
Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought? - ggregoire
Just reading about air purifiers and wondering what other things like this I completely missed in my life.<p>Personal recommendations: kindle, rice cooker.<p>Edit: It&#x27;s so obvious to me now (and to most people I guess) that I forgot about my washer dryer. To other young adults reading this, if you can afford it and have the space in your apartment, just get a washer dryer ASAP. Even if you live 5 minutes away from a self-service laundry. It&#x27;ll actually change your life.
======
kylebenzle
Yes to the air purifier. People living without them are insane. Also, buying
and running an air purifier destroyed my marriage! My wife said she didn't
like the sound of it. So I bough a new, super quite one. Then she said she
didn't like the "frequency" not the volume of the machine. One day I came home
and she had unplugged it and we got into an argument. I told her to please
just "shut up" and that was when she attacked and literally tried to kill me.
I got away but later she went to the police and told them she had been
"assaulted". Nothing happened but she filed for divorce.

I still love the air purifier though!

~~~
chvid
What brand of air purifier was this?

------
jablongo
Apple Watch - Allows me to view my blood glucose at any time.

Dexcom CGM - This is the best way to constantly measure your blood glucose,
though it is a bit expensive.

Rileylink - This is an open source hardware device which intercepts BLE
packets from my continuous glucose monitor and sends reverse engineered 433mhz
communications to my insulin pump. This has a companion app (Loop) which tells
me projected blood glucose on my Apple Watch and automatically administers
insulin accordingly.

To a lesser extent, AirPods - it’s pretty cool to be able to say “hey Siri,
what’s my blood sugar?” while I’m riding my bike.

When I first got the Apple Watch + plus rileylink setup it was like Xmas every
morning ; I got to wake up and look at how my blood sugar had been
successfully controlled by the system through the night. Taken together, this
open source loop/rileylink system was probably the first legit artificial
pancreas used by diabetics in real life. All the other data like insulin on
board and active carbohydrates was so exciting to have directly modeled and
displayed on my watch since I had spent years trying to estimate those
variables in my head throughout the day.

~~~
PascLeRasc
That's so cool. I'd love to read a longer post about the Rileylink and how you
use it if you're interested in writing one.

~~~
DavideNL
Not sure if you know of this already but FYI:
[https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/build/step1/](https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/build/step1/)

------
mynegation
Tickets to cart racing for the second date with my wife (back then future
wife). I did not know she does not drive, and she does not drive now, but she
carried through this with such a poise and good attitude that I realized she
just might be the one.

Books - some of them were free, some of them bought, about mathematics,
physics, chemistry, programming that got me hooked on these subjects.

Computers. Sinclair ZX Spectrum clone when I was in secondary school and my
own PC that I assembled myself in university.

Contact lenses. I am myopic and used glasses. Contact lenses required some
time to get used to, but ultimately gave me the great feeling of freedom.

Anything to support shared experience with people I love. It could be a ticket
to the movies or a museum, meals in restaurant or for a picnic etc. The exact
expenditure is not really important and it may be a good movie or not, but
what matters is time spent together.

~~~
ggregoire
> Contact lenses. I am myopic and used glasses. Contact lenses required some
> time to get used to, but ultimately gave me the great feeling of freedom.

Have you thought about LASIK? (I am myopic too but it's very recent, about 2-3
years)

Edit: there are 2 other comments about it here:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23669299](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23669299)

~~~
mynegation
Thank you for the link! Yes I have, but my near sightedness is not strong so
within the confines of home it is OK and there are days during this pandemic
when I do not wear lenses at all, but for going outside and for sure physical
activities and driving.

As for LASIK - I read that they essentially cut the top layer and just put it
on top and that strong head impact may separate it from the eye. Not sure how
true or relevant it is for modern methods - need to do my research.

------
vsskanth
I moved to the US from a developing nation. For the first 5 years I was not
aware of the dishwasher in my apartment (was using it to store utensils). I
was familiar with washer dryers though.

One day one of my friends told me what it actually does and taught me how to
use it.

Mind. Blown.

