momopi
Well-known member
Here's a list of some recent purchases that work:
Saphir Canadian Polish for garments in black/noir
saphir.com
I have a 20+ year old black leather jacket that has seen better days with dried leather and fading/white spots. Used cheap Walmart Herman Survivors Neatsfoot Oil to remedy the dried leather last season. When I took it out the leather was still discolored, did some research and ordered Saphir Canadian Polish on Amazon. This is a beeswax leather conditioning cream with color dye. After 1-2 applications the jacket looked great. They sell this in variety of colors.
Then I thought my car's leather interior has some sunscreen smudges that I couldn't remove with leather cleaner. So lI gave Saphir cream a try. Viola! Worked on real and faux leather seats and trims. Looks great!
If you're looking for leather conditioner that won't change the color (or contain dye), Bick 4 leather conditioner in the tall bottle works well. Note the Bick 4 LP heavy duty leather preservative in jar (sold as a "conditioner") is a different product that will darken leather but offer better protection.
Tender Mender Fabric & Leather Adhesive
www.tearmender.com
For the leather jacket mentioned above, the pockets were torn inside and I was looking for a local dry cleaner or cobbler to fix. Then I realized that I could use fabric & leather glue with a piece of microfiber cloth to patch the torn pocket. Worked great! I used eye glasses cleaning fabric and just glued it in.
If you use this glue to mend clothes, be aware that it may discolor the glued area and turn it brown. So use a very thin layer for thinner fabrics.
KevenAnna Shoe Strecher
kevenanna.com
I bought a pair of Ecco suede leather shoes from outlet that's a bit tight behind the vamp. Checked Amazon for shoe stretchers and decided to buy one. Many people complained about flimsy washer component that bend but I guess they replaced it with a slightly better metal washer part. Still looks flimsy, but worked well enough. After 3 days the shoe now fits comfortably without hurting my foot. I didn't have to wet the leather or use shoe stretch spray (it's suede so don't get it wet).
If you order this and the washer does bend, well, inexpensive replacement washers from home depot.
Blue Can 50 year shelf life water
This is long-term storage water in soda can sized aluminum cans, coated in epoxy and rated for 50-year shelf life when stored between 38F to 145F. I've personally tested this by storing the canned water in backyard storage bin for 5 years, baking under the sun during summers. None of the cans leaked and the water is crystal clear when poured and taste fine (like slightly carbonated).
If you want to store drinking water in your car or emergency kit, this product will last far longer than plastic bottled water. It's not cheap and should be used for specific purpose only. Buy from local retailer -- shipping is too expensive due to weight. Prices have gone up from $1/can to $1.50/can over the past 5 years. Check blue can water web site for local retailers. https://moreprepared.com sells 24x12oz cans or 9x32oz cans for $36.95.
For less demanding storage conditions, try Mountain Valley Spring Water: https://www.mountainvalleyspring.com/
The 2.5 and 5 gallon glass bottled water (home delivery) have 3 year shelf life when sealed and stored properly.
www.mountainvalleyspring.com
Hero brand low carb bread products
If you're diabetic or pre-diabetic, the market has many over priced products that claim low "net carb". Sadly many low carb bread and noodles taste like grainy sawdust. Hero brand breads actually taste normal, my favorite is the Hawaiian dinner rolls. The bread is $10/loaf and the dinner rolls $15/pack at Sprouts, but you can buy it for $10 at Albertsons. I'd skip their tortillas (pack of 6 for $10??), the cheaper low carb tortillas at the supermarket is fine.
Note that not everyone's body will react the same. I've had their white bread, seeded bread, and dinner rolls and they work great for my blood sugar level. But might not work for you, so check your glucose meter after eating. I just ordered Stelo constant glucose monitor, let's see how well it works.
SunJoe electric tiller & cultivator (not cordless)
This product may not be applicable to many folks in Irvine who doesn't have yard or do yard work. The "trick" to getting products cheaper on Amazon is to browse it while you're logged in, add it to watch list and just wait. At some point Amazon will rotate discount offers so you can buy it for less. For the SunJoe electric tiller, I bought the cheaper 16" 12 amp version. But if the 13.5 amp is on sale for lower price, even better.
