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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)

#381

Post by covercash »

madamelic wrote: post #2

Under $100: - Ember mug - Why: lets me drink tea because I hate cold tea. Bleck. Under $1000: - 49" ultra-wide monitor to replace my dual monitor - Why: I use i3-wm. It works fantastically on it. - 5.1 Soundbar for computer - Why: I don't have to wear headphones constantly and also sound quality is so much better - Mount 50" TV above my desk - Why: Allows others to hang out in my office with me while I work / play ga…

A cheaper alternative to EightSleep is Sleep.Me… same concept with a heated/cooled water circulator + mattress pad, and they have an “autopilot” add on. I just manually set my temp schedules based on the season since I don’t like subscriptions for stuff like that, and I don’t want my sleep data on their servers.

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

#382

Post by covercash »

skizm wrote: post #370
madamelic wrote: post #2

Under $100: - Ember mug - Why: lets me drink tea because I hate cold tea. Bleck. Under $1000: - 49" ultra-wide monitor to replace my dual monitor - Why: I use i3-wm. It works fantastically on it. - 5.1 Soundbar for computer - Why: I don't have to wear headphones constantly and also sound quality is so much better - Mount 50" TV above my desk - Why: Allows others to hang out in my office with me while I work / play ga…

Is there anything similar to 8sleep that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles and doesn’t require an app? I don’t care about any of the tracking or alarms or whatever else besides the temp control.

Yes, sleep.me. I had their Ooler and recently upgraded to the Dock Pro.

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

#383

Post by [deleted] »

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…

[deleted]

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

#384

Post by [deleted] »

hairywalt wrote: post #61

Under $100 - an ear bulb syringe I get blocked ears due to wax and it's really negatively impactful to conversation etc. Plus they would block when flying/swimming which ruined a few holidays. I used to go to my local (UK) GP which was very inconvenient due to appointment timings etc. Then somebody recommended buying a bulb syringe for self-treatment. Mine cost about £4 and has been totally game changing. I can sort…

[deleted]

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

#385

Post by toyg »

7373737373 wrote: post #265
tapoxi wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bought a Tushy during the pandemic, it took about 10 minutes and a flathead screwdriver. I liked it so much that when I had a new bathroom installed a year later I put in a Toto Washlet.

I feel like Toto is failing with their marketing, since people are not really aware of their products outside of Japan. No good and cheap alternatives either

Toto is failing with their prices. I know they can print money in Japan, but it looks like they don't really want to be competitive elsewhere. Sooner or later someone will persuade the right influencer to start a bidet craze and they will get 10x bigger than Toto overnight.

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

#386

Post by evilduck »

y-curious wrote: post #40
sharatsc wrote: post #5

TSA pre-check. Best $85 spent to date.

As a followup: 1. Global Entry (international travel precheck for American permanent residents and citizens) is $120 and includes TSA precheck. 2. The high-tier credit cards (Amex Plat, Chase Sapphire Reserve) give you credits for Global Entry and/or TSA Precheck. They cost in ~$600, but my Amex Plat pays for itself with: - Global Entry for wife, parents (as authorized users) - Uber credit $15/month - Clear at the ai…

A fancy credit card is pretty worth it if you travel more than once or twice a year. Airport lounge access, travel insurance for sufficient delays or overnights, longer purchase warranties, cell phone insurance, rental car perks and so on. It’s not really about the money so much as the quality of life and peace of mind perks it offers. And seconding precheck or GE, it’s the best extortion money I’ve ever paid.

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

#387

Post by voisin »

Vaslo wrote: post #50

Under $1000 A hoselink hose. Pricy but worth every penny when you need to reel it in or pull it out. Under $100 The Konnected smart garage door opening Far superior to the company that took much of their business behind a paywall

> the company that took much of their business behind a paywall

Chamberlain?

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

#388

Post by toyg »

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.

I've used Nespresso for ages (still do at my partner's house), and it beats a Bialetti any day, but it's not cheap.

I found a good sweet spot (for me) in a Kamira: it's not as good as a proper espresso and maybe even Nespresso, but it's so much cheaper and still better than a Bialetti. Once you have the procedure down, it's a breeze; and because there are no electronics or pumps, it's unlikely to ever break (I honestly forgot when I got it, must have been at least 4-5 years ago).

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

#389

Post by neverartful »

voisin wrote: post #379
neverartful wrote: post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Welding is a hobby I picked up a couple of years ago. It is indeed like magic!

How did you pick it up? I am interested.

Initially, I asked everyone I knew if they knew of any welders in the area who weren't self taught. None of them knew anyone. I then decided to post an ad on Craigslist. In my ad, I stated that I had no equipment but was interested in learning stick welding and oxy-acetylene welding. I made it clear that I was wanted to learn how to weld safely (given the many hazards involved). I also mentioned that I was willing to pay the going rate. After my CL ad was up for a couple of weeks someone reached out to me indicating that they were interested and had the requisite background. It worked out great. He came to my house on Saturday mornings and brought the equipment. This approach worked great for me. Eventually, I had enough training time to want to buy my own welder. I discussed it with my instructor and he recommended a welder to match my interests and budget.

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

#390

Post by shiroiushi »

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 really don't see the point of a dumbphone: it seems a lot like buying a ham radio and trying to use that for your daily life. Who am I going to talk to with a dumbphone? No one actually does "phone calls" any more using voice calling, at least in my corner of the world. (They do for work, but I'm not in a customer-facing job so I don't.)
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