~~~
cell9840179419
I hear you. I knew it is a dishwasher, as I could clearly read it. But I
didn't care 5 years to figure how to use it. It is also that they cannot clean
after every type of cooking..

~~~
ksaj
> every type of cooking..

That's a euphemism for bad cooking, isn't it?

Kidding. We have a dish washer, but actually use it as storage space for
things that need to be kept cool. You're supposed to rinse things before
putting them into the dish washer. We just figured, if you have to do that,
you're already half-way to the drying rack. And it's always cooler than any
cupboard space that we have. Even in the summer.

~~~
tedmiston
> You're supposed to rinse things before putting them into the dish washer.

I think this is a popular misconception from many people's experience with bad
dishwasher soaps. With high quality detergent and rinse solution I never pre-
wash dishes and they virtually always come out clean. I use the Cascade
Complete brand which is definitely on the more expensive side, maybe the most
expensive, but it's still very cheap accounting for the amount of time in your
life it saves from never hand-washing dishes. I also use their rinse aid which
makes a big difference too.

~~~
ksaj
Actually, I agree. I did use some additional liquid once and was surprised at
how amazingly clean everything was after. But the load took hours. So we just
kept up the manual ritual.

------
amoitnga
Chair. Never understood why somebody would pay for a chair more than 50-60
bucks. Something you can get in staples/wallmart anywhere... My friend bought
Herman Miller for ~$1000 and I called him a donkey. Then started a job where
we had these chairs in the office. Noticed it. Even back when I was broke,
rented a room and didn't want to buy anything that would be potentially a
problem to move, I still decided to buy it. I use it 6-8 hours a day. Worth
it.

2) Higher quality kitchenware. knifes and frying pans. I actually had to go
over few iterations cause even though I got more expensive ones they still
didn't work well. Now, though, it significantly improved the quality/cooking
of my food

3) High quality headphones/ear buds. Something about great quality sound makes
it so much better to work out. I can run longer with proper soundtrack.

4) Car that I really wanted. I get behind the wheel and literally enjoy
holding it my hand. comfortable/fast/smooth. looks sexy. It is an esthetic
pleasure.

5) Very good laptop and widescreen curved screen. using them for work everyday
- makes total sense to go with top of the line.

    
    
      I think it would very cool to have washer/dryer in unit. I don't have that. carrying a bag of underwear to another building in 2020 seems unnecessary.
    
    

P.S coffee maker. ~$700... I feel like it payed for itself in first month. I
love coffee - it makes it itself. no standing around holding a cup of milk.

~~~
ggregoire
> Herman Miller

I always see that brand mentioned in the comments but they have a lot of
different models. Which one do you recommend?

~~~
tedmiston
It's worth going to a Herman Miller dealer to try the range of models. Some of
them fit different body sizes, especially varying heights and widths much
better. I didn't like the way the Aeron felt on my shoulder blades, it's very
wide, so I got the Embody which is also quite popular, and much more narrow.
The Embody is more expensive but worth it in my opinion. Also remember that
both come with an incredible warranty.

The only models I wouldn't spend much time looking at are their conference
room chairs -- the ones not designed to be sat in comfortably for a full day.

More info on Aeron vs Embody - [https://www.btod.com/blog/herman-miller-aeron-
vs-embody/](https://www.btod.com/blog/herman-miller-aeron-vs-embody/)

------
noir_lord
A cheap aluminium road bike (since replaced with a full carbon Felt).

At the time (10 years ago) I was 240lbs (been working stupid hours for nearly
2 years and pizza was easier on the way home) and the doc had just found I had
stage 2 hypertension which he wanted to medicate, I asked him to give me a
couple of months and if no improvement I'd take his advice, stopped in
Halford's (bike chain in the UK) and bought their cheapest road bike for 400
quid, I resolved to go out every other day and fix my diet which I did
gradually increasing distance/pace, at the end of the two months I was down
over 10lbs and blood pressure was heading the right way and I'd got addicted
to cycling, I signed up for a 200km overnight charity ride at the end of the
summer (this was late spring time) and set about training for it _properly_
working up to 80 then 100 then 120 mile rides until I was confident I could do
it.

By the charity ride came around I was 190lbs and decided to treat myself to a
nicer bike (I was too fat for the nice bike at the start, I mean literally too
fat, it had a 100kg max weight limit recommended...).

In terms of return on investment that 400 quid bike was the based deal I ever
made.

------
PragmaticPulp
Extremely bright, high-CRI lighting for my home office.

I have extra lights I can turn on in the early morning to simulate daylight.
This is far and away the most powerful tool for manipulating my sleep/wake
cycles.

Even without seasonal affective disorder, an early morning dose of extremely
bright light improves my energy and mood throughout the day. It also makes it
easier to fall asleep at night because my circadian rhythms are further
entrained.

> Just reading about air purifiers

I also bought multiple, large HEPA air purifiers for the house. I can't say I
noticed any real differences. I keep them for peace of mind, though. I had
better results with those adhesive strips that you put on your nose to open
your breathing passages at night.

------
TheHideout
Lasik eye surgery. It cost about $4k per eye USD due to how bad my eyes were.
I went to a super reputable place and now have perfect vision. I can barely
remember what it was like before.

Even better, I paid for them using money I made from my first indie game
release. Was a huge emotional win for me.

