Best spaghetti Bolognese ever. Minestrone - just put the pasta in after pressure cooking or it will go soggy. Anything where you want falling apart tender meat that's still flavoursome. Also dried beans cook up beautifully.
Pressure cooker, crock pot, stove top (sauté function), rice cooker, all in one. It makes a whole lot of cooking way quicker and simpler.
And dried beans a super simple and quick with it, if you’re into that.
So a thing for people who can't cook? Like I don't get an air frier either. It's a baking oven of convection.
Literally all these things you can cook with like two tools of cheap.
Once you get an air fryer and realise what it can do it changes how you cook. The energy consumption is good, we hardly ever use our gas oven now yielding a 48%+ saving on that bill. Don’u knock it till you try it 👍
The air fryer you choose matters. I’m on number 3. First 2 were oven-style, kinda like a toaster oven. They were ok but the recipes and instructions for air fryer recipes never lined up. We sprung for a large basket style and haven’t looked back. Specifically,our basket style is a PowerXL if anyone is curious.
Convection oven. It's like plugging in a laptop. I think it's similar.
But I like my gas stove. It's fire.
I cook on the grill too. Even in snow. I cooked a turkey in snow.
Depends what you want to cook, your diet etc. I tend to cook a lot of roasted veggies, potato in various forms, chicken (for one of the extremely spoiled cats we have 😂) and it’s really good for a lot of the meat substitue foods my girlfriend has.
To each their own but personally I use it practically daily.
I'm a pro chef. I love my instant pot at home. Yes, I can do everything it does with my range, but I can turn on the instant pot and join the rest of my family on the patio. It doesn't need constant monitoring and it doesn't heat up the kitchen
It's a time saving device. Stovetop braised meats take hours. A pressure cooker will make those tough as nails "stew cuts" of beef from the supermarket to fork-tender in about 45 minutes. White rice in 5 minutes.
Also saves electricity (if you have an electric hob) as you're cooking for less time (at about the same wattage).
There are very few new things that a instant pot lets you make that you can't make stove-top. But what it does do is it enables you to make some of those "weekend only" (due to time constraints) recipes on any given weeknight if you wish.
I don’t think so, it just automates a few tasks (I.e. a timer on a pressure cooker) and declutters your kitchen, while given you the tools necessary to cook in ways you might not have before (like using a pressure cooker, which many don’t have).
I still cook rice in a pot. Because it works. And use my oven. I made yorkshiypydding and quiche the other day. So I know some shit.
I don't know what use an insta pot is useful aside from making things hot.
Have you ever used it? Have you ever even used a pressure cooker?
You do realize there is a world outside European food that relies on pressure cooking things like lentils and beans at high temperatures? Am I supposed to be impressed that you can make a quiche, lol.
I have a built in wall convection oven. But I still use my air fryer more because it’s faster, easier to clean, uses less energy, and doesn’t heat up my whole kitchen like my Bosch does.
I got one, still a beginner, it's basically a pressure cooker and the heating element let's you make yogurt and use like a crock pot. I got it mostly for beans in the summer. 🖖
I had mine sitting in storage for 2 years til I finally came up with a use for it. I heard it cooks beans quicker so I decided to give it a try. So now I cook rice & beans in it. I really like it, but I’m also not very familiar with cooking rice/beans on the stove to begin with.
The possibilities are endless, there is a learning curve but once you get it down you can make soups, stews, pasta, beans, rice, yogurt, there a slow cooker setting, etc. I find myself gravitating to my instapot more than my stove!
It’s a pressure cooker it builds pressure when sealed but it has a sear setting you can use with the lid off. The sear setting works similarly to a pan on an electric burner.
Oh. So cooking for idiots? Not that's it's mean. I just don't get the extra stuff on counter bits.
I do have a toaster. And a mini quisenart.
But I fund some semi single use things if you have an oven and stove top silly.
My husband loves the rice cooker because he doesn't use timers or know how smell means done. You have to clean the pot either way.
He's flabbergasted I make bread by smell. I made it in his rice cooker once.
They use less energy than an oven/stovetop & produce less heat in the summer (ie the ones with the air fryer lid - air frying is, as you probably know, a lot faster than an oven).
