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.
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.
Easel. But we understood. 😀
I have a friend who does digital art as a side gig, always complaining about his back. Maybe I’ll suggest he get an easel.
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.
The answer to infection is here
Waterproof mattress protector. Pays for itself after one accident or spill.
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!
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.
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.
One way window heat shield. Reflects 85‰ of the UV back out. Sticks to the window using only water.
Noticeable difference in temperature for any sun-facing windows
I did this at my last House and it was fantastic.
Just need to remember that once it’s dark outside the reflective side “switches” and everyone can see clearly into the house.
That’s just how a normal window works
Yes but the film has a one-way mirror effect and most people don’t put 2 and 2 together and think the window is opaque when is not.
wait really? and isn’t that always the case with any window?
Are you using these on double glazed windows? I’ve read this film could get them to crack under the heat.
Yeah double glazed, and no hasn’t been an issue by my reckoning
Thanks that’s good to know!
Somewhere i worked had that. (Edit: but more for privacy)
It was so funny seeing passerbys using it as a mirror.
Absolutly funny 10/10Window film is so glorious. I have my bedroom windows blacked out with it, easier to sleep, and yes, always cool temperatures in there.
I added these last summer too. Roughly a hundred bucks to cover three patio sliding doors. Huge difference.
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?
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
Is that the static type then that are reused and just need water, with adhesive backed ones being single application only?
Huh, never heard of the adhesive type. I’ve used the static/water ones for ~4 years without any issues
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.
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.
Fyi this also works with a steel faucet or sink in a pinch
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.
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.
Ill report back tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll end up making something with onions or garlic in it haha
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
You basically have to add grease lightning or something similar to your wash to get that stuff out.
I like when my hands smell like onions/garlic/bits. Makes for a nice lil smell-snack later!
That’s not gonna end well. 😅
Or the outside of a stainless mixing bowl. That’s what I use since there’s usually one drying next to the sink anyway. And it’s also useful as a bowl!
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.
Yep. Still useful for people without stainless fixtures, or cocktail shakers.
Why would I want to remove that smell 😍.
(half joking)
It’s my favorite part of cutting onions
Same, I love the smell of garlic. Do they make bars of soap made of garlic so I can always smell that way?
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.
It’s true, I’ve never used one of these and was absolutely lying about their effectiveness.
You’re saying that as if I’ve never used one. I have, and I don’t see a difference to just washing my hands with water. But to each their own ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Regarding your jib. I like the cut.
I’ve had this shit in my cart for like 5 years. Lol I really should just buy it.
Does this also work for jalapenos?
No. The heat from peppers is an oil. Dry finger tips absorb the oil. So either gloves or rub a drop of neutral oil on your fingers before handling peppers.
What’s
neutral oil
and is it neutral regarding everything or just
peppers
Neutral flavor. So something like canola. Things with a strong flavor can impact the taste of the dish.
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
Not that I’m aware of.
“I too love to rub heavily metals into my skin”…idk if anyone has said this before lol
10 foot long phone charger
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
I’ve been using a spoon and a lighter like a heroin addict all this time…
My wife swears by it. For me it does nothing. She gets wasp-sized bumps from mosquito bites.
BiteAway gang!
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.
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.
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”.
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.
I’ve tried (electrical tape) that but found it is gummy and leaves a sticky mess.
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.
Ooh, good idea! I hate all those lights.
It’s also great for holding electronic components in place while you solder them into circuit boards - even LEDs lol.
