 2 points a year ago
I have a silicone cup like this that works pretty well: https://a.co/d/3nabYyx
I also have tumblers without a top from the brand Brumate that work amazingly, but they cost more than $20 retail. I've gotten them for cheaper at discount stores and on sale at their website.
BonesOfTheMoon 14 points a year ago
Wireless phone charger. I'll be stuck somewhere looking at my low battery life, and suddenly remember it's in my purse. It isn't the fastest charge but it is useful.
BonesOfTheMoon 3 points a year ago
Or that yeah.
jordanlund 14 points a year ago
Really good nailclippers:
https://www.victorinox.com/...
If you're willing to go over the $20 barrier, you get more functionality:
https://www.victorinox.com/...
I liked it enough, I bought two more.
Smallest MagLite:
GreenMartian 10 points a year ago
It's hilarious that they say
Swiss made nail clipper with two functions
Followed by not mentioning what the other function is...
Buffalobuffalo 2 points a year ago
You've never used the three sea shells?
jordanlund 4 points a year ago
Lanyard hole. Victorinox always considers keyring attachments as features.
Interstellar_1 2 points a year ago
I have a pair of these safety 1st nail clippers:
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.
BenchpressMuyDebil 1 point a year ago
Obligatory Japanese nail clipper mention: https://www.feather.co.jp/...
Krudler 13 points a year ago
I bought a Rada Quick Edge at a thrift store for $2.
Was always taught my my metal-smith grandfather how to properly care for and sharpen knives, but when I tried it out on a knife I cared little for, I found it was such a shocking difference in efficiency I couldn't help but notice.
It completely changed my relationship with knives and knife care, which was so helpful for me because I cook everything from scratch and whole ingredients. Everything, so having good knives is not kids-play for me.
It made me discover that for me, using a quick sharpening wheel and a hone gets my knives beard-shaving sharp in less than 30 seconds. I could never go back to the "right way" and I firmly joined the "dark side" of knife ownership.
Yes they destroy knives with some aggression, far more than traditional methods, but in the forensic audit it has saved me hundreds in a literal way, and hundreds of hours laboring over sharpening stones.
I no longer need to pamper knives, I buy cheap German steel chef knives on sale for $5-$20 and I throw them out in 3 or 4 years. I'll never go back. All the hysterics from knife "gurus" on YT be damned - in my personal cooking world where I have 10,000 Km on my knives and cutting board, I could give two shits what they think. Nobody better ever give me a $300 knife for a present because it's going back in the box.
Dual-wheel sharpener and 14" hone is all I'll ever use from now on.
BackgrndNoize 2 points a year ago
What's the point of the hone?, I thought knife sharpeners like the Rada did the same thing as a hone?
Krudler 4 points a year ago
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.
BackgrndNoize 2 points a year ago
I see, maybe I'll get one as well then, got any recommendation
Krudler 3 points a year ago
Honing does remove material. It shears off the ragged edge grains, and presses the other grains into alignment.
Anytime you use a hone, you can run your fingertips along the knife edge and gather the removed grains of material.
It's a very small detail but to say that a hone does not damage a knife or remove material isn't 100% right.
RememberTheApollo_ 12 points a year ago
Unexpectedly? I’m not sure. But for under $6 I got a secondhand Faberware medium and large pot. We have a glass cooktop and our current pots tend to “bow” on the bottom when heated so they don’t sit flat. Was fine when we had a gas cooktop, but now the bow makes a hotspot in the center on the flat glass. The old Faberware pots sit perfectly flat. Awesome.
kkj 5 points a year ago
I just leave my shorts or pants (depending on weather) hanging on the back of the door with everything still in the pockets (except my phone). I change them once a week or as needed and just transfer the stuff when I'm putting on the fresh pair.
baggachipz 3 points a year ago
You wear the same pair of pants every day for a week straight?
kkj 4 points a year ago
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).
baggachipz 3 points a year ago
Huh. I work from home, but I dress in different clothes every day. Guess I’m a fancy boy.
ramsgrl909 4 points a year ago
My husband still doesn't use it, the hunt for his keys is getting old
Pieisawesome 4 points a year ago
Put a tile or AirTag on them
LovableSidekick 12 points a year ago
Small drafting table I got at Goodwill for $4. I've used it for actual drawing, and it has an adjustable tilt so it can be flat to use as a plain table.
drhodl 10 points a year ago
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.
Krudler 3 points a year ago
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.
raynethackery 3 points a year ago
What do you use to wash your back? I have a brush but it keeps slipping out of my hand.
SirActionSack 6 points a year ago
Decent size cloth so I can hold two corners and basically use it as if I was towelling dry.
Amani 10 points a year ago
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.
Twinklebreeze 4 points a year ago
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.
LilB0kChoy 9 points a year ago
Electronic hearing protection. It's earmuff style with a speaker on one ear that you can turn on with volume control. It automatically cuts out if volume exceeds a certain decibel level.