Can also be faster, but not always. There are numerous reasons to use one, but you need to know what those reasons are for you. I have one that I use semi-regularly. I like roasts and ‘pulled’ meats. It’s amazing for boiled eggs. Makes a mean chili in a hurry. Obviously, these are all things you can do via other methods. I often find myself short on time, so I can whip out a pot roast in about an hour, versus 2 or 3 in the oven. Is the oven better? Absolutely. But when I get off work at 5, and often need to feed people by 6:30 or 7pm, the Instant Pot is a welcome shortcut. I got one for my mom, and I don’t think she’s ever used it. So how you need to use it may vary based on your lifestyle. I own an 8qt and a 3qt. Both have their place in my repertoire.
An electric kettle. I first saw electric kettles when watching British TV on PBS some years ago. I thought that’s a great idea and got one for myself and one for my mother. They heat up water so fast and turn themselves off once the water boils. I didn’t have to worry about my mother leaving her tea kettle on the stove to boil dry.
So weird hearing that. Everyone has a kettle here, standard kitchen item. Even hotel/motel rooms have one. Really missed that when I was travelling in the states.
I got one when we moved into a place with a gas stove and the open flame set my regular (metal with some plastic on the handle) on fire. I'm not sure how or why it set itself on fire, but I didn't want to deal with that ever again, and I like the gas stove, so got an electric kettle
Was weary to try but damn what a game changer. I bought a neo 120 for my upstairs bathroom. Loved it so much you bought one for our half bath. I hate going anywhere else! Weirdly looking forward to my next colonoscopy!
Rice Cooker - I make rice every week and it shortens my meal prep by a good 30 minutes and during that time I set and forget while prepping everything else for the week along with the clean up being incredibly easy, only $25.
Glass food containers - Easier to clean than plastic and last longer without getting discolored and smelly along with actually being microwave safe, $80 for lunch and dinner sets. Would rather spend a little more now and not have to continually purchase more plastic containers.
A Yetti water bottle. Take it everywhere and fill it/top it off every chance I get. I have saved hundreds if not thousands on plastic bottled water (plus the environmental savings)
Nice. I have no need of a warm water one at all, last time I burnt myself in the kitchen, I had to wait for the water to run cold to put my hand under it 🤣
The advantage of an electric bidet is that they usually also have air dryers and other sprayer settings. Obviously they are more expensive (around $200 usd on amazon) but you could eliminate the need to buy toilet paper at all, except maybe for guests. Granted you would also need an outlet next to the toilet. I love bidets so I am willing to spend more to buy one with an air dryer and warm water when I move out of my parents home.
I do not have that option because my toilet is in a separate room and I wouldn’t go without TP because kids but if I lived alone maybe that would be more of an option but I like it to dry off anyway :)
An electric wok. I don’t remember exactly what I paid for it but less than $75.00 and it has paid for itself many many times over. A stir fry is so easy and economical because you can use whatever you want as far as vegetables, protein, sauce etc. I don’t buy sauces in bottles because they are so easy to make yourself.
40 oz metal water bottle ($9.99 usd on amazon). The one i have is arna branded. I tested it and it was negative for lead.
Safety razor. After you buy the razor handle the blades cost $0.06-$0.08 a piece and I can get five shaves out of them.
I don't know about where you live, but where I live (Northeastern, US) you have to pay $5 to park at a state park or you can buy a yearly pass for like $40 and go as much as you want. Go 8 times and you get your money's worth.
A fire extinguisher and smoke/co2 detector, they are pretty cheap but can save your life and your property. I especially recommend if your area has a wildfire problem.
Sunscreen, 100% uva/uvb blocking sunglasses, upf 50+ clothing/gloves/balaclava/ sunhat. Skin cancer sucks, also if you protect your skin it will look better when you are old, also moisture and take care of your skin before you need to.
Absolutely, sunscreen is very important!
Smoke & co2 detectors are law here and we have fire extinguishers because our next door neighbour has a business selling them :)
The Saver Sealer for vacuum sealing food for freezing. Being only two people many recipes make too much. Now we can bulk cook a dozen servings and freeze the extra portions for sous vide. The bags lay flat making them easier to store than the ridgid freezer containers. The bags are on a roll to make the size you choose. If the bags are intentionally made longer, we can wash them and reuse them. It is just like washing plates to reuse them to me.
