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

Bang for the buck, my best purchase ever has been a jackhammer.

Soil around here is very hard. For years I struggled to dig even the shallowest of holes for planting things, laying pipes, etc. Holes that would take me months to dig, one painful weekend at a time, I can now get done in 10 minutes. Weirdest tool I've bought, but it has saved me literally years of effort at this point.

I guess the generalized message is just buy the best and most specific tool up front. The time saved by proper tools is totally worth it.

I like a lot of things I own, but the possession that rise to the level of _measurably_ improving my quality of life almost all have to do with being a parent.

Happiest Baby SNOO - because you only sleep when they sleep. Measured as, "no longer too sleep-deprived to conceptualize measuring this."

Arlo Baby connected monitor - I get a push notification when my baby cries, so I don't have to stay within earshot. Measure in allowable distance from sleeping child, allowable headphone volume.

Thule Chariot Lite double jogging stroller - The fitness advantage is obvious. Less obvious is the advantage for wrangling two young kids in airports, giving one at a time an enclosed, dark place to nap on layovers. Even better, we did a weeklong hiking trip (Sitka, AK) just renting bikes and towing the kids around to hiking trails. We left the carseats (which they detest) at home.

And, take with a grain of salt because I work in this industry, but: transferrable point credit cards (Chase, Amex) have saved me more than once. Last Christmas, circumstances forced us to book late. Ticket prices to get the family home were in the $700+ per seat range, just for a little domestic hop. Measured benefit: my Amex points were worth about 5 cents each for that one. You have to learn a bit about how to use them, but you can see the world... or just see your family.

I agree on this. Re-pasting the cooler + clearing up the dust boosts the performance quite significantly. But beware that you need to pay attention to the rubber gasket and how it seals to the body. On the rMBP 2015 the camera cable needs to be clipped into the gasket carefully to maintain the seal.

A pack of 12 towels to use as bath towels. Now I use a clean towel after every shower.

https://www.amazon.com/Utopia-Towels-Absorbent-Multi-Purpose...

I use a different color as hand towels and for cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. Using paper towels seems so wasteful now. I can clean anything by scrubbing it lightly with a soapy brush wand, wiping away the soap with a towel, and tossing the towel in the laundry. This even works for the bathroom mirror. I no longer spray glass cleaner which releases toxic VOCs (ammonia) into my home. I no longer use sponges, which are unhygienic and wasteful. Every home needs a tall stack of towels and a couple of brush wands.

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-3203200-SteeL-Bottle-Brush/dp/B00...