My front yard was taken over by crab grass and clover. It's a pain to dig up the grass clumps so I bought this tiller to rip up everything and re-seed. Note that it's not cordless so you have to be careful with the electric cord. If you have a small raised garden bed, then a cordless model might work better for you.
So far I've been very satisfied with this tiller. It rips up weeds, roots, and sprinklers (!) with little effort and toss everything forward. Be mindful of where the sprinklers are. After I'm done with front yard, I'll use it to bulldoze part of the backyard for my new victory garden. The unit is compact and easy to store with the handles folded.
Tineco cordless wet dry mop vacuum
store.tineco.com
I bought the S5 from Best Buy on sale. These work great on hard floors, provided that:
1) You sweep the floor first to get rid of large debris (so it doesn't clog up the Tineco)
2) Take apart and clean the Tineco after use
3) Leave the parts out to dry
It's a cordless electric "wet" appliance. If you want it to last, take it apart after use and let it dry. Or, buy the cheapest S3 model, use it until it dies and claim warranty replacement. Just as the roomba is not a "strong" vacuum, the Tineco is not a "strong" mop. You may need to roll over stains on kitchen floor several times to clean it. But it's much easier to use than mop + bucket.
Dr Konopka Face Cream
My mother use their shampoo products, I ordered the face cream on a whim when I was buying the shampoo. My skin really likes this product (your skin may differ). Now I use CeraVe Micellar Water and Dr Konopka face cream.
---------------------------
Purchases that are iffy
BDH Emergency Ration Bars
20-year shelf life emergency ration bars with sawdust texture. Get the chocolate flavored one so it's not as depressing - at least you're chewing chocolate flavored sawdust. Mayday makes a 10-year shelf life ration bar with better texture: https://moreprepared.com/products/10-year-shelf-life-mayday-2400-calorie
The prepper community has very colorful characters who are fans of various products, including BDH rations, Japanese emergency ration cans, French MRE's, etc. My friends in Europe thought it's funny that Americans would pay a premium for "French MRE" that consists of... canned food and biscuits. Put a pack of Leibniz butter biscuits in a "German MRE kit" and suddenly it's special and charge 5x the cost eh?
Timetec SSD
Less than half the cost of Samsung SSD's, these work fine for non-critical uses. For example, your latest game purchase from steam that takes triple digit GB space. But for mission critical systems and work related stuff, I'd pay for a Samsung.
With incoming tariffs and expected rise in prices, buying Timetec RAM and SSD will save you some $$.
----------------------------
Purchases that didn't work
Lightweight/ultralight sleeping bags
Uh, these are OK for warm weather only, and I'd say warm weather during daytime. Buy a cold weather sleeping bag instead.
Immi low carb ramen
immieats.com
If you have to try it, it's $4 at Target. How to describe? Like eating sawdust.
Fancy Japanese Nail Clippers
Kai, Green Bell, etc.
I'm sure these are high quality, but it was just too bulky and awkward to use. The $1.50 ones from 99 cent store works fine.
Shoe Heel Pads & Guards
Shoe goo works better, assuming your shoe's heels are not too far gone. Watch the instruction videos from Japanese shoe goo site: https://www.shoegoo.co.jp/shoe-goo-channel.html
Note that Shoe Goo is avail in black on Amazon for your dress shoes. If you bought expensive quality shoes you could replace the outsole, but for lesser shoes, shoe goo will help you extend the useful life.
Interestingly, if your shoes are slippery, you can apply shoe goo to add traction.
Saphir Canadian Polish for garments in black/noir
Canadian
This beeswax-based restorative cream offers a complete care solution for your leather. It nourishes the material while effectively cleaning it. The cream also restores the leather's original colour and suppleness, bringing it back to life. It’s ideal for use on leather jackets, coats, and shoes...
saphir.com
I have a 20+ year old black leather jacket that has seen better days with dried leather and fading/white spots. Used cheap Walmart Herman Survivors Neatsfoot Oil to remedy the dried leather last season. When I took it out the leather was still discolored, did some research and ordered Saphir Canadian Polish on Amazon. This is a beeswax leather conditioning cream with color dye. After 1-2 applications the jacket looked great. They sell this in variety of colors.