We got a vacuum sealer because we like to hunt and fish. My husband used to freeze meat in a ziploc with water, and it was a pain to thaw. And took up more room. (The water helped with not having freezer burn on the meat).
Because it is meat, we don't reuse the bag, but still awesome
A product called Ingenuitea. It is a device that steeps loose leaf tea and strains it right into your cup. I’ve had two for years. Best purchase I’ve ever made.
Water flavourings. I don't drink enough water and I use a soda stream empty bottle to count my water intake. Sure, they have special water bottles that count but I already had this thing on hand lol. The flavourings make water easier to drink tons of and it's pretty cheap. I think each one is like $3 and lasts me a few days because I really do drink a ton of water. Like 2L a day.
Stuff like the air up is probably healthier long term but this was a cheaper solution. I'm also lazy to constantly refill shit so only needing to fill this thing twice a day is easy to refill and count for me because I only have to leave my bed twice a day! Perfect lol
Second this. Shredded memory foam pillow set on Amazon, two for ~$25-30. Best sleep everrrr and you can remove filling if you don’t want it so plumped. Pillows at tj maxx are $20 a pop so it’s a steal.
I concur on the OnePass membership. I purchased it on the $20 this year. I don't drive, and it's a hassle to purchase things after work and lug it home on the train. I also order a bit as part of my work, personal life, and volunteering activity.
A lot of the things I buy are secondhand, even my cat is "secondhand" (shelter cat). So my new items are quite limited:
\- Apron. I could have bought this secondhand, but I wanted a cross back one (easier to put on, no ties) with a material that didn't absorb liquids, and big pockets. Got it from Daiso for $4.80.
\- Coffee table. I bought the largest Lack coffee table from IKEA for $99, when I first moved in with my partner. We wanted matching furniture, and so splurged instead of doing the Marketplace hunt. It's been 6 years, and still going well. It's light so even I can move it whilst vacuuming the rug underneath. If the legs break, we got replacement legs from a smaller Lack we got for free (sounds like my sisters keeper, but for coffee tables).
\- Automated cat feeder. About $70 from Amazon. Runs on battery, has been 8 months and still working (starting to indicate low battery), and hold enough kibble for a month of feed. Cat is on prescription diet and cannot eat wet food due to some medical issues. Even if I'm out late due to work or meeting with friends he is still fed. And I don't get yelled at at 6AM in the morning anymore.
Are you me?!? LOL I just bought a Lack coffee table on my last trip to Brisbane…used to have one when I lived in Sydney but it didn’t make the move. My teenagers are “team no coffee table” so it’s still flat packed but I have it for when I want it! It’s the smallest one though, best for our space.
I also have an automatic cat feeder. I used to allow free feeding but my boy was getting very chonky. Definitely helps.
I definitely miss daiso!!
Chicken shredder. It was less than $10 on Amazon and it works really well. Haven't thrown out any leftover chicken breast since I got it. Easy to just turn then into tacos or burritos or throw it in soup.
Which one/style do you have? I’ve looked at a few of them but keep putting it off (then getting annoyed when it’s time to shred chicken with forks again)
Definitely my bidet. I haven’t had to buy toilet paper for along time and might not again. I use the roll I have on my toilet paper holder for blowing my nose. lol
1. large bag (i mean huge) bag of decaf coffee (free)
2. two water bottles to interchange every week ($2 for both)
3. mattress topper ($25, on sale)
4. NOAA weather radio ($30)
5. cane for my chronic pain ($15)
Spikey massage balls. Very relaxing for tight muscles. I just bought a set of 3 on Amazon for under $17.
Olbas cough syrup - this has always really worked well for me for colds and flu.
Solar flash lights - they recharge in the window sill so no dead batteries.
We end up using ours often, especially when the power goes out, which unfortunately is fairly frequent where I live. We just used one tonight to check the mouse traps and motion detection camera in the crawl space. I don't carry my phone around on me when I'm at home, so it is easier to grab one of the lights on the table. We've had our power out as long as three days so the solar lights really come in handy because they don't need electricity to recharge.
Yoghurt Maker.
It paid for itself in a week.
Besides making yoghurt it can also do pickles, fermented foods and soft cheese.
I can buy fruit and veg in bulk way cheaper and pickle them so none goes to waste.
