What are your top 3 purchases of all time?

blackstrat@lemmy.fwgx.uk to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml – 190 points –

There's 3 things that really stand out for me that I would say made a massive difference to my life:

  1. Cordless screw driver. Bought the day after building a flat pack bed with a crappy screw.driver that just shredded my hand. Thought it was frivolous at the time, but I've used it so much since. It's light, small enough to fit in my pocket and good for 90% of DIY tasks.

  2. Tassimo coffee machine. Bought it 9 years ago, use it every day. Nice quick easy coffee. What's not to like.

  3. My first DSLR camera. It was a Nikon D50 back in 2005/6 and it sparked my interest in photography to this day. It gave me a hobby I can take lots of places and do it alone or with others. I never loved the D50 camera itself, but I did get some really nice shots with it

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  1. vasectomy
  2. divorce
  3. campervan

Tells a story.

He bought a campervan, so his wife divorced him, and after getting plastered at a bar, he woke up in the hospital with a small scar on his balls.

Although I can't say these are the best purchases in my life, I have also purchased all three, and can attest they were money very well spent. Very. Very. Well. Spent.

Kindle - all the books, all the time.

Sony WH1000-XM3 (I guess newer models are still good) - excellent noise cancelling, perfect for flights

Steam Deck - play almost any games, anywhere, and with a full desktop mode too.

In the past I'd have put the Acer Aspire One, I loved the netbook form factor, now I use either the Vivobook or Steam Deck like that.

The Aeropress is also great for quick, simple coffee.

My daughter got the steam deck and she does use it mobile however it has eclipsed the switch as our go to living room family/party/multiplayer console. Family library sharing works very seamlessly in steam.

I am regularly impressed how well PC titles run on it regardless of if they windows running under proton or Linux optimized.

There are also an impressive number of titles that have native or at minimum controller support to the point the onscreen prompts all show the correct buttons. We have a number of Xbox controllers now for up to 4 player multiplayer.

We regularly hook it up to hotel TVs when traveling as well.

I guess newer models are still good

Nope. The WF1000-XM4 have battery drain issues, and there is at least one explosion recorded...

Edit: To everyone saying they have XM4 or XM5 and see no issues, congratulations you are one of the lucky few. Just google "XM4 battery drain" and you will learn the Sony had to issue so many refunds they introduced new processes...

PS Boycott Sony until they address the issues. It's not okay for major producer to release a product with such a major flow and then look the other way.

Had the XM-4, battery life was shit and I will now never ever buy another set of headphones without physical buttons. They were truly dreadful when you put them round your neck

Changed for Bose QC45 and will never buy Sony again

I never tried the Bose ones, they have great reviews too though.

A bit too bass-heavy, but far more comfortable. The Sonys had slightly better noise cancelling, I have to admit, but the touch sensitive ear cups is a fucking stupid idea

haha, I had the Sony XM4's as well and my favorite day ever of owning them was when I finally got so frustrated I threw them off the mower I was riding on and mowed over them. It felt SOOOOO GOOD. By far the biggest waste of money I have ever spent. Never again Sony anything even remotely related to that. Also never again anything without physical buttons.

Got XM5 and the battery seems endless. Noice cancelling great, sound quality too, comfortable. The only con is the fact they are not suitable for conferencing at work via Teams etc. - you either can't hear what you're saying or can hear youself with an annoying delay.

I haven't had any issues with my XM4, in fact the battery is great

Same here, I use them very heavily and I usually charge the headset once or maybe twice a week depending on usage. I haven't calculated how long they actually last but I absolutely believe the 30 something hours on the box.

I should be clear that I mean the WH-1000XM4.

All true wireless in-ear headphones have an awful battery life of like only 6-8 hours or so.

The one problem I have with the headphones is that moisture from sweat and watering them seems to bring some annoying symptoms.

Haaaa yeah the kindle. Both loved and hated in my case. Love the form factor, allowing me to indulge in new books. Hate it because I don’t get new physical books anymore. Not that I have any room left for books; that’s the reason I bought the kindle in the first place…

Yeah, it's a shame for passing on books I guess - like my dad had loads of books by Hugh Cook, an obscure fantasy / sci-fi author, and they're out of print completely now.

At least in the future digitisation should stop that completely though.

A computer — no other item I own has changed the course of my life as much as owning my own computer has.

  1. Back in 2017 while stationed in AZ I adopted a dog who was the cutest little Blue Heeler, for $5 we have been inseparable since and she is the single greatest thing that's happened to me.
  2. Last year in April my Powerstrokes transmission failed and on a whim I bought a 98' 4 runner with 245k miles. We have now built the hell out of that little rig and have put 15k miles on it in 11 months
  3. 100 pairs of socks on Amazon. This sounds nuts but, I got 100 pairs of black socks 2 years ago for $60 because I was tired of my socks always missing. I still have 50 socks I haven't touched.

Is AZ Azerbaijan?

Arizona

How was anyone meant to know that? Why use 2 random letters to refer to a state in a foreign country?

I didn't. I used to letters commonly associated with the state in my country. Sorry that you don't live here and sorry I wasn't more descriptive. Honestly even if I had adopted Mercy in that country she is still the best purchase

I bought a 97 Ford Taurus off a friend for $800 back in 2008. Her dad thought it was on its last legs at 155k miles so he wanted to sell it. I drove it for four years. It was running fine until someone blasted it out in front of my girlfriend’s house and drove off. At the time it had 206k miles. 50k miles for $800 was certainly one of my best purchases.

All my cars have been sub-$5k rust buckets or on their last legs.

