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submitted 7 months ago by lietuva@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

Just went down the aliexpress rabbit hole again. Theres really everythinf for some of really niche things that i wouldnt ever buy, but some things really do look appealing. I wonder what do you guys use daily thats worth lets say under $20

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[-] j_roby@slrpnk.net 67 points 7 months ago

A decent headlamp. Flashlights are well and good, and sometimes necessary too. But if you've ever had to do something intricate with both hands in the complete dark, a good headlamp can be so much better in those situations

[-] lietuva@lemmy.world 12 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

100%. I found one with grooves, so you can tilt and lock on whatever angle you like. Going to use as secondary light soirce on my bike rides and camping trips

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[-] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 58 points 7 months ago

Knipex adjustable shifter pliers

They adjust and lock to all the metric sizes and in my industry climbing towers and working at heights, having to carry the minimum is amazing.

these

[-] Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee 17 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Great tool but not cheap. Infact you probably couldn't find a more expensive version. Knipex however is worth it. Generally my advice is to first buy a cheap tool and replace it with more expensive one after it breaks but with pliers it's pay once, cry once situation. These are truly BIFL tools. The 100mm mini cobra pliers are awesome aswell.

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[-] Seraph@kbin.social 55 points 7 months ago
[-] thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca 11 points 7 months ago

Seriously-- I kinda wanted one for a long time, but I just assumed they were expensive. They are not. You can install it yourself. If you do so, you will never go back, and it will change your life for the better.

Bidet.

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[-] pugsnroses77@sh.itjust.works 48 points 7 months ago

rice cooker. i have one that i use like a fancy crockpot so i can leave the house and come home to hot food. mandolin or a food processor is a close second, makes chopping veggies a breeze

[-] Dave@lemmy.nz 20 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

My issue with food processors is they take more time to clean than they save.

Which one do you use?

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[-] TurboDiesel@lemmy.world 45 points 7 months ago

A decent reusable steel water bottle. Doesn't need to cost a lot, and really cuts down on dishes at home

[-] radix@lemm.ee 11 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

How does it reduce dishes? Water bottles are one of the more annoying things to wash, in my experience, because my hands aren't small enough to fit anymore.

Edit: Yes, I have a bottle brush. It's just that it's a bit of a hassle to soap it from dry and then have to dry it somewhere before storing it again. I wash everything else with a rough sponge normally.

[-] guyrocket@kbin.social 13 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Get a metal one and put it in the dishwasher. Or get a bottle brush.

Also, occasionally filling it with white vinegar and letting it sit overnight can help clean deposits.

ETA: In general putting plastic in the dishwasher is not advised.

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[-] setsneedtofeed@lemmy.world 41 points 7 months ago

Chopsticks. Use chopsticks to turn over bacon.

[-] doc@kbin.social 18 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Not to mention they are the superior salad utensil.

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[-] NemoWuMing@lemmy.world 12 points 7 months ago

Also the best way to eat Cheetos and keep your fingers clean

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[-] ch00f@lemmy.world 40 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Magnetic soap holder.

You shove a little metal bit into your soap bar, and the bar dangles from a magnet on a stand that holds it over the sink.

Soap dries quickly, no scum in the soap dish, any drippage falls right into the sink.

Only downside is the magnet falls out when the bar gets smaller, so you have to mash the old bar into the bottom of the new one to keep from wasting it.

[-] bakachu@sh.itjust.works 20 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I've never heard of this witchcraft. This is exactly what I need.

Edit: heard not beard

[-] guyrocket@kbin.social 11 points 7 months ago

Yes beard, not not beard.

[-] nobleshift@lemmy.world 39 points 7 months ago
  • A decent pair of scissors with a coating on the blades.

  • A barometer

  • Upgrading my USB3 external drives cables (USB3 micro B) from the old A connector to C connector

  • Pocket knife

  • Rechargeable headlamp

  • KD polorized sunglasses

  • 3 meter charge cable for the phone

  • IR remote for the laptop (LibreELEC/Kodi)

  • 0.5L waterproof bag inside my backpack for electronics

  • RGB / cool & warm white LED string with remote

  • magnetic phone mount with a suction cup

I think that's everything I use everyday under $20 without being ridiculous. And I do use each of these multiple times a day.

[-] roostopher@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago

What are you using a barometer for so frequently?