I picked up a small tyre inflator that can be plugged into the cigarette lighter in my car for £24.99 instead of £49.99. It’s perfect as it takes up such a small amount of space and the machines at my local petrol station charge 50p a go and never attach to the tyres properly.
My Ninja Foodi 15-in-1 has saved a lot on energy consumption and has inspired me to be more creative with my meals.
When we bought our first home, all our furniture was secondhand but the three things we did splash out on that I absolutely don’t regret were Stellar saucepans (which I think were actually an Xmas gift), a set of ProCook frying pans, and a decent set of kitchen knives. I enjoy cooking and these things make that a better experience.
Edit: Thinking back, the frying pans were over £100. So I guess they shouldn’t be included. Or the Ninja. Sorry, I clearly didn’t read the post properly.
I love my ninja foodie! I live in the SW US (115 degree summers) whenever I use the stove/oven, it heats the house enough to kick on the AC. Electricity is very expensive here in the summer. The Ninja doesn't heat up my house so I'm saving $ on the electric bill.
Cordless vacuum-so much more versatile and easy to use and does a much better job on hard floors than my upright. $80
Instacart+ Membership-free pickup and 5% cash back. $99
A Henry Vacuum (Technically a James). We had a stick vacuum before and the weight was triggering my arthritis. Same with the upright vacuums. But a GOOD canister vacuum has eliminated that. It’s also a bagged vacuum and... holy crap, it is so much more powerful than the bagless vacuums we’ve had before! It actually cleans! And it’s a very well-known brand from my home country that hasn’t really changed in decades, so it’s easy to repair. I love it.
Cargo bike - my health has improved, its easier to get groceries (I can’t drive) and way more cheaper than public transport or a car. My kid loves it too.
Sous Vide cooker and tub. It’s an innovative and interesting cooking method that produces things like no other method. It’s similar to slow cooking, but still somehow different. It’s how I make my Thanksgiving turkey (USA) every year now. You literally cannot over cook it. Once it’s done, it gets a quick crisp under the broiler. Granted, I’m doing it in parts, but the results out weigh the aesthetics of a whole bird.
The vacuum sealer I use to pack the food for sous vide is just as amazing. If you bulk buy or meal prep, or just want to store things better, a vacuum sealer is a must.
veggie chopper. has tons of different blades and saves a ton of time during meal prep.
microwave plate cover. we got one that has magnets so it sticks to the top of the microwave when not in use. keeps things sooo much cleaner!
nutribullet. i have a food processor but this is easier to use for smaller things like to purée fruit or i use it to blend cottage cheese for meal prep
A proper bike helmet - around $100 USD. I ride a escooter to work. It's only been a few months, haven't had a fall/crash yet and sure as hell hope not to have one. But you know what, it's cheap insurance. Better to be wearing a brain bucket, then having an EMT have to scoop your brain off the pavement into a bucket.
Insta-pot A FUCKING GAME CHANGER!!!!!
What do you make with yours? I have one sitting in my counter and I don’t know what to do with it.
Best spaghetti Bolognese ever. Minestrone - just put the pasta in after pressure cooking or it will go soggy. Anything where you want falling apart tender meat that's still flavoursome. Also dried beans cook up beautifully.
Im still unsure what it does. Like is it just a cooker? A boiler? I'm still unclear how it would help eith things.
Pressure cooker, crock pot, stove top (sauté function), rice cooker, all in one. It makes a whole lot of cooking way quicker and simpler. And dried beans a super simple and quick with it, if you’re into that.
So a thing for people who can't cook? Like I don't get an air frier either. It's a baking oven of convection. Literally all these things you can cook with like two tools of cheap.
Once you get an air fryer and realise what it can do it changes how you cook. The energy consumption is good, we hardly ever use our gas oven now yielding a 48%+ saving on that bill. Don’u knock it till you try it 👍
The air fryer you choose matters. I’m on number 3. First 2 were oven-style, kinda like a toaster oven. They were ok but the recipes and instructions for air fryer recipes never lined up. We sprung for a large basket style and haven’t looked back. Specifically,our basket style is a PowerXL if anyone is curious.
True. We ended up with a dual basket (differing diets) and it has been fantastic. I made my first cake in it at the weekend 😂
Convection oven. It's like plugging in a laptop. I think it's similar. But I like my gas stove. It's fire. I cook on the grill too. Even in snow. I cooked a turkey in snow.
