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Ask HN: What are the purchases under $300 that have improved your life?

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Re: Ask HN: What are the purchases under $300 that have improved your life?

#41
post #16

If you don't already have them: noise cancelling headphones. If you like earbuds, the AirPods Pro are great. For sitting at a desk, over-ear headphones are extremely comfortable and have enough battery life to go all day. You can get a refurbished pair of Bose QC35 II's for $259.

They’re a pricey gift but this is also a wonderful thing to get for a loved one. It’s a nice feeling to be reminded of someone every time you use a long-lived item like that :)

Re: Ask HN: What are the purchases under $300 that have improved your life?

#42

Making the assumption that you work at a desk all day, and ignoring the good recommendations of a solid pair of noise-cancelling headphones, I'd recommend an ergonomic mouse and a nice keyboard. Personally I'm really into Logitech MX Vertical and MX Keys, but MX Master 3 is also very nice to work with. Has resulted in issues with wrists and hands reducing a lot. Your mileage may vary, though.

Great and totally correct assumption.

Love those suggestions! I got MX Master and a Keychron keyboard expensed at work last year. Great improvement to my workflow.

Re: Ask HN: What are the purchases under $300 that have improved your life?

#44
- Linen sheets - nice and cool in the summer, cozy in the winter, only get softer with each wash and I prefer the texture over cotton or silk.

- Bidet, seriously no idea how I lived without this for so long.

- Standing desk, ranges in price, standing obviously has its benefits but also just being adjustable so that your arms are in the correct spot while sitting is huge.

- A nice (big) enameled dutch oven, le creuset and staub are both good choices - more versatile than a cast iron pan, less maintenance, will last forever.

- Mobility, stretching and self massage tools: yoga mat + foam roller + lacrosse balls + theracane + resistance bands + some sort of routine (joe defranco and kelly starrett come to mind), spend the extra cash on a deep tissue massage and some yoga classes

Re: Ask HN: What are the purchases under $300 that have improved your life?

#46

Here are all of my favorite sub-$300 purchases: - A Moccamaster - A really nice electric kettle - A set of Insta-crates from Costco - A crokinole board. - A nice set of power tools (Makita, Dewalt, or Milwaukee). - A REALLY nice steak dinner. - A used T450s

Thanks for this, great suggestions! - I recently got an AeroPress, love it! - Electric Kettle is basically the first thing we bought when we moved in, so useful! - How are instacrates useful to you? Just general purpose storage? - Crokinole, very intersting, looking into this. - Agreed, power tools are a must! - I actually got a Butcherbox subcription, and am so happy about it. Good thing I like to cook. - A good lap…

We use instacrates instead of shopping bags. They pack flat then stack nicely in a car/shelf.

I love homecooking, but there is something very special about a quality steakhouse where the chef handpicks the meat and knows exactly how to cook it.

Re: Ask HN: What are the purchases under $300 that have improved your life?

#47

Books comes to mind: some quick examples - I learned to do my own electrical work, a-z from a book from Home Depot, just by reading it on my daily train commute . - Learned to sail, and received required certification all from a book. Books really do open your world up.

Could you please name both these books?

Electrical -

The Black & Decker Complete Guide to Home Wiring: Including Information on Home Electronics & Wireless Technology, Revised Edition Paperback

Sailing- I used prior version, but here's the latest

The Complete Sailing Manual Hardcover – Illustrated, June 1, 2021 by Steve Sleight (Author), Ben Ainslie (Foreword)

Re: Ask HN: What are the purchases under $300 that have improved your life?

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you please name both these books?

Electrical - The Black & Decker Complete Guide to Home Wiring: Including Information on Home Electronics & Wireless Technology, Revised Edition Paperback Sailing- I used prior version, but here's the latest The Complete Sailing Manual Hardcover – Illustrated, June 1, 2021 by Steve Sleight (Author), Ben Ainslie (Foreword)

Thank you!

Re: Ask HN: What are the purchases under $300 that have improved your life?

#49
post #44

- Linen sheets - nice and cool in the summer, cozy in the winter, only get softer with each wash and I prefer the texture over cotton or silk. - Bidet, seriously no idea how I lived without this for so long. - Standing desk, ranges in price, standing obviously has its benefits but also just being adjustable so that your arms are in the correct spot while sitting is huge. - A nice (big) enameled dutch oven, le creuset…

Agreed on the Dutch oven! For cookware like that, the second hand marketplace is the way to go. You can find them in excellent condition quite frequently as they’re so heavy that people sometimes won’t move with them.
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