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?

I've just googled scrundle.

The "scrundle" is the patch of skin that connects the scrotum to the grundle.

Nice!

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Just seen I added an N

Sorry to derail the thread.

Muji eye mask, much more comfortable than the free ones you get on planes, and makes it much easier to get to sleep if there's a street lamp right outside your window. Also boxes of disposable foam earplugs from ebay.

A bakeware rack from Lakeland - basically just an oversized toast rack that you can keep oven trays/bun tins in. Means no more precarious towers of trays in the cupboard.

Lyons coffee bags for almost proper coffee in the office - nice enough to discourage me from going to Pret, and better than the terrible instant coffee we have in the office.

A thinsulate beanie cap - goes under my bike helmet, keeps me warm all winter, cost £2.

I got a nearly new pair of Emu boots for £25 off ebay, and they're the best slippers I've ever worn. So warm!

Tea lights & holders for the kitchen window sill, eliminates cooking smells easily.

Wow, it's an education on here.

In the space of a few posts I've discovered the words (and googled the meanings of):

scrudle
grundle
scrundle

My blackhead remover.

Nnnnnrrrrrgggggghhh

My slow cooker, which I "bought" with nectar points. I love it and use it a lot.

Muffles ear plugs from boots. My dh snores really loudly and no other ear plugs compare.

Envirosax foldable reusable bags.

www.envirosax.com/

About £6 or £7 each on eBay or Amazon, but they're massive amazingly strong. They're also miles more comfortable to carry when full that most reusable bags.

WhatsApp for keeping in touch with family, now i live miles away.

The video baby monitor which came with a motion sensor pad for anxious new parents, and only cost me £30 instead of over £130, after i tripled up my tesco points. I don't think I would ever have relaxed enough to fall asleep for the first year without it

I bought a halogen heater from Aldi to put on in the morning to warm up our freezing cold bathroom.
It makes it lovely and toasty in 10 mins and only costed £14.

Got this for about half the price in TK Maxx after a string of disastrous tin openers and it's AMAAZING!
I invested in some little fleece/terry wash cloths for my Baby's bum and no more wet wipe rage as 300 wipes come out instead of just one. Also I can use warm water which he approves of.

An electric blanket, cheapo number via Amazon but it is so good to be warm and cozy. Also a triangular pillow. I get neck and shoulder pain and it's lovely and supportive and great for the sofa or in bed reading and watching TV.

A £5 tray that fits on the other side of the sink to make an extra draining board. Means that I can get all my washing up done quickly without having to stop ,dry and put it all away to make enough room for everything. It has a spout back into the sink so no mess at all.

A couple of £3 plastic cereal dispensers from asda. I use one to keep the washing powder in. The scoop is the perfect size for the amount needed and clips on to the lid so it doesn't go missing and is always to hand. The other I use to keep the shreddies in and makes it easy for the kids to make breakfast in the mornings with minimal mess. I also have an old juice dispenser from my last job that lies on its side on the counter so they can help themselves to water/squash without having to tip anything up and cause a mess. (It's basically a reusable wine box that's thermos style)

A huge pot of sudocrem rip off antiseptic cream that due to being from the pound shop is thinner and therefore a lot quicker to sink in, easier to use and not as cloying as sudocrem is. It's just as effective and lasts ages. I've had it nearly two years and it's still got over half left. We use it for something most days.

Reusable ice cubes. £2 for a box from houae of Fraser. No more warm or watery drinks and I don't have to take a sledgehammer to stuck together ice every time I want a cold beverage can also put them in beer

This is free but could change your life if you have a messy child, are toilet training, have a bed wetter.

You can put clothes in to wash still inside the plastic bag you get from school/nursery etc.

You know if dc is sick at school and they change their clothes and give you a bag containing vomit stained tights and jumpers. Just stick the bag containing the clothes in to the washer. Obviously not knotted in.

The washing machine's action will take the clothes out of the bag, washt he bag and the clothes.

This handy tip comes to you from Pendleside Hospice who gave it to may dad for washing my mum's nighties.

www.pendleside.org.uk/

Potato ricer. Basically a giant garlic press which does lump-free mash effortlessly. Also used it for most of the baby's food when he was moving from purées to lumpier stuff as it made just the right texture. Another Lakeland item I think (love that shop)

Baby lotion - have never put it on my baby but it is perfect for removing make up from spot prone skin without leaving any residue to make it angry

What a brilliant thread!

Bearleigh - I think you've saved be £100s in liquid soap! Thank you! :-)

sashh that is a brilliant tip. I don't know why it has never occurred to me. Very sorry for how you came by it though. Thank you.

My thing is a towel turban.

Also, my oilcloth Jolee tablecloth which wasn't cheap but is actually properly beautiful, I've never seen one as nice, and it keeps the table clean.

And those microwave bean bag things. I use them nearly every day.

Oh and a cheap pack of 25 glue sticks from Amazon for about £6. As they are always getting used up/disappearing.

Bit of a specialist one ...but a printer/scanner with automatic document feed. Actually got a 'broken' one - in that the printer bit doesn't work and so although it is quite a good one (couple of hundred new) it cost me £20 delivered.
Using it to scan old documents to archive for my work...stick 30-40 sheets and walk away - come back and save...do have to check they have all scanned etc but got through 10+ full lever arch files in a few weeks just doing a little a day/when I felt like it...
So now after tripping over them in a plastic box in my office for over 2 years I can finally get rid of that box - contemplating a ceremonial burning in the garden!

Ooh, I'm going for a cordless Dyson tomorrow, glad to see they're worth the money!

Considering the DC44 animal.