$600 - 1993 Honda civic

$1300 - 1994 Volkswagen Golf

$3000 - 2003 Mazda 3

$1000 - 2007 ford escape

$2000 - 2012 Kia Rio

$3000 - 1994 Chevrolet s10

$4000 - 2009 Volkswagen rabbit

$4000 - 2009 Toyota Yaris

Almost all of them sold for what I bought it for. Im mechanically inept so probably could have kept them longer if I was good at that.

Good purchases, some adventures, but cheap cars that work out and are in that sweet spot of not dead but still cheap are great.

  1. A plot of land in a place I like. Nothing fancy or huge, just a place to be by myself and enjoy a nice bonfire away from people.

  2. Headphones. The old clunky ones that cover your whole ears. I love them! They feel like a hug and I use them all the time while listening to spooky stories. Bought them in a sale about four years ago.

  3. A hello kitty backpack. Bought it as a birthday gift for a friend's daughter, we had a fallout and I kept it. One day I needed a clean backpack and this was on hand so I grabbed it in a whim and have been using it ever since. I have a pair of Columbia, silver ridge and tetons laying around but this fluffy cute backpack makes me so happy and has the perfect size.

You seem like a cool person.

I don't get that compliment a lot lol, so thank you.

Well, of course not; you're on your land away from people! 😂 But seriously, I mean it! Take care...

  1. Smart vacuum cleaner - you pay a reasonable amount once and don't have to vacuum anymore

  2. Vaporiser - switched to vaping weed instead of smoking joints which is not only nicer in many ways but also allowed me to quit smoking cigarettes

  3. PlayStation - after sitting 8h by the desk moving a mouse for work, I didn't want to sit in the same position another few hours playing games. With PS I can comfortably sit in my armchair and play on a big tv scrreen using a controller

  4. Ergonomic mattress - healed my hurting back. This should be on the top of this list.

What vacuum are you using?

Xiaomi Mi Vacuum Cleaner. I've had it for almost 5 years so there are likely better/cheaper options.

Me too! Over 6 years here. Damn fine vacuum.

How bad are the privacy concerns?

The app doesn't have much information about you. The vacuum does map the area as it goes so I guess worst case China might have a rough sketch of my house layout. It uses lasers to map so there's no camera to worry about. I figured the benefits outweighed the risks with this particular purchase.

And interestingly, I haven't replaced a single brush or anything else despite notifications.

How often do you have it vacuum?

Once a day Monday<->Thursday on automatic schedule. Sometimes additional cleanups when needed or when I'm out and remeber to run it.

  1. My horse, Lola. She’s an amazing 9yo grey quarter horse mare. “Retired” barrel racer, she’s the perfect trail/ranch horse. She’s got the best quirky and silly demeanor, she loves to hang out, and she’s playful, but never gets crazy under saddle.

  2. My guitar. 2012 PRS 513. I absolutely love that guitar, and it got me back into playing after almost 20 years off. It’s my “do everything” guitar, and the difference in sounds between pickup combinations makes it incredibly versatile.

  3. A good mattress. I spend a solid 1/3 of my life sleeping (or trying to) and a great mattress helps so much.

Oh do you have any Lola pictures?

Of course! 😁

https://imgur.com/a/te2u0I3

Oh she's a beauty! Nice tack too.

Thanks! That’s an old Bob Marshall. It’s been replaced by a new one at this point.

Nice guitar. I'd love one of them. I have an SE Custom 24 in bright pink that is fantastic. PRS just make so many wonderful guitars.

I also have a CU24 SE. It’s an incredible instrument! I’m down to 4 guitars these days, and two of them are PRS. 😁

I have 4 also, but 4 separate manufacturers. I've run out of wall space to hang them so I have to think quite carefully about my next move as one will have to go.

My recliner that I bought with one of the first Covid check. I have horrendous back issues (3 major surgeries and constant pain) and having another resting/sleep area has been a lifesaver many times. Currently pregnant and it’s one of the only places I can sleep.

This set of 2 grabbers from Amazon. They weren’t super expensive but nicer than other grabbers commonly bought by others. They have been used daily by me, my toddler plays with them, they get dropped, etc. and they perform so well. I can pick up the tiniest item off the floor, a piece of paper, etc. with no issues. Had them 3 years. I keep one on each floor of the house and they save my back so much. It’s one of the only ways I can do chores and keep the floor clean from a toddler.

Silly, but this last year I really appreciated having a laminator at home. It’s nothing fancy- just a simple one from Scotch from the store. I’ve laminated different rules for games (card games where we wrote out the rules) and my son absolutely LOVES when I draw him characters and items from his favorite shows, laminate them, and then he plays with them for months. It’s saved us a ton of money buying toys he doesn’t need, stores easily, and he loves it. It also gets out some of the creative side that I kind of lost the last few years.

Which recliner did you go with? I've been shopping for one for a while and haven't had any luck finding one I like...

Steam Deck - since having kids I was really struggling to play games at all. I had gotten to where I was only playing phone games and switch games, but the Steam Deck has really enabled me to start enjoying my steam library again. If it broke I would buy another one instantly.

Bone-conductive headphones - I wear these all day. I listen to audiobooks, take calls, have them read out notifications, etc. It's also great to know that if I open a random meme video on my phone, I don't have to worry about the sounds of the video being inappropriate for my surroundings. They're so much more comfortable than traditional headphones.

My house - I got an insanely good deal on my house, less than what many people pay for cars. It's not the fanciest house, and it needed some fixing up when we bought it, but it's enabled me and my family to live with extremely low bills which has made my life very low stress. Houses are generally cheap where I live, but I lucked out and got the best house deal I've seen, and it's made everything so much easier.

I've been looking into bone conduction headphones, but I've has trouble choosing a model. Which ones do you have?

