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Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

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Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#141

Post by Arrath »

mettamage wrote: post #53

Some that come to mind. __Health__ Melatonin. There is no other way for me to go to bed and this knocks me right out (I use 0.2 - 0.4 milligrams). Sleep mask (no more waking up because a stray light hits my eye) I'd say sleep earplugs but I have a sound in my ear, but otherwise earplugs Mosquito repellent scent (for sleep as well). Silicon earplugs when going out, I never thought I'd get ear/hearing damage because I…

For some people, me included, melatonin can cause an uptick in very real feeling and (depending on mental state) very weird dreams. Do be mindful of that. On the other hand if you're practiced at lucid dreaming this can be a real trip.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#142

Post by fumblebee »

bluewalt wrote: post #101
kpennell wrote: post #41

Eye Mask - I sleep so much better and longer with one on. I recommend one that doesn't sit on your eyes directly (has a bit of concavity).

May I ask why you don't manage to make your room completely dark instead of wearing a mask?

Eye masks are far cheaper than new black-out curtains.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#143

Post by Arrath »

moistly wrote: post #124
is0tope wrote: post #62

Two things: 1. Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 Bluetooth speaker. Compact and very loud, also has good battery life. Handy on hikes and similar. The waterproofing is excellent and I use it in the shower to listen to podcasts, etc. 2. Sony WH1000MX4 Bluetooth headphones. I was skeptical in getting a full set of headphones as I always preferred earphones. These things have amazing sound quality and noise cancelation which m…

> Handy on hikes Are you aware that other hikers hate you for this? I suppose you don’t care.

I can see a use-case for scaring off predators, but the time tested 'bell on a walking stick' sure is more polite to other hikers.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#145

Post by cupcake-unicorn »

ozzythecat wrote: post #52

An electric toothbrush and floss. Brushing with a regular toothbrush doesn’t give me the clean/fresh feeling my electric toothbrush does. The model I have was maybe $25 or $30. Using the electric toothbrush and flossing before bed every night, I feel like in my morning my mouth actually still feels fine. Of course I would never start my day without brushing, but my mouth doesn’t feel icky when I wake up in the mornin…

I was interested in a Waterpik but I thought it would be too difficult to maintain. I found out about both a toothbrush and an oral irrigator that you hook up to your shower which are really cool.

There are also some tricks for oral hygiene that you don't get traditionally or when you go to the store for toothpaste. You can try putting a drop of Dragon's Blood on the toothbrush or brush with a bit of ozonated oil to help gum issues.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#147

Post by cupcake-unicorn »

Oh man, lots of things. I have sensory processing disorder so I have a good kit for going out. That includes noise reducing headphones, both bluetooth and physical ones just to dampen the noise.

This neurofeedback device for sleep and other issues, super interesting science behind it: https://mindalive.com/products/david-delight-pro

And a PEMF device for chronic pain.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#148

Post by Dracophoenix »

bluewalt wrote: post #104

- A sneaker cleaner kit, to keep my sneakers clean with no effort. - A 15000 lux day lamp, because my apartment is pretty dark, why causes some sort of depressing feelings over time - A Brita Water Filter Pitcher, which replaces all the bottles of water I needed to buy and carry. - Magnet app (mac OS) to organize windows quickly with keyboard shortcuts.

What's the lamp model?

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#149

Post by teh_matt »

tmaly wrote: post #123
yodsanklai wrote: post #55

A headlamp. Allows me to hike in the evening or night. Super useful to hike in the winter when it gets dark early. It never crossed my mind that hiking in the night was a thing but it's pretty cool and I now do it all the time. Then maybe my commute bicycle that I bought for $200 and that I've been using almost daily for 15 years. So much better than a car or public transportation (at least where I live). Then we're…

which headlamp do you use? I bought two years ago from EMS, but they always end up draining the battery super quick when not in use.

I'd recommend a Zebralight one (I like the H600Fc), as they're small, light, and much brighter than most headlamps you'll find. I've also had good luck with Armytek (Wizard Pro Nichia), though people say their reliability is lower.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#150

Post by CodeGlitch »

DrJones1098 wrote: post #27

A dog. Overall for around 100 bucks a month in food/trifexis the value a dog brings to your life is massive. People will constantly talk to you so youre socializing. There's a creature that loves you unconditionally which is a really cool feeling. Theyre a ton of fun so it's hard to be bored. They're good for getting exercise as they always want to play. And more. Theres studies that say owning a dog increases your l…

I get what you're saying but quite a few of my neighbors have dogs that they leave to roam the garden during the day whilst they're out... And said dogs will bark at everyone and everything, which causes me stress (noise pollution). Please only get a dog that you can spend a lot of time with.
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