~~~
voisin
I second this. The cliche you hear when looking into LASIK (“my only regret is
I didn’t do it sooner”) is 100% correct. I can’t believe I didn’t do it 10
years earlier. I am 2 years post-op and I still find myself breathlessly
looking at a vista shocked at the clarity. I think the price has come way down
since you paid, and no longer varies based on amount of correction. It should
be around $4k flat for both eyes.

~~~
justaj
Isn't there a risk of botched procedures though?

------
pelario
Therapy. Best use of money in my life.

You don't need to have a "big problem" (like depression) to visit a therpist.

~~~
voisin
I can’t wrap my head around the cost without an obvious “big problem” to deal
with.

~~~
Etheryte
The "trick", if you'd call it that, is to get it covered either by your
insurance or your employer, whichever is possible where you're from. It's
fairly easy to make the case that you'll be a lot more productive if you get
professional help to deal with the stress your work causes you.

------
PascLeRasc
Possibly my Patagonia down jacket. I didn't grow up in a family that could
afford nice winter jackets and always had a used ski-style winter jacket,
which is really hard to move around in and not very warm. I didn't know it was
possible to be comfortable in cold weather until this past winter.

~~~
loco5niner
Love the down stuff. Comforter (from Costco, on a deal), Jacket (from our
local used gear store on a deal). Amazing warmth. My wife grew up in a similar
situation as you. Could never get warm (skinny, and due to early arthritis the
cold 'hurts'). Can't believe the weather she has been willing to go out in
this past winter.

------
samvher
A pressure cooker. I originally bought it because I wanted to grow mushrooms
and needed to sterilize the substrate, but ended up using it mostly for
cooking. Lots of meals that usually take too much time are suddenly very
reasonable to cook. I especially use beans and other legumes a lot more than I
did before.

~~~
dmarchand90
I adore my instant pot. Also, strongly recommend this recipe to anyone
reading: [https://www.wellplated.com/instant-pot-lentil-
curry/](https://www.wellplated.com/instant-pot-lentil-curry/)

------
bitcurious
Vitamin D. Totally changed my life. Haven’t had a real bout of depression
since I started taking it.

~~~
voisin
How much do you take per day?

~~~
bitcurious
5000 in the winter 3000 in the summer.

------
ISL
At least for perspective alteration: Plane tickets.

The gut answer, though, is a pair of snowshoes. Much of the best of my life
can be traced to that decision.

------
umvi
\- Audible/Overdrive/LibriVox (I get through a lot more books per year
listening to audio books as I do the dishes, etc.)

\- Trash poker (Neighborhood/hiking trails are so much cleaner now, since I
bring it with me wherever I hike and pickup trash)

~~~
pwesner
Never heard the term trash poker. Is it more than carring a trash bag and
collecting trash? Sounds very promising, I‘ll give it a try.

~~~
mc32
Think of fireplace pokers. These are used to pick up trash. Some have
prehensile ends some just a sharp end.

------
andrefuchs
Noice cancelling headphones with low latency Bluetooth

~~~
lhoff
May i ask which one you use?

~~~
Insanity
I use the sony WH-1000XM3 and love them. Game changer for noisy work
environments.

