@mike808
Have you actually won? If so how much? I think $50 is the most I’ve won from a single scratch off. Although I’ve had like $80 in winners sitting in my purse for a couple months now.
@mike808@Star2236
Geez, go cash them in! I made that mistake with the only winner I had for $20 once; just kept forgetting and then it was too late! Of course, I hardly ever play; makes it hard to win.
@mike808@Star2236
I won a trip to NYC for new year’s eve going into 2020. The trip was surprisingly expensive, according to the tax filing they made on my behalf, but I wasn’t in the running for the first millionaire of the year drawing, unfortunately
@guyfromhawthorn@Star2236 Surely people wouldn’t commit tax fraud by inflating values for tax purposes while lowering them in the second set of books shown to investors, owners, shareholders, and management?
@mike808@Star2236 noooo, I’ve never heard of any business person defrauding the tax collectors that way. Certainly nobody notable would ever do that.
That trip dis end up making me owe the state a few hundred extra though, despite them claiming to cover the taxes. At least the feds were satisfied
A 6 foot HDMI cable for $1 about 15 year ago. It was from a site called 1saleaday.com and it’s now called 1sale where they just list various deals on other sites. But back then they had various things for a dollar. The cable lasted about 5 years until the cord started to wear away.
Other than that, I would agree with Mike808 and say a lottery ticket. I once won $50 from a scratch off ticket.
The spare key for my car. I used to always carry two keys when I traveled. When I had stopped at a convenience store, I came back out and couldn’t find my main set of keys on me. Then I spotted them on the floorboard inside my locked car. The extra key saved me the time, trouble, and expense of getting someone out to unlock my car for me.
@phendrick
Is standard for me to carry an extra key in my purse at all times. I’ve locked my keys in my car sooooo many times. I once had the same cops to the same spot twice in one weekend. I’m better about it now, plus nothing to worry about anybody stealing from my car.
@phendrick@Star2236 And this is why I hate having a key fob for my care. I miss carrying a spare car key in case something bad happened to the main one. My car’s fob is gigantic, so there’s no way I could conveniently carry a spare one.
@phendrick I have encountered a number of people who were in that situation, and so far I’ve gotten their cars open for them with what I had on hand every time. In some cases, it was because I was carrying my wrecker driver’s friend kit, but more often it was the clever application of a large screwdriver, a thick rag, and a coat hanger
I bought a $4 pair of fleece leggings on the way to a convention in Washington DC once. It was in the '70s where I bought them, in Tennessee, and it was in the low teens in DC. I used them as long underwear.
About ten years ago, I bought this Green Lantern movie themed UNO deck as a stocking stuffer for my daughter. Innumerable hours have been spent talking and laughing across these cards. These dumbass cards that I bought on clearance at five below are an important part of how I relate to my family. Best purchase.
Years ago, I bought a pretty cuff-style bracelet for $3 at a garage sale. It looked like it might be sterling silver, and it had a row of several lapis lazuli beads. Last week, I stumbled on an Ebay listing for the same exact bracelet, and holy guacamole! Turns out my $3 bracelet is a retired Silpada sterling silver piece, and is selling for about $350.00 online. Sweet!
Probably the U-Line 3.5cu ft undercounter commercial refrigerator that I use for beer & soda. Paid between $1-2 for it at a restaurant liquidation.
/image U-Line undercounter refrigerator
I have a shirt that I got from the real woot that cost me $5 and I’ve worn it hundreds of times. Anytime I’m in the hospital my boyfriend brings it for me to wear bc it’s a funny pill shirt.
Sometime around the spring/summer when I was in 10th grade my mom and I stopped at a garage sale. There was a green book titled, “CRC Mathematical Tables”. I flipped through it. I didn’t know much about what was in it but my chemistry teach regularly referenced his “CRC Chemistry Handbook”. And I recognized some of the squiggly symbols as something from calculus. At that point I knew I was going to be an engineer and would be taking a bunch of upper level math so I asked the woman running the sale how much the book was. She said $0.25.
That book became known as my “Magic Green Book” among my college study groups. It seemed like every time we got stuck on any problems or formulas we were able to find the answers in that book. (This was back in the dark age before Wolfram Alpha was invented, back when internet access was via a collection of tin cans connected with strings and we accessed it by candle light because electricity hadn’t been invented yet. Also reference books were a thing we all still used.). I still use my magic green book when I get stuck on something math related.
Best $0.25 I’ve ever spent.
Do Fukubukuros count?
@FreePasta No, but what was your best reward for the effort?
Your mom.
Of stuff I currently own and can remember the price of I would have to say the cheap gardening shovel I use when planting/working with my cactus.
@yakkoTDI Second place goes to a bag of Deez Nutz.
BOCs
@gallogj Bandoliers of Carrots!!
Penicillin
Jansport computer backpack on WTF $1 deal. Use it all the time for work.
Gotten other items but most are forgettable.
Almost 20 years ago I bought 3 decks of tarot cards for $1 each at a Goodwill that are worth about $250 apiece. But that’s three things.
15 gallons of gas (but not all at once!)
A winning lottery ticket!
@mike808
Have you actually won? If so how much? I think $50 is the most I’ve won from a single scratch off. Although I’ve had like $80 in winners sitting in my purse for a couple months now.
@mike808 @Star2236
Of course, I hardly ever play; makes it hard to win.
Geez, go cash them in! I made that mistake with the only winner I had for $20 once; just kept forgetting and then it was too late!
@mike808 I won the British national lottery!
20 pounds.
But it ticked off all the in-laws that have never won, so that’s worth something.
@mike808 @Star2236
I won a trip to NYC for new year’s eve going into 2020. The trip was surprisingly expensive, according to the tax filing they made on my behalf, but I wasn’t in the running for the first millionaire of the year drawing, unfortunately
@guyfromhawthorn @Star2236 Surely people wouldn’t commit tax fraud by inflating values for tax purposes while lowering them in the second set of books shown to investors, owners, shareholders, and management?
@mike808 @Star2236 noooo, I’ve never heard of any business person defrauding the tax collectors that way. Certainly nobody notable would ever do that.
That trip dis end up making me owe the state a few hundred extra though, despite them claiming to cover the taxes. At least the feds were satisfied
I cannot believe no one has said this yet, but PASTA DROP!!!
@tinamarie1974
But wasn’t it more than $5?
Or not for you VMPs?
@Kyeh VMP
Well the IRK that I got an X box Series X in since I charged the $ 5 on my credit card where I got a 1% discount so technically it cost me $ 4.95.
A 6 foot HDMI cable for $1 about 15 year ago. It was from a site called 1saleaday.com and it’s now called 1sale where they just list various deals on other sites. But back then they had various things for a dollar. The cable lasted about 5 years until the cord started to wear away.
Other than that, I would agree with Mike808 and say a lottery ticket. I once won $50 from a scratch off ticket.
The $1 Kindle Fire HDX from Woot that I use every day.
The spare key for my car. I used to always carry two keys when I traveled. When I had stopped at a convenience store, I came back out and couldn’t find my main set of keys on me. Then I spotted them on the floorboard inside my locked car. The extra key saved me the time, trouble, and expense of getting someone out to unlock my car for me.
@phendrick
Is standard for me to carry an extra key in my purse at all times. I’ve locked my keys in my car sooooo many times. I once had the same cops to the same spot twice in one weekend. I’m better about it now, plus nothing to worry about anybody stealing from my car.
@phendrick @Star2236 And this is why I hate having a key fob for my care. I miss carrying a spare car key in case something bad happened to the main one. My car’s fob is gigantic, so there’s no way I could conveniently carry a spare one.
@phendrick I have encountered a number of people who were in that situation, and so far I’ve gotten their cars open for them with what I had on hand every time. In some cases, it was because I was carrying my wrecker driver’s friend kit, but more often it was the clever application of a large screwdriver, a thick rag, and a coat hanger
@heartny @phendrick
I’ve actually had my car dead bc I’ve left the lights on and the fob won’t work so I always carry a spare key.
I bought a $4 pair of fleece leggings on the way to a convention in Washington DC once. It was in the '70s where I bought them, in Tennessee, and it was in the low teens in DC. I used them as long underwear.
I should have had to think about this a bit more, but probably this guy. Constant companion and few things in my life bring me more joy.

