Ask Lemmy

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.

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.

Metal Chopsticks $9 https://www.amazon.com/BamLue-Stainless-Chopsticks-Dishwasher-Restaurant/dp/B07RTNWLM1 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.

Extra long shoe horn. I eventually upgraded to a solid metal one when the cheap one broke.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A screwdriver kit with multiple head tips, can repair almost anything as long as I am given some schematics

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.

A pry bar. I use it to open cat food tins because my fingernails are not up to the task.

https://camelcamelcamel.com/product/B0BRBTHK8Z

• 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

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.

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.

I got two of these squiggly window wedges. They are incredibly versatile and handy when you want to keep a window open.

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.

Electric screwdriver from Lidl (well, it was less than £20) - as a DIY novice/flat pack builder, it changed my life

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.