Value Items (Your Experiences and Recommendations)

[KurtSF]

NetFlix, hands down.

This is the best purchase I've made in probably 5 years (with the exception of food). They have almost every movie on DVD, as well as TV shows, specials, documentaries, etc. Its only $16.99 a month for 3 movies at a time. No late fees - keep them as long as you want. And turn around is super quick, usually just two days.

The only downside is the USPS doesn't work on Sundays and NetFlix doesn't work on Saturdays and Sundays, so there is a little dead period every week in terms of turn around.

Drop in the mail Tuesday -> get a new movie on Thursday
Wednesday -> Friday
Thursday -> Saturday
Friday -> Tuesday
Saturday -> Tuesday
Sunday -> Wednesday
Monday -> Wednesday

And they do all the little things right. About a month ago they dropped the rates from $17.99 to $16.99, and we just got a postcard saying we will now be billed less. No "new customers only" BS, not opt in chance that you may miss, just letting you know its less now.

Great all all-around service and great company. I recommend it without reservation to anyone who likes watching movies.

[+EV]

[ QUOTE ]
NetFlix, hands down.

This is the best purchase I've made in probably 5 years (with the exception of food). They have almost every movie on DVD, as well as TV shows, specials, documentaries, etc. Its only $16.99 a month for 3 movies at a time. No late fees - keep them as long as you want. And turn around is super quick, usually just two days.

The only downside is the USPS doesn't work on Sundays and NetFlix doesn't work on Saturdays and Sundays, so there is a little dead period every week in terms of turn around.

Drop in the mail Tuesday -> get a new movie on Thursday
Wednesday -> Friday
Thursday -> Saturday
Friday -> Tuesday
Saturday -> Tuesday
Sunday -> Wednesday
Monday -> Wednesday

And they do all the little things right. About a month ago they dropped the rates from $17.99 to $16.99, and we just got a postcard saying we will now be billed less. No "new customers only" BS, not opt in chance that you may miss, just letting you know its less now.

Great all all-around service and great company. I recommend it without reservation to anyone who likes watching movies.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some how Netflix hated me but we used to wait for ever for movies and sometimes +1 week before something new shipped. Also Netflix actively tried to hide new releases so that you couldn't find them easily and they were always wait listed unless you put it on your que months in advance and had a new movie shipping the day the movie was released.

Now I have Blockbuster Total Access which is 10X>>>>>>Netflix. You can return your envelopes in store and get a new movie with no wait time. You end up getting like 6 movies at a time because they end up shipping you a new movie from your list as soon as you return to the store even though they also gave you one off the shelves. You can get new releases as long as they are on the shelves pretty much at a whim.

+EV

[KurtSF]

I haven't had any of those issues. In my experience movies have always come on time, I can always get new releases. I don't know why we had such different experiences.

But thanks for bringing up one more thing I forgot in my post: I rent movies without having to do business with Blockbuster, one of the most evil companies on the planet, IMHO.

I don't own stock in NetFlix.

[Austiger]

Yeah, I'm with you on the Blockbuster hate. The TV ads where the customers are all in tears, thanking Blockbuster for not charging late fees anymore really ticked me off.

[DirtyDiggs]

A good cook book($30-$60)

I'm talking about something with some sense of practicality and flavors that approach your taste preference. Even getting two or three good sauces or marinade that can enrich your everyday cooking makes them well worth it.

[EMc]

Good headphones: Makes your experience better when listening and keeps you from hearing people

Little Walmart desk fan: It was 6 bucks, about 5 inches in diameter, has kept me cool at the desk all summer.

[Aloysius]

[ QUOTE ]
Amphipod micropack [put keys etc. in when exercising] (~$8)


[/ QUOTE ]

Diablo - This one? I've actually been looking for something like this.

For myself some that came to mind:

-DVR
-Rhapsody To-Go (not for everyone, but for someone who's in an office alot, and likes to sample alot of different music, great service)
-Quality Kitchen Shears
-Shoe Trees
-Nose Hair Trimmer
-Economist sub
-Quality desk chair for home office

-Al

[cbloom]

A good chef's knife (~$80) ; IMHO everything else in the kitchen you can get away with using something cheapo as long as you're smart (like aluminum restaurant supply pans are fine), but a decent knife just makes working in the kitchen so much more enjoyable.

A good U bike lock (~$30) ; save yourself from buying a new bike when it gets stolen.

TiVo - god not watching commercials is worth almost any price. I got lucky and got the lifetime subscription which they don't offer any more which was an amazing value.

Aeron chair (~$700) ; pretty pricey, but it's worth it to me, if you sit on your but and work with a screen it's worth spending some money to get quality. With chairs the long term effects on your body are more important than whether it feels good and the Aeron is pretty ergonomic if you adjust it right.

[onthebutton]

Swiss-Tech 6-in-1 UtiliKey. Only $10-$12, and I use this thing constantly. It's so handy. Best of all, it's smaller than my office key, so I don't even notice that I'm carrying it.

[Ron Burgundy]

[ QUOTE ]
Assorted Revlon Professional "Beauty Tools"(~5-20)
-Stainless Steel; Tweezers(Fine,Blunt,Slant Tipped), Blackhead Tool, Clippers(Finger, Toe, And Ingrow Tool), Scissors(Fine and Blunt). These are the best grooming tools IMO, I keep three sets one in my briefcase, travel kit and bathroom. And if you happen to loose one of the tools you can just swing by a CVS and grab a replacement.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow. I was just about to make a post about the Seki clippers. Once you use these you'll never buy that Revlon crap again. Read the first review on the link, it'll tell you everything. I just discovered these a few weeks ago, and now I feel like such a rube for using the flimsy drugstore pieces of [censored] all my life.