Ask Lemmy

I will second the Bogleheads book, which you is online for free by the author. Really simplified investing into a 2 or 3 fund hands off portfolio. I've had great success with it and I never have to worry about financial news.

Ontario Rat pocketknife replaced my Benchmade I sadly lost. 90% as good for way less money. It hurts losing an expensive EDC item.

Add on bidet. I didn't know why baby wipes are so popular when this is cheaper and won't mess up plumbing.

Aeropress and pour over cone with Trade coffee subscription. With my medication I didn't drink much liquor anymore. Coffee tasting has all the fun of trying single origins without interfering with my meds and is probably cheaper and healthier.

Musical instruments. My guitars were fairly cheap and require little maintenance costs. I got my electric piano for free. Hundreds of hours of creativity and expression I can use for the rest of my life that is essentially free at this point. I'm not even very good at music, but it's a fun creative outlet.

Good pens. Don't have to be expensive. Pilot V5 and Uni Jetstream are my cheap go to, but they write so much nicer than super cheap ones. Once you appreciate those, check out JetPens and enjoy yourself.

XBox Game Pass. Saved me literally hundreds of dollars on games I'd buy otherwise, and avoids bad purchases like Redfall.

• I bought a TI-86 graphing calculator for $10 new in 2004. That was two years before it was discontinued, so that was an awesome price. I absolutely love that calculator. It's so easy to program for, it has custom shortcut keys, fantastic battery life, and has a super convenient multi-unit converter. The Casio FX-9750 GIII has a similar conversion feature, but it requires like, two extra button presses per conversion. I still use this calculator all the time.

• Programmable gaming mouse. I have so many key combos and macros on my mouse, I could do most of my job one handed now if I had to. It's been so helpful for things like holding the baby when I'm working and my wife is unavailable.

• Steelcase Leap V2. I can put in a 70 hour work week with no back pain now.

• A fountain pen. Doesn't even have to be an expensive one. Some of my best memories can be tied to cheap pens. Signing for my house with my Kaweco Sport. Or signing my marriage license with my Jinhao x250. I feel like I just appreciate what I'm writing more with a fountain pen.

• My PS2. Well, it was a gift. But still, I've had it since launch and it's only gotten better with time. Free MCBoot, hard drive, Noctua fan mod, Brooks PS3 controller adapter.. It's basically the only console I play anymore.

Vivobarefoot shoes! Bought the geo racer, my feet feels so light and good! Stretches the hamstrings as well.

My bike. Although that's with the caveat that it's only really effective because I use it all the time for all sorts of things.

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.

Leatherman Skeletool CX. It's been my EDC for over 10 years and has gotten me out of a handful of scrapes when I needed a tool for something and none were around. It's broken twice (the pliers don't hold up great to twisting forces), but Leatherman has a great warranty and I've had no problems getting it repaired/replaced by them. Such a nice company.

We got a Litter Genie for our two cats and I have never regretted it even once. We had an automatic litter box but it did nothing to trap the smells, and was a much bigger pain in the ass to maintain and clean. Now, we just have a regular litter box with a top-cover, and I scoop it out every other day and take out the litter genie bag once a week, easy peasy.

Steel series GGs. Best headphones I have ever had for gaming and streaming.

A good set of kitchen knives. I am not a culinary expert, but why fuck around with crap knives.

AAA card has saved me so much money in tows and keys. I have an older car as a commuter and while it was a steal there were a few odds and ends that needed to be worked out while making it a commuter.

The herman miller aeron is the best chair ever. other chairs I've tried all feel so much worse, and ventilate terribly. I recommend removing the back support to make them even more comfortable.

Also, Patagonia backpacks are really nice. I used one for 9 years of daily heavy use for school, but they also work well for laptops and travel if you get the right one.

Also want to say that home gym equipment a fantastic investment if you have the space.

It might take a few years to pay for itself, but a good bar and squat rack will last forever. And the commute out of the equation means you're probably more likely to use it.

i also struggled with the idea of paying for this but tbh after using it for over a year now, i don't have a problem.

we live in a place with micro climates where there temps can swing widely at night from day to day & the auto pilot does small fine tuning based on a number of things. this for me at least is worth $10 a month.

compare & contrast with the oura ring which requires a $5/mo sub to get any useful insight out of it - without the subscription you only get how long you slept witha proprietary sleep score that has no insight behind it. after spending a few hundred dollars for the ring this really started to piss me off.

at least with the 8 sleep bed the device is actually performing / working for me vs just giving me data.

the 8 bed also gives you much of the same data oura does so the subscription just hits differently for me.

finally if you're thinking about this - definitely consider the cover vs the full mattress. same tech and they way they've designed it makes it fit beautifully on your existing setup at ~ $1k less than the mattress combo 😊

My 512GB Steam Deck, easily. I've used it almost every day for going on a year now, and the novelty of playing things like Witcher 3, or Mass Effect, or a fully modded Skyrim anywhere I want still hasn't worn off.

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.

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.

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.

OXO ice cube trays. All my life ice cube trays have been annoying to deal with.

Saw these in some absolute random YouTube videos and I had to have them.

I cycle 3 trays all year round and have perfect to pop ice cubes anytime I want. Yeehaw.

Vivo brand monitor arms, the simple pole clamp ones. 40 bucks give or take, I've had them for 6+ years and they should last for another 10+ I would think, awesome value.

Sennheiser Momentum 3 wired headphones. Used and abused, replaced the cord and ear cups after about 3-4 years for 35 bucks total and they work as well now as they did brand new. Sound is great, they are comfy too.

Sony A6000 camera. Works great, awesome pictures.

IFixit multi-bit screwdriver set with the hard case. Had it for around a decade so far. Nothing broken, nothing worn out. Use it all the time on computers, furniture, electronics, etc. Plan on having it for another 10 years easily.

Steam Deck. Best general purpose gaming handheld out there. Moddable, repairable, high quality, super fun, runs everything I want.

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

I never owned "expensive" Headphones so buying these improved my enjoyment of listening to music so much.

Dentist, not one of those thirty chair operations either. One dentist with one or two hygienists. Twice a year

Rowing machine. I use it Monday-Friday before work. Puts me in a good headspace and makes my workday feel less stressful. I’ve lost a bunch of weight also. I like that I can workout hard multiple days in a row without risking injury.

Android phones because of their open ecosystem and customization. Very easy to get all forms of entertainment for free.

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.

Buying name brand winter coats, gloves and boots (Columbia/North Face) over generic store brand (Target/Walmart). They hold up so much better and are warmer and more waterproof when stated. The generic stuff is not as warm. We are -20 pretty regularly in the winter here and you need stuff that works. I usually size up a couple sizes for my kids' coats and they are still in great condition after a few years of wear.

I have heard a lot of people say those brands have gone downhill and the quality is not there... and to buy Patagonia or some such thing. To that I say I am just a regular person trying to clothe a family and I cannot drop money like that.