Cheap Things That Make You Happy

[FIREin2018]

Post covid, I've been traveling alot.

What is this "post covid" thing you speak of?

heh.. ok, edited to say post covid vaccine

[Siebrie]

Repurposing the parts of my cheapie plastic greenhouse into a fruitcage (the metal tubes and plastic connectors; summer) and leafcage (the wire shelves; autumn).
I've been lusting after a proper fruitcage ever since I became aware of its existence, then last year my brain actually engaged and I realised I could build one with the bits and pieces I had stored in the garage attic!

[Trifele]

A spoonful of vanilla ice cream stirred into a hot cup of coffee. 

[Metalcat]

The property I'm closing on shortly.

[friedmmj]

Those crimpers exits for toothpaste

What's that?

[Metalcat]

Those crimpers exits for toothpaste

What's that?

https://www.amazon.ca/Chengu-Toothpaste-Squeezer-Dispenser-Bathroom/dp/B07MSF4WHY/ref=asc_df_B07MSF4WHY/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459459417351&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18223927570957434607&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000665&hvtargid=pla-617323110206&psc=1

[GuitarStv]

Those crimpers exits for toothpaste

What's that?

https://www.amazon.ca/Chengu-Toothpaste-Squeezer-Dispenser-Bathroom/dp/B07MSF4WHY/ref=asc_df_B07MSF4WHY/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459459417351&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18223927570957434607&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000665&hvtargid=pla-617323110206&psc=1

Put the bottom of the tube of toothpaste in the palm of your hand.  Push the palm of your hand against the edge of your bathroom counter, and slowly draw it down so that the remaining toothpaste is squeezed to the top.

There - saved you 11$ and saved the environment from one more useless bit of plastic.

:P

[friedmmj]

Those crimpers exits for toothpaste

What's that?

https://www.amazon.ca/Chengu-Toothpaste-Squeezer-Dispenser-Bathroom/dp/B07MSF4WHY/ref=asc_df_B07MSF4WHY/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459459417351&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18223927570957434607&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000665&hvtargid=pla-617323110206&psc=1

Put the bottom of the tube of toothpaste in the palm of your hand.  Push the palm of your hand against the edge of your bathroom counter, and slowly draw it down so that the remaining toothpaste is squeezed to the top.

There - saved you 11$ and saved the environment from one more useless bit of plastic.

:P

LOL...I could use one of these for my bladder.

[WSUCoug1994]

When you get all the toothpaste out - send all of your dental "trash" here https://oralb.com/en-us/recycling/ they even take used floss. 

Love,

Mother Earth

[FIREin2018]

Post covid vaccine, I've been traveling alot.
One unexpected thing that i noticeably enjoyed was rain shower heads.

Something like this ($10):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/313043542822



But i wanted a square one so ordered one from Lowes ($15).
(Still waiting...)

Installed it into my small stand alone shower.
It looks huge and ridiculous in that small space.
Maybe if I had a bath tub/shower combo.

Returning it

[BussoV6]

Post covid vaccine, I've been traveling alot.
One unexpected thing that i noticeably enjoyed was rain shower heads.

Something like this ($10):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/313043542822



But i wanted a square one so ordered one from Lowes ($15).
(Still waiting...)

Installed it into my small stand alone shower.
It looks huge and ridiculous in that small space.
Maybe if I had a bath tub/shower combo.

Returning it

I installed a large square rain shower head and I absolutely love it. It has 225 little nozzles (15 X 15). Mind you, when I redid the bathroom, I made the shower space quite large, 5 ft X 5 ft.

[parkerk]

Watching my cat chase a crumpled-up paper bag around the house like a wild thing for a solid 10 minutes.  Who needs cat toys anyways? 

[Metalcat]

Not being addicted to expensive, toxic substances.

I've been to several events recently with smokers/drinkers, and it's astounding how much money I save by NOT poisoning myself daily.

[LD_TAndK]

Scoop yourself a big ol' spoonful of peanut butter and savor it while enjoying this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iUduCtx7cA&ab_channel=DiscoveryUK

[Extramedium]

The satisfaction of a sidewalk free of snow and ice.

[SailingOnASmallSailboat]

Getting a new library card and finding books friends have recommended in the collection. And the books are available too!

I definitely prefer "real" books to e-books, but the ease of borrowing from miles away is immense.

