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Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

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Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#171

Post by tbeseda »

Under $100: Koss KPH40 Utility On-Ear Headphones. $40 on AMZN right now. Best, minimal headphones. Not my daily driver, but clutch when I just need to plug into my gaming PC or my turntable.

Under $1K: Helly Hansen Alpha Lifaloft Jacket. At ~$600 it's worth every cent in Colorado. No complex layering mechanisms, but works well from 35ºF to -10ºF. Wear it with a t-shirt or a thin down layer. It fits perfect and sits just below my belt. Great pocket layout. etc. etc. It's my go to for everything from snow shoveling to long ski days.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#173

Post by jnwatson »

hairywalt wrote: post #61

Under $100 - an ear bulb syringe I get blocked ears due to wax and it's really negatively impactful to conversation etc. Plus they would block when flying/swimming which ruined a few holidays. I used to go to my local (UK) GP which was very inconvenient due to appointment timings etc. Then somebody recommended buying a bulb syringe for self-treatment. Mine cost about £4 and has been totally game changing. I can sort…

I struggled for a long time with ear wax problems before I found the solution.

I was a <$10 plastic ear curette from Ototek. I just use it after I shower and everything is great.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#174

Post by ericb »

post_break wrote: post #92
voisin wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What bike did you get? > The rest have been from hard work with a dietitian who helped me solve some longstanding issues Deficiencies or simply realizing certain intake was higher calories than expected?

Not op but I have a cubii and I love it.

Which one?

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#175

Post by SentientOctopus »

chrisweekly wrote: post #98
madamelic wrote: post #2

Under $100: - Ember mug - Why: lets me drink tea because I hate cold tea. Bleck. Under $1000: - 49" ultra-wide monitor to replace my dual monitor - Why: I use i3-wm. It works fantastically on it. - 5.1 Soundbar for computer - Why: I don't have to wear headphones constantly and also sound quality is so much better - Mount 50" TV above my desk - Why: Allows others to hang out in my office with me while I work / play ga…

(also breaking rules to concur) EightSleep mattress cover is a GAME-CHANGER. Precise control over preferred temp, and detailed/accurate logging of sleep metrics == way better sleep, and knowledge of its relative quality (metrics for which let me measure the impact of different variables).

Never heard of them, temperature control sounds amazing. How is this product from a privacy perspective? Is the data kept local or is it some cloud service that tracks all metrics?

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#176

Post by idontwantthis »

foresto wrote: post #160
madamelic wrote: post #2

Under $100: - Ember mug - Why: lets me drink tea because I hate cold tea. Bleck. Under $1000: - 49" ultra-wide monitor to replace my dual monitor - Why: I use i3-wm. It works fantastically on it. - 5.1 Soundbar for computer - Why: I don't have to wear headphones constantly and also sound quality is so much better - Mount 50" TV above my desk - Why: Allows others to hang out in my office with me while I work / play ga…

> 5.1 Soundbar 5.1 typically means surround sound, but a sound bar (as I know it) sits in front of the listener. How does yours do both?

They use feedback microphones to tune the output to bounce off of the walls. Or at least that’s what they claim.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#177

Post by dvfjsdhgfv »

asyx wrote: post #49
haolez wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did that a decade ago and it saved my marriage as well :D I'd lived alone before marrying and I did all my chores, but my tolerance for messy stuff until I got to action was way more than my wife's.

I don’t think people talk about this enough. You can be the poster boy for modern men doing all the chores and taking care of your household all on your own without wife or mother around and a 1950s nuclear family house wife would be proud af. You are still going to get into arguments if your idea of what „clean and tidy“ means is different from the definition of your partner.

Fully agree. This crucial bit of information should be spelled out to young people as not everybody realizes that (soon enough).

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#178

Post by askvictor »

chrisweekly wrote: post #98
madamelic wrote: post #2

Under $100: - Ember mug - Why: lets me drink tea because I hate cold tea. Bleck. Under $1000: - 49" ultra-wide monitor to replace my dual monitor - Why: I use i3-wm. It works fantastically on it. - 5.1 Soundbar for computer - Why: I don't have to wear headphones constantly and also sound quality is so much better - Mount 50" TV above my desk - Why: Allows others to hang out in my office with me while I work / play ga…

(also breaking rules to concur) EightSleep mattress cover is a GAME-CHANGER. Precise control over preferred temp, and detailed/accurate logging of sleep metrics == way better sleep, and knowledge of its relative quality (metrics for which let me measure the impact of different variables).

Is it _that_ much better than a wifi-controlled two-zone electric blanket?

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#179

Post by disqard »

pulvinar wrote: post #83

Under $1000 (so far) A ChatGPT subscription. It has certainly changed the way I work on projects.

Claude (Anthropic) for me, but certainly agree on the productivity-boost -- it has saved me a bunch of time on personal projects.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#180

Post by sn9 »

askvictor wrote: post #140
jareds wrote: post #111

Under $100 Wireless cooking thermometer https://store-us.meater.com/products/meater-plus Since I'm blind this allows me to cook with out worrying I'll eat under cooked food. Under $1000 Meta Ray-ban glasses. https://www.ray-ban.com/usa/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses I find using them as headphones to be a better option then transparency mode when using my phone. The Meta AI is also pretty good at recognizing flavors of b…

Even for people with good eyesight, an instant read thermometer is a game changer. Completely takes the guesswork out of cooking meat perfectly, also excellent for cakes, potatoes, and more. There are very decent ones for less that $20.

I would add an immersion circulator to cook food sous vide as similarly impactful here, though getting a good thermometer is more necessary.

It's made meal prepping incredibly easy and food is always perfectly cooked. You never have to eat a dry or overcooked piece of meat again.

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