Mine… My Xbox 360 slim only costed 129 euro back in 2012 and to this day still work like brand new, you would think that the disc drive would stop working but no. Never had the need of open it or clean it’s insides. Still great, I just don’t use it anymore since I feel it’s outdated and loading speeds are better nowadays.
Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. It’s still kicking. The amount of times I’ve used it, it saves so much time than looking for the proper dedicated tool.
A metal wallet. Definitely worth it if you don’t carry a lot. Mine is maybe 10 years old now or more.
3+ year old used Lenovo Thinkpads, these things are great if you need a budget laptop that’s not for gaming. A lot of companies lease them. When the lease expires you can get them very cheap because they flood the market.
General Military Surplus. We have a shop a few kilometers a way that sells surplus. They get in brand new stuff all the time. Still in packaging. It’s built well. Keep in mind military surplus isn’t just in the field stuff. Laptop bags, shirts, blankets, hats.
A pet. Worth every penny. Got my cat from a shelter, he’s been there for me through thick and thin. Gives great hugs.
My wife did a cert class for data analytics and needed a work horse laptop. I bought her a used i7 Thinkpad from eBay.
It’s so damn fast… m2 drive 32 GB of ram it’s literally only limited in speed by the user input.
Just an amazing deal for $450
Edit it was a t14 gen 2.
I just got mine a few weeks ago and it’s so impressive. I bought it used for $150 and I can tell I’ll be using this for years.
I juuuust retired a t420s recently… off lease computers are absolutely the way to go for buying new to you laptops.
Toss in a SSD and a Linux distro… and you’re good for 6-8 years imho
I love my poncho liner lol, it’s perfect for a hammock blanket. I think it was maybe $5.
Heck my wife stole mine, I spent more on mine. Those things are great.
Trying to convince mine, she keeps buying these expensive cartridges that she ends up throwing out after a few times or they get left out and their little soap bars fuse to stuff. They suck.
Where would I buy a cheap thinkpad?
ebay is a good source though more expensive, places like marketplace often have decent deals, check out electronics recyclers and wholesalers, if you have any. Those are generally good places to look.
Amazon or Ebay probably. Sometimes you can find an electronic recycling place and just ask.
My first thought was some military gear as well. A scarf or travel utensils or bag or something. Actually even the gloves I got are probably over 20 years old.
Rescued pets cats be priceless, though keeping them fed and healthy and happy can cost a fair bit.
whats the interior of your wallet like. I like them but the interiors have been plastic and eventually break.
All metal with a nylon strap. Here is a link:
https://www.trayvax.com/products/armored-summit
That company makes a lot of different kinds of metal wallets. There are other brands out there as well. But, that’s why I use.
thanks. thats a neat design. I have been using the aluma wallet style and the interior tearing has been a weakness. This looks nice.
The strap is also easily replaced. I found a replacement one by going to the dollar store dog collar section and cutting it to length.
You can buy replacement wallet windows pretty cheaply if yours have deteriorated.
no the alumawalletesqe things have basically a plastic accordian inside. Thats what dies and its all one sorta unit. The one bej linked looks like it would not have an issue being it is a sort of card clip almost.
My steam deck. Mine is still less than a year old, but holy shit I’ve been using the fuck out of mine. Worth every penny.
Steam Deck was so good, it made me question if I should ever buy a $2000 gaming PC again.
I’m currently on Year 6 and was considering getting a new graphics card. Then Steamdeck came out and found I didn’t even need it, since I barely play games that require that level of power.
Oh and I’m currently playing Elden Ring right on my big screen TV with my Steamdeck and it looks great.
Ye. I still need an expensive PC for stuff like VR, 3d modeling and game dev, but it’s replaced my main PC for most games. Hell, I don’t even really need an expensive PC for the shooters I enjoy because most of them are either old or indie stuff that’d run on a $300 PoS from 10yrs ago. However, it’s definitely made me question the necessity of a gaming rig in this day and age. The convenience outweighs the visual downgrade by a long shot.
