What's an Item That You Have Multiples in Case One Breaks?

For me, it's the Xbox 360 console. My favourite console of any generation. I also have over 100 original 360 and original games (backwards compatible) + kinect + guitar hero. I still play it all the time and don't anticipate ever replacing it. Even with newer generations of Xbox I find that the backwards compatibility is not comprehensive and has several limitations. Maybe I'm getting old but the last two generations of gaming have not really pulled me in and I don't really like where the whole industry is moving towards (online gaming, MMOs, casual games, paid DLC, HD "remasters" or "rehashes" of old games as I call them, etc).

I own 2 x 250GB slim consoles and 1 x black elite 120GB console. I bought some of them really cheap on the second hand market as people are getting rid of them. I know that eventually as the consoles pass the 15-20 year mark they will start to break down and become harder to find parts and/or replacement, and the prices will inevitably go up…time will prove me correct.

Comments

  • Pens, Hard Drive, Bowls, Plates, Glasses

  • +1

    Surprised no one has mentioned power banks, eneloops, android phones, dell monitors and lenovo thinkpads yet

  • +3

    they will start to break down and become harder to find parts and/or replacement

    Legs.

    Fingers.

    Lungs.

    Kidney.

    • +2

      Are you getting into the organ harvesting business?

  • Aldi $10 sunglasses!!!
    Aldi golf umbrellas (more for kids forgetting those on trains rather than breaking)

  • +2

    Kidneys and lungs

  • +2

    8 new pairs of thongs

  • +16

    toddlers favourite toy.
    Its a stuffed bunny, so having multiples also means we can clean them

    • +2

      A blanket or snuggle bunny etc always buy two or three. The distress caused if it gets lost.

      • +2

        What about the distress caused by finding out there's two and wondering which is the real one you've cherished from the beginning?

        • +1

          I heard the issue if the kid founds out about the clone toy is that they will now ask for both of them all the time.

  • +2

    Batteries, Ethernet Cables, HDMI Cables, Display Port Cables

    • +1

      USB C, Micro and even mini cables….. You always have enough…..till you don't :(

  • +17

    2nd hand 2004 BMWs. Any model.

    • +9

      One as the daily driver, second one for parts, third as a tow vehicle for the first two.

    • +4

      OP said "in case" one breaks, not "when" one breaks.

    • You'd look f$*-$& baller. 😎

    • I know the pain of driving an older BMW. You might as well throw your money away because you're gonna be up for thousands of $ in repairs.

  • Fishing rods and reels
    Cancer council sunnies

  • Stuffed animals for preschoolers.

  • Coffee Mug with handle.

    • The only time I have broken a mug is when I deliberately smashed it into the concrete. They seemingly last forever.

  • +1

    Toilet paper.

    • Kinda goes without saying.

      As our response to the gov having no PPE stockpiled a decade after SARS-1 and MERS was a collective <shrug> and <move on/forget>.

      And then, '<insertadjective> the pollies aren't protecting us, let's cram the house full of toilet paper' so we are prepped to get sick over and over, and expire. Whilst it, and possibly our children, evolve their way free of it.

  • Pluggers. These stupid havaianas and other surf brands dont last too long. All it takes is stepping in a mud puddle and it pulls itself out.

  • wifi lights

  • +1

    Espresso machine.

    • Yes! Imagine the horror of waking up one morning and not being able to get your essential caffeine fix.

      • I've experienced that horror. "Never again", I said. ;-)

    • or buy a high quality 'prosumer' machine that is actually repairable.

      • +1

        My main machine is a La Marzocco GS3 MP and it has an in-home service plan.

        I have an old VMB Domobar Junior which I use as my backup machine and I maintain that myself.

        • +1

          Vmb..
          I'm sure that meant VBM . If it is. That's what I always wanted to upgrade to. Aesthetically and functionally a great machine. Right now I still have my Oracle but will get the Vibiemme

          • +1

            @maverickjohn: Errr….yeah…typo alert! VBM (VMBs are for work 😛). Vibiemme machines are damn near bulletproof. They also look grouse after being thrashed for 10+ years.

            • +1

              @[Deactivated]: Since I started my coffee love for the home barista setup the domobar (not junior) has been on my dream purchase list.
              Although I'm ok having the junior now as I drink less coffee.
              I started my coffee machine with a breville bes860 upgraded to the 920 and now have the 980. The 980 didn't feel like an upgrade and realised I need to take the plunge into specialist machines. I will hold my machine for another couple of years then buy the VBM.
              None of my machines have ever had a fault since I've owned them. I always hand them to a family member then they destroy it lol

              • @maverickjohn: The Breville machines aren't a bad place to get started but you won't know yourself when you have all of that brass and chrome in front of you ;-)

  • +4

    For me it's perfume.
    It's so difficult as a guy, since we don't get the attention like women do in that department. Let's just say I've graduated from Lynx Africa. So when I get the perfume I like, I try to buy extras in case they change the formula or discontinue it.

