For me it has always been USB flash drives. I'm scared of getting ransomware'd one day, but I am safe in the knowledge that I'd have to have every thumbdrive I own plugged into my PC for some real damage to happen. They are a lifesaver, and they get cheaper every year too!
Google Drive's internal search is not good enough when there are 100s of documents with similar titles, so I try to maintain a consistent naming convention "{yyyy-mm-dd} {summary of document}". Electronic documents (e.g. bank and credit card statements) are downloaded as PDF and uploaded to the same Google Drive folder hierarchy.
The originals go into a set of 12 file folders labeled "Jan" to "Dec". The folders become a ring buffer. Every month, I empty out the upcoming month, by shredding the originals from 12 months ago. I got rid of a 4-drawer filing cabinet by incrementally scanning the original paper documents over several weeks.
(Edit: fix typo)
But other wise...follow the same process.
Almost 99% paper free, no filing cabinets, no losing papers.
Awesome stuff.
During the WFH situation, I've used it extensively to scan kids homework almost on an everyday basis, to send it to teachers.
I've used it for documents too. And it works just fine.
OfficeLens also had an app you could load on desktops. I’m sure it was for tablets, but the ability to take a photo, free-form crop and save to PDF was fantastic. Alas, my old install of the app still works, but won’t convert to PDF anymore.
But I can also just open Prizmo on my iPhone, photograph 15 pages in 45 seconds, export as PDF and be done with it.
In both cases the end result is a readable PDF, which serves its purpose.
It's super fast for documents and the bonus is that it's great for photos (600dpi dual sided feed scanner).
Epson has a super portable (battery too) workforce that folds up small (Es-300 I think.) Wifi capable but the connection process is a bit cumbersome.
I run a photo/document scanning service between Toronto/Montreal and am currently getting rid of some duplex high speed scanners for cheap if by chance local.
I have been meaning to get around to trying Mayan EDMS[1] to ingest, OCR, and categorize the scans but that still hasn't happened... >sigh<
Like you I put the documents in a hierarchy of folders and mix with downloaded "official" PDFs, and I use yyyy-mm-dd in the filenames and folders. But, I must admit, a big part of my filing system is often a pile of physical papers stacked up next to the scanner that I haven't got around to yet... But I'd still recommend it.
Entry-level hardtail mountain bike. I understand more of my geographic area than ever before, and am in moderately better shape, to boot.
Old comfy secondhand leather chair. Have my personal PC hooked up to a cheap old flatpanel TV. I've had many productive weekend hours working on personal projects in comfort. There's something about not sitting at a desk that really helps me feel like I'm off the clock, even when I am being productive.
Super cheap keyring that my car key fell off of on one of my first dates with my wife. We spent the rest of the date looking for my key in the park and enjoying conversation. It worked out.
A truly tiny purchase of disproportionately high value!
It shows! The Opinel has a lousy locking mechanism, is clumsy to open (especially if you're left-handed) and the wood swells if wet making it stiffer to open/close. This is a knife worth passing up unless you want to cut yourself.
An Opinel knife appears in the movie "Paris, Je t'aime". In the segment ("Place des Fetes") an unnamed assailant draws his knife, clumsily unlocks it and turns away from the camera to stab his victim.
I have this on my belt and it comes out multiple times a day. I felt a bit silly at first having it on my belt but now I feel naked without it. Incredible handy to have + have to call out good replacement policy as I broke pliers once and they sent a replacement easily and no questions.
Using the electric toothbrush and flossing before bed every night, I feel like in my morning my mouth actually still feels fine. Of course I would never start my day without brushing, but my mouth doesn’t feel icky when I wake up in the morning. Sorry if that’s TMI.
If you only brush once a day, brush last thing before bed.
If you brush before eating, there will still be some plaque left and once you eat there should be copious amounts of sugar and food for it to snack on and quickly multiply + produce acid.
Acidic foods temporarily weaken your enamel to the point that even light brushing can damage it.