I started with some cheaper ones off Amazon to see if I liked using bone conductive, and after using those for a year or so I upgraded to Shokz Openmove, which I have been using for a few years now.

If I break these I'll probably upgrade to a nicer Shokz product, but I'm not sure which one. I've been really happy with the Openmove though.

  1. My vasectomy. Hands down the best ease-of-mind investment ever

  2. My computer. Easy choice, I use it daily, sometimesmore than 8 hours

  3. Good, high quality spices

My vasectomy.

Paying for that? That's weird.

Boring answrs but.. A computer. It's the 2nd most expensive thing I own and it's provided me thousands and thousands of hours of entertainment and use as tool.

A car. The most expensive thing I've brought and very useful. I've been able do a lot more with my time and get into many new hobbies.

Power rack. 3rd most expensive. Having a power rack in my garage allows me to safely lift heavy by myself which is awesome.

Bonus cheap thing. Screw driver set. Allowed me to fix many things around my house and easily saved me 10x the cost.

By order of lasting positive effects,

1. First vape (a cigarette-shaped item from the corner store, cherry flavor). I had been smoking with suicidal enthusiasm for 18 years. I was out of breath, coughing, stinking, and (at $7 a pack) broke. A decade later, I still vape, but I can breathe now.

2. First not-fully-depreciated used car (3-year-old 2012 Focus SEL hatch with 30K mi). Apart from warranty transmission work, the car's been stable, and pretty. The real change was introducing me to finance and lending. I grew up poor with a debt addicted dad. At 32, I had never had a credit card. I've still never given the bastards a dime, but I've pulled in thousands in rewards and have an outstanding credit score.

3. Passport / first international airline ticket. I mean, yeah. I hadn't had any desire to leave my state, let alone see the world. At 20, I grudgingly flew to Europe to visit my girlfriend who was studying abroad. We didn't last, but the travel bug did.

Honorable mention, only because it isn't technically a purchase would be my first union payment. Best deal ever.

Edit: how do you add line breaks? It worked, magically, when I made the list heading bold, but that was hella annoying.

People that say "vaping isn't good for you!" etc etc are people that are missing the point and people that have clearly never tried both.

Firstly, no one is saying it's good for you, just that it is better for you than smoking is.

Secondly, maybe listen to people like yourself who have extensive experience with both options, the different in you personally health is night and day.

The statements "vaping isn't good for you" and "vaping is a lot better than smoking" do not conflict with another; they can both be true.

Whether vaping is an improvement or not depends on what you were doing before. If you were smoking before and are substituting cigarettes for vaping, you hurt yourself a lot less and it's an improvement.

If you weren't smoking before (the case for most teens for example) and would start to vape, you'd be hurting yourself significantly more than before.

You should be advocating to never touch a vape (or cigarette) to non-smokers and to try vaping to get out of smoking addiction to smokers.

Fair point.

It's obvious that the best thing for your lungs is clean and fresh air and the best thing to do with nicotine is never try it.

But some people are always going to be attracted to that sort of thing and it's sensible to not fear monger the option which is clearly the healthier choice.

I might be misunderstanding your edit question, but I think you did it?

It's just Enter twice to force a new paragraph using Markdown.

No. it's really strange and only happens with numbers. I entered everything just like one would, with double spaces, each item starting with 1., 2., etc. Nothing I did would make it come out with a gap.

It only worked after I changed the first letter of the section to an asterisk (to make the subject bold). Also, like you see here paragraphs that start with anything other than a number work fine.

  1. It's

  2. Only

  3. Numbers

4. Asterisks

5. Work

6. Fine

I'm using sync, but I doubt that matters.

Numbers at the start of a line followed by a dot signifies a numbered list item. If you just want the numbers without it being considered a list item, you need to escape the dot like this:

  1. This is a list item
    With line break

1. This is not
With line break

1. This is a list item  
With line break

1\. This is not  
With line break

HP48GX scientific calculator, damn old, still works great still use it a lot

Steam Deck, handheld gaming computer, barely use PS5 anymore, this one is so quick and convenient to just pause and resume games and take gaming everywhere and the SteamOS Linux is awesome. I use the desktop mode with full KDE Plasma desktop as my portable computer a lot when on the go. Also with the dock station I can use it as a gaming console when going on holidays.

And the flat I live in. Good thing as I bought it quite a few years ago since the home prices are just criminal and highly unjust now. This stuff does not belong on markets to be sold for profits or some criminal short-time renting crap like AirBnB

As a fellow PS5 owner, and someone who would like to game on the go, the Steam deck interests me, especially as Sony refuses to release a proper handheld, but I'm finding it hard to pull the trigger on it, as the majority of my game catalogue is on PS5, and what games I have on PC are mostly not on steam platform. I have some games that are on steam that could be played on the go, but what is the Internet connectivity requirement like?

You can play non-steam PC games on it. It's just a little less straightforward. You don't need to be connected to he Internet to play most games. Some might require you to be connected when you launch it (I think RDR2 did that), but then you can just keep it running and put the steam deck to sleep.

Are steam library's also shared? My wife shares her steam library with me on PC, would that still be accessible?

You'll probably need to do the whole sharing thing again on the Steam deck

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  1. Dog.
  2. Dog.
  3. A really beautiful handmade necklace with a piece of glass salvaged from the waters of Charleston harbour. It's gorgeous.

This sounds like something I'd enjoy. Do you have any pictures you want to share? I love jewelry and dogs!

