Best cheap thing you ever bought.

[Cousin Jack]

Back in 1999 we went on a long trip to the USA, about 5 weeks or so. Along the way we bought assorted stuff, souvenirs, clothes, and just stuff. Come the end of the trip in San Francisco it was obvious it wasn't all going to fit back in our suitcases for the flight home, so I scampered out to buy a cheap bag to take the overspill. A black hold-all was purchased from a market stall somewhere near Fisherman's Wharf, for the sum of about $10 IIRC. It's main attraction was it was cheap, and big enough to do the job. It only had to survive one trip.

That same bag is still in use today. It has been used as an overnight bag on scores of occasions, it has been strapped to the rear seat of a bike and used to tour most of Europe. It has outlasted lesser but far more expensive bags, and was the best $10 I have ever spent. Thank you Western Pack, whoever you are, your bag is still going strong.

What is the best cheap thing you ever bought?

[Rockburner]

First thing that springs to mind is my old BMW E21 - bought for £600 and was an excellent little starter car for a couple of years. I really wish I'd never sold it.

[Count Steer]

Marriage licence.

[Trinity765]

I have given this ten minutes thought and I am having trouble because I am surrounded by cheap but excellent things. I've bought quite a lot of second hand, quality furniture. I have had a style in mind and managed to source second hand things that fit the style. I would rather buy second hand quality than new tat.

For example, I wanted a desk/table to fit into an alcove and found a perfectly sized (to the cm), white to go with the style, table on FB Market place for £15.

[Bustaspoke]

That green Lowe Alpine Spectrum day pack bungee'd to my luggage



I mentioned it the other month when talking to one of my mates about gear that lasts.I bought it in the 90's for a backpacking trip out to the far east.Since then it's been my go to pack for carrying waterproofs on my motorbikes around Britain & done a few Eurotours,plus I used it on my commutes for carrying my flask & sarnie.It's done tens of thousands of miles bungeed to the luggage rack most times I take a motorbike out for a ride,with a can of tyre weld & basic toolkit in there,I also used it when I first started mountain biking before I bought a Camelbak.These days it gets used for carrying my waterproofs on my frequent walks & carrying the beer when I nip out to the local off licence.
Less than £30,the best ''cheap'item I've bought

[the_priest]

15 bar Woolworths Coffee machine I got second hand some 23 years ago. Still going strong! used all the time.

[Count Steer]

More years ago than I can remember I bought some Kitchen Devils knives. (Some standard, some 'Professional'). Since then I've bought some pretty spendy kitchen knives but.....every time I reach for a knife...it's the old faithfuls that I reach for. Buying a (bit spendy) Japanese sharpener has kept them going (I have got and used a whetstone etc before but what a faff). There's one little KD paring knife that the missus has several times consigned to the bin, along with the veg trimmings, over the last 20 odd years and I've done the bin diving thing to rescue it. Bin bags out, detritus everywhere, man on a mission sort of thing. It just works. Must have cost about £2.50. Man! I love that little knife.

[dern]

A cheap electric hoist I bought from Lidl. I can't remember what it cost but it was very cheap and I didn't expect it to still be working some 15-20 years later.

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[Count Steer]

A cheap electric hoist I bought from Lidl. I can't remember what it cost but it was very cheap and I didn't expect it to still be working some 15-20 years later.


hoist2.jpeg

hoist1.jpeg

Just out of interest like, what are those printed A4 sheets all about?

[dern]

Just out of interest like, what are those printed A4 sheets all about?

The ones on the ceiling? No idea. They may have been something attached to the bags hanging there if they were new at the time. Only thing I can think of.

[Taipan]

Loads of things but my old Sh300 springs to mind. Paid £800 for it with 38k on the clock.Took it up to 88k miles and sold it for £500!

[Dodgy69]

Black Jack's and fruit salads, less than a penny.

[Felix]

Black Jack's and fruit salads, less than a penny.

Morrisons sell the original Black Jacks in a stick

[Taipan]

https://mollysmixtures.co.uk/barratt-bl ... salad-mix/

[Wossname]

Several years ago i broke my L fibula (2mph bike drop in Ronda) and needed an automatic car for a few weeks while it healed. Went to a local auction, nobody wanted the P reg Saab 9000CD, auctioneer dropped his asking start price to £160, and was just about to withdraw the car from sale when I stuck my hand up. “Sold”, he said. Driving it home, a warning light came on on the dash. “Idiot”, I thought, serves you right for buying an unusual cheap car. Googled the light… washers are empty. Put some water in- . Didn’t miss a beat for 8 weeks. Magnolia leather and carpets, heated seats, excellent condition, 100k miles mostly by one probably elderly man. Took it to another auction when I no longer needed it…. £250. . Shame to sell it really.

[Vroomy]

That's a great story! My best cheap buy has to be a $5 pocket knife I got at a flea market. It's been with me on countless camping trips, hikes, and has saved the day more times than I can count. It just proves that you don't always need to spend a lot for something reliable.

[weeksy]

That's a great story! My best cheap buy has to be a $5 pocket knife I got at a flea market. It's been with me on countless camping trips, hikes, and has saved the day more times than I can count. It just proves that you don't always need to spend a lot for something reliable.

Yeah i bought one of those Multi-tools with knife, pliers, saw, tools, scissors... It wasn't expensive but if the end of the world arrives with Zombies, i'll be ready and waiting.

[Bigjawa]

A cheap electric hoist I bought from Lidl. I can't remember what it cost but it was very cheap and I didn't expect it to still be working some 15-20 years later.


hoist2.jpeg

Double diaphragm clutch?

Very sporty!

My cheap bargain was the MZ I took round Europe. It cost me a set of LC clutch plates. Around £32 iirc.

[gremlin]

Was in a hotel about 15 years ago and I asked at reception if I could borrow a corkscrew. They said I could buy one for one euro. I begrudgingly did, but many years later that waiter's friend has proved indestructible.

[Count Steer]

Was in a hotel about 15 years ago and I asked at reception if I could borrow a corkscrew. They said I could buy one for one euro. I begrudgingly did, but many years later that waiter's friend has proved indestructible.

The classic waiter's friends are simple but superb and a bargain at €1! I'll add that the corkscrews on old Swiss Army knives (I don't know what they're like on new ones) are also excellent.