If you brush immediately after eating, you’re partially brushing their enzyme shit into your teeth…
There are also some tricks for oral hygiene that you don't get traditionally or when you go to the store for toothpaste. You can try putting a drop of Dragon's Blood on the toothbrush or brush with a bit of ozonated oil to help gum issues.
You can find the oral irrigator/toothbrush combos for looking for faucet oral irrigator on amazon. Maybe I'd misremembered the shower ones that are harder to find for the combos of both, but they're easy enough to find for a faucet adapter.
__Health__
Melatonin. There is no other way for me to go to bed and this knocks me right out (I use 0.2 - 0.4 milligrams).
Sleep mask (no more waking up because a stray light hits my eye)
I'd say sleep earplugs but I have a sound in my ear, but otherwise earplugs
Mosquito repellent scent (for sleep as well).
Silicon earplugs when going out, I never thought I'd get ear/hearing damage because I didn't go out a lot. I was wrong. They protected my ears after I noticed I got some ear damage.
A dumbbell (used at times between breaks to move a bit)
__Other__
Fuet (another HN'er once posted this as such at some thread years ago I can't remember, and I agree). It's a sausage and IMO too good as a snack.
LG 4K monitor for about $350
Moving labels. Got a bunch of moving labels for a few bucks, and slap them whenever I need to label something. Apparently, I tend to label my external HD's mostly and a few boxes that have specific items in them (e.g. only USB cables or power cables, etc.).
Not a purchase but a lifehack and since I see many responses are about cables I guess it's relevant ;-) Instead of spinning your cables in a circle, spin them in a figure 8 (two circles). Somehow it's harder for them to get weirdly tangled when you store them like that. See: https://youtu.be/buVUvnM_AzU?t=104 (I don't use the other life hacks :P)
Verified. By me.
Anything that suddenly and dramatically improves your sleep quality can potentially have this effect.
I will sometimes take 5 mg when I wake up in the middle of the night in an attempt to induce lucid dreaming, although since I've fallen off of my dream journal my LD abilities are diminished (even with the melatonin).
Not the best practice to insert stuff inside the ear. Instead, there exist pretty flat and efficient earmuffs, e.g. from 3M, comfortable for bedtime.
Also known as "butterfly coiling" rope, cable or hose. The alternating turns mean that every twist has a counter-twist, so you don't end up with the tension that causes cables/ropes to tangle up.
My girlfriend brought one recently and it’s weirdly relaxing having something so heavy resting over your body. I’ve found it helps me with just lying still and I think the weight subconsciously makes my body feel heavier and more tired than I actually am.
My problem is that I can barely fall asleep if it's too hot, but I also need to have some weight on me, so can't sleep with the blanket cover only, either. Summers are a nightmare..
I generally get 100,000 miles out of them, so 4 mostly dependable vans and 400,000 miles for about $12,000. You'll lose $12K in depreciation alone just driving a new car off a lot.
I've lived in them safely and comfortably for a total of about 3 years, living all over the western US from New Mexico to Montana. Rent $0. Rent saved? $40,000.
(There are costs, fuel, tires, etc., but negligible compared to rent (i.e. paying someone else's American dream).
The temptations of the lifestyle are many; but, be careful. That much freedom can ruin. You might not be able to return to “normal life", where people supplicate themselves to unbelievable amoralities. Ex. "Two weeks vacation".
Two weeks? Sir, can I have some more, Sir?
I'm a chef. I wasn't always. I can find work anywhere as a chef. I guess that helps.
If you're comfortable with solitude, if you actively seek it out, you can be a rubbertramp, woodsie, etc. If you need people around, you better bunk up or get a dog, because it can be mighty lonely.
And if you know how to search carefully, you can put your camp right on top of great beauty, freely and legally.
I once camped for a month only a mile up a gravel road from Dunton Hot Springs, where big money pays really big money for food and glamping, surrounded by scenery that almost defies believability. I saw bear, elk, marmots (awesome little animals) and ate fresh trout every day from the river next to my camp. Cost. $0. Next door they were paying $5000/day.
And yeah, I always miscalculate that joke to further distance the normies.