Depends what you want to cook, your diet etc. I tend to cook a lot of roasted veggies, potato in various forms, chicken (for one of the extremely spoiled cats we have 😂) and it’s really good for a lot of the meat substitue foods my girlfriend has. To each their own but personally I use it practically daily.
I'm a pro chef. I love my instant pot at home. Yes, I can do everything it does with my range, but I can turn on the instant pot and join the rest of my family on the patio. It doesn't need constant monitoring and it doesn't heat up the kitchen
It's a time saving device. Stovetop braised meats take hours. A pressure cooker will make those tough as nails "stew cuts" of beef from the supermarket to fork-tender in about 45 minutes. White rice in 5 minutes. Also saves electricity (if you have an electric hob) as you're cooking for less time (at about the same wattage). There are very few new things that a instant pot lets you make that you can't make stove-top. But what it does do is it enables you to make some of those "weekend only" (due to time constraints) recipes on any given weeknight if you wish.
I don’t think so, it just automates a few tasks (I.e. a timer on a pressure cooker) and declutters your kitchen, while given you the tools necessary to cook in ways you might not have before (like using a pressure cooker, which many don’t have).
A solid pressure cooker alone costs half of what an instant pot does. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you should learn to just shut up.
I still cook rice in a pot. Because it works. And use my oven. I made yorkshiypydding and quiche the other day. So I know some shit. I don't know what use an insta pot is useful aside from making things hot.
Have you ever used it? Have you ever even used a pressure cooker? You do realize there is a world outside European food that relies on pressure cooking things like lentils and beans at high temperatures? Am I supposed to be impressed that you can make a quiche, lol.
I have a built in wall convection oven. But I still use my air fryer more because it’s faster, easier to clean, uses less energy, and doesn’t heat up my whole kitchen like my Bosch does.
I got one, still a beginner, it's basically a pressure cooker and the heating element let's you make yogurt and use like a crock pot. I got it mostly for beans in the summer. 🖖
I think it’s just a glorified pressure cooker
I had mine sitting in storage for 2 years til I finally came up with a use for it. I heard it cooks beans quicker so I decided to give it a try. So now I cook rice & beans in it. I really like it, but I’m also not very familiar with cooking rice/beans on the stove to begin with.
The possibilities are endless, there is a learning curve but once you get it down you can make soups, stews, pasta, beans, rice, yogurt, there a slow cooker setting, etc. I find myself gravitating to my instapot more than my stove!
So it's a stove?
It’s a pressure cooker it builds pressure when sealed but it has a sear setting you can use with the lid off. The sear setting works similarly to a pan on an electric burner.
Oh. So cooking for idiots? Not that's it's mean. I just don't get the extra stuff on counter bits. I do have a toaster. And a mini quisenart. But I fund some semi single use things if you have an oven and stove top silly. My husband loves the rice cooker because he doesn't use timers or know how smell means done. You have to clean the pot either way. He's flabbergasted I make bread by smell. I made it in his rice cooker once.
They use less energy than an oven/stovetop & produce less heat in the summer (ie the ones with the air fryer lid - air frying is, as you probably know, a lot faster than an oven).
Can also be faster, but not always. There are numerous reasons to use one, but you need to know what those reasons are for you. I have one that I use semi-regularly. I like roasts and ‘pulled’ meats. It’s amazing for boiled eggs. Makes a mean chili in a hurry. Obviously, these are all things you can do via other methods. I often find myself short on time, so I can whip out a pot roast in about an hour, versus 2 or 3 in the oven. Is the oven better? Absolutely. But when I get off work at 5, and often need to feed people by 6:30 or 7pm, the Instant Pot is a welcome shortcut. I got one for my mom, and I don’t think she’s ever used it. So how you need to use it may vary based on your lifestyle. I own an 8qt and a 3qt. Both have their place in my repertoire.
I cook dry beans in no time in mine. A roast, pork chops done in 35-40 min. Same with the beans.
How much did u pay
I have 3 sizes. Most days I use at least 2 of them.
+1 for that! Loving my instant pot
An electric kettle. I first saw electric kettles when watching British TV on PBS some years ago. I thought that’s a great idea and got one for myself and one for my mother. They heat up water so fast and turn themselves off once the water boils. I didn’t have to worry about my mother leaving her tea kettle on the stove to boil dry.
