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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)

#291

Post by wonger_ »

memset wrote: post #214
caseyy wrote: post #94

Under $100: - A dumbphone. Even if I’m not using it anymore, it has shown me what life I could be living without distractions. My anxiety and stress levels went down from about the second day using it, I became much more aware of my emotional state and the environment around me, it was a noticeable shift. I no longer buy the arguments that we can control our smartphone addictions with will. The technology is too opti…

I think about this a lot! How did you overcome the compulsion? I quickly revert when I try to ween off any tech. What do you do instead?

Remember to replace the bad habit with new activities, filling the void

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

#293

Post by eb0la »

Under $100:

* Moving Dolly / transporte roller - Just four wheels attached to a wood board for moving stuff from/to the cellar. Best money ever spent.

* Lamy Safari fountain pen - I got tired of plastic pens and wanted to try fountain pens with a converter. Turns out an inkpot lasts more than 1 year. Probably 2.

* Pentel pocket brushpen. Addictive to use. Made me draw again.

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

#294

Post by sfmz »

I'm gonna hijack this thread to promote sleep apnea machines... if you are tired and you say "well I'm just getting older...", that might not be what's happening:

"An estimated 30–39 million adults in the United States have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but only 6 million have been diagnosed." https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/sleep/sleep-apnea-statistics/

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

#295

Post by jhot »

dgacmu wrote: post #73

It wasn't under $1k but you can do some options for close-ish to that: a cargo e-bike. It's been amazing and has let us remain a one car family despite two kids with a lot of activities. I adore it. About to hit 2k miles on it.

Similar. 2 kids, 2 cargo e-bikes, 1 car. My wife has over 3k miles and I'm just under 2k (I work from home every day). We live in Colorado and bundle the kids up in ski clothes, and some nice buffs and hats and they do just fine for rides to school in the winter (if the roads are ok).

With the plethora of bike trails and neighborhood routes, I'm nearly as fast as a car getting around without going overboard on pedal assist (I do about 18 mph).

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

#296

Post by chatmasta »

Octplane wrote: post #252

(lovely thread!) Under $100 - Ember Mug, same as many folks here: 4 years of service, 2 use of their customer service, bought another one for my wife. 100% will reshop when my current mug stop working or is not replaced anymore by their amazing support. - A memory foam pillow: Had to iterate to find the right one, but once you've it, you know it. You sleep better, less pain in the back/neck/shoulder - A vasectomy: ju…

For under $50 you can get “shredded memory foam” which IMO is even better than full memory foam. It’s basically recycled memory foam, shredded and stuffed into a pillow case. You can remove some of it to get the right level of firmness.

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

#297

Post by jhot »

Rick76 wrote: post #113

Under 1000: Steamdeck I love it, as someone who is trying to cope with not having as much time to game it is the best. It is also Linux with a modular body, so I get to tinker with it like no other. Added clicky Dpad and replaced the shell

I was going to say a steam deck as well. I've beaten a ton of RPGs that I never had the desire to play at my desk, but are great in 20-30 minute bursts here and there.

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

#298

Post by jbjbjbjb »

ekkeke wrote: post #18

Under $100: Electric toothbrush: Always hated having to brush my teeth and this makes it so much less tedious, also supposedly better for your teeth, from 1-2 times per day to 3 times every day. Under $1000: Nespresso machine, was using a mocha pot before but the coffee is much easier to make, no cleanup, and tastes better.

Under £10 it’s not espresso but a Hario V60 and the James Hoffman recipe and good coffee beans beats any Nespresso for taste imo. I do drink Nespresso as well.

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

#300

Post by creature_x »

Under $100 - A wet shaving kit! You can buy a good double edge safety razor, a shaving brush, and excellent shaving blades for under $100. I made the switch after growing tired of my Gillette setup. I used to think shaving was a chore, and well, I still do, but it's a lot more pleasant now. As a bonus, my shaves are a lot closer.

Under $1000 - A good espresso setup! I bought Breville Bambino Plus, DF64 Gen 2 grinder and some auxiliary tools for under $1000 this year and it's been a game changer. I can make better-than-Starbucks coffee for a fraction of a price. I did the math, and making my own espresso/latte/cortado is 3x cheaper then buying it from Starbucks. Oh, and it's much tastier.

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