A key holder/shelf combo. It hangs by the door and I put my keys on a hook and my wallet and spare handkerchiefs in the little shelf part. I tend to unload my pockets right at the door and grab my keys and everything as I leave.
underreacting 9 points a year ago
[edit: I'm rambling about a lanyard!]
I don't know what it's called, but I chord you put around your neck, goes down to the belly with a metal hook at the end? Used to keep backstage/security passes visible, but I keep my keys on there instead.
Keys always end up at the bottom of my bag, and it can be frustrating and even painful to dig them out. I don't always have pockets suitable for keys. I have a place for them at home, but still misplace them constantly.
With this chord I can keep my keys around my neck when in use, like at work or going to the store, and even if I put them in my bag I can loop the keys around a handle and down through their own chord and they'll hang there to be pulled out when I need them.
The chord is long and colourful and way easier to find than just the keys, and often hang visible out of a bag when I haven't put the keys in their place.
It's great. I have different colours for different sets of keys, one colour is home+bicycle, other is work. Other keys I add only when I need them. It gets annoying having too many keys on at once.
underreacting 7 points a year ago
What an odd little word...So unspecific; could never have guessed it. But yes, that's it, thanks!
DarkFuture 9 points a year ago
A bottle opener shaped like a key so it fits neatly between my other keys on my keychain. I thought I lost my keys once and I was way more upset about that than my actual keys, despite it probably being pretty easy to find on Amazon.
Aussiemandeus 6 points a year ago
And the money you save is amazing
bradorsomething 3 points a year ago
Other shoppers bundled this purchase with a really big american flag.
Monzcarro 8 points a year ago
I have a little fold-out rack with (I think) 24 individual clips on that hold socks and other small items. It can then be attached to the washing line, taking up a lot less space than hanging things along the length of it.
It was £3.99 and it makes putting the washing out so much easier. I much prefer to line dry things outside than using the dryer when I can.
0x0 8 points a year ago
A pry bar. I use it to open cat food tins because my fingernails are not up to the task.
Scavenger_Solardaddy 11 points a year ago
Or just use the handle of a metal spoon
0x0 17 points a year ago
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.
LovableSidekick 3 points a year ago
Flat-bladed screwdriver works just as well and has a better handle.
Babalugats 2 points a year ago
You could buy all of these for that price. https://www.aliexpress.com/...
AceFuzzLord 7 points a year ago
I've got a lot of use out of a 1000ml water bottle I got at college. Originally got it because the club I'm a part of was making food and I needed a container to take some with me. Since then I have used it a lot. Same with a discounted $1USD aluminum bottle I got because I forgot my water bottle at home and needed something so I wouldn't be getting up every few seconds to get water while working on something in the library.
RodgeGrabTheCat 7 points a year ago
A dry erase notebook. $2. The marker that came with it is crap so that was another $12 for a pack of 4.
Mothra 7 points a year ago
A mini pen I keep on my lanyard.
Cost me like $2.50, I thought it was too expensive for what I was getting but it works. Now when those bitches lose the pens, I can still write instead of dancing a pat-everything-pat-myself-look-for-pen-everywhere
ErrorCode 7 points a year ago
This under US$5 milk frother from Ikea. Froth up milk, pour the coffee in, so nice.
PraiseTheSoup 4 points a year ago
Anybody know if these work with oat milk or almond milk? Does it froth?
bravesentry 3 points a year ago
Yep, should work fine, although the foam will have a slghtly different texture.
Krauerking 3 points a year ago
Also very good for making hot chocolate.
Hikermick 5 points a year ago
A large magnet. I bought it on a whim ~20 years ago for $20 (still online for same price). I got it on a whim while buying gifts from an educational toy website. It comes in handy whenever I drop something small that ferrous or just need it to hold onto things.
z3rOR0ne 4 points a year ago
Even though I don't regularly use it, I'm glad I have a p38 can opener on my keychain. Just in case I end up in a survival situation, it's good to have alongside a good keychain bottle opener. Obviously not as good as a leatherman, but for under $20, yeah, these two are worth it.
Schlemmy 2 points a year ago
Any knife will do for opening a can. With a bit of practice you get a clean round cut.
But I'm not criticizing the affordable buy it for life can opener you shared with us. Really Nice thing to have.
iknowitwheniseeit 2 points a year ago
Reading glasses. They're like €5.
Little8Lost 2 points a year ago
An extention cord thingy.
I got it in some cheap chinese goods place so i thik it was like 15€.
It was an impulsive purchase (i am the type to get tools impulsivly)
But for a long time it was a useless dust catcher.
After i moved there finally where oppertunities for it.
So at that point it got unexpectedly useful.
For summer i reccommend buying a hand fan + a spray bottle (spray water on skin & use fan, its really nice)
nandeEbisu 1 point a year ago
I got a cheap office chair when I moved out after college. It was like $15+20 and it's super comfortable and still use it daily over 10 years later.
It's just foam stapled to plywood but really good support.
reactionality -3 points a year ago
It was a joke.
reactionality -3 points a year ago
If you have a shitty sense of humour I guess.
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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.
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