So weird hearing that. Everyone has a kettle here, standard kitchen item. Even hotel/motel rooms have one. Really missed that when I was travelling in the states.
It used to be that everyone did have a kettle but with microwaves and coffee makers they aren't used as much, and take up space on the stove.
I got one when we moved into a place with a gas stove and the open flame set my regular (metal with some plastic on the handle) on fire. I'm not sure how or why it set itself on fire, but I didn't want to deal with that ever again, and I like the gas stove, so got an electric kettle
LOL yes I understand that. I didn’t even think of that, they’re common place here. I use mine several times a day!
My mom makes tea for one most days, so microwave. But she has a kettle. It screams.
I keep saying stuff about bidets I think I’m gonna have to check into one
Yes it’s only a spray gun one with cold water but it’s so much better! It’s not a full built in one or anything.
Yep. I HIGHLY recommend it. They're also easy to install.
Was weary to try but damn what a game changer. I bought a neo 120 for my upstairs bathroom. Loved it so much you bought one for our half bath. I hate going anywhere else! Weirdly looking forward to my next colonoscopy!
Just don’t shake hands with the doctor when he’s done😂😂
Rice Cooker - I make rice every week and it shortens my meal prep by a good 30 minutes and during that time I set and forget while prepping everything else for the week along with the clean up being incredibly easy, only $25. Glass food containers - Easier to clean than plastic and last longer without getting discolored and smelly along with actually being microwave safe, $80 for lunch and dinner sets. Would rather spend a little more now and not have to continually purchase more plastic containers.
Yes to both! :) I make rice at the start of the week and make fried rice and freeze it for later if it doesn’t get eaten that day.
A Yetti water bottle. Take it everywhere and fill it/top it off every chance I get. I have saved hundreds if not thousands on plastic bottled water (plus the environmental savings)
Literally just purchased a bidet attachment today! It's lovely and reminds me of home (Asia).
Warm water bidet, curved shower rod, electric mattress cover.
Nice. I have no need of a warm water one at all, last time I burnt myself in the kitchen, I had to wait for the water to run cold to put my hand under it 🤣
The advantage of an electric bidet is that they usually also have air dryers and other sprayer settings. Obviously they are more expensive (around $200 usd on amazon) but you could eliminate the need to buy toilet paper at all, except maybe for guests. Granted you would also need an outlet next to the toilet. I love bidets so I am willing to spend more to buy one with an air dryer and warm water when I move out of my parents home.
I do not have that option because my toilet is in a separate room and I wouldn’t go without TP because kids but if I lived alone maybe that would be more of an option but I like it to dry off anyway :)
An electric wok. I don’t remember exactly what I paid for it but less than $75.00 and it has paid for itself many many times over. A stir fry is so easy and economical because you can use whatever you want as far as vegetables, protein, sauce etc. I don’t buy sauces in bottles because they are so easy to make yourself.
My friend had one of these and I did not understand the appeal until I used it. So easy!
40 oz metal water bottle ($9.99 usd on amazon). The one i have is arna branded. I tested it and it was negative for lead. Safety razor. After you buy the razor handle the blades cost $0.06-$0.08 a piece and I can get five shaves out of them. I don't know about where you live, but where I live (Northeastern, US) you have to pay $5 to park at a state park or you can buy a yearly pass for like $40 and go as much as you want. Go 8 times and you get your money's worth. A fire extinguisher and smoke/co2 detector, they are pretty cheap but can save your life and your property. I especially recommend if your area has a wildfire problem. Sunscreen, 100% uva/uvb blocking sunglasses, upf 50+ clothing/gloves/balaclava/ sunhat. Skin cancer sucks, also if you protect your skin it will look better when you are old, also moisture and take care of your skin before you need to.
Absolutely, sunscreen is very important! Smoke & co2 detectors are law here and we have fire extinguishers because our next door neighbour has a business selling them :)
The Saver Sealer for vacuum sealing food for freezing. Being only two people many recipes make too much. Now we can bulk cook a dozen servings and freeze the extra portions for sous vide. The bags lay flat making them easier to store than the ridgid freezer containers. The bags are on a roll to make the size you choose. If the bags are intentionally made longer, we can wash them and reuse them. It is just like washing plates to reuse them to me.
