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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)

#221

Post by keiferski »

wonger_ wrote: post #211
DarmokJalad1701 wrote: post #203

Under 1000: - Robot vacuum (with mapping+LIDAR): Major game changer. I should have bought this years ago! The tech is now good enough that it basically never gets stuck unless you leave cables lying on the floor. It costs about as much as it would to hire a cleaning crew for a day. And this will do clean your house every single day! - Bidet Seat (Heated) - Chest freezer: Unlike the anti-car people on Reddit, I don't…

Electric toothbrush on the list? And possibly over $100? What benefits have you experienced? Just curious, asking as a lifelong boring toothbrush user.

Dentists pretty much universally recommend electronic toothbrushes, in my experience.

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

#222

Post by laweijfmvo »

supahfly_remix wrote: post #145
manmal wrote: post #75

Under $100: A used Instantpot, ideally the Duo Crisp if you can get one. The normal one can also make yogurt though, which might also be interesting. The great thing about these is that you don’t need to babysit them. Have a call or wanna go for a walk, and then eat? Just turn it on and come back anytime after it’s done. It will keep food warm until you turn it off. Bonus tip: Buy two and/or an air fryer to get more…

> Get a CGM for two weeks and find out what foods spike your blood sugar the most Are you in the US, and is it possible to obtain a CGM without a prescription?

Dexcom Stelo is $100 for two, OTC

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

#223

Post by jtwaleson »

miloignis wrote: post #29

Under $100: 1) A bidet! Got one in the pandemic when toilet paper was scarce and I wanted to be more efficient, but now I'll never go back. The Tushy ones are good. 2) A safety razor & accessories. I get a cheaper, closer, less irritating shave, and I get to customize every part of it. This can certainly be a rabbithole you spend a lot of money on, but you can get a solid customized starter kit for under $100 that wi…

My parents in law lived in the middle east for a long time, and we all got used to bidets over there. I've had a "mini shower head" version next to my toilet for the last 15 years or so. A bit afraid that it'll start leaking at some point, but so far it's holding up great. I would never go back to TP only.

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

#224

Post by syntheticnature »

Kiro wrote: post #201
infecto wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

US based plumbing. You are imagining things. Most/all resi toilets in the US use a flex hose to connect the toilet to your water supply. Its usually a threaded connection. All these style of bidets simply have a T off of this connection.

Not in the US. The pipe just goes straight into the toilet. When googling around seeing articles about installing Tushy when you have rigid pipes they are still much more flexible than mine, with separate parts you can disconnect and replace.

I was in the situation you describe when I got a bidet. It's possible to replace that pipe -- a little more work of course, but it's still turn off water, replace pipe with flexi-hose, connect bidet.

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

#225

Post by snapplebobapple »

madamelic wrote: post #10
damidekronik wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which 49" do you have? I am looking to improve my setup and wouldn't mind some suggestions.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=43305 I guess _technically_ it's right at $1000 but you'll really struggle to find any big monitor for under $1000.

They last a long time too. Mine is approaching 15 years old and still going strong

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

#226

Post by smeej »

voisin wrote: post #78
smeej wrote: post #53

Under $1,000, but just barely over $100: Semi-recumbent stationary bike that fits under my standing desk. I've never been coordinated enough to get the hang of walking on the treadmill and typing, but pedaling slowly all day I can do! I've lost 45 lbs so far this year, and adding up the calorie estimate for each day (I've been tracking) and dividing by the 3500 calories people say are in a pound, about 20 of them hav…

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?

This one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0789F4Z2M

The $122 price is about what I paid for it. Dunno when they have ever actually sold it for $350

And what I solved with the dietitian that led to weight loss had more to do with blood sugar balance and what I do and don't react badly to. Cutting out stuff that keeps me inflamed made a big difference as far as actually getting the nutrients from my food and not being hungry all the time. So did a target set of 40g protein, 40g fat, 10g fiber every meal, which brings me in around 1900 calories per day. The nice thing was that at first, that was a 500 calorie deficit per day, but I don't have to recalculate ever, because it's also the maintenance calorie intake for my target weight. Weight comes off slower the closer I get, but I don't really care about speed, just trajectory!

My IBD (some dispute among my doctors whether it was UC or Chrohn's) is now confirmed in remission without medication, which is terrific!

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

#227

Post by _boffin_ »

Cyph0n wrote: post #143
alumic wrote: post #4

Finally bought a rice cooker 6 months ago. No idea why I hadn’t done it sooner. Perfect rice every single time. I believe that qualifies. Edit: I also bought an emergency jumpstart battery for my car. Saved me twice when my battery suddenly started having issues. Went from feeling “stuck” to back on the road in under 2 minutes.

+1 to both. If you want more consistent rice, invest in a fuzzy logic rice cooker ($150-$300).

I find this comment funny. Go to your local grocery store and pick a rice cooker up for $15 and just add the rice and eyeball the water.

…that much for a rice cooker—that’s nuts!

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

#228

Post by oliwarner »

cameronh90 wrote: post #93
miloignis wrote: post #29

Under $100: 1) A bidet! Got one in the pandemic when toilet paper was scarce and I wanted to be more efficient, but now I'll never go back. The Tushy ones are good. 2) A safety razor & accessories. I get a cheaper, closer, less irritating shave, and I get to customize every part of it. This can certainly be a rabbithole you spend a lot of money on, but you can get a solid customized starter kit for under $100 that wi…

For anyone in the UK interested in getting a bidet: most normal bidets are illegal due to our water safety backflow prevention regulations. As a minimum you need a break tank - a double check valve isn’t sufficient.

I know this applies for bumguns —various water boards have published guidance— but a lot of the under-seat bidets retract [without positive water pressure].

There's no risk of the spout sitting in and siphoning dirty toilet water it back into your supply. I'm neither a lawyer or a plumber but these seem like they might be okay.

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

#229

Post by questionableans »

Under $100: Reusable respirator masks + P100 replacement filters.

They were harder to get earlier in the pandemic, so I bought a less popular brand in addition to the popular brand one I already had from a repair project.

Reasonably comfortable, and I haven’t had a single respiratory illness since I started wearing them when going out. Also good for allergies, smoke, keeping my face from freezing in the winter, and looking like I’m in a SciFi movie.

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

#230

Post by jareds »

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.

The advantage of this one is that I know it works with an app on my phone. ALso it's my understanding that instant read ones can't stay in the food while it cooks? This one can handle temperatures over 500 degrees farenheight.
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