I do have a few things I wish the deck had, such as:
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The ability to define and bind touch-screen gestures (like binding a two-finger pinch gesture to the scroll wheel to zoom in). The touch screen is a bit useless outside of using the keyboard. It’d be nice if it had more utility.
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The ability to pick a cloud-storage provider to use for automatic 3rd-party game sync. It sucks that I can’t play a non-steam game on my deck and then resume on my desktop or vice versa.
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An AMD-compatible version of DLSS or a DLSS capable processor. FSR is great, but let’s be honest, DLSS is higher quality.
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The ability to suspend games to disk. Linux supposedly has this ability via CRIU, but they’d have to implement it. The ability to save-state like a console emulator would be sick.
However, I’ve been in love with my deck since I got it.
The ability to pick a cloud-storage provider to use for automatic 3rd-party game sync. It sucks that I can’t play a non-steam game on my deck and then resume on my desktop or vice versa.
Admittedly it’s a bit of manual tech fiddling involved, but you can accomplish this by using network shares and some careful scripting. For example, I’ve got both my desktop and steamdeck with a launch script configured in Lutris on both. The script symlinks a network share path to the appropriate save game location for each game before running the game. Granted you have to figure out where each game wants it’s save to be stored, but that’s not too difficult once you get used to it.
Fiddly and nerdy for sure, and not for the non technical, but it’s pretty nice, I’ve found! Would be even better if there was some more automated solution though.
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There are so, so, so many good games that are still fun to play today. Why do people subject themselves into the whims of companies such as Bethseda, EA, etc?
I don’t use mine a ton because I have a good gaming PC at home, but when I’m out for a while, I take it with me. It’s taken the place that my Switch and my laptop used to occupy, and I’ve barely touched either of those since I got my Deck.
Definitely don’t regret the purchase.
I have a good gaming PC in my living room. Still I find myself on the couch with my steam deck very often.
I’ve found myself using my deck way more than my PC. I’ve barely touched my PC since I got my deck because it can run most of the games I want to play, either natively or via proton/wine. Granted, most of the games I’ve been playing recently are either slow-paced and can be played with the deck controller (like The Sims 2, or OpenRCT2), or are better on a controller than m/kb (like animal crossing or mario).
I definitely still have things I still need my PC for, either because they won’t run on my deck (VR stuff), are difficult to play on a deck (mainly shooters), are more suited for a physical keyboard (filling out forms), or the deck can technically handle but doesn’t have performance to do it well (like 3d modeling or game dev). However, my deck has become my main PC when it comes to games.
I definitely prefer to play on a bigger screen.
Can you connect a steam deck to an external screen? (Genuine question.)
With a USB-C to hdmi adapter or a dock, you can.
I have a switch is it still worth it to pick up steam deck? Tbf I don’t really use the switch all that often mainly game on pc
Absolutely. The Steam Deck is a gaming PC, but handheld. The iGPU in the Deck is approximately equivilent to an RX 580, for reference.
Yes. Barely touch my switch, use my steam deck all the time. For me it’s the library that makes the difference. Switch is just the switch library, while the steam deck can play just about anything a PC can play + just about any emulatable consoles (including the switch). I’ve actually been slowly downloading ROM versions of my switch games so I can play them on my steam deck. It sucks not to have the online capability or being unable to sync my saves with my switch, but meh.
I barely got much usage out of my switch but the Steam Deck has been well worth it. I like the customizability, ability to emulate, bulkier build that feels more like holding an actual controller, and larger game library. I love playing rogue-likes on it like Hades, Slay the Spire, and Balatro. Really good combination for quick pick up and play sessions.
The last apartment I had, the AC was old and would always go out a few times each summer. By the 3rd time, I went to the hardware store looking for a box fan, but they were out and only had an industrial fan that was more expensive, like $40. I bought it out of desperation. But looking back it’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. Any time the AC went out, id whip out that metal beast and only ever put it on the first setting because the other 2 settings were way too powerful for an apartment. It’s never given me any trouble over the years and has saved us from some very hot weather. If I had known then how good this fan was, I would have gladly paid more for it. It’s currently being used in our house while we do renovations this summer and it’s working like a charm!