[zolotiyeruki]

For Christmas, DW got me a novel I read as a kid.  A Gordon Dickson sci-fi book from ...I'm guessing the 70's.  Used paperbacks like that are usually $0.01 + $4 shipping or so, and I got a good few hours of enjoyment out of it, curled up on a sofa on a quiet-ish Sunday afternoon.

[Trifele]

I sometimes write out to-do lists.  In pencil.  I discovered recently that it felt really good to erase completed items rather than crossing them off.   For some weird reason it’s much more satisfying. 

[Dee_]

I recently put some of my rarely-used kitchen appliances into storage as part of new year decluttering/cleaning efforts. The 'extra' counter space feels so liberating! (next step is biting the bullet and actually donating them, but we're working up to that 😬)

[FIREin2018]

For Christmas, DW got me a novel I read as a kid.  A Gordon Dickson sci-fi book from ...I'm guessing the 70's.  Used paperbacks like that are usually $0.01 + $4 shipping or so, and I got a good few hours of enjoyment out of it, curled up on a sofa on a quiet-ish Sunday afternoon.

Dorsai?

[FIREin2018]

socks.

over the years, my socks have been worn thru and so i throw them away once a hole appears.
it's down to the point of timing laundry because i'm down to 1 or 2 pairs of clean socks.
The mental effort of keeping track is not worth it when they're so cheap. (12pack of socks at walmart for $10)

next up: t-shirts
most of my tshirts have pit stains. i guess im getting old because it's starting to bother me.
waiting for hanes/fruit-of-the-loom to have their annual sale with or walmart carries the '+2 free' tshirts package

[zolotiyeruki]

For Christmas, DW got me a novel I read as a kid.  A Gordon Dickson sci-fi book from ...I'm guessing the 70's.  Used paperbacks like that are usually $0.01 + $4 shipping or so, and I got a good few hours of enjoyment out of it, curled up on a sofa on a quiet-ish Sunday afternoon.

Dorsai?

Of that series, indeed.  Tactics of Mistake.  My older sister had a bookshelf of sci-fi and fantasy books that she left behind when she went to college, and I absolutely devoured them.

[Dee_]

Today's free thrill: cruising on my bike past the Tesla stopped as a red light hohoho

[Siebrie]

next up: t-shirts
most of my tshirts have pit stains. i guess im getting old because it's starting to bother me.
waiting for hanes/fruit-of-the-loom to have their annual sale with or walmart carries the '+2 free' tshirts package

Pit stains can be removed by washing with white dishwasher soap (or a tablet in the bottom of the washing machine). It can also help to put them out in the sunshine after washing, when still wet. The sunlight is a bleacher.

[FIREin2018]

For Christmas, DW got me a novel I read as a kid.  A Gordon Dickson sci-fi book from ...I'm guessing the 70's.  Used paperbacks like that are usually $0.01 + $4 shipping or so, and I got a good few hours of enjoyment out of it, curled up on a sofa on a quiet-ish Sunday afternoon.

Dorsai?

Of that series, indeed.  Tactics of Mistake.  My older sister had a bookshelf of sci-fi and fantasy books that she left behind when she went to college, and I absolutely devoured them.

lol.. i sorta guessed right. i should buy a lotto tix.

you only read Tactics?
none of the 3 previous books in the Childe Cycle arc? (Dorsai being the 1st book in that series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childe_Cycle

Too bad the author died before releasing the final book.  :(

[NearlyThere]

Very basic, but a runny yoke on a perfectly cooked poached egg makes me smile every time

[goat_music_generator]

Very basic, but a runny yoke on a perfectly cooked poached egg makes me smile every time

Ooh, this reminds me: I recently tried the Budget Bytes Hollandaise recipe, and it came out perfectly: https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-hollandaise-sauce/

(... then I remembered I'm pregnant and I'm not supposed to eat it, so I haven't made it again yet :-P)

Seems so fancy, yet not actually expensive or hard to make!

[zolotiyeruki]

For Christmas, DW got me a novel I read as a kid.  A Gordon Dickson sci-fi book from ...I'm guessing the 70's.  Used paperbacks like that are usually $0.01 + $4 shipping or so, and I got a good few hours of enjoyment out of it, curled up on a sofa on a quiet-ish Sunday afternoon.

Dorsai?