~~~
ThisMark
I have the same, and they're brilliant. Put them on and it feels like I'm
instantly transported to different (quiet) place.

------
mw6621
A document scanner.

I had many years of old paper tax returns, and I wanted them in PDF format.
Paid $400 for an Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1500 and absolutely love it. Put a stack
of documents in the top, hit "scan", and a PDF appears on my computer. Zero
hassle.

Anything that I get in paper form gets immediately scanned, backed up, and
shredded.

~~~
moepstar
I actually plan on getting a paper scanner too (aside from the slow, crappy
multifunction printer thingamajig i got), however, the pricetag has scared me
away until now - do you have any other recommendations for maybe cheaper
options?

That being said, scanning stuff is only part of my plan - i also plan on
putting things into Mayan EDMS or paperless, OCR'd up and searchable...

[https://www.mayan-edms.com](https://www.mayan-edms.com) /
[https://github.com/the-paperless-project/paperless](https://github.com/the-
paperless-project/paperless)

~~~
tomjen3
I just brought a standard scanner from a big box store.

It is manual per page, but that isn't too bad unless you need to scan 400
pages at once and it can put paper together for a multipage pdf if so desired.
I also scanned some of my old handwritten diaries but because those where in
notebooks it was a pain to scan the pages and required me to hold both the
notebook and the scanner and they still came out wobbly.

------
AnonC
* Nintendo Wii with Wii Fit Plus game and balance board: usage has been on and off, but I still enjoy the combination of exercise with games. Using it for yoga and strength training, even with its limited variety and how it measures things, has meant that it’s a lot better than doing nothing. It’s no home gym though. The Wii Sports Resort game can also make one pant and have a good enough cardio workout.

* Apple Watch: yes, it’s quite easy to cheat and close the activity rings for standing, exercise and calories burned, but it still helps. Not having the phone around to see what a notification is about (and acting on it) is another plus. I can’t wait for sleep monitoring that’s coming in watchOS 7 (to be released in a few months).

Additional mentions: washing machine (for clothes), a powerful blender (like
Vitamix), pressure cooker, and a stovetop with four burners.

------
Raed667
A Garmin watch. Having your health data easily available makes healthy
decisions (take the stairs, or walk a bit more, or hit the gym...) a lot
easier.

~~~
dingaling
Frankly those should be defaults, not decisions you take based on data.

I see this quite often with people using smartwatches. "Oh I've hit my calorie
burn target for the week, I can skip workout today". It's not just about
calories but also about toning and stamina and establishing daily routine.

~~~
Raed667
They should be default, but we always underestimate how much we eat and over
estimate how active we're.

Having hard data in my wrist and setting up reminders and gamification helps
me to remain on track.

I have daily goals that reset at midnight, so when I walk twice as much
yesterday, I still have to walk my daily quota today.

It was very effective for me.

------
m90
Sublime Text license

------
mixmixmix
AirPods Pro

The original ones were awesome, but these ones are even better. Absolute game
changer.

~~~
PascLeRasc
I'm really interested in getting a pair. If you don't mind, I have a few
questions:

1 - If you put regular non-Apple earbuds in your ears and talk, does your
voice sound different and off-putting?

2 - Do the Airpods Pro do this, and how are they for phone calls in general?

I'd really like to have them for phone calls and Zoom meetings, but regular
earbuds make it hard for me to talk without being super conscious of how it
sounds. Regular Apple earbuds don't have this effect, but they hurt my ears so
I don't think regular Airpods would work for me. I don't think everyone has
this problem though.

~~~
mixmixmix
Initially, I was self conscious when I walked around with them and talked to
people, but now I have no problems wearing AirPods Pro all day and talking to
people with them on (Via Transparency Mode)

They work great for phone calls, music listening, noise cancellation is great,
too.

