What's an inexpensive or low-quality item that you ended up loving and keeping for years?

I bought a lift-top coffee table from a big box store almost a decade ago. It's entirely particle board and has seen better days cosmetically, but it's probably my single favorite piece of furniture. It's immensely practical for meals, using a laptop, or just bringing your remote/drink/whatever closer to your hand when laying down on the couch. I instinctively try to lift other people's coffee tables when I visit, and am mildly annoyed when it doesn't work...

BedSharkPal,

Bidet. I can't believe I lived without one.

cirlo,

Thank god. This comment is giving me hope for the rest of the world :')

  • a kind italian
gamencode,

I bought one on Aliexpress for ~30$ and it was so easy to use and a life changer

tom,

Wait, what? I have a bidet but it's a pretty chunky ceramic thing plumbed into the system in my bathroom. Can you attach a photo of your bidet? Or a link or something if a photo is too much hassle

gamencode,

Sure thing! It's an extension I installed on top of my toilet. https://i.imgur.com/brQF4Cc.jpg

major_malarkey,

Same. I bought one at the beginning of COVID when there was no TP to be found. Didn't know what I was missing all those years

BathtubJoe,
BathtubJoe avatar

Game changer. I’ve gotten my parents and a handful of friends onto the bidet life. Better for the environment, better for your wallet, and better for your butthole.

ScrumblesPAbernathy,

I got a Moka pot. It was like $30 usd. Makes something in-between drip and espresso. I love that little bastard.

bananacles,

In addition to the bidet response above, we have a Squatty Potty in every bathroom of our house. You can wet a tissue to sub out not having a bidet, but a toilet stool is sorely missed when we travel.

keeb420,

i got myself some cheap sunglasses off of amazon like 8 years ago. theyve been stepped on, sat on, shouldve broke by now with all the abuse, and just keep on going. the rubber pads disappeared years ago and i just dont give a fuck enough to replace it.

Jitzilla,

Aeropress coffee maker.

BeardedDragon,

I immediately thought of my Lack coffee table from Ikea. I also have a cheap chinese bench PSU, just good enough for my electronics projects.

Astronomik,

Yep, for the price Lack can't be beat. I've read that some clever people even use them as server racks since the legs are just the right width.

BeardedDragon,

I use an old one with burn marks for my 3D printer.

Inamin,
Inamin avatar

I have a set of microlab 6c speakers that were the budget option (compared to say audioengine A5) many years ago. Will take these to my grave. I just checked, bought them in 2015 for $130!

Narrrz,

After i broke a glass coffee pot within a week of getting it, i bought a metal one on the cheap. It happened to be vacuum sealed as an added bonus.

Nearly 15 years later I've yet to buy a new one. Its vacuum seal is still intact.

steb,
steb avatar

I still have a second hand IKEA desk that I bought off a guy from work when I first moved to the area and had no furniture. It's just the right size and has a keyboard shelf on rollers which seems hard to find these days.

Astronomik,

I think the rise in popularity of large desk mats has made keyboard shelves less popular. I actually replaced a desk with a keyboard shelf for a larger desk with no shelf so that my keyboard and mouse wouldn’t be so cramped. Glad you found a desk that you like!

WackyIdeas,

Cast iron or mild steel pans FTW. With care, they will outlast you and are totally nonstick once seasoned.

bananacles,

Carbon steel is equally wonderful, esp since you can get much thinner pans that heat up lickedy split. I'd recommend trying one!

Flaky_Fish69,
Flaky_Fish69 avatar

also, they develop and add to the flavor of what you cook that nonstick pans never will. My inexpensive item though was a stupidly cheap chef's knife from Ikea. I needed one after moving into my first apartment and I was getting some furniture there (the futon wasn't bad either, for what it was,) and I still have the knife around even after upgrading to a wustoff.
it was like twenty bucks. and with care it still performs like a champ.

wjrii,
wjrii avatar

Several years ago I was in a dollar store and bought a reel of twist-tie wire with a little integrated cutter. It has come in handy so many times, and I’m still only about 2/3 through it.

Dropped the bread’s twist tie somewhere? I’m not looking around for that piece of garbage. I have new, BETTER garbage.

Cheap lightweight picture frame came with the type of hardware that benefits from hanging wire? Done.

Need to tie off a takeout bag that’s now full of trash? I got this.

Kiddo made a Christmas ornament out of construction paper? No retrieving the ornament box from the attic for me.

Astronomik,

Tangentially related: I also hate the twist ties or little bits of plastic that they use on bread bags, so instead I use a set of bag sealing clips from Ikea. It was a set of 30 for just a few bucks and they’re such an improvement.

Flaky_Fish69,
Flaky_Fish69 avatar

for bread bags and similar, just twist it tightly closed and fold under to keep it from untwisting.
Twist ties don't really seal it, they just keep it from untwisting (which is what seals it.)

wjrii,
wjrii avatar

I see you've met my wife!

I find that mostly works fine, but is a little precarious in a busy kitchen, and I also like to compress a softer bread just a little bit when I tie it up. Probably placebo, but it feels like I'm helping it stay fresh longer.

Flaky_Fish69,
Flaky_Fish69 avatar

I mean how long does a loaf of sliced bread actually last? 20 slices, give or take? two people making lunch sandwiches, that's five days per loaf. there's usually enough oil and preservatives to last a couple of weeks. (if you're wanting to bake your own sandwich bread, I highly recommend adding a some olive oil to the dough. it helps it last longer and helps produce a tighter crumb.)

I only really had a problem with sliced bread going stale when I lived alone.

McBinary,
McBinary avatar

I use this same stuff to tie up tomato vines to trellis in my garden

eamus_catuli_,
eamus_catuli_ avatar

Woah, had no idea this existed. Must acquire.

GladeXD,
GladeXD avatar

I bought a lift top coffee table of similar quality when starting university and eventually brought it home with me. Eventually had to reinforce the frame with some DIY and now I happily display/store a large chunk of my diecast collection underneath.

coupland,
coupland avatar

This may not meet your "keeping for years" criterion but never invest in expensive non-stick pans. Don't go super cheap either, but something basic like T-Fal. Non-stick pans wear out over time ALWAYS. So there's no point buying premium ones.

Get something good enough that it's got a flat base and the coating isn't paper-thin, but beyond that save the big $$$ for cookware that doesn't have a non-stick coating. And when they eventually wear out you won't feel bad tossing them in the trash because that what you'll have to do anyway.

Astronomik,

That's a great tip that I'd never considered, but it makes perfect sense!

crazyminner,

MMM I love when the forever chemicals flake off into my food. And I have to keep buying more because they eventually disappear.

Ignore that advice and get a cast Iron pan.

coupland,
coupland avatar

I'll make a French omelette in my non-stick, you can make one in your cast iron pan. Then we'll compare.

There's a reason professional kitchens NEVER carry cast iron pans.

crazyminner, (edited )

I'm vegan, I don't eat chicken menstrations.

Tofu scramble turns out just fine on a cast iron pan. Same with most veggies.

Parallax,
Parallax avatar

I picked up a pair of Oxo branded ones recently. They nest together and work great. It's been a couple months and no major signs of wear yet, so pretty happy with them and cleanup is a breeze. I still use my venerable stainless pan for bigger dishes though.

McBinary,
McBinary avatar

Ninja has a nice set of non stick pans that arent super expensive that I've been eyeing to replace my tfal pans. This is pretty much the same mindset I'm going with - replace every 5-7 years with another inexpensive set.

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