The holidays are coming up. Do you need gift ideas?
Of course you do! It's always hard to know what to buy, especially if you are someone who doesn't value material possessions as much as the next person. So getting practical, cheap purchases is quite a way to get a good gift for someone.
u/kickbackthisthat asked Reddit:
What are some affordable items (<$100) that are life-changing?
Here were some of those answers.
-Vacuum Noise-
A mini hand held vacuum was one of the best purchases my wife made this year lol. It's so useful for cleaning the couches, small messes or the car.
- the one we got was this one from Amazon.
It was pretty cheap so any big brand would probably be better
Just Like New
A fabric shaver. Refreshes sweaters/coats etc. n no time and saves replacing the garments that are in otherwise good condition.
Is this like a lint remover? I swear the ones I've had have been super crappy and all my jumpers end up with those little balls of fabric. Any recommendations for a good one?
It's not like the roller/sticky paper lint remover. This is specifically for piling of fabrics and if you open it up it has actual little blades in there. I don't have a recommendation, I just went with the most reviewed online that was under $20 and so far so good. It made a sweater that I love look so much better!
Convenience AND Safety!
A shoehorn. So simple and cheap, and instantly turns 5 seconds of the most annoying wriggling and forcing into a 1 second maneuver. I'm amazed they seem to have gone out of style.
Also, a fire extinguisher on every level of your house.
Great For Kid Proofing!
We have a slow-close toilet seat on our toilet since all 4 of our kids like to slam everything in the house. Anyways we took a family trip to my mother's and after using her rest room my stepfather asked me if his toilet upset me. He says well you sure slammed that lid I figured it made you mad. Totally forgot not everyones toilet lid doesn't ever so slowly and gently close.
It's For ME AND For Thieves!
Timer-caps for pill bottles. Basically, the cap is a timer that resets every time you open the bottle. You can get some on Amazon for like $10.
I take my ADHD medicine every morning right when I wake up. Some mornings I'll even take it and go back to sleep for ~30 mins until it kicks in and wakes me up. Some mornings, I'd forget that I took it and went back to sleep, and accidentally take a second when I wake up. 100mg of vyvanse makes for a fever dream of a day. At that level it actually makes you less productive, so you get nothing done and deal with insane side effects all day. Conversely, some days I'd accidentally go without it because I thought I'd took it already and get nothing done. The timer cap pill bottle literally totally fixed that problem.
It also made me aware that one of my friends stole my ADHD medication. They still won't fess up to it. I wish they would. It was messed up but I'd forgive them. We're not very close anymore.
In A Mine! (In A Mine!)
One of those headband flashlights. Buy one and thank me later.
My brother's wife made fun of him for getting me one for Christmas. Turned out to be one of the most practical, useful gifts I've ever received. I use it at all the time.
It Feels Good On Me Nether Parts, Love
Good, high quality underwear. Not like, the 5 pack for 15 at walmart. Quality underwear from somewhere may not be majorly life changing, but the day to day improvement is amazing.
Saxx was definitely a life changer for me. Yes, they're expensive, but not having things sticking together down there is worth it
Bargain Comfort
Costco has amazing towels. I was visiting my parents house and their towels were like clouds and they said they were from Costco so I went and bought a whole new set for myself immediately and they were incredibly affordable.
Costco towels are great! I'm in love with a brand called Wove. A little pricy, but I bought one and then bought four more after I used it for the first time.
It's Just Worth The New Feeling
Some measures and a shopping trip later I own a bra two band sizes smaller and two cup sizes bigger. I didn't know how comfy a wired bra can be! No more empty cups when leaning forward or even lying down.
I actually cried when I got my first well-fitting bra. I don't have weird or ugly boobs (what I thought since puberty). I just had the wrong bra. Fifteen years later, I finally am content and feel sexy. And I wish this for every woman! Don't underestimate what a bra can do for your comfort AND self-esteem!
Always A Toasted Sammich
A toaster oven. I used to think of them as something college kids have in their dorm rooms. But at age 60 I bought one. That was early this year, and I haven't turned on my full-size oven since then.
I now toast things that I never would have toasted before, because the full oven was overkill. No more untoasted sandwiches.
It also makes a nice pizza oven. Take a tortilla and put pizza toppings on it.
Because NOTHING Is Worse Than Wet Socks
This is very lifestyle specific, but waterproof socks. Yes even if you have waterproof shoes these will still change your life (water can sometimes still get in through the top of the shoe via being absorbed by your trousers and working it's way down - thanks, gravity). Every actor or extra who has ever done a location shoot on a historical or fantasy show/film swears by them (yeah I did say they're lifestyle specific lol).
That SodaStream
Two things I wish I had bought years ago:
A vacuum sealer, this is a game changer for food storage. You can properly package portions for any size family and food stays fresh much longer.
A carbonation machine (aka sodastrem, etc). I love having on demand carbonated water available.
To Weigh The Ingredients
A kitchen scale.