Maybe not as good as Sony, but as an overall product, I love them and would
buy them again in a heartbeat.

~~~
PascLeRasc
Maybe I wasn't clear enough. I'm sure they're a great product, but could you
directly answer the following 2 questions?

1) Are you familiar with the effect where having your ears sealed off makes
your voice sound weird to yourself?

2) Do the Airpods Pro have this effect?

------
yojo
Sleep:

\- blackout curtains, blackout rod, and white noise machine.

\- latex hybrid mattress. I settled on Luma's version of this.

Exercise: Mini home gym settup

\- Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells with stand. Power blocks would be equally
good, these were just on sale at the time.

\- Cheapo belt-drive indoor bike

\- Pull-up bar

\- Bench if you have extra space.

Work:

\- Ergo mouse and keyboard (I use Freestyle 2 for keys and Evoluent vertical
mouse).

Liesure:

\- Kindle with buttons. Used the old keyboard one until it died, then switched
to the Voyage.

Car:

\- Honda Fit. Incredible value in this car. Parks anywhere.

\- Roof rack w/cargo box. Turn your subcompact car into a station wagon.

Cooking:

\- Instant-read thermometer

\- Vintage cast iron pan. They cost about the same and have a much nicer
surface. Best I've found is Griswold.

\- Forged knives with decent steel. Best value here is probably something
Japanese (e.g. Tojiro Gyuto)

\- Japanese water stone for sharpening. It's a fun skill and doesn't take long
to learn - or just pay for it regularly. Sharp knives are life changing.

\- Tri-ply pots/pans. I went for All-Clad, but Cuisinart seems to do fine for
much less $$.

\- Panasonic IR toaster (FlashXpress). Compact, super-fast , bulletproof. (I'm
on year 10 of consistent operation).

\- Moccamaster or knockoff version - I use the "Motif Essential" which
sporadically shows up for $50. 85% of the flavor of pour-over, 20% of the
work.

House:

\- Battery-op electric lawnmower/blower/trimmer. No more gas fumes, low
maintenance, quiet.

\- Cordless drill

\- Basement dehumidifier. No more funky smell.

\- Color tunable light-bulbs. Bright blue in the morning, orange-y in the
evening. It's flux for your house.

Health:

\- allergies: sublingual immuno therapy. Same benefits as allergy shots, no
shots.

\- IR thermometer. Especially if you have kids.

------
lettergram
\- Cast Iron pan (one pan to do it all)

\- Crockpot (cook while you work)

\- Good mattress (you spend 30%+ of your time there)

\- Roomba (clean while you work)

\- Ninja blender/food processor

\- Noise Canceling air pods

\- toaster oven (cheap and you can cook everything)

------
padde
A motorcycle. Gave/gives me tons of fun, quality "alone" time, new friends.

------
canada_dry
Linux.

*acquired - not purchased.

I've been through many game changing OSes (I'll skip pre-Windows) NT, OS/2 and
Windows 3.11, then Win95 and finally - arguably the last decent OS from MS -
Windows 7.

Then I discovered Linux (debian and ubuntu flavours mainly) and it's been a
game changer! I haven't had an anti-virus clogging up my system nor required
running registry cleaners. I feel like I've regained control over my computer
vs. it controlling me!

------
speedgoose
Eyeglasses. It's actually very useful and relaxing to not see the life in
blur.

------
hereisdx
Kindle Paperwhite

~~~
TMWNN
The one benefit I did not expect from an ereader was the freedom to flip
between any and all of my books at any time.

My usual routine is to fall asleep while reading my Paperwhite at night. It is
small enough to carry in my pocket when traveling or doing anything outside
the home.

Yes, I could do all those things with my phone, but the e-ink makes reading
all so, so much more pleasant.

------
chenxiaolong
For me, it was the VR game Beat Saber. I built my first desktop and got a VR
headset just to be able to play it. I took 3 weeks off work December last year
and lost ~10lbs (155lbs -> 145lbs) playing 2-3 hours every day. It's been
great for me since I've been sitting in front of my computer all day for years
and never really enjoyed exercising.