Shit I'm getting error messages trying to post my necklace photo I just took, but I'll try again later. In the meantime enjoy this video of my noisy boi and his perturbed brother.

https://i.imgur.com/Xh01sK9.mp4

Awww they are both lovely! I like how the darker one acts between startled and annoyed to the brother's vocal abilities lol

Usually when the pug yells he gets excited and tries to yank the pug's back leg off in joy, but this time he decided to act concerned.

  1. Electric toothbrush. When I don’t have it with me, brushing manually is such a chore. A device performs better than I do and I embrace it.

  2. Prescription glasses. I remember getting to look at a tree with improved sight, and it was wonderful.

  3. Air purifier. Has really helped my allergies.

Seconded on the HEPA. Even if you don't have allergies do you really want that shit in your lungs? Indoor air is disgusting.

  1. My house. Bought it in 2019 right before the market went completely wacky. More of a lucky timing situation, but I'm extremely thankful to not be renting anymore.

  2. A really high quality mattress. You're supposed to spend about a third of your life sleeping, and the quality of that sleep has a huge impact on your physical and mental health.

  3. A really good set of kitchen knives. I hate having to cook at other people's places because of it, so many people have cheap, dull knives that do not do the trick. At my in-laws house I basically have to hammer tomatoes in half with their knives. FYI, you're more likely to cut yourself with a dull knife rather than a sharp one.

  1. A bicycle. I have saved so much money over the years on cars, gym memberships, and therapy. I ride every day for most destinations, and I think that getting regular exercise has saved me from the aches and pains of middle age. I still haven't experienced the horrors that await (if Lemmings are to be believed) of turning 30. And it makes getting places enjoyable.
  2. My first computer, an Amiga 500. I learned so much about software, IT, and human nature by persevering with an oddball (for the U.S.) computer.
  3. A trailer sailboat. Aside from the hours spent on the water, along with it comes a whole raft (hah!) of hobbies/side pursuits: Marlinspike work, sewing, electrical wiring, navigation, weather forecasting, fiberglass repair, radio communications, and such. Strangely enough, it also served me well through years of low income, by providing a lot of hours of enjoyment for the money.
  • A good coffee maker (moccamaster)
  • Steam Deck OLED
  • Battery powered lawn mower (eGo)

OLED in general is a game changer. Next time anyone is upgrading their monitor or TV, it's worth the investment

Even the original LCD deck was easily eligible for this little list but the OLED went above and beyond in every way. I have a beefy PC for desktop gaming but I still prefer to play on the deck OLED because it's just an amazing experience.

Now if I could just get designers to actually use the optimal #000 black for it

  1. E-reader. I'm not reading 4-5 books a month as I did before but it reignited my desire to read after losing it in college (plus: it's way cheaper).
  2. Chemex. I was used to burnt gas station coffee and it gave me a new hobby.
  3. First DSLR as well. Helped me think about composition more in my paintings, as well as contrast. I haven't touched a camera in years though. Little opportunity or desire.

1987 ford “exp”: bought it for $500, drove a few years, got hit and insurance paid out $500 and let me keep it, drove it with damage for another few months, sold it for $500.

Breville oven. Found it at a consignment shop for $17, looked to have been used once.

House: bought in 2017 in a rural area to get away from the city occasionally. Moved there permanently during Covid.

The countertop Breville? Those are the most useful things you can buy for your kitchen.

Yeah. It’s having some issues with the start/stop button but if it ever stops working i have no issues paying full price for a new one.

I have the ANOVA countertop oven myself. I use it way more than my regular sized oven. I had the Breville before that and I could even dehydrate fruit in it. Terrific appliance.

1: My motorbike - hands down my best purchase. That has single handedly done more for my mental health than the last 9 years of various anti depressants.

2: My PC - the same as others. It's just nice to be able to have the option to do just about everything.

3: A car - I didn't really buy this. My mum gave it to me as a first car. It's not the flashiest. It's just the most basic type. But I love it. I spent 23 years just putting off getting my licence until I just decided to get it just to get it out of the way. And I have missed put on so much by it. The sense of freedom, not having to rely on getting lifts, or getting public transport. (Not opposes to public transport. It's just that where I live, it's a pain for commuting)

Out of curiosity, how does the motorbike help your mental health? Is it having transportation in general, or the feeling of riding a motorbike specifically?

I'm gonna be honest. I find it really hard to describe the feeling. I'll try, though, but I'll try. Sorry if it doesn't make sense.

It's not just a mode of transportation to me, at least. There's an insane sense of freedom to it. The adrenaline from having sports car acceleration speeds just straight between your legs. It's like when people say to play music as a coping mechanism. Only this mechanism isn't just sitting around. It actively forces your mind off those things. Like, yeah, you'll think about it. You may still have those megatove thoughts. But they just sorta melt away and get blasted away, almost. The raw sounds of the engine, only adding to it. Ot drains it all out, (If you like the sound, I personally have a stock exhaust, as thays more than enough, I really enjoy the sound of just amy exhaust, well, except the shitty tinny ones thay oiss everyone off. Or the unnecessarily loud ones)

And the fact that you are sat on top of a solid block of steel, with thousands of explosions happening right there. Woth a fuel tank just above it. Kicking out insane power, even a 67hp 650cc. With pretty much nothing protecting you. One slight mistake, and it all goes tits up. But you're in control of it. And it's gonna keep you upright if you handle it. It's relaxing. I also think it helps because you can feel what the bike is doing. Even with slight inputs.

Keanu Reeves said, "If you ride a bicycle, you can kind of understand."

Sorry if thays too long and doesn't make sense. And sorry if it's kinda cringe. But, I truly do love the bike.

(Also, from what I've seen, the biker community is insanely inclusive and nice. Even just riding past another rider. Just that simple gesture of "Hey man," it makes you feel like you're somewhere you belong)

Very good writeup.