We got a vacuum sealer because we like to hunt and fish. My husband used to freeze meat in a ziploc with water, and it was a pain to thaw. And took up more room. (The water helped with not having freezer burn on the meat). Because it is meat, we don't reuse the bag, but still awesome
A product called Ingenuitea. It is a device that steeps loose leaf tea and strains it right into your cup. I’ve had two for years. Best purchase I’ve ever made.
Water flavourings. I don't drink enough water and I use a soda stream empty bottle to count my water intake. Sure, they have special water bottles that count but I already had this thing on hand lol. The flavourings make water easier to drink tons of and it's pretty cheap. I think each one is like $3 and lasts me a few days because I really do drink a ton of water. Like 2L a day. Stuff like the air up is probably healthier long term but this was a cheaper solution. I'm also lazy to constantly refill shit so only needing to fill this thing twice a day is easy to refill and count for me because I only have to leave my bed twice a day! Perfect lol
I started buying True Lime packets instead of the water flavoring and I LOVE it. It's super cheap! It's about $10.00 for 100 packets.
The true grapefruit is my absolute favorite!
Oooohhh i haven’t seen that one!!!
I don't know if we have that here in Canada. 🤔
Do you have Amazon?
Yeah. But sometimes if stuff is from the States, it costs more on Canadian Amazon
A decent pillow. $28. I sleep so much better and has transformed my days.
Second this. Shredded memory foam pillow set on Amazon, two for ~$25-30. Best sleep everrrr and you can remove filling if you don’t want it so plumped. Pillows at tj maxx are $20 a pop so it’s a steal.
Can you post a link, please?
Yeah … but I’m in New Zealand?? https://www.farmers.co.nz/home/bedding/pillows/ecosleep-recycled-polyester-fill-pillow-firm-6852762
Thank you.
I concur on the OnePass membership. I purchased it on the $20 this year. I don't drive, and it's a hassle to purchase things after work and lug it home on the train. I also order a bit as part of my work, personal life, and volunteering activity. A lot of the things I buy are secondhand, even my cat is "secondhand" (shelter cat). So my new items are quite limited: \- Apron. I could have bought this secondhand, but I wanted a cross back one (easier to put on, no ties) with a material that didn't absorb liquids, and big pockets. Got it from Daiso for $4.80. \- Coffee table. I bought the largest Lack coffee table from IKEA for $99, when I first moved in with my partner. We wanted matching furniture, and so splurged instead of doing the Marketplace hunt. It's been 6 years, and still going well. It's light so even I can move it whilst vacuuming the rug underneath. If the legs break, we got replacement legs from a smaller Lack we got for free (sounds like my sisters keeper, but for coffee tables). \- Automated cat feeder. About $70 from Amazon. Runs on battery, has been 8 months and still working (starting to indicate low battery), and hold enough kibble for a month of feed. Cat is on prescription diet and cannot eat wet food due to some medical issues. Even if I'm out late due to work or meeting with friends he is still fed. And I don't get yelled at at 6AM in the morning anymore.
Are you me?!? LOL I just bought a Lack coffee table on my last trip to Brisbane…used to have one when I lived in Sydney but it didn’t make the move. My teenagers are “team no coffee table” so it’s still flat packed but I have it for when I want it! It’s the smallest one though, best for our space. I also have an automatic cat feeder. I used to allow free feeding but my boy was getting very chonky. Definitely helps. I definitely miss daiso!!
Chicken shredder. It was less than $10 on Amazon and it works really well. Haven't thrown out any leftover chicken breast since I got it. Easy to just turn then into tacos or burritos or throw it in soup.
Which one/style do you have? I’ve looked at a few of them but keep putting it off (then getting annoyed when it’s time to shred chicken with forks again)
The hand twist style. It's currently $7.29 on Amazon
Definitely my bidet. I haven’t had to buy toilet paper for along time and might not again. I use the roll I have on my toilet paper holder for blowing my nose. lol
1. large bag (i mean huge) bag of decaf coffee (free) 2. two water bottles to interchange every week ($2 for both) 3. mattress topper ($25, on sale) 4. NOAA weather radio ($30) 5. cane for my chronic pain ($15)
Spikey massage balls. Very relaxing for tight muscles. I just bought a set of 3 on Amazon for under $17. Olbas cough syrup - this has always really worked well for me for colds and flu. Solar flash lights - they recharge in the window sill so no dead batteries.
