hTTi

This weekend it was brought to my attention that everybody needs a junk drawer. I didn't even know what that is, so I had to look it up!

As I do not have one yet, I started one. This is how far I got:


Any expert advise how to continue is welcome! I am new to this.

Mine has spare batteries, a charger for batteries, extra washers and bits for taps, timer switches for Christmas lights, etc, a couple of screwdrivers, a set of Alan Keys, and some packs of vegetable seeds.
Just had a look, and I also have a torch, and extension lead, and some of those felt circle thingies that you put on the feet of chairs so they don´t scratch the flooring.
I don´t refer to it as a "junk drawer", but a "bits and bobs drawer" - it sounds much more useful, don´t you think?

I don't make the rules, but you're going to need a scart cable in there. And one week after you finally throw it away, you'll need it for something critically important for about 3 minutes.

I don't get it....
If you didn't have a junk drawer before now, where were you keeping things like old handys, random cables, broken sunglasses, pre-Euro currency, remote controls for devices long since gone, unknown keys, Palm Pilots with rotten batteries etc, etc.?

To qualify for the junk drawer items must be:
Of unknown origin. Keys from past houses/suitcases/bike locks make good starting points
Belong to now defunct appliances. Or houses that you lived in 20 years ago
Of unknown usage but might come in useful one day
Items that OH has been saying for at least 10 years that they will fix or fit one day. But must on no account be thrown away.

My mum in her innocence used to call it the 'odds and sods' drawer until she was rebuked by her then boss. The name carries on in my household.

Just in case you maybe forgot, take care of batteries in a different way, they might/will leak after a while.

Franklan wrote: ↑Mon Jun 08, 2026 7:24 am This weekend it was brought to my attention that everybody needs a junk drawer. I didn't even know what that is, so I had to look it up!

As I do not have one yet, I started one. This is how far I got:


junk-drawer.jpg


Any expert advise how to continue is welcome! I am new to this.

Franklan, if that battery isn't dead, it doesn't belong in the junk drawer.

Always makes me laugh how, when any of my family rifle through the junk drawer looking for a pen, several are tried, don’t work….then chucked back into the junk drawer

Same with lighters.

Old style Bic lighters are find for lighting gas! Or paper if you persevere. And batteries, sure only unused ones should be kept but it took me well over 10 years to get my family into this.