No one messes with you in the forest. We woodsies know every Honda minivan also has 12-gauge shotgun inside, for squirrels, tasty, tasty squirrels, and errant humans crazy enough to walk up to your van at night.
:)
Just stay out of the city and you'll be fine. Every square inch of the city is owned by someone, so you're never comfortable. Not so the forest. All Americans own the national forest. We can all use it responsibly and for free.
<smokey_the_bear>
No campfires, please. No fires period. We're running out of trees to burn in the west.
</smokey_the_bear>)
That's about 1.5 times the size of France.
Somewhere, people have collected this wisdom, I'm sure. Any pointers?
I don't drive deep into the forest (couple miles max), as cell service drops precipitously the further you are from main roads.
I do follow the signage. I want to sleep without worry, and rangers will not hesitate to wake you up at 3 am to move your car.
When in doubt, visit the website for whatever national forest you're in. Most of the information you need will be right at your fingertips, including important warnings like weather/fire risk.
Most national forests have what's called dispersed camping. Those are areas specifically reserved for camping and are almost completely unimproved, but I often find they're too deep in the forest for my liking. Just because there's a dispersed camping area doesn't mean you can camp only there.
Is national forest? Yes.
Is campsite? Yes, but doesn't even need to be a campsite. Park anywhere that's safe and doesn't obstruct, unless restricted.
Is empty? Yes.
Is unrestricted? Yes.
If restricted, abide? Yes.
Is safe? Yes, mostly. Remember bears and bear etiquette. Remember the zero-worry rule: If you're worried about where you're parked, leave. Don't assuage your worry as paranoia, listen to it and find another spot. Even if you unpack your whole van and setup camp. If you're worried, pack up and go find another spot. Peace of mind, especially if you're alone, is worth the aggravation.
Internet? Two bars. Woo hoo!
Trees/shade? Yes.
Score!
Is mine for now, so don't burn it down.
When I exit, not so much as a toenail do I leave behind.
If campgrounds are what you want, the online reservation system for USGOV campgrounds countrywide is here: recreation.gov. Off season you can snag a campground reservation same day sometimes; not so on-season.
Those intimidating signs that say “Logging Permit Required” are meant for loggers, so try not to get caught with an industrial chainsaw in your van.
Loggers wake up too damn early. Prepare for (what sounds like) a military invasion at 4 AM when the equipment shows up to turn beautiful, innocent trees into money.
How much are you paying the cell companies to live their American dream on your dime?
Good luck finding one for $3K right now. Used car prices are silly inflated, and people are starting to realize they make dependable homes on wheels, once you take the seats out.
I buy them up to 225,000 miles on the odometer, depending on the condition. Less is generally better. Prices start to jump a lot below 200,000 miles.
Also, my post makes it sound like I drive them to dead and then get another. Not so. I generally sell them and go back to being a muggle with a real life for a bit, then buy another. I've never actually killed a Honda. Haven't tried either. Got one to 357,000 and was still going strong. Zombie cars. Made to last. The older they get, the more character they have. Almost as loved as the Volkswagen van and far more dependable.
EDIT: The service I use is https://www.sbimailservice.com/.
Found them because they cater to the RV and cruising (sailing/motoring around the world) folks, and that's my circle of friends.
(no affiliation other than as a customer)
[1] https://www.sbimailservice.com/security/
(all commercial mail processors you consider should have similar controls in place, make sure you ask!)
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5822052
[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19076624
[3] https://theboatgalley.com/establishing-residency-at-st-brend...
- Getting the physical mail out of them was hard. In theory they kept main for some number of days if I needed it physical for some random reason, but the two times I needed to have them forward me some important document, it had already been shredded. All in all, this was a minor edge case really.
- One company, All State, could not for the life of them realize that I did not live in some PO Box in a different state. They kept changing my rates to the state of the service, and I had a confusing call with a CSR each time where I tried to explain my mailing address and my residential addresses were unrelated. All State was the only company I ever encountered with this issue, everyone else that needed my home address had no trouble with this concept. I solved this by ditching All State.