@PooltoyWolf He cost less than $5?
@Kyeh This particular one was free! (When they were still being made, the wholesale price was less than $5, though.)
@PooltoyWolf Can’t beat free!
@Kyeh Especially for cute snuggly blow up wolves
About ten years ago, I bought this Green Lantern movie themed UNO deck as a stocking stuffer for my daughter. Innumerable hours have been spent talking and laughing across these cards. These dumbass cards that I bought on clearance at five below are an important part of how I relate to my family. Best purchase.
Years ago, I bought a pretty cuff-style bracelet for $3 at a garage sale. It looked like it might be sterling silver, and it had a row of several lapis lazuli beads. Last week, I stumbled on an Ebay listing for the same exact bracelet, and holy guacamole! Turns out my $3 bracelet is a retired Silpada sterling silver piece, and is selling for about $350.00 online. Sweet!
Probably a necklace from Groupon for $5 that is something I wear all the time.
A $4 IRK on Morningsave. Or was it Sidedeal?
this keyboard that i’m currently using.
bought it from…I think Sellout.woot… the first sub-woot…it was purple, with I think a Yahoo partnership?
anyway, I bought 3 labtec Keyboards for…a penny a piece?..plus $5 shipping of course.

I think this is # 2 of the 3…still one NIB
this is the model.
Probably the U-Line 3.5cu ft undercounter commercial refrigerator that I use for beer & soda. Paid between $1-2 for it at a restaurant liquidation.

/image U-Line undercounter refrigerator
@compunaut Looks great for storing batteries
I have a shirt that I got from the real woot that cost me $5 and I’ve worn it hundreds of times. Anytime I’m in the hospital my boyfriend brings it for me to wear bc it’s a funny pill shirt.
Sometime around the spring/summer when I was in 10th grade my mom and I stopped at a garage sale. There was a green book titled, “CRC Mathematical Tables”. I flipped through it. I didn’t know much about what was in it but my chemistry teach regularly referenced his “CRC Chemistry Handbook”. And I recognized some of the squiggly symbols as something from calculus. At that point I knew I was going to be an engineer and would be taking a bunch of upper level math so I asked the woman running the sale how much the book was. She said $0.25.
That book became known as my “Magic Green Book” among my college study groups. It seemed like every time we got stuck on any problems or formulas we were able to find the answers in that book. (This was back in the dark age before Wolfram Alpha was invented, back when internet access was via a collection of tin cans connected with strings and we accessed it by candle light because electricity hadn’t been invented yet. Also reference books were a thing we all still used.). I still use my magic green book when I get stuck on something math related.
Best $0.25 I’ve ever spent.
@gt0163c That’s very cool!
That is so freakin wholesome. Books for the win!