These days, we expect to find the unexpected online. But there are still some surprises. It’s those “I never expected that,” moments that really make one’s day - and could even end up saving money.
Avid online shoppers are already buying all kinds of day-to-day items and are replenishing their wardrobes online, but these three might still come as a pleasant surprise. From the sublime to the ridiculous, these items are now available to e-shoppers. Worth checking out? Definitely!
1. Prescription Eyeglasses
You still need to go to an optometrist for your eye test and to have your glasses fitted, but don’t just accept the quote for prescription glasses before checking out your alternatives.
Your optometrist deals with a specialized lab that prepares and fits the lenses - why shouldn’t you? You can even get prescriptions for highly specialized glasses like prism glasses that are used to correct double vision. Will you pay less? Chances are, you will! It's even possible to purchase Ernest Hemingway glasses if you're looking to potentially save money in the process.
2. An Instant Shipping Container Home
There’s a huge trend towards living in homes with smaller footprints. They’re a massive money-saver too. Apart from needing fewer construction materials, you can just plonk them down in a friend or family member’s yard and it’s home sweet home.
Not interested in the building process? Want to be able to literally move house really easily? Maybe a shipping container that’s already been converted into a micro home will suit you. You don’t even need to buy the furniture, and it comes with all basic appliances.
3. A Lint Shaving Tool
Some fabrics seem to start making little lint bumps from the first wash onward. If you’ve ever faced a disappointing purchase like this or are a fan of wool clothing that’s oh-so-prone to making lint balls, then a lint shaving tool could save you bucks.
Getting those fabrics looking like new is as simple as removing the fuzz and pills, and a lint shaving tool could be just the solution you’re looking for. This one is definitely on my shopping list!
4. A Million and One Collapsible Storage Solutions
I recently tried shopping for a free-standing cupboard to increase storage space. Seems everybody expects you to use wardrobes with hanging space you don’t really need or else go for a bulk built-in-cupboard.
What a relief to find collapsible storage systems that can easily fit into existing cupboards or that can masquerade as ottomans that offer additional seating while concealing all the clutter you couldn’t find room for elsewhere.
Weirdly, mainstream stores don’t seem to be big on stocking these nifty products, but you’ll find more options than you’d ever have expected online. There are even entire collapsible wardrobes available.
5. Weird 2020 Memorabilia
None of us liked 2020. We look back to New Year when we all went crazy and yelled “Happy New Year” at the top of our lungs and shake our heads. It’s been a surreal journey.
Those of us who have survived unscathed are ready to look for the funny side. Laughter releases stress, and it’s our way of getting back at one of the most awful years in living memory.
Small wonder that novelty gifts manufacturers are already pumping out tongue-in-cheek 2020 memorabilia including the rather disturbing corona-virus ice trays and 2020 one-star-rating T-shirts. In bad taste? Perhaps. But if you don’t laugh, you cry, right?
If You Need it, or Want it, It’s Probably Online
From things we need to things that make us laugh, and from large purchases to small, online shopping is a real eye-opener. If a need, a want, or an impulse, is out there, somebody, somewhere, will be catering for it.
As always, it’s good to be a little cautious. If anyone even hints that they’re bypassing legislation, or if a product seems simply too good to be true for the price, don’t go there.
At the same time, shopping online turns up the weird, the wonderful, and those ordinary items you thought you could only get at specialized outlets. Check out these weird, useful, and even wonderful items along with any others you may have dreamed up in the meanwhile.
Leave a Reply