I only stopped using them because they got bought out and only kept business accounts. I should look for a replacement company, it was very useful.
Similar to how phone numbers can be tagged VoIP and won’t be accepted for 2-factor authentication.
Best $40 / month I ever spent.
Regular sugar (sucrose, fructose) is poison without accompanying fiber, and is the cause of the US's (and India's and Pakistan's) epidemic level of "metabolic syndrome", liver disease that, indirectly, kills way more than COVID. Your liver can neutralize small amounts, as it does alcohol, but Americans take in way more than it can process. When your liver is impaired, you die from things a healthy liver would have prevented. (Really, nowadays people who don't drink are dying from cirrhosis!)
So, you can use dextrose anywhere you would have used table sugar. It has the extra advantage over table sugar (besides not being poison) that it does not make you more hungry after you eat it. Note, it is on you to ensure there is fiber in whatever you take in at the same time; without fiber it (like table sugar) causes insulin excursions you are much better off without. Coffee and cocoa have surprisingly large amounts of fiber.
For more about metabolic disease, the best place to start is youtube vids of presentations by Robert Lustig, a respected endocrinologist specializing in liver disease. He has several books out, most recently "Metabolical", that you probably can get from your local library.
Robert Lustig is the very best kind of scientist: he never claims anything without a dozen peer-reviewed double-blind controlled trials to back him up, many of which he supervised personally.
To be an endocrinologist, you have to be twice as smart and careful as any other sort of medical doctor just to be able to do your work. Another is Robert Sapolsky, who also writes exhaustively supported books. Anybody who says they understand some metabolic process and is not an endocrinologist with 30+ years work behind them is a liar.
Note this is a shortage currently on dextrose because of all the hard seltzers appearing in the market so quickly and using it all up, so it will probably go up as these keep growing.
Using cooking vinegar in place of liquid softener in the clothes washer to remove moldy / gym sock smell from the drum and clothes. Only need to apply once every few washes and is less than $1 worth of vinegar to do the trick. I just fill the softener compartment with it. I've spent a lot of money on products that claim to remove the smell, but vinegar has consistently done the trick.
If your car's AC also smells moldy / gym socky, you can buy a foam spray that's designed to remove it that you put into your AC vents for around $35 that will clear it up immediately. I've watched youtube videos suggesting lysol but it did not work out for me on two cars. This did.
If you don't need the extra space, probably not worth the effort.
Is also nice if you are dealing with mixed sizes of boxes. Cut them to roughly the same size for stacking.
(Not the op, so I could have the wrong motives...)
Pretty happy with it.
For cars, sometimes it is as easy as changing the cabin air filter.
Overall for around 100 bucks a month in food/trifexis the value a dog brings to your life is massive.
People will constantly talk to you so youre socializing.
There's a creature that loves you unconditionally which is a really cool feeling.
Theyre a ton of fun so it's hard to be bored.
They're good for getting exercise as they always want to play.
And more.
Theres studies that say owning a dog increases your lifespan as well.
If the owner has to leave every day ,they should be bringing their dogs to doggy day care or have another dog to keep it company.
I personally view leaving a dog alone all day as abuse.
I would just pay the 40 bucks for the vet visit if I need it which I haven't in two years of dog ownership so far.
I'm paying USD600 a year per dog in insurance. It already paid for itself for several years with one stomach bug gone bad that needed somewhat intensive care at a vet hospital for several days.
Glad your pooch is ok!
Also, be sure to take your pet to a vet at least once a year for annual checkups and preventative care. Do not wait for a reason to go in. So many people call in to have their pet looked at when some weird symptom appears, only to discover that their pet now has an issue that could have been prevented if they had been visiting regularly.
I don't know if I would get one if I lived in a tropical climate though. Like the southern U.S. states.
West Coast or New England...hell yes!
I live in PR and I know quite a couple husky owners, the key according to them is to just try to keep them hydrated, cool and off hot pavement.
I read the double coat protects from the cold AND the heat.