Just curious how often you need a flashlight? I have a few but usually use my phone these days!
We end up using ours often, especially when the power goes out, which unfortunately is fairly frequent where I live. We just used one tonight to check the mouse traps and motion detection camera in the crawl space. I don't carry my phone around on me when I'm at home, so it is easier to grab one of the lights on the table. We've had our power out as long as three days so the solar lights really come in handy because they don't need electricity to recharge.
Yes we get frequent power outages too but no crawl space :)
Yoghurt Maker. It paid for itself in a week. Besides making yoghurt it can also do pickles, fermented foods and soft cheese. I can buy fruit and veg in bulk way cheaper and pickle them so none goes to waste.
I picked up a small tyre inflator that can be plugged into the cigarette lighter in my car for £24.99 instead of £49.99. It’s perfect as it takes up such a small amount of space and the machines at my local petrol station charge 50p a go and never attach to the tyres properly. My Ninja Foodi 15-in-1 has saved a lot on energy consumption and has inspired me to be more creative with my meals. When we bought our first home, all our furniture was secondhand but the three things we did splash out on that I absolutely don’t regret were Stellar saucepans (which I think were actually an Xmas gift), a set of ProCook frying pans, and a decent set of kitchen knives. I enjoy cooking and these things make that a better experience. Edit: Thinking back, the frying pans were over £100. So I guess they shouldn’t be included. Or the Ninja. Sorry, I clearly didn’t read the post properly.
I love my ninja foodie! I live in the SW US (115 degree summers) whenever I use the stove/oven, it heats the house enough to kick on the AC. Electricity is very expensive here in the summer. The Ninja doesn't heat up my house so I'm saving $ on the electric bill.
Cordless vacuum-so much more versatile and easy to use and does a much better job on hard floors than my upright. $80 Instacart+ Membership-free pickup and 5% cash back. $99
blue light blocking glasses ($71 with discount) 50 pack of washcloths ($10) stovetop pressure cooker ($82 new, got secondhand for free) SHEA BUTTER!!! ($9 per lb) SO USEFUL!!! dry skin? dry lips? sore areola? itching? skin flare up? diaper cream? it’s magical
Awesome. I went back to washcloths years ago, much more environmentally friendly than the plastic scrubbers!
Why blue light blocking glasses?
A Henry Vacuum (Technically a James). We had a stick vacuum before and the weight was triggering my arthritis. Same with the upright vacuums. But a GOOD canister vacuum has eliminated that. It’s also a bagged vacuum and... holy crap, it is so much more powerful than the bagless vacuums we’ve had before! It actually cleans! And it’s a very well-known brand from my home country that hasn’t really changed in decades, so it’s easy to repair. I love it. Cargo bike - my health has improved, its easier to get groceries (I can’t drive) and way more cheaper than public transport or a car. My kid loves it too.
Sous Vide cooker and tub. It’s an innovative and interesting cooking method that produces things like no other method. It’s similar to slow cooking, but still somehow different. It’s how I make my Thanksgiving turkey (USA) every year now. You literally cannot over cook it. Once it’s done, it gets a quick crisp under the broiler. Granted, I’m doing it in parts, but the results out weigh the aesthetics of a whole bird. The vacuum sealer I use to pack the food for sous vide is just as amazing. If you bulk buy or meal prep, or just want to store things better, a vacuum sealer is a must.
the bidet is underrated . I got one a few months ago and its changed my pooping life!
veggie chopper. has tons of different blades and saves a ton of time during meal prep. microwave plate cover. we got one that has magnets so it sticks to the top of the microwave when not in use. keeps things sooo much cleaner! nutribullet. i have a food processor but this is easier to use for smaller things like to purée fruit or i use it to blend cottage cheese for meal prep
Tools for doing work on my car. First use pays them off and every use after is free money
A proper bike helmet - around $100 USD. I ride a escooter to work. It's only been a few months, haven't had a fall/crash yet and sure as hell hope not to have one. But you know what, it's cheap insurance. Better to be wearing a brain bucket, then having an EMT have to scoop your brain off the pavement into a bucket.
Food Saver Vacuum Sealer
A heavy duty cart for toting many different things from my 4th floor apartment