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[-] loudWaterEnjoyer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 35 points 7 months ago
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[-] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 33 points 7 months ago

Speaking as an American - an electric kettle. Just a thing that plugs into the wall and boils water.

I use it for tea, of course, but I also use it any time I need boiling water for something, because it's faster than a kettle sitting on the stove and it doesn't use gas.

[-] Blackmist@feddit.uk 19 points 7 months ago

As a Brit, it's always weird as fuck to see people in American movies boiling an old tin kettle on the stove like they're stuck in the 1950s.

Even if you're living in London's smallest flat, and all you've got is a microwave, a mini fridge, a bed and a cupboard with a toilet in it, you've still got an electric kettle.

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[-] PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 33 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Depends on your lifestyle ofc but a cheap 6' tape measurer keychain has come in clutch more times than I can count. Within the past week I've used it to

measure the hatch of my car to see if a box could fit

compared a 14" pizza to a 17" to my friend group to figure what size pizza to buy

measured an entire house worth of soffit

The thing was like $5 and honestly gets more use out of anything in my EDC except maybe my earbuds and even then I barely touch them since graduating from uni

[-] eighthourlunch@kbin.social 14 points 7 months ago

Make sure you test it against one you're sure is accurate. My wife bought one that looks right at first blush, but it's off by at least 5%.

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[-] weeeeum@lemmy.world 27 points 7 months ago

Floss picks. Flossing is actually more important than brushing and it's really nice to have a pack of floss picks at your desk so you can floss absent mindedly while watching a video or even in bed.

[-] RubberElectrons@lemmy.world 14 points 7 months ago

It's so much wasted plastic though. I 3D printed a handle and with a little sandpaper to smooth the handle out, it's super easy to floss. Using this one currently: https://www.printables.com/model/267704-dental-floss-holder-with-tensioner/comments

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[-] Dagnet@lemmy.world 26 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Boneconduction earphones. They are cheaper than you think and I use mine to listen to music while swimming. Also great for music when you need to be able to hear to things around you (it doesn't block any external sound, so don't use in noisy environments)

[-] Mostly_Gristle@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago

it doesn't block any external sound, so don't use in noisy environments

It's actually because I work in a high noise environment that I got into bone-conduction headphones. They still work when you're wearing earplugs.

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[-] theskyisfalling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 7 months ago

My greatest purchase of the last decade I reckon. I first tried them 9 years ago and since then I am onto my 6th pair, no because they break easily but simply because I use them for between 8 and 10 hours every single day.

I do a lot of running and cycling and they allow me to be aware of idiots in cars whilst being able to listen to music or books whilst I ride / run. I use them at work with ear defense in so I can still hear what my machine is doing.

They are light, comfortable and really just the best way to listen to stuff for me.

Do you use aftershokz?

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[-] ranok@sopuli.xyz 25 points 7 months ago

Pretty niche, but a citrus squeezer. I cook a lot of Asian food and it's much better to put half a lime in the squeezer at a time than try and hand squeeze the juice out.

[-] BlushedPotatoPlayers@sopuli.xyz 13 points 7 months ago

But... Isn't that standard equipment in every household?

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[-] iturnedintoanewt@lemm.ee 19 points 7 months ago

USB cables with LCD displays. Now i can easily understand if a device is properly using QC or PD when charging, or whether there is an issue.

[-] _dev_null@lemmy.zxcvn.xyz 18 points 7 months ago

A convoy s3 flashlight with uv emitter, about $15 US.

I have a geriatric puppy who's starting to "leak", and this flashlight is really quick and easy to tell where needs to be cleaned up. Way easier than shining a regular light, missing and slipping on a puddle.

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[-] linearchaos@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Swiss tech keychain pocket knife.

They have a microphillips and micro straight small enough to fix a loose screw on eyeglasses. The blade is serrated and sharp enough to make it through just about anything you really need to cut.

It looks enough like a key that (almost) no one questions it on my keychain.

I flew all the way to Florida with it on my keychain went through Disney with it on my keychain got to universal studios They actually recognized it and made me lose it.

When I got back I bought six more now somebody makes me throw one away I don't care.

"swiss tech utili-key" on amazon, less than $8

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[-] GraniteM@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago

Driving gloves. Some halfway decent calfskin gloves make it nicer to drive, whether the steering wheel is hot in the summer, cold in the winter, or if you're going to be driving long distance. Not sure if real leather will be less than $20, but seen some cheap fingerless work gloves make driving more comfortable.

