Becoming an old geezer, here are some things that I’ve discovered…
Suspenders! One can wear then under a shirt (either touching the skin or over a t-shirt) or over a shirt. They’re way more comfortable than a belt that chokes the waist and cuts blood flow. Also, I like the heavy-duty ones that can be bought at Lowes or Home Depot for only a few bucks. Lay the money down and try wearing 'em for a month and see what you think. The one down side is that bathroom emergencies are slightly more cumbersome, but the good still far outweighs that.
While at one of said stores … lay down $4.00 to pick up an agar. (I think I’ve spelled that right.) These things are like heavy-duty ice-picks and you’ll be amazed at how handy they are by keeping one in the kitchen silverware drawer. Opening can tops when they get caught pushed down into the contents … to poking starter holes in walls for mounting pictures/paintings … to removing gunk from sinks and vacuum cleaner rollers … to breaking ice build up from freezers … to defending yourself from some psychopaths breaking in through an open window … and on and on.
Eye drops! You can buy different types, i.e. “red out” “soothing, long-lasting” “original” at dollar stores and figure out which you like best. I like my eyes not feeling so tired and dry and eye drops go along ways in helping.
For about $10 you can buy a Taylor food timer at pretty much any grocery store. I don’t know the model number of the one I have, but it has a clock that has beneath it (on the same face) a count-up timer that goes up to 9:59 along with two other count down timers, T1 and T2, that can count down from 23:59. Said timer’s only two minor draw-backs is that if you accidentally let it drop forward from its stand, it’ll screw up the clock and you’ll have to reset it. Also, it doesn’t have a back light. It’s simple, inexpensive and good for using as an alarm clock (though it doesn’t have a particularly loud alarm) for naps or when the French coffee system has brewed the coffee long enough, or a million other ways to remind one of something, like when a tv show is about to come on.
Lastly, if you don’t have one already, be sure and stop by your local Bed, Bath & Beyond and get one of the BPA free micro-wave dinner plate covers. They’re only around $5.00 and will pay for themselves by not having to keep cleaning up the oven with paper towels when things cook up to where the food is splattering around!
Finally, consider doing more shopping at your local dollar store to get the big saving on many useful things that one needs to make life easier. Recently I posted the question in this wonderful website asking if the stuff sold in those places, i.e. dollar store, 99-cent stores, etc., were safe in term of them not being contaminated with deadly chemicals and lead and whatnot, as I’d seen some tv shows that did exposes in which some mom & pop stores were guilty of selling tooth pastes and medicines … that were wrapped/boxed in bogus packaging using names of reputable companies that make safe products, and I was blessed to have many Dopers assure me that said dollar stores more than likely didn’t fall into that sort of illegal and dangerous grouping. One fellow said that he worked in the business of supplying dollars stores and that those folks running them wouldn’t dare resort to involving themselves with such shortcuts to get a little extra dough at the risk of harming their customers because, among other reasons, they’d never want to risk losing their franchises. Also, it was pointed out to me (by many) that the way these dollar stores are able to sell their quality products for so little is that the manufactures often lessen the number of sleeping pills or toilet rolls and the like. (But I have for sure gotten many products that had plenty of volume to them for only a buck, like dish soap for example.)
Sorry for being so long-winded, I hope some of it helps.