------
nrp
If you live in a cold climate, a heated mattress pad is a game changer. It
lets you sleep more comfortably and also reduce energy use by turning your
central heating further down at night. They are pretty ubiquitous in Korea
(probably from a legacy of under floor heating and sleeping on mats), but not
commonly used in the US. They should be!

~~~
dorchadas
I want the reverse of this. I live in the South in the states, so the summers
are miserable, and my roommates like it warm (like 75+), but I want to sleep
cold and I just sleep so much better that way. I wish there was a way to get
the opposite effect efficiently somehow.

Sadly, fans just don't do it for me as the noise bothers me; I don't like much
white noise when I'm sleeping.

------
wcpines
The Dash Pros

[RIP Bragi. You could probably substitute any other good wireless earbuds,
though.]

This means I can learn and discover during activities where this was
previously not possible.

Podcasts and audiobooks are available during commutes, flights, runs, bike
rides, misc chores and errands etc.

The fact that they're entirely wireless, have very good noise cancellation
(in-ear seal), a powerful touch interface, and are sweat/water proof, makes
them especially useful. (e.g. skip song with double-tap while biking)

(Of course, use your discretion; shutting out the world and being always on
the receiving end of information without time to process your own thoughts and
letting them wander I think comes with a cost.)

Edit:

I'll echo what others have said as well: bikes!

Probably tied for first place is my bike which I bought off CraigsList in
queens back in 2014. The decision to bike somewhere rather than driving/taking
the train/walking means: new forms of exercise, new ways to discover a city,
and it's fun :)

------
frrdinand
A used bicycle for commuting, riding around the city and traveling. It’s a
racing bike of the 90s, fast, light and reliable.

------
greatNespresso
For smokers, the easy way to stop smoking by Allen Carr. Read it, quit smoking
two days later, and I have been enjoying fresh air, greater taste and an
overall feeling of "hell yeah I did it" for almost a year now. My wife also
quit one month later thanks to the book. First time an author actually
delivers on its premise.

------
aaanotherhnfolk
A small (~4qt) water boiler for the kitchen. Having on-demand hot water makes
tea as available as a glass of water.

First benefit: tea is a beverage hobby with some stunning depth (think wine,
beer, scotch, etc).

Second benefit: Lots of flavor diversity means you won't have to reach for
sugary or alcoholic drinks as often to fight off boredom.

------
pier25
A Herman Miller desk chair.

I spend at least 10 hours everyday in front of my computer and the investment
was well worth it.

~~~
hirundo
Ditto. My back has been massively better since I shelled out for a Mirra 2.

------
syedmeesamali
Arduino — Makes me happy whenever I look at it and feels like I can build
anything with it. iPad — I read all my books there. Without books I don’t know
if I exist. Car — A car that I love and makes me feel happy and confident
every time I turn the key. It’s patrol safari.

------
excitednumber
I love stuff like this so here are my contributions:

1 - the economist audio edition. I always found it incredibly exhausting and
impossible to keep up on current events in a moderately objective way (nothing
is perfect). The economist audio edition ate up all my podcast time but
allowed me to feel well informed across various topics. I highly recommend it
to anyone who enjoys following geo-politics, economics and other topics. They
allow download to mp3 and stream via an app (I use musicolet on Android).

2 - RM Williams Chelsea boots. These are perfect chelsea boots for those who
are in the market. I will buy many more pairs in my lifetime. Comfortable from
day 1.

3 - a reusable water bottle that brings you Joy for the office or work
setting. Drink water!!

------
mstudio
\- Fitbit tracker with heart rate monitor (the model I have is the Fitbit
Charge).

\- Cordless drill/screwdriver.

------
simonsarris
I think most people's lives would be greatly improved by renting a dumpster
for a weekend.

------
vgchh
Apple Watch Series 5 - I am exercising more than ever.

Intelligent Investor - I read this book around 15 years back and I am at a
better place financially, partly due to it.

Road Bike - Bought one around 5 years ago. Best way for me to exercise and
feel-the-wind-in-my-face. Finally, wife agreed to get one as well. Now we are
riding together. Best feeling.

