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Ask HN: What purchase under $1000 has changed your life the most?

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Re: Ask HN: What purchase under $1000 has changed your life the most?

#31

Post by comprev »

An eBay "package" which contained:

2x 2U HP DL385 (Gen 2 I think) 2x HP thin client PCs 2x Cisco managed switches 1x Cisco router (can't remember the model) A handful of network cables.

This kick-started my career in operations, thanks to a dodgy VMware Server, Windows SBS 2003, XP Pro/W2K/Office 2k3, etc..

After spending months learning from books and the internet, I landed a job as a field engineer for a small MSP in London with no formal technical background/degree.... nearly 20 years ago now!

Re: Ask HN: What purchase under $1000 has changed your life the most?

#32

Post by kirubakaran »

_sm5d wrote: post #30

About 8 years ago I purchased some puerh tea and some rice bowls, must've spent maybe £30? I haven't stopped exploring puerh since and it's changed my life completely. Some of the results can be seen (puerh.uk and slowtea.org for example) but the greatest change is internal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu%27er_tea#Research

> There is no evidence that consuming pu'er tea promotes loss of body weight in humans.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31729510/

Re: Ask HN: What purchase under $1000 has changed your life the most?

#35

Post by LoganDark »

j0hnyl wrote: post #19
LoganDark wrote: post #8

My cats. They were around $700 for the two of them. I got them when I was 11 or so. I probably wouldn't be where I am today, emotionally, without them.

But over the course of their lifetime they cost so much more than just $1k! Worth every penny though.

True, true, but it changed my life. Maybe one of the changes is requiring ongoing purchases, but other things are more important, like companionship, empathy...

Re: Ask HN: What purchase under $1000 has changed your life the most?

#36

Post by jayturley »

serjester wrote: post #33

A bidet. It’s easier, more hygienic, cheaper, and environmentally friendly than traditional toilet paper. I genuinely don’t understand why they aren’t mainstream in the US when they’re better in every dimension I can think of.

Could not agree more. Bought just a low-end cold-water one and it's amazing. I miss it anytime I have to use a bathroom at the office or a public restroom.

Re: Ask HN: What purchase under $1000 has changed your life the most?

#37

Post by CM30 »

This is going to sound insane, but probably the Nintendo Switch (or maybe the capture card I got after that). That ended up kickstarting my YouTube channel and internet presence a ton, including my most popular video, and launched my community on the side. That community ended up introducing me to many of my closest friends, getting me various interviews with project leaders and figures in the gaming world, and (due to the site/channel/community being mentioned on my CV at one point), likely got me at least one of my tech jobs.

Re: Ask HN: What purchase under $1000 has changed your life the most?

#40

Post by throwaway295729 »

markx2 wrote: post #38

My two dogs. I would never think of them as a 'purchase' but they saved me. It is almost 5 years since I became a widower and these two beasties have saved me many times. Changed my life? Maybe. Kept me living? Definitely.

This struck a chord. We truly are lucky to coexist with our furry friends. Thanks for sharing
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