Ask Lemmy

1. My horses and dog have brought me so much happiness and fortune over the years. I’m so glad I got through having my horse when I was young and poor and didn’t wait until later to adopt one.

2. A vacation to Europe (specifically the southern Netherlands). It radically changed my outlook on life that I got out and lived with my internet friends for a few weeks. As an American who grew up being told how bad it was outside the country, it was mind blowing to see and meet people outside my bubble. I now want to move to the EU (have my eye on Marseille and Seville).

3. AirPods Pro 2 (specifically the 2nd gen because of the improvements): before having these, wired earbuds were a pain in the ass to use. Transparency and ANC have changed my life because I can pop on ANC while vacuuming and not be bothered to crank up a stereo to hear over the vacuum. Also for riding my horse: I got some accessory ear huggers that you slip on so they literally cannot fall out. I can ride for hours while listening to tunes.

4. A very bright ceiling light in the kitchen. Self explanatory.

5. A chef’s knife. I personally only spent 40$ and it’s been great so far.

6. A dog door. I cannot tell you how amazing it is to just let the dogs shit outside on their own and they come back in. No more worrying about leaving them home because of the anxiety induced when they don’t shit on the morning walk.

Bidet. Telescoping shoehorn.

A rice cooker, and a pair of clip-on earphones that I bought specifically because I like Persona 3, but turned out to be a really good pair.

Our most used item at home. Nespresso machine.

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.

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!

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).

I bought a house 11 years ago

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.

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.

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.