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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)

#61

Post by hairywalt »

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 myself out whenever and wherever I want. If you suffer the same, get yourself one immediately!

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

#62

Post by jauntywundrkind »

mywittyname wrote: post #47
rdoherty wrote: post #14

Under $100 - Ember mug. No more reheating coffee a few times/day or trying to drink cold coffee. I was surprised at how much I enjoy it. A nice napkin holder that is easy to pull napkins from. Vertical magazine/tablet organizer. Whiteboard next to my desk. Anything simple that makes a frequent chore or task 50% easier. Under $1000 - Twice/week 'house helper' who does dishes and laundry. My wife travels a few weeks/mo…

Okay, this is the fourth Ember recommendation I've seen, so I'll bite. Why is it better than an insulated carafe and an insulated mug?

Yeah. I make tea in a 68 oz Zojirushi thermos. I don't do this a lot, but if I make it at night it's still reasonably warm in the morning.

The thermos has a sipping cup on top that I can pour a couple oz of tea into.

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

#63

Post by oezi »

rdoherty wrote: post #14

Under $100 - Ember mug. No more reheating coffee a few times/day or trying to drink cold coffee. I was surprised at how much I enjoy it. A nice napkin holder that is easy to pull napkins from. Vertical magazine/tablet organizer. Whiteboard next to my desk. Anything simple that makes a frequent chore or task 50% easier. Under $1000 - Twice/week 'house helper' who does dishes and laundry. My wife travels a few weeks/mo…

Who does the dishes? Do you mean cooking?

Dishwasher should take care of all dishes.

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

#64

Post by theshrike79 »

AirPods Pro Max

I've had two Sonys (XM4 and XM5) and a bunch of Boses (QC 1x something, 25, 35II).

These are by far the best ones for me. The fabric on the ear cups doesn't get sweaty, I have tactile buttons for every function (unlike the Sonys), ANC works even when the mic is on (Bose can't do this).

And the best feature: I can charge them while I'm using them. Neither the Sony or Bose can do that, they just go offline.

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

#65

Post by BrandoElFollito »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #26

Under $1000: - Schlage Encode Plus: not the nicest looking smart lock, but the best battery life and most reliable (works with Apple Home Key so you can open your door with your watch). You can also program it to auto lock, so it solves multiple problems. - Meta/Oculus 1/2(/3?): BeatSaber + other apps is a great way to get video game and exercise time in at the same time. - I recently bought a $200 non-stick wok (the…

I bought a Nuki 3 Pro smart lock (now there's a v4) and I like it very much. It allows for continuous usb-c charging, which is nice.

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

#66

Post by declan_roberts »

miloignis wrote: post #29

Under $100: 1) A bidet! Got one in the pandemic when toilet paper was scarce and I wanted to be more efficient, but now I'll never go back. The Tushy ones are good. 2) A safety razor & accessories. I get a cheaper, closer, less irritating shave, and I get to customize every part of it. This can certainly be a rabbithole you spend a lot of money on, but you can get a solid customized starter kit for under $100 that wi…

Second a bidet. Used one in Asia and bought one immediately on returning to the USA.

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

#67

Post by Kalanos »

$28 bluelight glasses for the computer.

$18 ceramic pans.

$9 vertical monitor from thrift shop.

$30 chirp wheel for back cracking.

$180 theragun for muscles. Finds knots that you didn't know you had.

used dell server towers with 128GB RAM for linux

velcro cable ties + phone mount for bicycle + battery tester + usb controllers for emulators + sivga headphones (i think they are 5x more expensive now)

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

#68

Post by ekkeke »

theshrike79 wrote: post #37
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 never not used an electric toothbrush (our family has had one since the early to mid 90s I think), to me it sounds crazy that there are people discovering them in the 2020s. Just get a proper one, the cheap ones are worse than doing it manually. And the most expensive ones with all the bluetooth crap are a ripoff. The only thing that really matters is the rpm or the amount of back and forth motions it does per s…

Honestly it was such a revelation once I bought it. didn't buy it sooner because spending £70 on a toothbrush (+ heads) would have been an unaffordable luxury, and anyway I didn't realise how much better it would be :)

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

#70

Post by asalahli »

zoover2020 wrote: post #35
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.

Did you try a proper brewing technique? Nespresso tastes bad in comparison afterwards. Under a 1000$ you can get decent espresso makers, too.

Not the OP but I did try a lot. Couldn't get anywhere near a consistent brew. Switched to Aeropress and haven't looked back, since.
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