One with 1g precision is good, but better spend another $20 to get 0.1g precision. It will get you a perfect cup of coffee every single time, allow you to mix a cocktail by free pouring, and fundamentally improve your baking forever. Once you get the hang of it, it's so much easier to leave a bowl on the scale and to press the "zero" button between ingredients compared to fishing for tiny spoons of and combining fractions.
Just A Little Strip
This will be buried, but nasal strips absolutely changed my life. Breathe Right or a similar brand. For years, I didn't realize that I couldn't breathe through my nose when my face relaxes to sleep. For the last six years, I have had less acne because I'm sleeping with my mouth closed. I've been a million times better rested and had tons more clarity. I don't wake up as often during the night. If I could ever meet the person who invented them, I would love to thank him/her.
Swimmy Swimmy Swimmy
A pet. Even just a fish. I lost my pet bird after 16 years. Waited a little while to grieve before getting a new one. The amount of stress reduction from having a pet is so much more than you could put a $ on.
The Way To Keep The House In Order
A good tool set. For beginners having a level, screwdriver with many bits, hammer, small clamps, pliers, tape measure can do almost any small-medium sized project around the house. For bonus points get a spare hardware box (screws nails drywall hangers) and a bag of rags from the paint section and your home is your oyster. (Rags are way more durable than paper towels and can be used wet and you can lay them down on the floor to protect carpets/floors from falling objects/dust.
All this should run you like $80 at most.
Woman Documents Her Hilarious Attempt To Escape Her Home After Amazon Package Traps Her Inside
What's more frustrating than getting a "sorry we missed you" slip instead of a package on your doorstep?
One woman found out when she was literally trapped in her house by an Amazon box.
@ViralHog/YouTube
TikTok user @izzybrooke had her day ruined thanks to an Amazon delivery.
Prepared to have a relaxing day at the nail salon, the woman quickly found out that leaving her house wasn't an option.
In the series of videos, @izzybrooke narrated her ordeal.
"When all you want is to go get your nails done, but you can't because Amazon put a package outside your door and you can't get out."
She began trying different methods to open the door.
"Im gonna try to get myself out because Amazon locked me in."
First, she opened the door's window.
@izzybrooke/TikTok
But ultimately it was for nothing, because she couldn't remove the screen covering.
"I can't get the ****ing screen open I'm just not happy."
@izzybrooke/TikTok
"Just like seriously Amazon, what the ****!"
Finally, she thought about jamming something between the door to push the package away.
Her tool of choice: a rubber spatula.
@izzybrooke/TikTok
"This will work I guess."
@izzybrooke/TikTok
Thankfully, it worked!
@izzybrooke/TikTok
The video quickly became popular on TikTok and Youtube, and @izzybrook even made the news!
@dad__perfect/TikTok
@nikitasnash/TikTok
Apparently, other people have been trapped by delivery boxes too.
@familycircus58/TikTok
@davey_pigeon/TikTok
Thankfully, there's an easy way to avoid this issue - just leave detailed delivery instructions.
ali_cat09/TikTok
It's not the most ideal way to receive a package, but at least it actually arrived!
Ryan Reynolds Just Wrote The Most Ridiculously Epic Amazon Review For His Own Gin Company
Ryan Reynolds is known for his quirky sense of humor.
His latest stunt has him promoting his own gin company—in what might be the strangest way possible.
The actor's company has already been prone to humor.
Most notably, he teamed up with Hugh Jackman to create commercials for both Aviation Gin and Laughing Man Coffee, the latter being Jackman's company. The clip was a huge hit, garnering over six million views on Youtube.
However, Reynolds' latest promotion has taken his brand of comedy to the next level—actually writing his own review of his product on Amazon.
I loved this review of Aviation Gin someone sent me after I wrote it. https://t.co/YZN4KI0ATD— Ryan Reynolds (@Ryan Reynolds) 1561246531.0
The post itself is written under the pseudonym of Champ Nightengale and details his fake experience with the gin.
The review reads:
"I just tried Aviation Gin for the first time."
"Normally, I don't gravitate towards celebrity brands, but I'd read the Gin was one of the highest rated ever."
The story then plunges into a wild ride that no one was ready for.
"What did I hate about it? I wish they'd provide some kind of warning about how much you're supposed to have. I had a lot... and after a while I felt really great. Eventually, that bubbly and illusory sense of well-being turned into a bit of a blur."
"When I woke up the next day, I mentioned to my wife Linda that last night must have been a REAL blowout because I slept in my clothes. Even my shoes!"
Reynolds/Nightengale continued:
"I also noticed it was really hard to look out the window at the Seattle skyline. Partly because of the bright sun (I've always been sensitive to light) but also because I don't live in Seattle."
"I live in Coral Gables, Florida. Also, it's important to note, until that morning, I'd never met anyone named Linda."
Twitter has blown up as a result of Reynolds' review, with many praising his successful attempt at blatant self-promotion.
