Then the aide could scratch your back, and you wouldn’t need a backscratcher.
(I have two. Backscratchers, not aides.)
If you’re worried about being trapped in your vehicle due to a collision, you should get an emergency tool. Some are called window breakers. Some are called escape tools. The ones from Adventures With Purpose include seatbelt cutters.
As someone who is getting older, I’ve gotten some grabber tools to do this. A good one is maybe $10, but dollar tree sometimes sells cheaper ones.
The thing is that they generally come in 2 sizes. one is about 30-32", the other is about 19".
The 32" one is good for picking things up off the floor when you’re standing. But the 19" one is good for picking things up off the floor when you’re sitting.
Another good thing to buy is a case of melamine sponges. They go for maybe $10-15 and they are excellent for cleaning. Much cheaper than buying Mr Clean magic erasers.
Another good thing to buy is oxygen absorbing packets. When you open a bag of something like potato chips or pretzels, you put an oxygen absorbing packet in it so the food stays fresher for longer.
Another thing worth buying on the subject of screwdrivers is a screwdriver bit set. A bit set may have 100+ bits and adapters which can be needed in various situations.
Shokz headphones. They’re easy to recharge, don’t fall out of your ears, and are very comfy.
And lest the price discourage anyone, mine is a $30 add-on that fits under the toilet seat. It doesn’t heat the water, but the water is room temperature, and even in 20°F weather doesn’t feel cold.
Very good list, but a couple of things to be aware of:
The jar opener doesn’t work on metal tops. The one time I did that, it cut right through the metal. For those containers (cheap wine) keep a pair of rubber gloves around.
The melamine sponge is essentially a very find sandpaper. On of my housekeepers scrubbed off the finish around the bathroom sink drain hole.
I will add swiffer dusters. The only duster I ever used that actually worked
A woman I dated for a couple years (some many years ago now) gave me many things. The one thing I still have from her that I kept is a bamboo backscratcher.
I keep a bandana (a big hankerchief) in the front seat of my car. I use it constantly, such as to wipe rain or grime off my glasses, food and drink spills, dust from the dashboard, or sweat on a hot day. Of course it gets washed occasionally, and I find myself reaching for it even when it’s not there. Sometimes I’ll stuff it into my pocket when going on a long walk or going in a restaurant or movie theater, just in case.
(And second the soft-closing toilet lid; I mentioned it in another thread as one of the greatest inventions ever.)
I have a Gerber Suspension multitool, which is, in principle, a Leatherman, only, done right. The blades and things open outward, so you can get at them without having to open the sides. As with a Gerber knife, all the parts have a lock, so they stay out as you use them. And it is a fair bit heavier than a Leatherman – probably heavy and solid enough to break a vent side window (obviously, I have yet to need to use it for that). Not everyone needs to get one of these, but it is a darn handy thing to have.
A Pet Rock. The sillier, the better.
In the kitchen, my Instant Pot and air fryer pull their weight (once or twice a week for the pot, four or five times for the fryer), but they’re just the opening act. The true headliner is my iron skillet, which I use every single day. Nothing beats that crispy, flavorful sizzle you get from a well-seasoned iron skillet that’s been through more breakfasts and dinners than I can remember (40+ years).
In the bedroom, my trusty coffee warmer is the star attraction. I’m a slow-sipper, so cold coffee in the morning is about as appealing as mismatched socks and squeaky shoes. Starting the day with cold coffee? Not an option!
A good flashlight. The little lights on the back of a cellphone just don’t cut it. When the power goes out or you need to find something buried in the back of a closet or cupboard or you’re simply walking to the mailbox after dark you need a proper, dedicated flashlight.
Back in my day if you wanted a good powerful flashlight then you ponied up some serious folding green for a D-cell MagLite. I bought one when I was a teenager to carry in my car. They were heavy and expensive and while they were good for what they were at the time – better than those shitty 6 volt monstrosities that farmers seemed to love --, today they’re laughably archaic.
I recently purchased this set of flashlights at Costco:
I paid about $25 for the three, which IIRC is less than half of what I paid for my MagLite in 1998 (And yes I know MagLites have gotten much cheaper over the years) . My new flashlights are less than half the length of my OG 4-cell MagLite, half the diameter of the MagLite, and are several orders of magnitude brighter than the MagLite even when the MagLite has fresh batteries (it seems that way anyway). They also run on AAA batteries or included battery packs rather than the expensive D batteries. I was so impressed by these little lights that I immediately bought another pack so I could have one flashlight in each car and one at each door going out of the house.
Highly, highly recommended.
The only thing the MagLite has going for it is the ability to convert to “candle mode” so I’ll keep it around in case the power goes out, but otherwise I’m a convert to the new LED flashlights.
My kids made me a couple of those is shop class. They call them, “Doofers.” They are useful.
A passport. Now, more than ever.
For me it was the nasally voice. This is all sort of brutal. I hope she never sees it. 
My grandkids need those. They take their shoes off in my livingroom, and the foot funk is unbearable. 
Not that I plan to wade through her comments section, but I would be very surprised if we’re being any harsher than commenters on that video. I had the sound off when I clicked the link (stupid of me to not check the link before doing so, since I hate how everything HAS to be a video in our post-literate age), so missed out on the voice. Just as well, since it sounds like that voice would have severely annoyed me (not a Fran Drescher or Debi Mazar fan).
True enough regarding the comments. Good for you to have missed the voice. I have to say though, a good NYC accent would have made it more tolerable.At least for me anyway.
Yes! I succumbed and got one last year. It’s wonderful! Then I got another one for work, and now my office partner has her own.
Appropo of nothing. And knowing me it may amount to nothing, but I’d like to cut back on Coca Cola. I can’t do artficial sweetenets sooo, I thought I might try some sort of tea. In the spirit of the thread what sort of tea should everyone have. As you may notice I have a lpreference foe sweet but not too sweet.
I’ll start a new thread if @Beckdawrek would prefer.