It actively forces your mind off those things.

That's the biiiiig thing for me. It's incredible meditation. The road demands the rider's full attention for short-time planning, spatial visualization, sensory inputs, and muscle control. It's literally a matter of life and death. At the same time other parts of the brain aren't required, so the mind wanders, but in a much subdued way where stormy thoughts turn into a calm flow.

Stay left, look in, lean, apex, watch out for the pothole, left again, shift down ahead of the intersection, ok they are yielding, back on the throttle, shift up, don't lean over the manhole covers, wow view's pretty, hey pedestrians looking to cross let's come to a smooth stop...

I think you described it very well! Thanks for that. It makes me want one. Sometimes you just want ant to zen out and it sounds like it's perfect for helping with that.

Oh, good, I'm glad it helped.

I will always suggest that if it's not gonna cause other issues, get a bike.

I won't lie, I'm one of the types that does little dances on ot when the right songs come on. And singing. But somehow, I can still concentrate on it, it is really relaxing.

You don't even have to jump straight to the big ones. Even a 125, whilst it won't give the full experience, will be more than enough to see if you can get on with them.

Straight up miss my bike. I like backpacking on a bike just because the freedom of it is an allure in itself. Still recall the days when I would just wake up on the weekends and decide on a trip for two days to some place unknown. The journey, the part of exploration and the freedom that you feel when you've the wind blowing through that is not describable. It needs to be experienced. Now the part where I miss it. I moved between countries and where I am now I don't (haven't still) felt safe enough getting a bike and riding in the highways.

Haha driving a motorbike is very different in your country :D

Here I average 15km/hr or less, due to heavy traffic. It's fairly stressful, and it sucks in the monsoon. I've got scars on both legs where I've been burned by unprotected exhaust pipes. You can smell the meat cooking when it happens. All working class people here have these scars. When I need to relax, I take the bus -- it's a luxury!

Still, it beats not having a motorbike by a lot, so I can still relate :)

Oh damn, yeah thats a lot different here. Especially the monsoons. This may sound dumb, but how does the bikes hold up in that weather condition? And another dumb one, how do you get burnt by the exhausts?

Thay sounds peaceful though, with the bus. Especially compared to the bike.

Bikes are just wonderful, stay safe, man.

Well, we don't have winter -- so very well! It's not unusual for bikes to last 15 years or more. In the big cities, the condition of the roads is also surprisingly good in Viet Nam (countryside...depends). Road work is bizarrely efficient and happens overnight, only closing as much of the road as they need to work on in 1 night, then opening it up again in the morning. So my bike doesn't accumulate much wear and tear.

We also get floods. Driving some bikes in 40cm of flowing water is possible, but difficult. Sometimes there is no choice. If the water blocks the exhaust that's obviously not going to function, but barring that you can slowly drive. It doesn't wear down the bikes much either though, surprisingly!

The exhausts have a metal radiator that gets very hot, especially in traffic when there's little airflow and you're not using your engine efficiently (accelerate, stop, repeat) . Usually there is a temperature resistant plastic shield to stop inadvertent contact. However many people remove it, or it breaks and they don't replace it (...pretty universally regarded as a dick move). The traffic is so dense, you're physically pressed up against all the other bikes. So if someone decides to be a jerk and muscle through, they will burn many of the people they pass as their exhaust pipe presses against their legs. Feels easily over 100 degrees and will sear your flesh in an impressive manner. Like, you can hear it before you feel it.

Most people are not jerks, but due to population density, there's always a jerk present. So we all have 3-4cm oval scars on our legs, unless we are ultra rich so don't need to drive a bike -- these are the scars of the working class. Colloquially, it's known as a "Saigon Kiss". Although you'll get them easily in Ha Noi too, haha.

On the bright side, nearly everyone obeys the speed limit, which is 50km/hr, and the majority of the people drive on the correct side of the road and wear a helmet. On the other hand, there's always someone doing none of these things. Impacting the road hurt less than I thought it would, I'm thankful for the low speed limit. Although I still very much do not recommend it getting in a motorbike accident here. The number of tourists with no license on the road is an increasing problem, too. They also tend to run home when they hit someone.

Like OP, my camera, phones don't cut it and the pictures I've been able to get of my kid with it have made it invaluable. I got the Canon Powershot MKIII and it's gotten some professional quality shots of him and captured a lot of precious moments.

My electric kettle, I drink a lot of tea and it's so damn useful. I got one with an all metal interior and no visible heating element, it has a bad pour but I still would have a noticeable dip in my daily quality of life without it.

This one is random but a three foot tall solid wood Balinese dragon statue. I got it at an import shop that was closing, it had some damage and so had been marked down and marked down again. I paid less than 10% of the original price of an intact one. We didn't have a car so my boyfriend at the time and I had to take it with us on the subway. It's like 75lbs. On our ~mile walk back to our apartment someone asked directions to a local Asian art exhibition and we had to tell them we didn't know where it was while holding this thing between us. It's beautiful despite the damage and it makes me happy every time I see it. Plus, whenever someone comments on it I have a fun story to share.

DDR dance deck. I have used it regularly to this day and it's my primary exercise. I have replaced the panels as they broke with new hand cut pieces and the electronics have seen 4 or so revisions of diy before settling on a Arduino clone based USB input with 3d printed shell.

Nothing else really. It all seems okay at first but breaks down and diy repairs are rarely an option these days. Sometimes I can 3d print parts but I can't just recommend that method to anyone.

In no particular order...

