Hey big spender...

We have had a thread on the C-Brats regarding inexpensive boat stuff.  On-going.  One of my favorite additions to that is the purchases we've made at Dollar Tree.  Now, before you get all excited and say, "We have a dollar store nearby!" let me remind you that not all dollar stores are Dollar Tree.  I've been to dollar stores where some things are $2... or $3... or more.  Everything at Dollar Tree is $1 or less (greeting cards are 2/$1; some candy is less than $1, but I digress yet again).

One of the best purchases I've made at Dollar Tree is a water squirter.  It's designed to be a kids' toy, along the lines of a turkey baster: you stick the end in the water, pull up on the handle to draw the water in, then push the handle in to expel the water.  No, I'm not intending to engage the Blonde in a water war (but, she does look good wet) - those squirters are perfect for getting the last little bit of water out of the bilge.  You know, that puddle that is below what the impeller on the bilge pump can draw up?  Yeah, this empties that easily!

Here's a shot of Joan with the squirter in action...

Best $1 I've ever spent on boat stuff.  Well, for full disclosure, I spent $5 on boat stuff at Dollar Tree:
TWO of those squirters, 'cause you never know when they won't have them.  Since we live in a beach area, they are still "in season" here.  You're probably wondering: "How did you get her to do that?"  Hey, it's her boat, too.  Yep, digressing again.

Then, another $2 on squeegees.  These things are great on the boat, for wiping down the shower and cleaning water off the windows after I hose off the boat...

Then, there is the replacement for the dishpan... we've had a plastic container in the boat for years, and it finally cracked.  Oh, sure, you could go all fancy-pants and spend $3 or $4 for one of these at the upscale Wally World, but... did I mention: everything is $1 at Dollar Tree?  This one was (surprise!) $1, and it fits the sink nicely...

This is the stuff that needed to be replaced...

The old sucker cracked after more than a year of service; pretty much the same duty time for the squeegee; the small dishpan lasted at least 4 years.  All totaled, it is unusual to buy several items for the boat and spend $5.

Oh, and I shouldn't forget the "magic eraser" we picked up... you use it to get marks off the wall.  Joan was thinking of that for the walls in the music room, where photos were hanging, pre-guitars.  It also does a good job of getting marks off the boat hull... you know, if someone scuffed up against a dock or some such thing.

And some people think this boat-owning stuff is expensive. ;-)