Waterproof mattress protector. Pays for itself after one accident or spill.
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.
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
10 foot long phone charger
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.
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.
[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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
balaclava. I wear it all the time. It’s a great way to keep my mouth and nose covered from the nasty germs when out in public.
might I interest you in an N95 respirator? those germs would still end up in your lungs by just wearing a cloth
I thought you meant baklava and I thought, yes, good idea. Have baklava in mouth at all times.
I’m not going to argue with this one. We all need more baklava.
And the money you save is amazing
No kidding. I saved enough for a big bag of zip ties.
A swiss army knife sd classic. I have it on my keychain and use it a lot
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.
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 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
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.
Flat-bladed screwdriver works just as well and has a better handle.
Not as effective
You could buy all of these for that price. https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-mini-pry-bar.html
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.
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.