What’s the specific fan? Brand, model? Thanks!
It was honestly some no name brand and I wasn’t able to find it on their site. But I did find this fan that’s almost exactly the same: Lowes High Velocity Fan
industrial fan
we call those “shop fans” around here, they’re commonly used in shops, for the aforementioned cheap price, and pretty rugged construction.
Safety razor: When you need to shave with a razor, these things work better than disposables and are cheap as hell to replace the blades for. Still on my original pack of blades from 10 years ago (got a gross of blades for maybe $20) and am not even halfway through - I might not ever have to buy blades again.
This. I bought 500 feather blades for $40 (which is more of a steal than a deal) in 2013 and they will last me many more years
I have probably tried 3 dozen blade types, and Feathers and Gillette Yellows are the tops. Double the price of the cheaper ones, but absolutely a nice “splurge.” Decided to grow out my hair and beard for a while to mix things up, but I still have a big grab bag of blades for when I change moods again.
Even at double the price you still end up paying under $0.10 per shave - maybe $25/year - and that’s if you pay full price. A small fraction of what you’d pay for cartridges or disposable razors.
Yup, double edge blades are so cheap compared to cartridges. I got pretty long life out of blades too, so it got even cheaper.
100% this. Went all in and bought a really nice open comb handle to go with it, then stopped shaving completely a year or so later. Haven’t looked back.
E: I really did enjoy shaving with it, just got tired of shaving.
Came to mention Safety razors. I bought a £30 razor and 100 blades for £7 11 years ago. I’m about 2/3rds the way through the blades.
This was such an improvement bit only are the blades better but since they are cents each and not dollars I just get a fresh blade when ever it want to. Bought a pack of 100 for like 6 dollars a few years back and only recently had to restock.
Use some of the savings to get a nice brush and soap it will make a world or difference over the stuff in a can.
Yeah, I’m still on my original brush too lol
yeah I am not sure if I will ever run through my blades and I got them free to boot from my brother who moved over to straight razors.
Bought a cheap 5€ safety razor some years back and liked it. I kept cutting my face, but I thought I’m just too stupid to shave.
Bought a 20€ razor later on. Turns out I’m not stupid, the 5€ one was just bad.
Not necessarily bad, but different razors are more or less aggressive and need to be used differently. I bought a second safety razor that was more expensive and higher quality than the first and discovered it has a much more aggressive edge so cuts me a lot easier.
Yup. I haven’t bought shaving supplies since when I bought mine in 2020. Bought a bunch of shaving cream in sticks, a decent brush with a lather bowl, an okay handle with a bunch of blades, and I still have enough supplies for years to come.
Can’t remember when I bought my de razor, but it was old even then. And it’s the quick and convenient trapdoor type. I rinse and flip the blade after each shave as it only takes a few seconds. It even came with a travel case. Flea market price range, I think, well under 10€.
I have a big stack of blades I ordered from somewhere as well and they’ll last a while.
If you don’t already do this, drying off your blades can make them last even longer.
Minecraft
I wish Minecraft had an in game play counter… Well… I mean I’m glad it doesn’t but I kind of wish it did. I’ve been playing since 2011 or so…
I probably have more than a year in actual game time… lol
They have scoreboards you can program in. Made a jump counter once and proceeded to gawk at the number of times I jumped in game after a year or so.
i easily have somewhere between 5000 hours, and 10000 hours in minecraft to this day.
What an incredible game.
in terms of play time, i have a server that i have a little over a month of playtime on. I have several launcher instances with well over 500 hours of playtime, and i’ve been playing semi regularly since i’ve originally owned the game. So safe to say, damn good investment.
Prism has a counter for total time you’ve had Minecraft running.
I don’t remember the program but there is a script you can download that calculates it for you
Condom
This is the best money saver
My old roommate got a window air conditioner for $20. I got about 15 years of use out of it until I had the windows replaced on the house and it didnt fit anymore. I sold it for $50.
Collapsible metal travel chopsticks. Always have a useful set of utensils on me. Cost me less than $10.