I shave my Aussies top coat every spring just for posterity and he does fine in the summer.
You should get one! Huskys are totally zany wonderful critters!
If you are experienced with dogs, it shouldn't be an issue and it will be a lot of fun as they are clever and to a degree independent too. On the other hand, if you aren't really clear about what you are getting into, it might spell trouble.
In any case, I wish you luck and hope that you find a suitable canine companion.
Cheap Panasonic Ergofit earbuds. They fit my ears well and isolate me from a good bit of noise. With a Lightning adapter and some sleep sounds / music, they usually get me through any night noises. My Airpods Pro are much better for this but the battery can't get through the night.
I got a 45-watt Nekteck USB-C car charger which helps top off my laptops or iPad when I'm out roaming and working from different places. Had previously used an inverter and the normal charger but this is small and easy.
Little nondo USB-C to USB-A adapters. I'm up to either 6 or 8 of these now. It's just handy to keep them on USB-A devices and no noticeable 2.4GHz interference like other brands.
I got lucky on a $99 black friday deal on a Dell color laser a couple years ago. It's been almost perfect. No more dried out ink. We just finished the last original toner cartridge and can probably get 2+ years out of a $24 knockoff set and that's with a teacher and high schooler in the house.
Wood door shim to scrape food cooked onto pans. Free and gets off stuff scrubbies won't, without scratching the s** out of a pan using a metal one. Saves ruining wooden spoons doing the same thing.
Battery powered, brushless motor chain saw: i'm worn out before using up two lithium batteries, and get a lot more done with not expending energy pulling on a 2 cycle engine. Same for weedwacker, brush cutter and pole saw. Keep it sharp, works fine for this semi retired farmer, even after sitting idle all winter.
You don't realize how much time and attention you give these small gasoline motors over the years. It's soooo much easier to slap the battery in for the first cut of the season and just go. No more winterizing. No more checking/changing spark plugs. No more pulling starter cords until my arm falls off. No more loud stinky exhaust.
These are by far the best purchase I've made in a long time.
For years I was around developers a lot and so they tend to push the mentality that the best tool for organization must be digital. So I tried Trello, google calendar, various habit tracking apps, etc. None of them really had everything I wanted...
Finally I am happy with a paper planner, sticky notes, wet-erase markers that make the laminate cover into a go-anywhere brainstorming tool, pretty pen colors and even stickers as a rewards for hard tasks.
You can get a "masculine" planner like they have at Levenger or Golden Coil, or a more "feminine" planner from Erin Condren, Emily Ley, Plum Paper, Limelife or Northfolk.
However, the same brand has a line of neutral & undecorated planners with blue/black/grey covers. This one seems like it would raise no eyebrows at work: https://www.erincondren.com/camel-customizable-vegan-leather... .
However, they offer fewer layout options in this line than they do in their more popular offerings.
Levenger, as I mentioned, also has some good options, although they are pricey. ARC (I think that's Staples' store brand?) has a line a lot of people buy. Both of these are discbound, which is a choice you either really like or don't.
Filofax & its ilk also have a lot of options that would look fine in a professional setting.
Similarly, if you call the planner cover "vegan leather" instead of "plastic"...
Also I like to write in appointments months in advance and I can't do that if I'm drawing just a few weeks ahead.
The best thing is you discover/invent more ways to use it as you use it more. You can't really add new features to an app so easily, but with paper its just a matter of writing it down. You can also break rules everywhere and your paper planner will not crash.
Google Voice (until it stopped working well) - I could not have lived overseas for 3yrs w/o Google Voice. An absolute lifesaver while I was making 12-15 transnational trips a year doing both business and grad school at the same time. Google Fi would have been great, but the overall system degraded by then. Concept is amazing and i'd pay big $ for this, I imagine most high end consultants would also.
Apple Music - Seriously, I feel like a thief -- all this music for $10/mo? This should cost $100/mo. I'm on it at least 10-12 hours a day, sometimes even sleep to it. The catalog is extensive. I cross-cut across artists, decades, genres, sub-genres, associated acts, everything.
