I reckon we all have one or two, that purchase which you thought was going to be great, but rarely gets used.
In my case, it's my Bose iPod dock.
Nothing wrong with it, but for whatever reason I hardly ever use it.
It currently sits, ready to go, in the lounge of the caravan.
As it did for most of last year.
I last used it to charge the iPod, but at £230 it's a ruddy dear way of topping up a battery.
What have you bought which has turned out to be a waste of money?
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My first wife would more or less fit with your opening and closing remarks and while of course I didn't buy her, she was certainly not free...
:-)
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I dunno about the former Mrs Humph, but I reckon that bike rack of yours qualifies for a mention in this thread.
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The treadmill/running machine - purchased in January, assembled, tested to see if it worked & folded back up - never been used !
Numerous kitchen gadgets residing in the cupboard under the stairs.
Last edited by: Skip on Tue 24 Apr 12 at 19:34
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electric coffee bean grinder, George Foreman grill, breadmaker, kenwood chef.
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One man's waste of space ....
I use two coffee bean grinders - one for coffee (rarely) and the other for grinding whole, toasted spices for curries!
I'll store the Kenwood Chef for you Spam, as long as you don't mind it getting a little use ;-)
I have freecycled an incredible number of 'husband' gadgets so far, from an electric ice maker to the breadmaker. Not forgetting the five assorted coffee makers - I use the caffeteire. I haven't even started on the computer and music related gadgets although several mobiles have found new homes.
Last edited by: DeeW on Tue 24 Apr 12 at 21:29
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>> I use two coffee bean grinders - one for coffee (rarely) and the other for
>> grinding whole, toasted spices for curries!
I stole our coffee grinder from SWMBO, years ago, for grinding MY curry spices!
We now only use instant coffee; only Carte Noire and only bought when on offer. We have 6 200gm jars in stock - all bought for four quid each!
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Breadmaker is great - ours is used 3-4 times a week and has been for seven years. Fresh-ground coffee is the only way. Foreman grill? Nah.
How much d'you want for the Kenwood, Spammers?
}:---)
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SWMBO would kill me if the Kenwood disappeared!
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I got a large jar of Jelly Babies in a swop for that bike rack. Not a total loss.
:-)
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I'd agree with you on the Bose iPod dock - ours sits in the study and hasn't been used since we moved a couple of years ago.
I will also add to the list a Tassimo coffee machine (which uses the ridiculously priced capsules) since most of the time we just use an old fashioned cafetiere, a useless garden vacuum/blower thing and my iPad, which is generally left on one side because I prefer the keyboard on a laptop
Peter
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Glad you said the ipad Peter. I was given one at work. Can't abide the thing. Never use it except for presentations. I use a wee Acer netbook for emailing and spreads etc when I'm travelling. Much more user friendly in my opinion.
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Keep wanting an iPad, but you are helping talk me out of it.
Sorry to bring this back to cars, but the C5 has a gizmo that will measure a parking space as you drive down the road, and tell you if the car will fit......
It gets returned to the leasing co next week, and I've never used it in the last 3 years
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>>>It gets returned to the leasing co next week, and I've never used it in the last 3 years
Be interested to hear if you get it back in with no penalties. I'm a few months behind you and have decided it is unlikely I'll take on another agreement until I'm sure they don't give me grief on the wear and tear issue.
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>> >>>It gets returned to the leasing co next week, and I've never used it in
>> the last 3 years
>>
>> Be interested to hear if you get it back in with no penalties. I'm a
>> few months behind you and have decided it is unlikely I'll take on another agreement
>> until I'm sure they don't give me grief on the wear and tear issue.
>>
They are using Manheim to collect it for them - apparently they will inspect it here with me present. Nice lady on the phone asked if the car could be fairly clean and I could leave enough fuel in it to get to the petrol station.
Couple of supermarket war wounds that I might get done at dingmaster or such if I get a chance - I suspect they are border line between damage and wear and tear
My old A3 went back and the guy spent ages picking up every little chip and mark, but he told me not to worry as there was nothing they would class as damage, just that he would get picked up on it if they saw anything post his inspection. Sure enough I had no follow up.
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I have a bumper scuff each end and one 2" door scratch. This near black metallic has been a nightmare for showing small marks that would be invisible on a silver car. Family use plus two house moves and dozens of trips to Wickes have made it look a little tired but probably a good valet/polish would make a big difference. I must get that done about 3mths out to make a proper assessment and decide on paying for dentmaster or taking a modest hit if that's what it comes to.
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>> I have a bumper scuff each end and one 2" door scratch.
I've got some Elastoplast thingies that I hardly ever use which would cover up your bodily damage!
;-)
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>> small marks that would be invisible
Try a Berol permanent marker, or similar.
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An ipod I was given as a present. Keeping meaning to replace my mp3 player, but I don't really fancy using it.
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The Breadmaker gets used weekly on here as well, in fact we never buy bread (apart from soft-rolls. I use my iPAD daily and has been good and convenient company on two foreign trips. We have two BOSE docking stations. Mrs RP uses hers regularly in the conservatory, mine is in the bedroom unused in twelve months. Mrs RP has just bought a piece of kit for boiling a mug full of water, that is in daily use - and that is a good considered buy. May think of something else shortly...
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>>The Breadmaker gets used weekly
>>
I use the Breadmaker every week. We have an old style one at the end of the road and another one a mile away. Wonderful bread, pizzas etc.
>>Mrs RP has just bought a piece of kit for boiling a mug full of water, that is in daily use.