Then I thought my car's leather interior has some sunscreen smudges that I couldn't remove with leather cleaner. So lI gave Saphir cream a try. Viola! Worked on real and faux leather seats and trims. Looks great!
If you're looking for leather conditioner that won't change the color (or contain dye), Bick 4 leather conditioner in the tall bottle works well. Note the Bick 4 LP heavy duty leather preservative in jar (sold as a "conditioner") is a different product that will darken leather but offer better protection.
Tender Mender Fabric & Leather Adhesive
Tear Mender Fabric Adhesive | Tear Mender Leather Adhesive
Tear Mender Fabric & Leather Adhesive. Repairs Rips And Tears In Clothing. Quickly Bonds To Porous Materials. Permanent And Easy Fabric Repairs. Sewing Kit In A Bottle!
www.tearmender.com
For the leather jacket mentioned above, the pockets were torn inside and I was looking for a local dry cleaner or cobbler to fix. Then I realized that I could use fabric & leather glue with a piece of microfiber cloth to patch the torn pocket. Worked great! I used eye glasses cleaning fabric and just glued it in.
If you use this glue to mend clothes, be aware that it may discolor the glued area and turn it brown. So use a very thin layer for thinner fabrics.
KevenAnna Shoe Strecher
KevenAnna UpgradeVersion Shoe Stretcher Professional Shoe Trees Stretch Width Length for Men Women
Features: ***KevenAnna Shoe Stretcher with Carrying Bag Pair of Premium Professional 2-way Wooden Shoe Trees *** -The Shoe stretcher transforms any pair of shoes into perfectly fitting, comfortable shoes. -Don't spend weeks breaking in new shoes! With these shoe stretcher, your shoes can be...
kevenanna.com
I bought a pair of Ecco suede leather shoes from outlet that's a bit tight behind the vamp. Checked Amazon for shoe stretchers and decided to buy one. Many people complained about flimsy washer component that bend but I guess they replaced it with a slightly better metal washer part. Still looks flimsy, but worked well enough. After 3 days the shoe now fits comfortably without hurting my foot. I didn't have to wet the leather or use shoe stretch spray (it's suede so don't get it wet).
If you order this and the washer does bend, well, inexpensive replacement washers from home depot.
Blue Can 50 year shelf life water
This is long-term storage water in soda can sized aluminum cans, coated in epoxy and rated for 50-year shelf life when stored between 38F to 145F. I've personally tested this by storing the canned water in backyard storage bin for 5 years, baking under the sun during summers. None of the cans leaked and the water is crystal clear when poured and taste fine (like slightly carbonated).
If you want to store drinking water in your car or emergency kit, this product will last far longer than plastic bottled water. It's not cheap and should be used for specific purpose only. Buy from local retailer -- shipping is too expensive due to weight. Prices have gone up from $1/can to $1.50/can over the past 5 years. Check blue can water web site for local retailers. https://moreprepared.com sells 24x12oz cans or 9x32oz cans for $36.95.
For less demanding storage conditions, try Mountain Valley Spring Water: https://www.mountainvalleyspring.com/
The 2.5 and 5 gallon glass bottled water (home delivery) have 3 year shelf life when sealed and stored properly.
Home Water Delivery - Delivery Goodness | Mountain Valley Spring
We deliver premium, award-winning spring water to your home conveniently and affordably. From mountain to door, Natural American Goodness is just one step away.
www.mountainvalleyspring.com
Hero brand low carb bread products
Hero Bread™ Low Carb Bread
Feel free to eat what you love with unbelievably delicious low carb baked goods from Hero Bread™.
www.hero.co
If you're diabetic or pre-diabetic, the market has many over priced products that claim low "net carb". Sadly many low carb bread and noodles taste like grainy sawdust. Hero brand breads actually taste normal, my favorite is the Hawaiian dinner rolls. The bread is $10/loaf and the dinner rolls $15/pack at Sprouts, but you can buy it for $10 at Albertsons. I'd skip their tortillas (pack of 6 for $10??), the cheaper low carb tortillas at the supermarket is fine.
Note that not everyone's body will react the same. I've had their white bread, seeded bread, and dinner rolls and they work great for my blood sugar level. But might not work for you, so check your glucose meter after eating. I just ordered Stelo constant glucose monitor, let's see how well it works.
