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Life Changing Under $50|Pad Patter 1.21

bestcee

bestcee

In love with places I've never been to
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
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With the discussions about Popcorn and Slippers, I thought about how some little purchases can feel like "Why didn't I do this sooner!?!?"

So, what is your favorite or most useful purchase under $50?

Mine is my butter bell - at the great price of $10. It's a simple concept - I love spreadable butter. In Vegas it melted, in Utah it would stay too hard. But my little butter bell lets me keep butter on the counter, fresh and spreadable!
Mine is like this, only red to match my kitchenAid and other kitchen items.
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So what's something you love, has made your life easier, or you think others don't know what they are missing?
 
I love my butter keeper!

I think my number one under $50 purchase is my shower chair.

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These are under $10 and are perfect for me to hang my purse to keep it from flying around when I'm alone in the car or it's a great place to tuck it away to leave the passenger side clear.

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As a cross stitcher, organizing threads is a must. Finding these bags helped me contain even the smallest piece of thread and it makes my stitching much faster because the threads don't get all tangled. Also under $10 . . . every time I use them now I think of all the years I lived without them!

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This mix and chop tool is PERFECT for sausage, hamburger, and just about anything you need to break up or break down. It's about $10. Every Christmas I make a sausage casserole and fight to break up the sausage. Hubby bought this tool and it made the process a breeze. Can't believe how long I lived without it!

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The first thing that came to mind is my onion chopper. I HATE chopping onions, but I really like them chopped small and this thing is amazing. They are all perfectly uniform and small and it's kind of fun smacking the lid down to chop each slice. When I buy an onion, I usually only use part of it, but I chop the whole thing and throw the rest in the freezer so the next couple of times I have onions ready to go and already chopped too. Double bonus! Also works great for lots of other veggies too.

 
@gonewiththewind I have all my floss in those same packets. Each color in its own bag on rings. It was so easy to just pull the color needed when doing a project. I kept all floss for a project on separate rings as well. I started using them in the 80's. Still have them even though I don't cross stitch anymore since the eyes can't handle it.

I'll have to think about if I have something.
 
I have a butter bell, unfortunately I can only use it in the winter ... in the summer my kitchen (even with s/c) gets too hot and the butter fall out of the bell and into the water. Ick!

That mix and chop tool looks neat, Cheryl. I just use the edge of my pancake turner spatula to break my ground beef up, but the M&C might do it quicker.
 
HavaDrPepper said:
@gonewiththewind I have all my floss in those same packets. Each color in its own bag on rings. It was so easy to just pull the color needed when doing a project. I kept all floss for a project on separate rings as well. I started using them in the 80's. Still have them even though I don't cross stitch anymore since the eyes can't handle it.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have one big ring with all the floss from previous projects. When I start a new project, like the one I'm working on now, I take all the floss from the paper organizer and put them in bags and keep them on a smaller ring. I would have ALL my floss in the bags, but some of the floss I have is in a special binder my mom made, and I keep that separated because of fading and dye lot changes. The other floss I have, my mom found at an estate sale. Some of it's DMC but most of it isn't identified. It's great to use for custom embroidery projects, but I don't want to put it in with the newer DMC floss. I always worry about losing my sight to cross stitch. I wear magnifiers that clip onto my glasses and I use a Mighty Bright light. Both of those help me from having eye strain.

Memaw2Wm said:
That mix and chop tool looks neat, Cheryl. I just use the edge of my pancake turner spatula to break my ground beef up, but the M&C might do it quicker.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what we did before. This makes quick work of it. It's on sale on Amazon right now for under $10. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011UFPXU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
I can't think of something under $50 that has been a real game changer for me, but i can say hands down that the best thing I ever bought was my Dyson rechargeable battery vacuum cleaner.
 
Memaw2Wm said:
That mix and chop tool looks neat, Cheryl. I just use the edge of my pancake turner spatula to break my ground beef up, but the M&C might do it quicker.
Click to expand...

I love my mix and chop tool! I don't use it for ground beef -- I prefer my flat wood spatula -- I use it for shredding chicken.

I can't think of what my most useful gadget is. I fell like I must have one, but I can't think of any.

I'm going to share my bento boxes; no more lunch baggies! No more guessing how much to put in the kids' lunches, I just fill the compartment. I was surprised at how much easier packing lunches is, even with having extra dishes to wash. It is big enough for a sandwich and we've found that I can put lettuce on the sandwich, peeled tangerine segments in one of the small compartments and the pretzels in the other one don't get soggy.



