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.
Waterproof mattress protector. Pays for itself after one accident or spill.
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.
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.
10 foot long phone charger
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.
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.
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.
[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.
Lanyard?
What an odd little word…So unspecific; could never have guessed it. But yes, that’s it, thanks!
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.
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.)
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 bet you there is a distro called Pikachu, just to fuck with people like us.
As a fellow non tech person… There are dozens of us!!
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.
Excuse you. Some of us have a well kempt full beard thank you very much.
Not to mention the broke single mum tech neckbeards!
Go mombeards!
I became a full-on programmer after joining Lemmy. Coincidence?
Nope not a coincidence at all
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.
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.
A swiss army knife sd classic. I have it on my keychain and use it a lot
I have one always in my pocket, too, but I’d argue it’s not “unexpectedly useful”.
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.
Yes, this. The best multi tool is the one you have on you on when you need it, and with one of these on my keys, I comes in handy more often then I thought it would.
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 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Very strange, I’m using water straight from the kettle just after bringing it to a full boil, and don’t taste anything plastic.
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.
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.
