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Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?

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Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?

#251

Post by exabrial »

bot41 wrote: post #208
exabrial wrote: post #148

A mountain bike. Every measure of my health has improved and I've never traveling all over to hit bike parks and trails. I've spent more time outdoors this summer than I have the last 5 years.

What brand? I recently got a road bike but honestly don't love it. I think I would prefer a mountain bike.

So that's the exact same story for me! I started off with a road hybrid and discovered that I liked riding in the woods much more than I did on concrete. There is a lot of skill involved in mountain biking and it's fun to learn each technique: lifts, rolls, drops, jumps, rock gardens, climbing, and turning (I didn't even know there was a specific technique to turning on dirt but it's really important).

Expect to spend about three grand for a good full squish mountain bike. I have a Rocky Mountain and I would highly recommend the brand. They are one of the best values in terms of features, weight, and quality. There are even some really good direct-to-consumer brands now like YT. For mountain biking you definitely want disc brakes, a dropper post, and around 120mm-130mm of front travel with a total weight less then 28lbs. Global Mountain biking network on YouTube is a great resource as well as local riding clubs and bike shops. Good luck!

Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?

#252

Post by alphakappa »

1. An electric pressure cooker. A total game changer when it comes to meal prep (I purchased the Breville version)

2. Replacing the TV with a projector

3. Adjustable weights (makes all the difference while sheltering in place in an apartment)

4. Better food storage tools (a vacuum sealer, weck jars, glass Tupperware etc). Makes all the difference when it comes to food wastage.

Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?

#253

Post by alexanderdou »

exabrial wrote: post #148

A mountain bike. Every measure of my health has improved and I've never traveling all over to hit bike parks and trails. I've spent more time outdoors this summer than I have the last 5 years.

In a similar fashion: I purchased a helmet + bikeshare membership

I live in an urban environment, so I don't want to store a bike (or worry about getting it stolen). It's 1) vastly increased my footprint and appetite for checking out new areas and 2) helped me get some more exercise into my days.

Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?

#254

Post by PascLeRasc »

barrkel wrote: post #212

- Bouncing hammock for the baby. The baby would flap his legs when he was a bit upset, and then the flapping would wake him up. But with the bouncing hammock - a cloth hammock spread open with a piece of wood and suspended from a spring - he just causes the hammock to bounce up and down, which lulls him back to sleep again. After a while he learned to do it deliberately with a hip thrust, as a form of mechanical self…

I love my projector too. I think what I really like about it is that it's a bit of an event to watch something on it with handling three remotes and closing the blinds/turning off lights, not something you can just turn on whenever you're bored or even watch at all during the day. It makes it more special.

Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?

#255

Post by rozab »

smaslennikov wrote: post #18

Automated cat infrastructure: automatic USB water fountain[0], food dispenser[1], Litter Robot 3[2] (as of recently, with a homebrew controller[3]). These allow me a good four days of absence from the house - for camping or whatever else. Doesn't happen often that both the wife and I are MIA, but when it does, these things are indespensable. [0]: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WGLYV22/ [1]: https://www.amazon.c…

I wonder if you've noticed any change in your cats behaviour towards you as a result of this? People often claim that cats only like their humans because they're the ones who feed them etc

Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?

#256

Post by rozab »

martindbp wrote: post #178

Kindle - had one or another model for many years, but in terms of utility to price ratio, it's still one of the highest. Youtube Premium - I realized I was spending a ton of time on Youtube, both for education, entertainment and podcasts. Removing the annoyance of ads and not being able to just listen to a video while out walking is worth it to me.

For those who don't want to fund youtube, Youtube Vanced is a hacked version of the official client that provides all the features for free (no root required), and there are also various open source clients available.

Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?

#257

Post by serjester »

pgt wrote: post #153

1. Apple Watch Series 5 w/GPS: - Surprisingly, my iPhone Xs battery lasts longer because I'm checking it less. - Counter-intuitively, I'm spending less time on my phone because I'm less likely to get sucked into my Watch than my phone. Now I just read non-urgent messages and Dismiss them. - I use the compass all the time now that I'm travelling[^1] in the UK and I use the compass all the time to learn the city layout…

Seconded. Bought the new MacBook Pro and paired with Better Touch Tools using it is straight ecstasy. I couldn’t be happier.

I’ve learned a good dev environment helps so much with enjoying side projects. Does slowly make me hate my Windows 10 work PC though.

Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?

#258

Post by dzhiurgis »

Yetanfou wrote: post #237

A farm. Room to roam, largely self-supporting due to our own forest for heating and building, own water well, own waste water facilities, no building permit needed for farm buildings, own land to grow whatever we please. My children get to grow up in the countryside, where city-dwellers have empty syringes and crack heads on their doorstep we have elk, deer and wolves. Where they hear police sirens at night we hear o…

How do you deal with lack of social life and having to drive everywhere - especially for children?

My partner hates the idea - she likes to take stroller out and walking around area, going to coffee groups, etc. Living in a farm means at least 10 minute drive and not being able to safely walk anywhere but your farm.

Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?

#260

Post by therealdrag0 »

anotherevan wrote: post #217

CPAP machine. If you think you may have sleep apnea then get it checked out. In-line water filter. Reduce the barrier-of-entry to drinking water however you can. Started with one of those gravity filters but having to refill it all the time was a barrier. One that's tied into mains pressure just works. Ceiling fans. We have an evaporative cooling system which is good, but adding ceiling fans in the bedrooms and offic…

Re Sleep: a sleep mask that is cupped as to not touch the eyes. Has been big improvement to my sleep.
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