Ask Lemmy

Not a physical item, but LASIK, I got it done a few months ago and oh boy I should have done it a lot sooner.

Otherwise a PS Vita with an SD2Vita, it has given me countless hours of on the go entertainment.

An ereader that supports the epub format. Getting all my books from Anna’s Archive saves me hundreds of dollars each year. If I absolutely loved the book, I buy the ebook to support the author after all.

Tea from a now-defunct tea store called Teavana. The woman who would become my wife was working the counter there and gave me her number.

Homeowner's insurance, hands down.

I used to bitch every time I made a payment and then one day my house burned to the ground. The insurance payout for the house itself was twice what I paid for the house, and then they paid more to cover the contents of the house.

Yeah, I don't complain about paying that bill anymore :)

So when does Lemmy get its own HailCorporate?

• A cast iron pan and paraphernalia. Not cheap, but it's great to cook with.
• Books. Never regretted buying those.
• Purchase art from artists.

In this order:

1. Washing Machine
2. Dishwasher
3. Dryer
4. Robot vacuum cleaner

I went 6 days a couple weeks ago without power due to a massive storm. After a few days I purchased a small solar panel that has a USB port in it you can plug in anything that needs a charge. Works really good! It’s only 10 watt so charges pretty slowly but when you’re fully cut off from the grid, it’s a life safer. Definitely my most worthy purchase in quite some time.

A passport.

Lodge Cast Iron - Haven't replaced my skillets and pots just make sure you know how to clean them.

Vacuum Sealer and Sous Vide - Perfect steak every time.

A Kawasaki ninja 650. It might not sound like much. But, its given me something to look forward too. Before I was really lost. I thought life just isn't worth living. But now? I still feel like that. But, its given me such a sense of freedom, and, whilst I haven't actually met any other bikers yet. It just feels a lot nicer. Like, when I'm out and I see another, its just a simple not. But, I feel apart of something now.

I've been riding around 2 weeks now. But I still get giddy when I ride. I love it. More than anything I've had before. And I haven't felt like this since I was with my first gf.

This became quite long. Sorry.

Meet eric111189 eric111189 has his life together Be more like eric111189

Alfred app for Mac. It is kind of a spotlight replacement for Mac but so much more. Think of it as turning your machine into productivity powerhouse where you are using the keyboard to access everything very quickly instead of wasting your time clicking around with the mouse. It is like a Swiss army knife where even just one of its features is a whole app for other people. I use it all day everyday for the past decade. And I keep adding to it new workflows or discovering new features. It is the app that is a million apps in one.

Good áss socks, life is too short to wear crappy socks

Purple mattress. Don't remember what I paid but it was discounted because it was open box. Best sleep I've ever had and no waking up to back pain. I even bought a Purple pillow and rarely have neck pain.

Raspberry Pi. I got one before prices shot up. If I didn't have one already I'd go with one of the cheapest alternatives. I haven't done anything super crazy like a doorbell cam or magic mirror but it's been a ton of fun.

Similarity to the Pi my favorite laptop purchase has gotta be my Acer Aspire One netbook. It's noticeably slower than any other device I have but I'll still use it because I just love the form factor. Super light and easy to use anywhere and unlike a tablet it's got a built-in keyboard, several ports, and runs Docker (seems like it's possible on Android but very laborious).

Honestly, my current car. It's a tiny old rusty beat up car from 1990 that I got for around 650€ 3 years ago. It uses around 5L/100km and in total I've only spent around 200€ in parts for it and it just keeps going. It's old enough so that I only have to do inspection every 2 years (instead of every year on newer cars), don't have to pay road tax, and insurance is around 11€/month. It gets me where I need to go and is dirt cheap to own. Definitely a money saver for me.

If you don’t have a cordless vacuum yet, it’s an awesome investment. Got one from Costco that has a smart setting for sucking up pet hair and other detritus that typically lives deep in the carpet. I have no problem vacuuming daily now because it’s so easy to just pick up and go. I’ve also heard people with wood floors say that roomba has made it so they never have to swiffer a day in their lives and that sounds pretty rad.

Adjustable bed platform has also changed my life. Don’t wait until you’re 50, get it whenever you can afford it. I swear to god it’s a game changer.