A Home - It's a double edged sword. Spending tons of time working on lawn and
garden. Great way to connect to the roots. On the flip side, it's easy to get
sucked into projects and not have time to pursue side projects.

------
orev
Can you explain what the air purifier does and how it has made such a big
impact? Most of the ones I have seen seem to make claims that sound more like
snake oil, or placebo effect at best.

------
sam_lowry_
Amazfit Bip watches for the whole family. These are of the dying breed that
can be used by open source software Gadgetbridge. Your HR, sleep patterns and
tracks never leave your phone.

------
pmdulaney
Most pleasure per dollar: My 2008 Jamis Aurora touring bike. I don't get to
take it on tours very often, but my local rides are instant euphoria. At the
moment I'm sidelined because a new tire is on order...

Most useful small ticket item: a 12" x 18" erasable whiteboard lap desk. I
like to do writing in an armchair and this is just perfect. Years ago I went
into an educational supply store with my wife. While she was looking for
something for the kids, I found the lap board.

------
SAI_Peregrinus
Sous Vide immersion circulator & vacuum bagger. Extremely versatile, makes
cooking things that are hard to get perfect much easier (eg pork), not
excessively expensive.

Instant Pot. Similar to above, but for a different set of foods.

Hot air rework station. SO MANY electronics repairs become possible with one
of these.

Pet birds. I love them. Definitely not for everyone.

Engagement ring. The ring itself is just a symbol, of course, and the
relationship can't be purchased. But it symbolizes a significant moment.

------
hereisdx
WinRar (Just kidding)

~~~
copperx
I know that's a Reddit meme, but not buying software that you use shouldn't be
a joke. Especially if you're a developer.

~~~
Nextgrid
On the other hand, when it comes to WinRAR, the majority of people use it not
because of its unique features (like the RAR format) but because it's
considered the mainstream archiving software and they don't know any better.

WinRAR isn't losing much sales because it's easy to use without paying; if it
was harder to use without a license, people would simply use alternatives such
as 7-Zip and it would become the mainstream archiving software and WinRAR
wouldn't have the brand awareness they have now. I'm assuming RarLab knows
this because otherwise they would've patched the loophole long ago.

------
Zanni
Hydro Flask pint glasses. They look great. They're insulated, so they keep
your drink cool longer and, even better, you don't have to deal with
condensation. They're pleasantly textured for a better grip, and if you _do_
drop them, they don't shatter into dangerous fragments. Much more expensive
than glass, but way, way worth it. If price is an issue, I believe there are
similar designs from others.

------
karmakaze
Atari 400 computer in 1980.

More recently 3 pairs of $1 reading glasses from a dollar store. More
expensive ones start at 1.25 strength and 1.00 suits me better for computer
distance. Will be updating with blue-blocking ones--they feel so relaxing.

LG G6 (and later G8) phone + JVC HA-FXD80 earphones. I had lost interest in
music until I got good enough quality to 'feel the vocals'.

------
tacotime
Reverse Osmosis water filter. It's turned me into a water snob and I never
want to go back. It improves the quality of a lot of things that I cook
including like coffee and pasta and it automatically/effortlessly improved my
hydration because water just tastes good now. I've used Brita filters and the
like and they just do not compare.

~~~
walterbell
Is there a recommended model? Do you add minerals to the filtered water?

------
angelbar
All around my 40's, almost at the same time

Fitbit tracker Books, audiobooks services Cast iron pan

So... Exercise, mind and eating get a boost

------
hendiatris
Zalto wine glasses. $60 per, and well worth it if you enjoy wine.

A honyaki chef’s knife and a vinyl cutting board to go with it.

------
lkdeveloper
Herman miller chair Matress Macbook/iMac

Good pair of shoes (reliable) HQ clothes HQ breathable underwears Weight scale

------
jetti
A decent carpet cleaner. My wife and I have had dogs for almost a decade and
having a carpet cleaner available to us has made things a lot easier,
especially when training a new puppy. We have avoided so many carpet stains
over the years.

------
sadlion
\- Sleeponlatex mattress and Ecosa pillow

\- Magnesium L Threonate, Vitamin D, B12, Zinc and Krill Oil

\- Headspace

\- Electric toothbrush

\- Deep Work by Cal Newport

\- Minimalist home work area: MPB, airpod pro, magic keyboard touchpad and
monitor

\- Leetcode premium, educative.io and free guides on engineerseekingfire
landed me 2 FAANG offers

~~~
EngSeekingFIRE
Wow! Great feeling to know that my interview prep guides were somebody's
answer to this question about life changing things!

