Alternative uses for shopping mistakes

[MrMarple]

Thinking about dodgy shopping/channel products I have a vague recollection of me buying one of those "magic" pasta cookers. All you had to do is place raw spaghetti/pasta into this plastic container, cover it with boiling water, put the lid on, go sit down for 10 minutes and return to a perfectly cooked portion of pasta. Needless to say it didn't work! The spaghetti had softened a little but it certainly wasn't edible. If I remember rightly I threw the whole lot in the bin before oh came home and saw it! If there was a competition between the ice cream maker and the pasta "cooker" for the worst product the ice cream maker wins hands down - Waste of batteries, waste of ingredients and a waste of freezer space. At least the loss of a portion of spaghetti and some water only amounts to pennies. I guess I could've repurposed the container but at the time I just wanted shot of it!!!!

Yep, I bought one of those as well and I don't think I sent that back either

 

[mina]

Ahhh.
I'm not the only one who's bought on a whim then didn't even return the stuff. I'm getting a warm, fuzzy glow because I know I am not alone in this world.

 

[alisonwt]

Ahhh.
I'm not the only one who's bought on a whim then didn't even return the stuff. I'm getting a warm, fuzzy glow because I know I am not alone in this world.

Me too Mina

 

[madaunty]

Not so much a mistake as a repeat purchase.
Mr MA, at my request bought me a B&W spider brooch, which I loved. I then managed to lose it….so I bought another.
Obviously the original then turned up. I now use that one as a “card protector” when I play poker.
Brings a bit of sparkle to the table.

 

[C-Lion]

I have been very disciplined to be honest - if it is no good back it goes. I miss the Elemis really well made bags that they put in their TSV’s though.

They did a beautiful white - faux leather - bag with lilac trim aeons ago and it is fabulous. I have my lady shave and epilator - along with its charger in that. It is a structured and a really well made bag and I love it.

Now we get cloth bags from Elemis which is no where near as good.

Anything on the TSV multi buy that I don’t want I have a box underneath the stairs and it goes in there so for birthdays and Christmas I am able to make up present bags - with tissue paper - and gift. Other than that I will sell odds on eBay to help ‘claw back’ on the initial outlay and make what I want to keep cheaper.

A Kipling bag was bought years and years ago - I sold it on eBay for more than I bought it ironically - but that was a one off!!! I have never bought a bag from QVC since!

 

[Mollie]

I love this thread Mina started ! Seeing how creative forumites are.....not mistakes as such but I bought a Tili box several years ago, around £20 for completing a survey, used a couple of bits and gave away the rest but the bag has been great for all my Dyson vacuum attachments. Empty Harry Slatkin faceted glass candle jars in the bathroom for cotton buds, flossing sticks etc. And the endless Elemis and Liz Earle bags with all sorts of stationery, command hooks, wax melts.....

I wouldn't be surprised if our eventual use of stuff was far more useful than what we originally bought it for ....
(Unfortunately cannot do any emojis as they seem to have disappeared)....

 

[C-Lion]

I very nearly forgot I have a Decleor box with a magnetic clasp (from a Christmas TSV and when Decleor were still with QVC) which I have my Liz Earle cloths stored in. The L’Occitane Christmas TSV from last year was also a really nice box and I have that for tea lights and votives.

As Mollie says our eventual use for stuff is far more useful than what it was bought for. In my case the Decleor product is long gone and the L’Occitane is nearly out but the boxes will survive for a long time.