My Panasonic Lumix GX80, it is the camera that made me take a deeper interest and develop my skills in photography. I had a Canon EOS 400D as my first decent camera but due to work my interest fizzled out for a few years. Then at another job I got my GX80, and started learning for real, last spring I upgraded to a Lumix S5, and I am considering complementing my camera setup with a Sony A7 IV for it's excellent AF.

My Philips Hue system has been absofuckinglutely amazing, I live alone and being able to turn my lights on before I open my apartment door during winter after work really makes a huge impact on my mwntal health, getting to open my front door into a cozy apartment instead of a black hole is fantastic

I love my Sony Alpha IV, FWIW. Money very well spent.

I love my S5 as well, the colours are just amazing, unfortunately the AF is a bit too slow though when I do planespotting.

I got a bit touchy feely on a A7 IV in a camera shop, and it felt great.

Depending on how the next year works out for me I am very tempted about getting an a7 IV as a complement to my S5.

I said this too—the Hue system is game changing as a mood setter. Helps me relax at night by dimming, etc.

  1. inline skates - it is gift from god, period.

  2. Supersonic cleaner - it can clean anything, it is simply amazing.

  3. Lumix GX80, a M43 camera - it has everything right, the grip, the compactness, easy menu, the mechanical switches..etc on top of that, inexpensive. It allows me to carry it as if it is an action camera.

I tried searching for supersonic cleaner. Is it the same thing as an ultrasonic cleaner? Can I ask what kind of things you clean with it?

  1. Mountain bike - on my second bike now, my favorite hobby and form of exercise, excuse to get in nature with my dog, explored a lot of my state because of it.

  2. Kobo e-reader. The night light is amazing, I used to use a neck light for night reading to not wake my wife but this is way better. Easier to travel. The dyslexic font helps my dyslexic ass like 10% too which makes a huge difference in me reading more.

  3. My first raspberry pi in Jr high led to a career in software. Still love pis, and have even more toys now

  1. A flight ticket out of the US (it’s been 7 or 8 years since… not sure if I will ever return until there is an important funeral)
  2. Wired IEMs with a Harmon target
  3. Tea kettle with variable temperatures to make green tea properly without burning it

3d Printer - I print lots of useful thing for work (brew beer).

Espresso maker that I use as a single cup coffee maker (no pods all steel).

eBike - makes me want to bike instead of drive my car around

  1. Quality electric toothbrush. I can't get my teeth feeling clean without one anymore.

  2. A rice cooker. Doesn't need to be fancy, but it lowers the barrier to cooking substantially given how many dishes use rice.

3, A phone with a camera that's at least mid-range, as it's the camera you'll have on you most. I used to always use phones from cheap brands like Umidigi and although some of them did perform quite well others left me with gaps of my life where none of the photos I took have any detail.

My rice cooker sees more usage as a crock pot as almost every meal here comes with rice & if cooking, I’d rather make something harder to find, but when I do need rice, it’s the way to go.

  1. My bike. I use it daily to get to work, to the super market, visiting friends. It keeps me healthy I do not need a car and I can drive wherever I want all the time. It cost me 500€.

  2. My Bodom french press. I use it daily to quickly make 2-4 cups of coffee, it tastes fantastic, provides coffee and is high quality. 35€.

  3. My Amplifier and Wharfedale speakers. I bought them 2 years ago for 500 €. All my life I had cheap active computer speakers or bluetooth boxes. Everytime I tune them up, it get's a little warmer in my tummy.

All 3 things are far away from high end, people spend the multiple on what I spent. Still they all make me super happy and I will watch and keep them until one of us dies.

What amp and Wharfedales do you have? I have my PC running through some Diamond 9.1's and a NAD C310 amp. It sounds pretty good. In the living room I have an Audiolab 6000A and Wharfedale Pacific Evo 40 floor standers. Those speakers could be on my list. Bought them for about £250 20 years ago and I think they're fantastic.

It's actually a receiver, a Yamaha R-S202 D, nothing special, but I wanted to have bluetooth and radio. The speakers are Diamond 12.0, a pretty small version that fits on my desk. I have my computer and my record player connected. As I am not buying on Amazon, the speakers were pretty hard to get (in black of course lol) at a reasonable price, I think it was about 250€.

That receiver looks very nice and those Diamonds are the updated higher end version of my 9.1's. I bet it sounds great. I have some foam under my speakers which helps control the bass.

My Garmin Fenix watch, it was during the first month of wearing it that I realized my life and fitness can be like a video game and I get badges and points for doing things. It drives me to move and even after 4 years, it still is making me motivated.

A nice wallet, I looked for a long time and ended up with a Trayvax wallet. I just love the damn thing, it'll last me forever and it's unique and functional. Each time I pull it out of my pocket, I appreciate it's look and feel and form.

My osprey back pack. I've carried it to and from work, on boats, kayaks, walking, for camping and to my friends houses. It is just so functional and comfortable in a way that a less expensive one isn't. It's made to be comfortable AND hold things.

Which Osprey did you get? I've loved their backpacks for a long time.

It's a commuter backpack, momentum 30. Has a front pocket to fit a bike helmet, I never use it for that but a big stretch pocket on the front is so useful.

Overall, it just always seems to fit everything I'm carrying with me to most places.

I've got a few other smaller travel bags too that I used to store computer accessories and toiletries when I travel.

  1. Noise cancelling headphones and earbuds. By far the best quality of life improvement I have ever gotten from a single product.
  2. Whet stones for sharpening knives. It's a fun process and my knives are in perfect condition.
  3. Mobile phones.

Herman Miller chair House My newest monitor. It's got KVM support so no more swapping cords between my computers.