Of that series, indeed.  Tactics of Mistake.  My older sister had a bookshelf of sci-fi and fantasy books that she left behind when she went to college, and I absolutely devoured them.

lol.. i sorta guessed right. i should buy a lotto tix.

you only read Tactics?
none of the 3 previous books in the Childe Cycle arc? (Dorsai being the 1st book in that series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childe_Cycle

Too bad the author died before releasing the final book.  :(

I've read Dorsai! and The Spirit of Dorsai recently as well--when my sister was purging her collection a few years ago, I picked up a few dozen of her books, including those.  I want to say I read Soldier, Ask Not as a teenager, but I don't think I ever read Necromancer. 

[FIREin2018]

Pit stains can be removed by washing with white dishwasher soap (or a tablet in the bottom of the washing machine). It can also help to put them out in the sunshine after washing, when still wet. The sunlight is a bleacher.

What is white dishwasher soap?

i've used bleach in my washing machine. didnt help. :(

[Dee_]

Very basic, but a runny yoke on a perfectly cooked poached egg makes me smile every time

(... then I remembered I'm pregnant and I'm not supposed to eat it, so I haven't made it again yet :-P)

You can buy pasteurized eggs to make hollondaise! Or if you've got a sous vide, you can pasteurize them yourself: https://www.streetsmartkitchen.com/how-to-pasteurize-eggs-sous-vide/

[Siebrie]

White dishwasher soap: uncoloured, a tablet that's not half blue with a red ball in the middle :)

[FIREin2018]

White dishwasher soap: uncoloured, a tablet that's not half blue with a red ball in the middle :)

i dont use a dishwasher and i dont use pods for laundry.
How do i use the dishwasher soap in my washing machine?

[sui generis]

White dishwasher soap: uncoloured, a tablet that's not half blue with a red ball in the middle :)

i dont use a dishwasher and i dont use pods for laundry.
How do i use the dishwasher soap in my washing machine?

I don't know the answer to this, but I will say dish soap (I'm not sure about dish*washer* soap) is great for stain removing.  I just got an old (i.e. already went through washer and dryer before I realized it) wine stain out of a new shirt by doing a sequence of vinegar soaking and dish soap gently rubbed with an old toothbrush.  Never tried it on pit stains, but now thinking I should.

[Raj]

Specialized Lip Vaseline, sometimes my lips get dry enough that they crack and bleed which is always a pretty painful experience.

While normal Vaseline can work, it's often far thicker than needed and the smell ain't great when it's that close to your nose.

You barely need any for your lips, so I bought a Vaseline Lip Therapy that was only 17g that I expected wouldn't last very long despite it costing $8.

Well I was wrong, as I still have the thing years later, and it's saved my lips multiple times in that time frame.

Easily one of my better purchases. 

[Dicey]

@FIREin2018, @Siebrie - Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs. I chose this article because it contains a link to the original post. I can attest that this pit stain remover formula works great and it's cheap!


https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/about-that-whole-homemade-oxi-clean-vs-dollar-store-oxi-clean-thing/

[Dicey]

@FIREin2018, @Siebrie - Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs. I chose this article because it contains a link to the original post. I can attest that this pit stain remover formula works great and it's cheap!

https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/about-that-whole-homemade-oxi-clean-vs-dollar-store-oxi-clean-thing/

So I did a cost comparison on this and got $0.32 per use ($0.20 for baking soda and $0.12 for the peroxide). Brand-name Oxi-Clean costs $.10 per load in my area ($12.19 for 5.9 lb size which yields 127 loads per the package). Are the building blocks of the DIY version less expensive in some areas?

[Edited: math error! But still more than brand name.]

IIRC, it was cost and effectiveness that gave the victory to the homemade recipe. Also, if you shop at Costco or Sam's, which TFG does, the cost of baking soda is far less than that. I buy my Oxyclean at estate sales for an even better deal. Last time, I got the giant warehouse box (11 pounds, I think?) for $5.

[FIREin2018]

@FIREin2018, @Siebrie - Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs. I chose this article because it contains a link to the original post. I can attest that this pit stain remover formula works great and it's cheap!


https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/about-that-whole-homemade-oxi-clean-vs-dollar-store-oxi-clean-thing/

thx!

unfortunately, i need to soak the tshirts overnight.
i'm not going to remember or might be too lazy to do the laundry the next day.

the clothes might stay in the bucket for days.
no idea if that's good or not with this mixture?