I keep an old Ozark Trail Hobo Tool in my overnight bag. I can’t tell you how useful it’s been when traveling and ending up at a hotel somewhere getting take out to have an actual knife and fork.
I got a full set of silverware for backpacking that collapses down to about the size of those folding reader glasses (plus a little hard storage case just like the glasses). It’s a spoon, fork, knife, and chopsticks. I think I paid $6 for the set. Not super high quality, since the focus was on weight and utility, but definitely does the job.
I don’t use it much anymore, but it was great for lunch at work, and is good when traveling (staying at hotels and getting takeout - no plastic trash!). I mostly keep it in my overnight backpack so it’s available whenever I’m not home and I can’t forget it.
I’m still loving my iPod Classic. I got it a little Bluetooth dongle so I can listen via my hearing aids. I find iTunes beyond irritating though and am always looking for an alternative for adding music.
Back in the day, I installed Rockbox on mine. completely eliminated the need for additional management software, just drag&drop my music via a file explorer.
Ooo I haven’t thought of Rockbox in a long while!
I still have my SanDisk mp3 player for audiobooks. It feels more straightforward to use for that purpose and the battery lasts for like 3 days of listening and is lighter than my phone.
Oh man… I didn’t even think of flashing the old iPods I have. But now… I might seriously fix the one that I prepped for a SSD.
I bought a really cheap pair of winter boots in 2002. No-name brand, cost about the equivalent of €15 in a grocery store. I just needed something.
I was disappointed as first because the lace loops were poorly attached and fell off after a week, but I decided to fix them with a tiny bolt that I found in my tool box. It’s a little difficult to explain…
Anyway, they’ve been holding up since then. I only need them on days with snow, so the soles don’t really wear out, the leather is still waterproof and the glue still holds up.
It was a complete fluke purchase. I wish I could recommend this or that brand, but I suppose that neither the brand or model has been available since I bought them 22 years ago on sale.
My nintendo DS lite. Played countless hours in it and it‘s still very good. Battery life is also still a couple of hours which is very impressive considering it‘s 15 years old.
My dslite sat untouched in a drawer for at least 4 years, booted straight up without me even having to charge it when I pulled it out. Amazing little device
My Zune will never die.
Possibly the only worthy iPod competitor in my opinion. I wish I had one.
My zune got stolen :'(
I grew up in a third world country and one of the first gift my immigrant relatives got for my parents was a microwave oven. That was way back in the early 90s when almost nobody in my country knew what a microwave oven was. The same microwave had been going strong for more than 30 years before the buttons finally broke last year. All for around $200 back in the day.
My first Chromecast i bought years ago for 20$. It’s still faster than the Google TV with a remote and I quite like to use my phone as a remote.
LTT screwdriver - although quite expensive has been a great tool when moving a few times, and for everything really.
An old receiver I got used, for 30$ has been with me for 5 years now, and it’s sadly starting to misbehave, but I can’t afford a new one ATM so I’ll suffer through it as it powers everything I throw at it with ease.
I’m 41. As a college going-away gift I suppose, my dad bought me a basic screwdriver where the bits can be flipped for larger and smaller Phillips and flat heads, all stored in the shaft. It’s got a floral handle. That thing is both my husband’s and my favorite screwdriver despite having acquired many more tools in the interim, and it probably cost four bucks back in 2001.
I ordered my first Chromecast the day they were announced (Amazon exclusive at first BTW).
It was a different time with Amazon. They got confused in the rush or orders, and sent me like 7 emails in 20 minutes all contradicting each other about my order. I was mostly curious when it would arrive, so I called to see if they had any idea, since them emails ranged between 2 weeks and 4 months.
They apologized for the confusion, overnighted one to me, and refunded my money.
Amazon’s customer service 11 years ago was excellent to the point of irresponsible.
I love my version 1 Chromecast! I feel like the “cast to TV” feature that’s built into TVs is hit and miss. And I swear my TV objects it’s own ads into things I stream.
Where my Chromecast, it displays my desktop/tab without any issues.
steamdeck is proving worthwhile and I don’t usually splurge for things like that.