The Kindle - because I ran out of space for books and never had the book I wanted to read when I was traveling.
Electric Kettle - I make tea 3x as much now because boiling water is so fast and easy.
Bought a couple of bundles of iPhone charging cables from Amazon that were 3ft/6ft/10ft in length with charging attachment from my old iPhones.
It's such a great feeling to use the phone from any part of my place without having to worry about length of the cable.
I keep a couple of the longer cables in my car too just in case someone wants to charge on a long trip.
For me it's Varying lengths of USB-C charging cables, and a bunch of USB-C -> Micro and USB-C -> Lightning adapters so no more looking for the right cable.
ha
Got rid of all my USB C dongles, no concerns about heating, amazing performance, and I'm not the type who codes from a cafe.
Work from cafe is for light chats, emails and occasional writing / jotting down of ideas.
It's trivial to keep things synced between devices, even without using proprietory software.
Then maybe my commute bicycle that I bought for $200 and that I've been using almost daily for 15 years. So much better than a car or public transportation (at least where I live).
Then we're getting a bit specialized, but as a guitar player, a Yamaha THR (amplifier for playing at home). Tried many solutions and settled for this many years ago.
I'm so near-sighted that I need my glasses to see the screen, but just barely. In some situations I can take my glasses off to work and it makes such a difference - there's no strain at all.
I purchased cheap glasses online and intentionally turned down the astigmatism correction. Significantly reduced eye strain.
* During the day, I use my "correct" prescription. Even though it gives me a bit of eye strain.
* At night, I switch to my adjusted prescription. Not as visibly clear, but significantly less eye strains.
It's nice having a clear separation between "focus" glasses and "relaxing" glasses.
So I budget $100-200 from my HSA per year for glasses, and have spares at home, the office, and in the car. When they're 5-6 years old, I donate them to a charity that redistributes them.
Not "tiny" I guess, but surprising luxury for $16/month.
I use $30 "FEIT" 55W PAR38 5000-lumen flood lamps, pointed toward the ceiling in $10 "IKEA NOT" floor lamp stands. I also use multiple $11 "FEIT OM200" 25W 3050-lumen LEDs in a ceiling fixture. Since brightening my workspace, my productivity and mood have been better and more stable.
Over quarantine, I started getting fluffier than I'm comfortable with and reached my highest weight ever. I eat healthy, so my only guess was that I was eating too much. Simply adding a food scale made me cut 15 pounds in a couple months.
The best way (for me at least) was to track my calories, using the food scale to weight things and nutritional labels (or looking things up in Google) to figure out the calories. MyFitnessPal for logging everything.
If you're asking how to know how many calories you need - search for TDEE calculator online, which will give you an estimate number of calories needed for maintenance, or how much for weight loss, given your height, bodyweight and activity level. But - these are just estimates! Track food intake for a month, see if you went down, if not, start targeting fewer calories (or more if you went down too quickly for your needs).
I used to think this would be an extremely time-consuming thing that would be very annoying to learn. What really struck me is how easy this actually turned out to be. In fact tracking what you eat will save you time. Here's how.
People talk about "counting calories". But here's the problem with that: you can eat nothing but donuts throughout the day and stay within your calorie limit, yet it's still unhealthy. What gives? How do we know what is healthy and what isn't?
Enter macros. Calories in food are made up of three "macros", which are: fat; carbs; protein.
So just forget about calories. What you want to know is how many macros you need per day; how many grams of fat, grams of protein, and grams of carbs. The calories will work themselves out.
Okay, how do you find out? Super easy. You can use a calculator like this one: https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.h...
For me, every day I aim for:
154g Carbs
150g Protein
32g Fat
Now you might be thinking "Wow that sounds like a pain in the ass to track. How is it even possible to track that?"
There are apps that do this for you. My favorite app is called "Macros" https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.josmantek.... and there are a lot of other good ones out there.
