• Tattorack@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    2 hours ago

    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.

    • Sturgist@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      15 minutes ago

      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.

  • Lovable Sidekick@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    2 hours ago

    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.

  • underreacting@literature.cafe
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    2 hours ago

    [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.

  • Monzcarro@feddit.uk
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    4 hours ago

    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.

  • LilB0kChoy@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    4 hours ago

    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.

  • Krauerking@lemy.lol
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    6 hours ago

    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.

  • Bieren@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    9 hours ago

    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.

  • bravesentry@feddit.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    14
    ·
    12 hours ago

    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.

    • Waldelfe@feddit.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      4 hours ago

      I have one always in my pocket, too, but I’d argue it’s not “unexpectedly useful”.

  • Amani@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    edit-2
    13 hours ago

    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.

    • Twinklebreeze @lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      9 hours ago

      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.

  • kayzeekayzee@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    22
    ·
    edit-2
    18 hours ago

    Once found a whole functioning pc (minus ram and the hard drive) at a thrift store for $3. My guess is it came from an office, and when they plugged it in, and when it didn’t work, they assumed it was junk. Actual value of the parts was like $300.

  • r0ertel@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    25
    ·
    19 hours ago

    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.

    • 0x0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      9 hours ago

      I’ve found that it tastes kinda plasticky compared to my glass French press. Am I aeropressing wrong?

      • r0ertel@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        7 hours ago

        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.

        • tankplanker@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          7 hours ago

          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.

    • HexagonSun@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      14 hours ago

      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.

      • Leviathan@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        13 hours ago

        I find a good pour over cone makes better tasting coffee with a little less fuss, but the aeropress is irreplaceable for iced coffee.

        • teuniac_@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          11 hours ago

          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.

  • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    17 hours ago

    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.

  • liyah27@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    48
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    22 hours ago

    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.