[FIREin2018]

@FIREin2018, @Siebrie - Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs. I chose this article because it contains a link to the original post. I can attest that this pit stain remover formula works great and it's cheap!

https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/about-that-whole-homemade-oxi-clean-vs-dollar-store-oxi-clean-thing/

So I did a cost comparison on this and got $0.32 per use ($0.20 for baking soda and $0.12 for the peroxide). Brand-name Oxi-Clean costs $.10 per load in my area ($12.19 for 5.9 lb size which yields 127 loads per the package). Are the building blocks of the DIY version less expensive in some areas?

[Edited: math error! But still more than brand name.]

IIRC, it was cost and effectiveness that gave the victory to the homemade recipe. Also, if you shop at Costco or Sam's, which TFG does, the cost of baking soda is far less than that. I buy my Oxyclean at estate sales for an even better deal. Last time, I got the giant warehouse box (11 pounds, I think?) for $5.

oh wow.. oxyclean is currently on sale at costco!
i'll pick it up to try.
if i dont like it, i'll return it and try white dish soap (whatever that is).

What's TFG?

[Dicey]

@FIREin2018, @Siebrie - Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs. I chose this article because it contains a link to the original post. I can attest that this pit stain remover formula works great and it's cheap!

https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/about-that-whole-homemade-oxi-clean-vs-dollar-store-oxi-clean-thing/

So I did a cost comparison on this and got $0.32 per use ($0.20 for baking soda and $0.12 for the peroxide). Brand-name Oxi-Clean costs $.10 per load in my area ($12.19 for 5.9 lb size which yields 127 loads per the package). Are the building blocks of the DIY version less expensive in some areas?

[Edited: math error! But still more than brand name.]

IIRC, it was cost and effectiveness that gave the victory to the homemade recipe. Also, if you shop at Costco or Sam's, which TFG does, the cost of baking soda is far less than that. I buy my Oxyclean at estate sales for an even better deal. Last time, I got the giant warehouse box (11 pounds, I think?) for $5.

oh wow.. oxyclean is currently on sale at costco!
i'll pick it up to try.
if i dont like it, i'll return it and try white dish soap (whatever that is).

that's TFG?

It's in the link. The Frugal Girl, one of my favorite blogs.  It was a go-to before MMM existed.

[okisok]

Secondhand wool cardigan and sweater keeping me toasty

Fireplace roaring with wood I cut myself

Realizing my old dog didn't want her bed in front of the fire, she wanted it next to *me* where I'm currently working. Now her bed is in a patch of sunshine on the floor by my chair and she's snoring quietly instead of pacing back and forth between me and the fireplace looking put out. :)

Balancing my checkbook to the penny (even though I rarely write checks anymore, I still use the register). Bills paid through the end of the month with the rest allocated to its work

Slow cooker burbling away full of sale and discounted ingredients that will make a delicious soup

Working from home on a snowy day so there is no spending at all

Working up a sweat and taking off my coat shoveling my drive

[Just Joe]

Just making the things we already own last longer. A simple repair, a minor refurbishment, being satisfied with what we already have, etc. I wasn't always like this.

Once upon a time, upgrading to something newer was important but that was seldom as satisfying as I thought it would be. Okay the new thing does a couple things differently or better but is it really a worthwhile improvement?

Tracfone says my smart phone is out of date and I should buy a new one. Phone is only 3-4 years old. Red Pocket tells me they can provide service at an affordable price of $20 per month. So, I dodged a $400+ phone purchase for another few years. Besides, I already like what I have b/c it is already paid for. Bye bye Tracfone. RP SIM card enroute.

[FIREin2018]

Just making the things we already own last longer. A simple repair, a minor refurbishment, being satisfied with what we already have, etc. I wasn't always like this.

Once upon a time, upgrading to something newer was important but that was seldom as satisfying as I thought it would be. Okay the new thing does a couple things differently or better but is it really a worthwhile improvement?

Tracfone says my smart phone is out of date and I should buy a new one. Phone is only 3-4 years old. Red Pocket tells me they can provide service at an affordable price of $20 per month. So, I dodged a $400+ phone purchase for another few years. Besides, I already like what I have b/c it is already paid for. Bye bye Tracfone. RP SIM card enroute.

