What is the best purchase you ever made, and why? What is the worst, and why?

Thanks! I've been wondering about those robots for ages.
Did you have to change your furniture in any way? For instance, remove floor rugs, or lift furniture onto wheels or legs?
Our place is tiny and cluttered - so tiny that I get down on my knees with a dustpan and brush or a bowl of water and a wet cloth to clean the floor.

Creative use of useless item - sounds like you're a good cook! :)

I really love the Roomba.  I bought the least expensive one of the iRobot brand.  The only things I've done to make my place "robot ready" was to have wires where it can't get hold of them.  I have two of them, one for upstairs and one for down.  I put a strip of felt around the front so it doesn't mar my baseboards.  The furniture legs have gotten some marks but I just wipe them with scratch cover.  The convenience is so valuable to me.  When I run the downstairs one I pull the dining chairs away from the table for the vacuum gets under the table and all around each table leg well.  One thing I did find was that some of the brands and models are taller than others.  The Roomba is short enough to get under the edge of the kitchen cabinets really well.  I almost bought another brand and thought to measure that space...so glad I did.  Right now is probably the best time to find a deal  I think I paid $189 for mine and they were on sale.  I think they were $269 regularly.  That was several years ago.  They are still going strong.   I use the hand washing method in my bathroom floors.  The roombas do a good job on the hard floors too though.  Oh, and I named mine.  I have Zeke downstairs and Junior upstairs.  This post was edited by Thriftymaid at December 19, 2020 12:35 PM MST

 

  You’d think the manufacturers would have thought of including the felt strip to keep the product from marring or marking up furniture, right? The fact that you bought yours several years ago might mean that more recent models have been improved upon by having that feature. 
  Great write-up, by the way. 

I'm not sure.  I bought my second one a couple months after the first and there is a difference in how they sense an upcoming block like a wall or furniture leg.  The older one keeping going pretty strong but the newer one slows down considerably until it has made contact.  One of cool things is that it will not fall down the stairs.  It will run right up to the edge of the stairs and reverse itself.  I wish there was one to do the stairs.  If I had grass to cut I would get the robot electric lawnmower.  :) This post was edited by Thriftymaid at December 19, 2020 12:39 PM MST

Zeke and Junior! Ha ha! I love it. :)
Thanks for the info. If ever I'm lucky enough to live in a larger place I'll get a Roomba on your recommendation.
That was such a good write up that I reckon if you wanted it you could get a job with a consumers' choice magazine.

Thanks. 

 

  Wait, how come you get to buy an entire planet? I didn’t even know they’re up for sale! No one tells me anything! Grrrrrrr. 

 

It was on sale - I couldn't resist. :)

Brilliant! I'd love a one bedroom apartment only half an hour from Manhattan. Imagine living saturated with all that culture! How wonderful!

First car - education is expensive - I trust you've forgiven your younger self. :)

It's remained a safe neighborhood over the past 42 years.  It's become a more inclusive neighborhood, which I like and you can't say that about too many other places.