Good luck with your FAANG job!

------
camjohnson26
ReMarkable tablet

~~~
voisin
Please elaborate on your experience. I have been looking at this for a while
but have yet to see one in the wild or know anyone with one.

------
linsomniac
A house. I do basically all the maintenance on it, and it's been a great
learning experience and opportunity for growth. The largest single project
being the kitchen remodel, down to the drywall and subfloor.

------
scruple
I don't know if it's life changing or not, but seeing as you listed a rice
cooker...

We have a Zojirushi water pot/boiler that I pretty much can't live without
today. Also, a portable (battery powered) bidet.

------
FugeDaws
KVM Switch - i used to pull all my cables out and swap monitors and have 2
mouse and keyboards on the desk now i just flick a switch. Actually started to
get infuriation switching between my mac and pc for work

------
emerged
It has always been various forms of recreational exercise equipment. When you
fall in love with cycling, rowing, weight lifting, etc, you can see a dramatic
improvement in general lifestyle health and mood.

------
BerislavLopac
Probably this book:
[https://twitter.com/b11c/status/685018869656875008](https://twitter.com/b11c/status/685018869656875008)

------
codq
We just had our first child, and at multiple friends' recommendations acquired
a Snoo bassinet.

It's such a revelation that I can't imagine raising a newborn without one.

~~~
65934
Googled it, Genius product.

They should probably make an adult version of this

~~~
karmakaze
Yes, I want sound absorbing, light diffusing walls for my bed now.

------
zabzonk
Mobility scooter. I have heart problems and arthritis, and it has made all the
difference to my ability to get to shops, chemist. doctors etc.

------
chvid
Electric toothbrush

------
RhysU
In no particular order...

Motorcycle

Good kitchen knives

Engagement ring

------
Foivos
chromecast or in general any device that lets you use your phone as a remote
for streaming services.

------
sameerds
A pair of dumbbells, a chin-up bar (the kind that you attach inside a
doorframe) and a yoga mat.

------
OriginalNebula
Dish washer, Bluetooth headphones

------
antisthenes
A dog.

------
brudgers
Alcohol.

Not for the better.

~~~
pmdulaney
It's never too late to change, man.

~~~
brudgers
Never too soon either. Then it was mostly the twentieth century. And now
mostly ripples. Of which this is one.

~~~
pmdulaney
I love a happy ending.

------
voisin
AirPods. Eliminating the cord changed my exercise and my life.

------
voisin
Surprised (not surprised?) to see Peloton not make the list.

------
IdontRememberIt
A very good quality bed (mattress, toper, pillows, duvet).

------
archagon
Melatonin. Completely fixed my workday insomnia.

------
jvilalta
A Commodore 64

------
cocoonkid
contact lense implants. Changed my life. Can't wait for more bio upgrades

------
omarhaneef
Computer

Smartphone

Smart watch for step tracking

QC35 noise cancelling headphones

Kindle paper white

------
ilteris
Roomba. Saved my marriage.

------
rawgabbit
Android TV and Air Fryer.

~~~
tootie
Yes to Air Fryer. I got the Cuisinart toaster over/air fryer. Calling it a
"fryer" is a misnomer because it's really just a high-speed convection oven,
but it makes french fries crispy with minimal oil, so I love it.

------
MaurizioPz
vacuum robot (not a roomba a 150€ cheap but great one)

------
aminozuur
1\. Ring Video Doorbell 2 ($170)

2\. Netgear Nighthawk router ($150, always works)

------
mymuss
Fitbit

Toto Washlet

House

------
conchy
bitcoin

------
0xEFF
Treadmill

