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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)

#441

Post by jorisboris »

stavros wrote: post #137
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…

Yesss bidet post upvote! Seriously, whenever I stay somewhere without a bidet I feel like a caveman. It's just such a quality of life improvement, it's crazy. Under $1000: My 3D printer. I just super love 3D printers.

What do you use the 3D printer for?

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

#442

Post by jwoglom »

voisin wrote: post #371
hangonhn wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes! Abbott Lingo (iPhone only for now) and Dexcom Stelo. They go for about $45 per sensor that last for 2 weeks. I second the OP's suggestion. It's completely changed my eating habits.

How does the Stelo compare to the G7? Do you have any tips for how to start with one and systematically get the most insight out of it?

Stelo is essentially a binned, feature-restricted version of the G7 that’s available OTC without a prescription. If you qualify for getting a G7, need readings more frequently than every 15 minutes, or have any need for high/low glucose alerts, then you shouldn’t consider Stelo at all, IMO —- it’s strictly an inferior version of the G7.

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

#443

Post by rjh29 »

_boffin_ wrote: post #227
Cyph0n wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

+1 to both. If you want more consistent rice, invest in a fuzzy logic rice cooker ($150-$300).

I find this comment funny. Go to your local grocery store and pick a rice cooker up for $15 and just add the rice and eyeball the water. …that much for a rice cooker—that’s nuts!

Almost every family in Japan has an expensive rice cooker. They eat rice 2-3 times a day so I trust them. The end result is a lot better, and water is too important to be eyeballed.

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

#444

Post by stavros »

jorisboris wrote: post #441
stavros wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yesss bidet post upvote! Seriously, whenever I stay somewhere without a bidet I feel like a caveman. It's just such a quality of life improvement, it's crazy. Under $1000: My 3D printer. I just super love 3D printers.

What do you use the 3D printer for?

I get this question a lot, and I never have a good answer. The best way to describe it is that it's a tool, so it unlocks a whole solution space that wasn't there before.

Before, I used to live with random little annoyances so much that I couldn't even see them as annoyances. After you get something that can solve all of them, your mind just unlocks.

Toilet seat won't stay up? Print a hook. Taking my glasses out of the glove compartment takes too long? Make a custom glasses holder. The cat eats too much? Print a cat feeder. My USB hub slides around too much? Print a bracket to hold it down. Too many devices on my desk? Print under-desk mounts for them.

The list just goes on and on and on, I've printed probably thousands of useful things, especially for my hobbies.

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

#445

Post by Corrado »

stavros wrote: post #137
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…

Yesss bidet post upvote! Seriously, whenever I stay somewhere without a bidet I feel like a caveman. It's just such a quality of life improvement, it's crazy. Under $1000: My 3D printer. I just super love 3D printers.

Same for me. The bidet is absolutely a life changer.

And the BambuLab's A1 3D printer (and mini-AMS) was by far my favorite under $1000 purchase. I've already printed some fidget "tools", toys for the grandchildren, toys for the children, and even a couple of useful tools for me. As a bonus I get some more experience in CAD and other 3D design tools. It's turning into quite a hobby for me.

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

#446

Post by eps »

george_best wrote: post #436

Under $100: 1) Geox shoes: I love this Italian brand for their breathable shoes. I’m now refusing to wear anything else if I know I’ll be walking more than a few kilometers because my feet don’t get tired. I can easily walk 20km+ a day during trips. I just got my 8th pair recently. 2) MUJI T-shirts: I bought several in the same colors, and they’re made of great-quality material with a fit that I genuinely enjoy weari…

Wiim amps are good, but they don't work without an Internet connection, which is completely ridiculous.

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

#447

Post by stavros »

Corrado wrote: post #445
stavros wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yesss bidet post upvote! Seriously, whenever I stay somewhere without a bidet I feel like a caveman. It's just such a quality of life improvement, it's crazy. Under $1000: My 3D printer. I just super love 3D printers.

Same for me. The bidet is absolutely a life changer. And the BambuLab's A1 3D printer (and mini-AMS) was by far my favorite under $1000 purchase. I've already printed some fidget "tools", toys for the grandchildren, toys for the children, and even a couple of useful tools for me. As a bonus I get some more experience in CAD and other 3D design tools. It's turning into quite a hobby for me.

Hell, the A1 mini is something like $199, it's such a steal I'm thinking of buying some to gift to friends.

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

#448

Post by stefandesu »

drcongo wrote: post #286
arrakark wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've tried OralB's $120 toothbrush, and their cheapest $30 Pro 300. Functionally, they are almost exactly the same!

Same, I replaced mine with a Suri a few months ago because while brushing my teeth I can't help thinking about the amount of plastic waste Oral B and regular toothbrushes produce. I love the Suri - https://www.trysuri.com

I've been using my Suri toothbrush for about 2 1/2 years I think (I had one on preorder before it came out). It's nice, compact, brushes well (according to my recent dentist visit), great battery life (usually over a month of twice per day brushing), and great USB-C charging case (that's the best part IMO).

What I don't like:

- Automatically turns off after 4x 30 seconds - I usually need a little more time than that.

- Proprietary replacements heads - I'm worried that they'll go out of business and I won't be able to get replacement heads anymore. (I could buy them in bulk now, but what if the toothbrush itself breaks and I can't get a new one?)

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

#449

Post by 7373737373 »

toyg wrote: post #385
7373737373 wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Yep, this is what I've been thinking!
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