@VancityReynolds @AviationGin 🤣 Easily the best review I've ever read... for gin.— MadamSarcastra (@MadamSarcastra) 1561246667.0
@VancityReynolds @AviationGin I will only stock this in my bar and change all the gin-based cocktails if you person… https://t.co/gV1deEHbjz— Lau Wensink (Nashh) (@Lau Wensink (Nashh)) 1561247120.0
@VancityReynolds @AviationGin https://t.co/QeyAZYgV2x— Bret Cash (@Bret Cash) 1561247370.0
@VancityReynolds @AviationGin Sounds great, and I don't like gin. In fact, I don't drink. Think I'll buy a bottle. Make that two. OK, three.— Ava (@Ava) 1561247071.0
@VancityReynolds @AviationGin it got wild real quick https://t.co/1Kqj0rOs6V— nate (@nate) 1561246688.0
When it comes to Ryan Reynolds' particular brand of marketing, are we surprised?
Nope.
Are we entertained?
Absolutely.
Ice-T Has A Tip For Amazon's Flex Delivery Service After He Claims He Almost Shot Someone
There has been a significant amount of criticism of the way Amazon gets packages delivered to customers, but a recent tweet from Ice-T brings a new problem to light.
The multi-talented performer tweeted last night about a recent package delivery that used Amazon's Flex delivery service.
The service utilizes the work of independent contractors to deliver packages.
Unfortunately, Amazon does not provide any sort of uniform or other identifying items for these contractors.
This leads to what seems like a random stranger approaching someone's house. If the package is a small one, it may not even be visible to the home's resident.
If the package is larger, that still doesn't necessarily prevent misunderstandings. Given how common package theft is, it isn't unlikely that someone may mistake a delivery driver for a package thief.
Ice-T cites the recent delivery as an example of the problem with not identifying delivery drivers.
@FINALLEVEL I called @Amazon about this general concern too! Thanks for tweeting this.— IrritatedWoman (@IrritatedWoman) 1558538818.0
@AmazonHelp responded to Ice-T's tweet with what seems very much like an automated response.
@FINALLEVEL Thanks for reaching out with your feedback! I'd like to escalate this to our Logistics Team for review;… https://t.co/nJQWPPRMhB— Amazon Help (@Amazon Help) 1558461180.0
People were... less than satisfied with the communication, and with the efforts made toward driver safety.
@AmazonHelp @FINALLEVEL Amazon has hired robots for social media and people off the streets for deliveries. Shouldn… https://t.co/6AxxoTEmXc— Steve Hughes (@Steve Hughes) 1558545041.0
@AmazonHelp @edgarwright @FINALLEVEL Lol. Can't get a much more generic reply then that. I think I've heard this xe… https://t.co/QPoANdQZ0k— Jacob Sawyer (@Jacob Sawyer) 1558592631.0
@CarrieLGarner @AmazonHelp @FINALLEVEL I see that you're trying, but clearly @AmazonHelp lacks common sense in ensu… https://t.co/DUcgCiCmlU— Nahla (Like the movie) (@Nahla (Like the movie)) 1558476652.0
There were those who said people should just track their packages with the app (including the Senior Vice President of Operations at Amazon).
Aside from some people being too busy to do this, one user made a good point.
@AmazonHelp @FINALLEVEL When you order a package, yes you can track it. But when receiving a gift, not so much. M… https://t.co/C4OAdNJ5Xq— Patricia Frey (@Patricia Frey) 1558553276.0
Several people offered solutions as well.
@AmazonHelp @FINALLEVEL @JeffBezos gig economy keeps profit w/company but places the risk attaining it elsewhere.… https://t.co/ZCcGFNEEop— grabandgoKit (@grabandgoKit) 1558585665.0
@farnorthsider @davehclark @FINALLEVEL The vest could say “Independent Contract Driver for Amazon” that would clear… https://t.co/VI0zRqfzfe— Tabitha Odell (@Tabitha Odell) 1558590654.0
@FINALLEVEL Not for exactly the same reason, but I agree - a shirt, vest, ID badge... something to indicate they ar… https://t.co/2BOhxnjJaz— /grego (@/grego) 1558614986.0
While not everyone is armed, possibly being shot is not the only potential problem facing delivery drivers. Much of the problem does stem from customers not feeling safe, though.
Most folks would be a little creeped out by a random person approaching their house with no sort of identification.
The drivers are independent contractors, but that doesn't mean that there is no way to identify them as delivering for Amazon. Even a decal or magnet for a vehicle, and a hat for the driver themselves, would go a long way toward preventing misunderstandings.
If there's one thing decades of science fiction stories about talking machines that slowly gain sentience have taught us is...don't do it. Really. Once robots learn to talk, that's it. Game over for the human race. However, we've already invited the enemy into our homes. Amazon Alexa, in the form of Amazon's Echo product, is already "helping" us order stuff and play music at the simplest verbal command. Like with all technology, though, there's the occasional error.
Reddit user, u/Beep_BeepRitchie, wanted to know about the most off-putting thing your Alexa has done when they asked:
What's your creepy Alexa/google home story?
What's the creepiest thing your Alexa or Google Home has ever done? Tell us all about it!