SunJoe electric tiller & cultivator (not cordless)
This product may not be applicable to many folks in Irvine who doesn't have yard or do yard work. The "trick" to getting products cheaper on Amazon is to browse it while you're logged in, add it to watch list and just wait. At some point Amazon will rotate discount offers so you can buy it for less. For the SunJoe electric tiller, I bought the cheaper 16" 12 amp version. But if the 13.5 amp is on sale for lower price, even better.
My front yard was taken over by crab grass and clover. It's a pain to dig up the grass clumps so I bought this tiller to rip up everything and re-seed. Note that it's not cordless so you have to be careful with the electric cord. If you have a small raised garden bed, then a cordless model might work better for you.
So far I've been very satisfied with this tiller. It rips up weeds, roots, and sprinklers (!) with little effort and toss everything forward. Be mindful of where the sprinklers are. After I'm done with front yard, I'll use it to bulldoze part of the backyard for my new victory garden. The unit is compact and easy to store with the handles folded.
Tineco cordless wet dry mop vacuum
Tineco WET DRY VACUUMS
Discover Tineco's WET DRY VACUUMS designed for effortless cleaning on multiple surfaces. Enjoy self-cleaning and smart technology for enhanced cleaning!
store.tineco.com
I bought the S5 from Best Buy on sale. These work great on hard floors, provided that:
1) You sweep the floor first to get rid of large debris (so it doesn't clog up the Tineco)
2) Take apart and clean the Tineco after use
3) Leave the parts out to dry
It's a cordless electric "wet" appliance. If you want it to last, take it apart after use and let it dry. Or, buy the cheapest S3 model, use it until it dies and claim warranty replacement. Just as the roomba is not a "strong" vacuum, the Tineco is not a "strong" mop. You may need to roll over stains on kitchen floor several times to clean it. But it's much easier to use than mop + bucket.
Dr Konopka Face Cream
My mother use their shampoo products, I ordered the face cream on a whim when I was buying the shampoo. My skin really likes this product (your skin may differ). Now I use CeraVe Micellar Water and Dr Konopka face cream.
---------------------------
Purchases that are iffy
BDH Emergency Ration Bars
20-year shelf life emergency ration bars with sawdust texture. Get the chocolate flavored one so it's not as depressing - at least you're chewing chocolate flavored sawdust. Mayday makes a 10-year shelf life ration bar with better texture: https://moreprepared.com/products/10-year-shelf-life-mayday-2400-calorie
The prepper community has very colorful characters who are fans of various products, including BDH rations, Japanese emergency ration cans, French MRE's, etc. My friends in Europe thought it's funny that Americans would pay a premium for "French MRE" that consists of... canned food and biscuits. Put a pack of Leibniz butter biscuits in a "German MRE kit" and suddenly it's special and charge 5x the cost eh?
Timetec SSD
Less than half the cost of Samsung SSD's, these work fine for non-critical uses. For example, your latest game purchase from steam that takes triple digit GB space. But for mission critical systems and work related stuff, I'd pay for a Samsung.
With incoming tariffs and expected rise in prices, buying Timetec RAM and SSD will save you some $$.
----------------------------
Purchases that didn't work
Lightweight/ultralight sleeping bags
Uh, these are OK for warm weather only, and I'd say warm weather during daytime. Buy a cold weather sleeping bag instead.
Immi low carb ramen
Instant Ramen Reinvented - immi
immi has 6g of net carbs, is packed with 21g of protein and 18g of fiber, is keto-friendly, and is entirely plant-based.
immieats.com
Fancy Japanese Nail Clippers
Kai, Green Bell, etc.
I'm sure these are high quality, but it was just too bulky and awkward to use. The $1.50 ones from 99 cent store works fine.
Shoe Heel Pads & Guards
Shoe goo works better, assuming your shoe's heels are not too far gone. Watch the instruction videos from Japanese shoe goo site: https://www.shoegoo.co.jp/shoe-goo-channel.html
Note that Shoe Goo is avail in black on Amazon for your dress shoes. If you bought expensive quality shoes you could replace the outsole, but for lesser shoes, shoe goo will help you extend the useful life.
Interestingly, if your shoes are slippery, you can apply shoe goo to add traction.
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