  1. 8 Sleep Bed—it’s liquid cooled and heated based on your sleep stage. I know it’s expensive, but the sleep it’s given me has been unrivaled by anything else I’ve ever used to regulate my sleep. I work shifts so good sleep is priceless. You spend a third of your life asleep, so it’s worth an investment.
  2. Hue lights for my entire home—privacy issues aside, it’s a game changing investment. We replaced the recessed lighting with recessed hue lighting fixtures as well. It’s insane how having multiple lighting settings and colors for times of the day/moods can change your entire mindset.
  3. Home gym—if I were pressed for one component it would be the power cage and Olympic bar, but investing in a fully functional home gym has given me much more in return than what I’ve put into it (whether that be physical work building equipment or money).

Can you share some of your hue setup? How do you use them? Automation? Proximity? Smart switches?

Honestly pretty much all through complex scenes and groupings in the app. I have different scenes for morning, late afternoon, and night. They all vary based on mood and season. That’s pretty much it. Only use automation for outside lights and to mimic presence when traveling.

Bidet which i installed during covid when stupid fucking people were fighting for TP. Been using it since then. Worth every cent.

I did the same recently and can't recommend them more. They're wonderful. I can't imagine a world without one and I'm shocked that they didn't become the staple in every household decades ago. Big TP really did a number on my country.

Agreed, but specifically an aftermarket electric seat bidet to save in a load of plumbing.

What are you talking about ? A handheld one will cost ya $30 and all you need to do is screw it to the flush using a T joint.

The thing that weirds me out about the common bidet answer is how certain societies thought otherwise was a good idea in the first place. I don’t know anyone here that would call it revolutionary since 90% of the places you go have a hose for your butt sitting right next to you.

  1. Vacuum robot. Possibly the best thing ever to exist.
  2. QLED TV with HDR10+, also some nice speakers on the sides to make the experience incredible.
  3. E-reader

Cordless screw driver. Bought the day after building a flat pack bed with a crappy screw.driver that just shredded my hand. Thought it was frivolous at the time, but I've used it so much since. It's light, small enough to fit in my pocket and good for 90% of DIY tasks.

Got a gun from sako the other day it's cute, it's small, fits right in my pocket (yeeeeeah right in my pocket)

Real answers tho:

  1. Air pump for car tires. I have notoriously bad luck with flats, leaks, etc. This thing has saved me more than a few times.

  2. KVM switch. I work from home, this lets me have my work computer and my personal computer connected to the same equipment, and I can toggle between them with either a physical switch or a keyboard hotkey

  3. Bit of a curve ball, but therapy. Life's tough, gotta have some outlets and advice sometimes.

Had to admit defeat with the electric screw driver a few times and bust out my relatively new impact driver. Now that's an impressive bit of kit with a lot of power, especially when screwing in to masonry. But for most stuff the smaller screwdriver is better suited.

  1. Full Ton pickup - I had an old half ton and was abusing it.

  2. Dump trailer - I can move so much more material, and dump so much faster.

  • House
  • Herman Miller Mira chair
  • Maltron 3D keyboard

Those chairs are pricey but damn if they aren't high quality and comfortable.

I was so happy to have a nice home office setup for COVID lockdown and generally for gaming.

  1. Whole house fan, and it's not even close. We've saved tons of money by not running the AC as much as a result. Plus it just feels nicer to have fresh cool air come in from outside. I've even used it in the winter after the whole family got over being sick. Crack a couple of windows, turn the fan on, and the entirety of the house has fresh air in minutes. That got cold pretty quick, but worth having some stale air purged.
  2. Drill press I'm an amateur woodworker who is apparently incapable of drilling straight holes.
  3. Blackstone griddle A gift from a loved one who passed before they got to see me use it, but a nice reminder regardless. Works great for meal prepping something like breakfast burritos!

Look at you & your fresh air privilege over here not having the pollution of the city :P

Lol, no question I'm privileged in that regard. We do have half the state burn during the hottest parts of the summer, so can't use it then. And an overzealous neighbor who likes to burn yard waste on the nicest days of the spring/summer, if that makes you feel better. :)

  1. My Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 and a Synology NAS (sorry they go together), no more dealing with ugly Smart TV or limited game consoles to stream, and it is also very easy to sail the seas with it!

  2. Android phone in 2020 (Poco F2 Pro) still rocking this device with the bootloader opened and a custom ROM, this was the first Android device for me, and even when MIUI was a letdown after a while, AOSP wasn't, still I go back and forth MIUI and AOSP though, it still gives me 6-8 hrs of SOT depending on the environment and the ROM.

  3. Miyoo Mini V2, I just love to have pocket gaming on the go real quick, those annoying government formalities are not that bad nowadays.

  1. Rescue dog - I saved hers and she saved mine.

  2. College Education - paying to finish my 4 year degree, life changing

  3. 40mhz AMD PC processor /w motherboard. replacement for a christmas gift but it solidified my love of computers and computing. Which lead to my college degree and career.

My girlfriend and best friend tell me it's the couch that I bought a couple years ago. I had a ratty old futon before that and they were not fans. I think it was from Room&Board, and wasn't anything special. Couches are expensive, though.

  • usb kvm. Had to often switch my usb devices between my PC and laptop.
  • external wifi antenna. Useful for when my laptop's antenna is not enough.
  • electric screwdriver. Saves a lot of time.

I'm either at my desk studying/working for a good 4-6 hours or I'm on my feet 6-7 hours a day. Keeping that in mind:

  1. A really nice office chair. Perforated back, good adjustable lumbar support and head rest, quiet wheels, soft cushion.

  2. One of those fold out sofa/bed things. Folds out flat into a giant bed, folds up into a convenient couch thingy. Better than a mattress to sleep on.