Clip on sunglasses that fit on my eyeglasses. Super easy to clip on, cost about ten bucks. So nice to not have to squint as much.

Dim light bulbs. Nearly every bulb in my house is as dim as I can manage. Some are salt lamps and some are those flicker fire bulbs. Either way, it makes the light at night a little warmer and a little dimmer, and all around a lot more cozy, which really is what one wants. Keep a couple of the overhead bulbs at the brighter end in case you need them, but dimmer bulbs make me a lot happier at night.

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[-] banneryear1868@lemmy.world 16 points 7 months ago

The $8 Munchkin 10oz Sippy Cup. It's technically made for toddlers but it excels over any other travel mug unless you want insulation. I don't care about insulation because I don't want to wait an hour until it's a good drinking temp. Instead of some stupid spout mechanism that gets dingy and can't be washed in the dishwasher, there's a simple silicone lid you can drink from on all sides, and it's all dishwasher safe and super easy to clean. It also contains a perforated screen perfect for steeping tea leaves or cardamom tea. Of course there's the brilliantly simple spillproof aspect as well. I've had mine for 4 years and there's zero wear on it.

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[-] morphballganon@lemmy.world 16 points 7 months ago

Use daily? Very few things.

I guess shower head with hose? The advantage is the water comes at you from a higher point, great for tall/medium height people like me.

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[-] Quazatron@lemmy.world 15 points 7 months ago

Good quality kitchen knives. Makes cooking a much better experience.

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[-] AnonymousLlama@kbin.social 15 points 7 months ago

I'm pretty fond of these little Velcro straps I got from Amazon that are like 10cm x 30cm, you use them to push all your computer cables into them so you can neaten them up. I've got several of them strapped back to back and it's a pretty decent solution (and being Velcro you can just pull it apart later on)

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[-] Gallardo994@sh.itjust.works 15 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)
  • Leatherman metal bracelet with a lot of tools on the wrist. Not only it is strong and sturdy, but also looks cool. Also, saved me from being completely locked inside a room with no one around cause the door handle decided to break. Quickly disassembled the locking mechanism with the bracelet and was free in 2 mins, lol. Leatherman might be on an expensive side but there sure are alternatives. More than that, somehow I never had any issues with airports. They literally let me take it onboard every single time.
  • Phone holder for bed, aka robo-arm. Watching content before/while sleeping has never been more convenient.
  • A waist bag. No more stretched out jeans cause I keep all my stuff in the pockets.
  • A gas lighter. Works as a candle substitute if necessary. Also stylish.
  • A small but reliable kickscooter might be a great option if you need to go some distance that's too long to walk and too short for a taxi drive.
  • A second usb-c charger for the laptop actually is a convenient thing if you need to carry the laptop across rooms. No need to carry the bulky charger every time.
  • Speaking of chargers, consider buying a lot of 2 or 3 way wireless chargers for your mobile devices. I don't remember last time I bothered with plugging in my phone cause it's always charged wherever I go due to having wireless chargers everywhere.
  • On an expensive side, but a good sturdy metal gaming chair.
  • A portable SSD. Saved me by having all my backups many times.
  • A usb-A and usb-C compatible flash drive.
  • Paper cups and plates I guess? I don't like doing dishes and those two both eliminate the need to, but without a downside of being plastic.
  • Gonna sound strange, but a ladder. Replacing burnt lightbulbs with a chair is a nightmare, at least in my house.
[-] 2ncs@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

Paper cups and plates I guess? I don't like doing dishes and those two both eliminate the need to, but without a downside of being plastic.

:(

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[-] AnonStoleMyPants@sopuli.xyz 15 points 7 months ago

Smart lights to wake you up in the morning. Vastly prefer it to a normal alarm clock.

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[-] LifeOfChance@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

milwaukee fastback with screw driver attachment. I'm no contractor and use this thing all day everyday. Primarily as a knife but the screwdriver has came in clutch countless times. You can get a two pack for under $20

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[-] Hyzerflip@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

A metal 2mm mechanical pencil set. I use it for woodworking and absolutely love it.

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[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 11 points 7 months ago

Good nail clippers. My toe nails grow hella fast and if I don't keep 'em trimmed, I end up spending a lot more on socks. Good trimmer is like $5. Though I wish they came in bright colors since I quite often misplace them or they fall off my night stand and are a PITA to find.

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this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2023
217 points (98.2% liked)

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