• sennheiser hD598 - ~$150, had them for 7 years, rock solid, sound great
• elgato HD60 w chinese HDMI splitter - ~$150 lets me record anything from an HDMI, blur out channel logos, etc
• j mascis sig jazzmaster ~$500 used - best guitar i ever played

So far:

• Aeropress. Extremely convenient, easily replicable coffee making. I use a Timemore C2 grinder with it, and buy coffee from local roasters.
• Nintendo Switch. I've played more games on it than any other console, it's just so convenient.
• Zojirushi Rice Cooker. Best investment into daily living I've ever made. It makes the best rice, bar none.

I absolutely love my induction stove. I've been Wanting one forever, can't justify the price to run upgrade my electrical panel and run a 240v line (I have gas now). Finally decided to get a cheap countertop model (duxtop). It's night and day. Holy shit. It boils water faster than I could imagine. It's Hotspot is a little small for a cast iron pan, but works perfectly with steel pans. Gets hot very quick, cools off quick. Way easier to clean. I absolutely love it.

Eventually I'll get a full sized one, but for now, 2 burners is enough.

Bidet. Telescoping shoehorn.

An e-Book reader! IDK which model would be best for you since mine is an old Kindle, but being able to take SO MANY books wherever I go is a godsend. Way better than reading on my phone or laptop.

A powerful hairdryer. At one point we had 5 people in the house with long hair, some washing it daily. One day I was away from home and the place I was staying at had a large, professional looking hairdryer. I didn't know that you could dry long, thick hair in just a few minutes. I bought one for home immediately!

I somehow managed to buy a house last year. Idk how I did it, but it's the best purchase I've ever made.

A $100 brother laser printer (2280dw but it has been discontinued). It's like a printer from an alternative universe where printers aren't evil.

Had it for about 6 years now. Printed thousands of pages and only needed to replace the ink cartridge a few times. Had no issues with 3-rd party cartridges. Surprisingly never required any maintenance.

Other laser printer brands that can probably perform similarly, but I can only vouch for this one.

Definitely my iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit. Cost like 70€ but I've repaired dozens of devices with it which otherwise would've gone to waste. Based on that it easily saved me more money than it cost :D

Breville Espresso Machine: never would have bought one but we ended up with a bunch of gift cards. If you like coffee this makes such a difference.

Lynda.com/LinkedIn learning account: Keeping with your $0 library theme. Most libraries have had a partnership with online learning services. Used to by Lynda.com but is now LinkedIn Laarning. Search your library + linked in learning for login. I use it to learn so many skills!

Wusthof Knives: I like cooking. These aren’t the fanciest knife by far but they are solid. Combine them with sharpening stones and a honing steel and it is such a treat to cut the things you cook.

New socks: I don’t buy them as often as I want, or should have you ask my wife but, if I won the lotto my rich guy asshole Move would be new socks each week.

5th Wheel: I don’t have it anymore but when we moved out of one state we sold everything and bought a used rv (only after ensuring the espresso machine fit) and fixed it up. We traveled for 10 months around the US with two kids and two dogs, just to do it. We worked as we went. It was crazy and chaotic and wonderful and I cherish all the moments. I love the small nested world it becomes. We finally settled down and sold it but I still think about doing it again.

Thanks for sharing yours!

I'd say probably a Kindle and an electric toothbrush:

1. Kindle Paperwhite (~130 USD) - Was addicted to social media for a while so I decided to get into a healthier hobby, and I'd wanted to get into reading for quite some time. Instead of a tablet or an actual physical book (I have nothing against it; I actually prefer it but I have storage issues), I opted for a Kindle cuz it has no intrusive notifications, and I can bring it anywhere, at different times and lighting situations.

2. Oral-B Electric Toothbrush (~25 USD) - One of the best purchases. I like brushing my teeth in general, but having an electric toothbrush feels even better cuz it makes my mouth feel cleaner than before without having to exude much effort, and the strokes are not inconsistent.

K240 studio headphones and a Samson Meteor mic. Doesn't have to be these specifically, but switching from headsets to decent studio headphones and a decent mic is a gamechanger. Sound quality is way better and good build quality makes them last longer. The only thing breaking in years has been a cable (kind of my fault as well) and they can be easily replaced, unlike most headsets.