I am interested - is it a mini jug with a heater in it?
The "dip stick" type of yore that you just popped in a mug appear to have been banned ( no longer available) some time ago.
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www.amazon.co.uk/Morphy-Richards-Accents-43931-Dispenser/dp/B005AQJT38/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1335305126&sr=8-3
Works as expected........handy for not boiling an exact amount of water, easily measured for my 1/4 milk, 3/4 water recipe coffee..
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I don't understand:
They say:
"A compact heat and dispense machine that boils the exact amount of water the user pours in"
you say
"handy for not boiling an exact amount of water"
Don't all kettles boil the amount of water you put in them or am I missing something?
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It's a Gadget (shiny kit) !!!!
Seriously I typo'd it is handy for boiling exactly the right amount of water - no more no less.
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I'd guessed yours was a typo. It's the manufacturers claim I don't understand!
I think I'll stick with my very shiny stainless steel vacuum flask - No electric down the allotment!.
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Thanks for the info R.P.
Not an item for slipping into a holiday suitcase :-)
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>> The Breadmaker gets used weekly on here as well, in fact we never buy bread
>> (apart from soft-rolls.)
My live in home economist bakes most of our bread & rolls. She uses only fresh yeast, which may be bought from the bakery counter in Sainsbury's and I think, Tesco's, too. Morrison's sell yeast, (found in the chiller cabinets with the butter etc) in nicely wrapped foil packets, four or so to a 125gm pack for 50p. Keeps very well like that. She is adamant that fresh yeast gives a nicer flavour to the bread.
We buy ALDI thick sliced bread, at 49p per loaf, for toast and feeding the ducks & geese at Clumber Park!
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>>We buy ALDI thick sliced bread, at 49p per loaf, for toast
Surprised to hear that, Roger. I've not come across a better bread for toasting than that produced by our breadmaker, although we still buy Warburton's white sliced for sarnies!
Also, the wife has recently acquired a slow cooker which makes some very tasty soups and stews.
Last edited by: Clk Sec on Wed 25 Apr 12 at 07:49
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The breadmaker is the one gadget that has not been relegated from the worktop into a cupboard. Only used at weekend, but nothing beats the taste and smell of freshly baked home made bread, and its not pumped full of aditives !
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Slow cooker is good for porridge too. Put it on a plug-in timer because all night is too long - three hours is plenty - load it up before bed, set it off and all it needs is a quick stir in the morning and it's done.
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>>Slow cooker is good for porridge too.
I have porridge most mornings, so I'll give that a try.
Thanks, WdB.
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I have a sausage filler that was my birthday present just before we relocated south. I did some great fresh sausages, including some Toulouse that made the best toad in the hole ever, some successful salami and some less happy chorizo - too much wine in the recipe, which masked the paprika flavour.
I've not had it out since the move, but for want more of time than inclination. I'll get some more casings and it will ride again.
Motoring item: roof boxes. £300 for two weeks a year, if that? Cheaper than paying for a far with the extra capacity, I suppose, but hardly a good use of space or money for most of us.
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Some bits of bike kit - most of which is easily sold on, reminds me I have a BMW RT specific top-box to punt on....
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I bought a saloon when I really should have bought an estate. Looked at roofboxes but didn't fancy spending £300. 3 months trawling eBay brought up an expensive model for a low price (£100). Already had the roofbars so seemed the cheaper option.
I can't carry loadsa luggage and pushbikes at the same time but, meeerr, it's a damn sight cheaper than changing the car.
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We own an ice cream maker. Apparently we've had it for nearly six years. I stumbled across across it looking for the bread maker we don't own. I thought we did.
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Do post it notes count as a gadget? I've had a pad for about ten years and I've never had cause to use them. And two bulldog clips.
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Virtually every 'gadget' that I have ever bought from Aldi, Lidl or Netto.
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Damn forgot my towbar mounted cycle carrier - now might be a good time to try and punt it.
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>>Sorry to bring this back to cars, but the C5 has a gizmo that will measure a parking space as you drive down the road, and tell you if the car will fit......<<
The one fitted to the French market C5 must need re-calibrating if the evidence of my eyes is to believed.
>>In my case, it's my Bose iPod dock...I last used it to charge the iPod, but at £230 it's a ruddy dear way of topping up a battery.<<
Any item with the word 'Bose' on it is a ruddy dear way of doing whatever.
(I was making the same point 40 years ago).
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>>has a gizmo that will measure a parking space
I find "eyes" quite useful for that sort of thing.
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We have a gadget which cuts an apple into eight segments and removes the core at the same time. What a faff using that thing is.
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There's a company whose whole business model is based on filling cupboards with why-didn't-I-think-of-that ideas that turn out to be useless gadgets. If you're looking at an item in its catalogue, ask one question: can I get this anywhere else? If you can, it'll be cheaper there; if you can't, you don't need it anyway. We've mentioned it here before: its name is Lakeland.
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I inherited SWMBO's old iPod after she got an iPhone 4. After 20 mins pratting around with iTunes, I lost the will to live, chucked it in the drawer where it hasn't seen daylight since. Just don't "get" the attraction of these things at all. Portable MP3 players are great, but this locked down, proprietary piece of 'DRM nazi'd' trinketry? No thanks.
Mobile MP3s now reside on a £15, 32GB flash drive, plugged in the car, which is easily accessible from the iDrive screen. A £20 portable mp3 player takes care of other requirements. And I don't have to touch iTunes ever again.
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Gadgets you hardly use - Runfer D'Hills
