Cheap things you have bought that improve your life massively disproportionally to what they cost!

[wineoclockthanks]

I'll start!

12 ballpoint pens from the pound shop - this week has been a joy, no scrabbling about trying to find a writing implement (and not having to resort to a stubby pencil or purple crayon)

An eye mask (£2.99) - nearly 13 years of trying to contort body and duvet to shield eyes from hallway light (needs to be left on for nighttime trips to the loo), it's transformed my nights!

£1.99 for proper glasses cleaner cloth, as opposed to t-shirt or tea towel - I can see again!

Any more for any more?

Disposable plastic trays from pound land - I batch cook and dump the tray so some evenings I am cooking and washing up free... Yay

A hair scrunchie so I can get an up do quick

Tan wipes - saves time on bronzer in the morning

Hot water bottle. Has improved my life happiness by about 5 percentage points.

epistick..after a thread on here. massively reduced plucking time from 3 hours a night! (i have pcos)
cost about a pound!

Kitchen tongs - I used to fumble around with two forks.
Ice cream scoop - no more bent spoons.

An extra airer (about 9.99 in wilkos) so now I have two and can wash everything and have no backlog, pleases me anyway ;-)

large diameter drinking straws - somehow make it easier to consume plenty of cold fresh tap water and when cut in half, to suck down an emergency G&T

Something recommended on a recent Mn thread..a boiled egg timer you put in the pan that changes colour. I still can't believe how clever it is and it was 99p thank you Mn!

A thingy that hold 3 spare loo rolls in the bathroom. Resulting in other members of the household actually replacing the empty roll.

Trolley coin on a keyring

Nothing I bought so it might not count but being able to pay for ds school dinners online, no more trudging to the office with either a cheque or the correct money every Monday morning.

Extra large glasses cleaning cloth that means I don't end up putting my thumbs all over the clean lenses

A cheap drawer organiser from Wilkinson so that all the stationery bits (pens, tape, erasers, rulers, pencils etc) are in one place in the kitchen. It has saved us £££ in replacements and stress over the past year.

Slightly more expensive, but a tangle teaser hairbrush (about £8) for DD2. We went from a child who screamed over her hair every day to one who barely a year later does her own French plaits and buns, just because it was no longer painful (she has slight sensory issues, isn't just a spoiled madam!)

Plastic jar opener thing, one of those floppy plastic things you put over the lid. Means now my weak wristed DP can open jars by himself.

Cake tin liners from the pound shop.

An apple slicer and corer from Ikea for £1.

One simple action and the jobs a good'un.

At the moment a few very cheap flease throws. Dd is currently sat eatting lunch without a massive meltdown because she's having a picnic. Before we had major upset every time.

In pan egg timer.

Cheep set of crochet hooks. (Although has turned into a more expensive hobby now!)

A potty that fits over the handle of the stroller.

Those big round flexable plastic baskets. We use them for everything.

A bucket! I don't know how I got to the age of 40 without ever buying one. No more slopping water all over the floor out of the washing up bowl when I mop the floors. I can now change the fish tank water in one go, instead of faffing with little jugs, and really useful for gardening and camping. I might go out and buy some more. It was only £1!

Those hanging sock airers. We use them for the cloth nappies and inserts. Without those we'd probably have for a tumble dryer by now. Three hang off a clothes the rail and hold the lot. Saves us a packet, too.

Epistick for me too. I've got about 5 knocking about the place and all together they costs about £3.50. I've got all the females in my family using them, incl my 86 year old grandmother!

Apple corer. Love using it, and makes cutting up apples quick and easy, as the part with pips etc is neatly taken out.

Excellently priced Lacura SPF 15 daily face cream from Aldi :D

I know this isn't in the spirit of the thread (sorry op) because it's £££ but it is definitely the item which has made my life easier (I've had it years so even in proportion to what it costs) - my cordless dyson. No more crawling around with a dustpan and brush, just a quick whizz round.

At the moment it's some foam ear plugs from Boots. DH has a cold and his snoring is really bad. Last two nights with the plugs in have been SO much better.

DP.
For food and a 6 pack on a Friday night he's tremendously useful.

Ha Redsolocup I have two laundry baskets, the plastic kind you put wet clothes in out if the washer. I need two because I always have a batch of ironing I haven't got round to and then have nothing to put clothes out of the washer in to.

Electric blanket - not particularly cheap, but makes me so happy. I even use it to warm the bed in summer. It has extra foot warmth and is blissful.

Mooncup. Been using it for YEARS now - saved me absolutely fortunes in tampons.