($13 for 6 or $18 for 16, so I have 16 boxes for two kids who go to school two days a week. LOL)
 
I thought of 2 things. A game changer for me was getting the Pillow Pad. I ended up with wrist issues from holding my tablet at the right angle when watching TV. Had to wear a wrist wrap for a couple of months. With the pillow pad, I no longer have the wrist issues! Pillow Pad Multi Angle Cushioned Tablet and iPad Stand, Space Gray, As Seen on TV - Walmart.com - Walmart.com

The other one is more for Peyton but it helps me as well. She would move her food bowl all over the kitchen when eating. So I got a raised pet bowl stand for her. Food bowl stays where it is supposed to and it is a good height for her to eat. Kitchen & Dining : X-ZONE PET Raised Pet Bowls for Cats and Dogs, Adjustable Bamboo Elevated Dog Cat Food and Water Bowls Stand Feeder with 2 Stainless Steel Bowls and Anti Slip Feet (Height 5.1") : Amazon.com
 
gonewiththewind said:
Yes, I have one big ring with all the floss from previous projects. When I start a new project, like the one I'm working on now, I take all the floss from the paper organizer and put them in bags and keep them on a smaller ring. I would have ALL my floss in the bags, but some of the floss I have is in a special binder my mom made, and I keep that separated because of fading and dye lot changes. The other floss I have, my mom found at an estate sale. Some of it's DMC but most of it isn't identified. It's great to use for custom embroidery projects, but I don't want to put it in with the newer DMC floss. I always worry about losing my sight to cross stitch. I wear magnifiers that clip onto my glasses and I use a Mighty Bright light. Both of those help me from having eye strain.
Click to expand...

I have all my floss in a lidded Longaberger basket. A really old Sewing Basket sold in the 80's. I also have some other items that I could put my floss in when working on a project, mostly used if it was a kit with floss. I have the start of cataracts which is what hampers my cross-stitching. I am not to the point of needing the surgery yet. Just picked up my new glasses today but from other people's experience I hope that if/when that day comes that I have the surgery, I can cross stitch again. Right now even with glasses things are just a little blurry for me to do cross stitching.
 
gonewiththewind said:
These are under $10 and are perfect for me to hang my purse to keep it from flying around when I'm alone in the car or it's a great place to tuck it away to leave the passenger side clear.
Click to expand...
What the what?!?!? I've never seen those!

And at the risk of TMI, I've heard shower chairs are amazing for shaving legs.
 
Memaw2Wm said:
in the summer my kitchen (even with s/c) gets too hot and the butter fall out of the bell and into the water.
Click to expand...
In Vegas, the trick was to use ice water. So, I would drop some ice chips in the water every morning. It kept it cold enough it didn't slide out.
 
jesskab said:
My extra long heating pad at work. I would not get through the day without it.
Click to expand...
OH! That sounds amazing. I have a regular size one I slide into my bed to warm it at night. An extra long one sounds way better!
 
bestcee said:
What the what?!?!? I've never seen those!

And at the risk of TMI, I've heard shower chairs are amazing for shaving legs.
Click to expand...

Yes, they are super inexpensive on Amazon. Let me know if you need a link.

And TMI or not, they are AMAZING for shaving legs, using a pumice stone on heels, using a sugar scrub, or just enjoying hot water without having to sit in a tub.

Honestly, the shower chair was as life changing as my vanity that Jay refinished for me. My hands shake so badly when I start hurting from standing, so putting on makeup was a risk. Now with the shower chair, I can shave without cutting myself numerous times. LOL
 
At first I didn’t think I had any life changing finds under $50 then I realised my entire last online order from a local craft and homewares store was full of them.

Now admittedly I haven’t used any of these things yet but have bought them for when I move out.

Firstly I was never wearing my jewellery because while it was in jewellery boxes I could never find what I wanted or it was a general mess. I went in search of primarily an earring display but as the ones I liked were well out of my budget I improvised with a earring display rack used for selling handmade jewellery....I think I got it on sale for like $13-14 https://www.spotlightstores.com/nz/...lery-findings/velvet-earring-stand/BP80439728

I also picked up the necklace one as well for I think $16 or $17 on sale https://www.spotlightstores.com/nz/...dings/two-tier-display-tray-velvet/BP80439727

And since I was already paying for expensive shipping I threw in this refillable oil sprayer, it’s been on my radar for awhile now...I absolutely hate using the aerosol cans of oil for a number of reasons (health, waste, can’t use the aerosol can very easily) so I picked up this on sale. I had actually seen an Instagram Food blogger/influencer share it ages ago but didn’t feel it was worth nearly $20...I got it on sale for $10 or $11 https://www.spotlightstores.com/nz/.../decor-cook-refillable-oil-sprayer/BP80359212
 
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