When i was gaming, i would upgrade my bang for the buck mobo/cpu combo every year (thanks Frys). plus a bang for the buck video card.
looking back, i should have only upgraded the mobo/cpu every other year and just upgrade the video card yearly

[Seamster]

I carry a 1 month calendar/planner in my pocket.  I lost my old job with the color printer so I have to print at home in B&W.  But then I saw a pack of Crayola color pencils on sale at the grocery store for $0.99 and I decided to pull the trigger. 

I told a friend that I don't want to buy a pencil sharpener because it seems like one of those things you would just like, have, either from when you were a kid, something that you got in box of stuff from someone, or, just something that was magically always there.  We work in manufacturing and concluded that pencil sharpener shouldn't cost $1, but maybe $0.25: blade, small screw, piece of plastic.  At this point he said something I'll never forget:

The best things in life are usually free or near free

A week or two later I was jogging and, lo and behold, as I was passing by a school's driveway, I saw in the grass a shiny new pencil sharpener.  But not the cheap ones I mentioned above (which I later found were 8 for $1 at Dollar Tree), this pencil sharpener has a slot for thick pencils and another for thin pencils.  Plus it holds all the shavings.  The best pencil sharpener ever!  I haven't needed to use it yet, but I'm happy with it because I think this is a great story. 

Here she is.  I got the blue one!:

[JenniferW]

My dog! :)

[dividend]

next up: t-shirts
most of my tshirts have pit stains. i guess im getting old because it's starting to bother me.
waiting for hanes/fruit-of-the-loom to have their annual sale with or walmart carries the '+2 free' tshirts package

Pit stains can be removed by washing with white dishwasher soap (or a tablet in the bottom of the washing machine). It can also help to put them out in the sunshine after washing, when still wet. The sunlight is a bleacher.

What kind of deodorant do you use?  I read that pit stains happen when the aluminum in your antiperspirant or deodorant mixes with your sweat and gets absorbed into your clothes.  I switched several years ago to the crystal stick kind, and have literally not had a single pit stain since.  They're also incredibly mustachian since 1 of the large ones lasts me over a year. 
https://www.kingsoopers.com/p/crystal-body-deodorant-stick/0008644900225

[Dee_]

Today is in the mis-40s and I went out into the sun to started the first of this year's seeds. Such joy!

[GuitarStv]

next up: t-shirts
most of my tshirts have pit stains. i guess im getting old because it's starting to bother me.
waiting for hanes/fruit-of-the-loom to have their annual sale with or walmart carries the '+2 free' tshirts package

Pit stains can be removed by washing with white dishwasher soap (or a tablet in the bottom of the washing machine). It can also help to put them out in the sunshine after washing, when still wet. The sunlight is a bleacher.

What kind of deodorant do you use?  I read that pit stains happen when the aluminum in your antiperspirant or deodorant mixes with your sweat and gets absorbed into your clothes.  I switched several years ago to the crystal stick kind, and have literally not had a single pit stain since.  They're also incredibly mustachian since 1 of the large ones lasts me over a year. 
https://www.kingsoopers.com/p/crystal-body-deodorant-stick/0008644900225

The crystal deodorants have plenty of aluminum in them, it's just in a different form - potassium aluminum nitrate (sometimes called potassium alum) instead of aluminum chlorohydrate.

I've always like the idea of them, and tried them a few times . . . but unfortunately they don't work for me.  When wearing the crystal stuff my shirts will soak through with sweat, and I'll start smelling later on in the day whereas with a conventional antiperspirant I don't.  For me, sweat stains were more significant with the crystal deoderant stuff.  YMMV though.

[poxpower]

These sweet scissors
https://www.amazon.ca/Dressmaking-Upholstery-Dressmakers-Materials-Right-Handed/dp/B07MPH38YM/ref=sr_1_6?crid=22DVQWP6W0C3J&keywords=fabric+scissors&qid=1645549625&sprefix=fabric+scissors%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-6

I never get tired of them.

[mspym]

Morning coffee in bed while thinking about starting the day.
@Seamster that is one sweet pencil sharpener!

[RetiredAt63]

These sweet scissors
https://www.amazon.ca/Dressmaking-Upholstery-Dressmakers-Materials-Right-Handed/dp/B07MPH38YM/ref=sr_1_6?crid=22DVQWP6W0C3J&keywords=fabric+scissors&qid=1645549625&sprefix=fabric+scissors%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-6

I never get tired of them.

I have shears like that, they were my mother's and must be at least 60 years old, if not older.  Super to use.