    Juicy Couture - Dirty English (men).
    Bought like x5, can't find them anywhere as they were discontinued. Another company bought the rights, but comes in a plastic bottle and doesn't smell the same. Still have 5mL left.

    • Only 5mL left from 5 bottles?!

    • And by perfume you mean cologne? Not that I'm judging, a man's got a right to smell like flowers and pretty things if he wants.

      • Nothing wrong smelling great, it's nice for people around you. Plus it leaves a good impression.

        • Unless someone stinks, I'd rather them not spray anything and smell neutral.
          If people other than someone intimate can smell it, it's too strong.

      • I had something called calvin klein summer I think…. was hardly a rugged cologne smell but I liked it and it smelled nice on my skin…. That was kinda flowerish….

      • +1

        I don't get your comment, what's wrong with men buying perfume.

      • Not all men's perfumes are colognes (EDC). Plenty of perfumes for men are sold at EDP strength, or even at parfum extrait strength.

    • Doesn't perfume/cologne have an expiry date?
      I would think the fragrance might lose is efficacy after several years.

      • If they are stored properly then they will last a very long time.

  • +10

    I buy a week’s worth of candy at once, but usually end up eating it all in one day.

  • +2

    Phone screen protector!

    • i used to order 2 or more, in case one arrives broken, or my first one has bubbles/dirt, but then usually misplace it when i need it… or it's crap quality so that's a few bucks down the drain

      Any hacks to install perfectly? I can never get it right EVER there's always a shit piece of tiny lint that gets under, after stickying it out then re-aplying so many times and ends up CBF with unsatifactory result in the end

  • +2

    Super fast chargers and cables.

    • +2

      Always an order of cables being shipped haha

      • +1

        I swear to god my house is a "cable-eating-monster".

        • +1

          they break, no matter how good they are, they still break

  • Wife

  • +3

    clothes pegs

  • Asthma puffers, even though they don't really break… It's always good to have many spares.

    Sometimes I accumulate multiples of things like my old ethnic family members. I had three dyers and three washing machines at one point, ended up giving them away as friends moved into new places.

    I end up with multiples because things don't break… Anyone want a 500gb MP3 player running on a HDD? Mint.

    • +2

      I have a collection of old ethnic family members too hahaha. They are pretty stubborn and set in their ways from the old country.

      That mp3 player will be worth a few quid now, even more so if it is a ipod. Try ebay.

  • Elastic bands

  • USB phone cables

  • +3

    Those little hotel toiletries. I collected the decent brand ones when I was travelling but never really used them. Now during Sydney lockdown i can pretend I'm in a nice hotel somewhere rather than in the same old shower at home.

    • Lol, I have a bag full from my first solo holiday :)

  • +4

    When I was young I hated shopping for girlfriend presents.

    So when I finally found something half decent I would buy a few, that way I would have some spares for a future girlfriend :D

  • Joy cons

  • +3

    Prescription glasses.

  • +2

    I'm in the same boat. Have a few 360s as I wasn't sure xbox1 would have Star wars KOTOR backwards compatible. Plus so many games I need to wait till retirement to play.
    I also have a few wii's for their mod function and all those nostalgia games I grew up playing.
    I stock up when people sell rims and tyres for my cars. Rarely buy tyres new and have 3 cars but 10 sets(including what's on them) of rims for them all.

    • I modded out a Wii but hated using the awful wii remote and nunchuck as a controller to play old 16/32 bit games. There was a mod to use PS3 sixaxis controller via BT but it didn't seem to work for me. Also I found N64 were a bit stuttery/choppy. The limitations of the hardware are obvious.

    • I had two 3ds for modding, but I don't have spares of the others unfortunately…. still want a psvita :(

  • +6

    Socks!

    Hear me out

    Patterned socks generally come in packs of 3 or 5, and every pair is a different pattern. If one sock wears through/disappears, the other sock is useless.

    If you buy two sets of the same pack, you now have redundancy, if you lose a sock you now have three matching socks remaining, and can afford to lose 2 more before you're left with a useless sock.

    I'm absolutely convinced this more than doubles the lifespan of socks.

    I've actually taken this a step further and now only buy one type of sock, a light blue from uniqlo that works for work or casual.

    • Spot on. I'm all about having just one universal sock type. Such a much more practical life choice there.

      • +3

        just wear odd socks, you think any one looks

        • +1

          I thought that until I went to an airport once and forgot about shoes off during security checks.
          Your right. No one did look, well no one laughed at me.

    • +1

      This is why I try to buy all plain black or white socks. If you are wearing jeans/long pants nobody is going to notice if you have odd socks on :)

    • +1

      I hear you loud and clear. I bought about 80 pairs of bamboo socks a few years ago. they are awesome, and so fair i've only worn through a couple pairs. They will probably last me another 10 years easy. Once you find a good thing, dump a bunch of money on it and you're laughing.