  3. A good pair (or two) of shoes. Over the years it's been anything from a cheap pair of skechers to some no name shoes of off amazon to Adidas ultraboosts. Always try in person. Should feel as comfortable as your most comfortable shoes now.

Bonus: a good coffee grinder + v60 pour over + paper filters. Great coffee for under a 100 quid.

Although I don’t really like it, I’d have to say my house is my best purchase.

My first car, a 1988 Toyota Corolla hatchback, which ran for years and offered endless comedic value.

A doorknob cane (think planters peanut), which has been used from everything from altercations with racoons to building a fort with my kids.

My current house, which is located in a great school district and neighborhood.

  1. House

  2. Dyson vacuum cleaner

  3. Motorcycles

Although I do love my cordless drill as well. And my first cheap community college 2-year diploma which got my career goin, the jury is still out on whether the masters degree was worth it.

DeLonghi Magnifica espresso machine about 12 years ago. The counter on my first one is at 30k+ shots. I bought another used one several years ago for the cabin, it has over 20k shots on it.

Pretty BIFL for a little fully automatic coffee robot. I'll be sad when they both pack it in.

91 CRX Si. Some of the most fun I’ve had driving.

Aeropress Americano maker. Absolutely delicious for dirt cheap.

10” Pioneer sub and amp/upgraded car speakers.

Honorable mentions: 65” LG CX OLED TV. Absolutely gorgeous. Apple TV (various gens). No ads and works wonderfully on all of our TVs.

  1. 2002 Honda CRV I got nearly a year ago, been a fixer upper, but otherwise in fantastic condition for the price I bought it at.

  2. Some iFixIt toolkit I bought off of Amazon, has come in real handy for many different things.

  3. An acoustic guitar (Fender Dreadnought) I got at guitar center for nearly 200 bucks I think? Specifically wanted metallic strings, and it certainly has that. The high E string breaks a lot if I change tuning too often, but otherwise sounds fantastic and feels great to play.

  1. A corporation. Not like "I'm rich and I bought a whole existing business". Having a lawyer create an empty corporation and then buying it, so I can start a business. It was under two thousand bucks, not even the most expensive item on this list. Made back many times the cost.
  2. The Huawei D15 is a good laptop at an excellent price. It's paid itself off many times over.
  3. The Honda Air Blade 125cc 2021 model. Reliable transport at an excellent price, that has paid itself off several times over.

I also bought a used DSLR (Nikon D3200 for ~135$) to better document stuff I do, as a form of marketing. I pick up used, antique lenses for cheap as I encounter them. It's been profitable and generally great, but doesn't make top 3.

  1. Bidet toilet seat
  2. Good mattress & office chair.
  3. Home Automation devices (mower/vacuum/lights etc).

Sailboat

Did you cruise or live aboard? I had a Cat '22 about four years ago and lately I have been thinking of taking the leap to go cruise for a couple years.

I had an islander 30. I lived aboard on the Gulf from Galveston to Pensacola. It was hard, especially at first, but I am glad I did it.

My first camera was the D60! I loved that thing!

They were great. In the end I got frustrated with how slow it was. Bought a second hand Nikon D2H. That thing was a dream to handle and so fast, but the image quality was not as good as the D50.

I borrowed my cousin's D90 and I got very jealous of all those autofocus zones

  1. Electric Mountain bike - i am over 50 and had not rode regularly since my teens. I borrowed a MTB from a friend last year and struggled to make any progress until I picked up a secondhand e-MTB. Since then I have been averaging around 150km/week and my stamina has notably improved.

  2. PC - been a PC guy since 1989 and could not picture life without one. I'm an inveterate tinkerer and have built and rebuilt dozens over the years. I currently have a gaming desktop dual-booting Ubuntu and Win11 and a laptop running Ubuntu plus a couple of servers.

  3. iPad - for years I was an Android guy but a couple years back I traded a spare laptop to my niece for her iPad (she wanted to learn coding) and was blown away by the user experience. Since then I have gone all in with iPhone, apple watch, and an old Macbook Air.

I don't have a lot of stuff and not a lot of expensive stuff, but my top are:

  • Instant Pot. I have a tiny kitchen, so being able to do x number of things with one piece of equipment is amazing. Also keeps the heat down in summer instead of oven and gas stove.

  • Hiking poles. Got them recently, and they are a game changer. I've only ever seen older folks use them, but they got it right. Not only is it easier on my knees, but somehow they feel like they let me go further when I can use my arms as a little push forward.

  • Garmin Fenix watch. Keeps me motivated to keep moving, and it serves as a silent wake up alarm so I don't wake my partner in the early hours.

Honourable mentions:

  • A good hand-held flashlight. I use this daily for work and when I go camping. Also great at night when hunting mosquitoes in the bedroom.

  • A digital probe thermometer. Also used daily for work, and takes the guesswork out of cooking meats and things at home.

  1. Large tatami bed
  2. Bicycle
  3. Kitchen knife (and sharpening tools)

You should always invest most in the things you spend the most time doing. With that in mind

  1. Sleeping: A great bed with an amazing pillow and heated for the winter
  2. Shidding: Custom septic system that converts the ick into fertile soil
  3. Gaming: Built my own PC and it's been absolutely amazing

Best purchase I would have to say is the toaster oven. It can cook everything automatically and it's damn fast at it.

Just got one--a good, wide-brim, adjustable bucket hat. Shade during the sun, solid protection from the rain, comfortable, and not too difficult to make look decent, if not stylish.

Don't get me wrong, education, housing, health care etc have all been pretty important too, but hat wins.

Nespresso Vertuo. Mechanical keyboard. Honda Accord Hybrid.

  • a good car (traction and stability)
  • a vertical mouse
  • a laptop with touchscreen