What are your favorite non crochet items, you use for/well crocheting?

For example, I keep a Lint Brush in my crochet basket to remove cat/dog fur from my shirt and pants before crocheting, to minimize the amount that gets worked into my final product.

Or another example is bobby pins. I've bought all sorts of stitch markers over the years. But I recently met a woman who was using bobby pins to mark her stitches. So I tried them and... best stitch markers ever! They slid in and out of place smoothly, but stay put without falling off. They're cheap and come in lots of fun colors too.

So now I'm curious what other non traditional crochet hacks, tips and items I never thought of using, I'm missing out on. :)