      • which ones did you get and where from?

  • USB adapters, I didn't buy them. Ok they came with the products I bought.

  • +10

    For me, it's the McChicken. The best fast food sandwich. I even ask for extra McChicken sauce packets and the staff is so friendly and more than willing to oblige.

    One time I asked for McChicken sauce packets and they gave me three. I said, "Wow, three for free!" and the nice friendly McDonald's worker laughed and said, "I'm going to call you 3-for-free!".

    Now the staff greets me with "hey it's 3-for-free!" and ALWAYS give me three packets. It's such a fun and cool atmosphere at my local McDonald's restaurant, I go there at least 3 times a week for lunch and a large iced coffee with milk instead of cream, 1-2 times for breakfast on the weekend, and maybe once for dinner when I'm in a rush but want a great meal that is affordable, fast, and can match my daily nutritional needs.

    I even dip my fries in McChicken sauce, it's delicious! What a great restaurant.

    • +1

      Haha I didn't realise McD's marketing team had hijacked this thread! Welcome aboard!

    • +2

      I needed a new heel for my shoe, so I decided to go to Morganville which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So, I tied an onion to my belt which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel. And in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em

      • Gimme five bees for a quarter, you'd say

  • +1

    USB to serial adapters. Sometimes need them for work but somebody always "borrows" mine. I bought twenty of them a couple of years ago and there's always one around now, though numbers are dwindling and need to boost them again.

  • Washing Machines. 1 in the laundry and 1 in the basement.

    • +1

      Look at this guy with a laundry and a basement!

      • +1

        User name fits

  • +1

    Most are mentioned before:

    Computers (have a few spare older machines - was from work)
    Monitors (have a few spare monitors - ended up with spare but didn't sell, not bought specially)
    Keyboards & mice
    Power Boards
    Lightbulbs
    Plates and glasses (hate not being able to buy the same ones, so I usually buy about double what I need and put half in storage in case of breakages)
    Flashlights (bought a bunch during a supercheap sale, in case of breakage… none have broken so far… touch wood. Gave one away to a tradesman)
    Pens (I'm particular about the pen I use, so I bought a bunch when I saw them on special. They run out more often than they break)

  • +2

    Logitech DiNovo Edge keyboard. I absolutely love these things, but they were discontinued and I’ve never found anything similar to replace it. I bought a second keyboard new, and a broken one for spare parts second hand. I’ve been repairing components and replacing batteries to keep them going for 15 years.

  • +1

    3DS consoles! I initially bought 1 before the pandemic back when they were a dime a dozen. Earlier this year I checked the prices and I was shocked to see they had all increased. I looked on Gumtree and ended up getting another one…and a 2DS…and a special edition Zelda one. I've checked again more recently and there are a lot less consoles available and they are all quite expensive. Also always happy to buy more SD cards, lens pouches, and I have one too many backpacks from those Kathmandu sales from a few years back.

    • That was a good investment. It's amazing how things have changed so much through a pandemic. Gaming is definitely becoming more popular.

  • Sunglasses. I really like Serengeti Mistrales, but they are expensive to buy unless on special. So I wait for at least 40% off and keep a next spare pair for when my existing set gets a bit too scratched.

  • Hair. The one on your head 😂

  • The scboy logitech g9x clone. I have 3 as backups. I used to have a BNIB g9x as a backup but sold it for almost $400.

  • I have something random - a can pump, allowing me to drink only half of the bigger energy drink cans a day, and save the other half for the next day. The bigger cans have better flavours and are usually cheaper.

    The pumps are cheap plastic, and since they are not easy to find I decided I needed a backup!

    • First time I've heard of a can pump.

      But have you tried maybe pouring half out into a glass, or maybe, just drink half, and leave other half in the can for tomorrow?

      • That’s what I do, but without a seal on the can it would be flat by the next day.

    • Interesting. Does it keep the fizz and bubbles preserved?

      • +1

        It does not.
        The only thing you can do is get a "Can Lid" but that merely reduces the amount of fizz. Pumping air does nothing.

        Why? Highschool chemistry time - partial pressure! More air is useless, you would have to pump CO2 to keep the dissolved fizz from evaporating. Not to mention temperature, since liquids lose their ability to dissolve gasses at higher temperatures.

        Solution:
        Use a plastic bottle, eg 1.2L soda, and after you pour out one-third of it into a glass… grab the bottle and squeeze it in. Then cap it off. You've essentially reduced the area for the gas to evaporate into. That means you will have LESS evaporation, and keep more fizz. You can compare the results to a bottle which wasn't squeezed, and literally taste the difference.

        Do try this (life hack) at home.

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