Here's how it works:
1. Look at your food nutrition label (for example, fat-free Greek Yogurt)
2. Find the serving size (170g) and enter that into your app.
3. Find the macros grams (0g Fat; 7g Carbs; 17g Protein) and enter those into your app.
That's it. Your app will now have the nutrition facts of that food item saved forever and you only need to follow this process for new foods / new ingredients. Over time, you will gradually build a library of foods you like to eat.
Whenever you're ready to eat, you select one of your saved food items like "Greek Yogurt", and it will simply ask you the weight of your food. Enter in any weight you want, and it will automatically calculate how many macros/calories it will provide you. If it's too much, adjust the weight down, and if it's too little then adjust the weight up.
Once you decide on the perfect weight / macros, then you use your food scale to get exactly what you need.
To wrap things up, this also saves you time because now it enables you to plan ahead exactly what you want to eat and how much you want to eat. When it's time to eat, you just open up your plan and follow the instructions, no more staring blankly into the fridge.
2. Start to measure and write down the weight and macronutrients of everything you eat.
3. Measure your weight every morning and adjust calories every week by 100-200 depending on your weight gain/loss. But do not fall below the desired protein amount. You should learn to do it reliably within a month.
4. Take your average daily weight every week and try to not lose more than 1-1.5% of your body weight weekly (increase calories if losing faster).
5. When you reach your desired weight, start increasing by 100-200 calories daily, until you reach equilibrium for your weekly average weight. That is your optimal calorie intake.
6. Start learning patterns and you'll figure out how (what and how much) to eat in order to maintain your body weight. After several months of daily calorie tracking, you should be able to eat within reasonable margin of error without measuring anything. At this point you can stop measuring calories.
7. Every now and then, when you gain several extra kilos, repeat the above process for a month or two.
Not "tiny," but the cost/benefit ratio is significant.
One of my favorite things we make with it is refried beans. Makes canned refrieds taste like dog food.
They also have a smoother texture than cooking in a pot. It's my favourite way to cook them too.
This neurofeedback device for sleep and other issues, super interesting science behind it: https://mindalive.com/products/david-delight-pro
And a PEMF device for chronic pain.
I got this one (https://www.chefsteps.com/joule) but Anova is much more popular (https://anovaculinary.com/anova-precision-cooker/)
For woodworking -- a pocket hole jig. Around $50, with only that, a drill, a saw, and (optionally) wood glue, you can make a ton of useful and sturdy stuff, with minimal training. A chisel and mallet are similarly surprisingly useful.
They don't survive the trip through the hose. Often you can get the nest, too, although some might survive inside.
If you have ground wasps (which are the worst because they chase you until they get you!), you just lay the big end of the pipe next to their hole for a few minutes, morning and evening, until you have got them all.
So, in answer to the original question: a shop vac!
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. I fall asleep while reading this in bed. Almost every US library offers Overdrive ebook service which is integrated into Kindle; basically, any book I see interesting, I can search for it, check it out (or put myself on the hold list), and have it auto-sent to Kindle, all within 30 seconds. I can't tell you how nice it is to always have the various books I'm currently reading at the moment on hand, and to be able to switch between them as I feel like it.
After performing the research, I can confirm you'll struggle to find better in any category you've been disappointed in previously.
I used Aeron chairs for decades. Now I use a lightweight, rigid metal chair, with no cushion, and am happier. I get up and walk around at least once an hour, which is Good. It is easy to get stuck in an Aeron chair all day, which is Bad.
Sometimes I just use a stool.
Magnetic charging cables. Some can't take advantage of the higher speed charging (only connecting V+ and ground), but it's unreasonably nice to have cables throughout the house that can support all of your devices.
A comfortable mouse with enough buttons. A comfortable keyboard that just works, even if you don't have the driver software.
The Logitech MX series is pretty decent, though I've had to start fighting with uneven mousewheel acceleration. Corsair makes decent mice, and Razer as well.
The double click issue I've had happen with a couple of products. A Razer opto-mechanical keyboard had this crop up, a previous Logitech MMO mouse did this (double left click as well), and even a "Topre" switch keyboard had this happen. I haven't had it happen with cherry switch keyboards (yet), but I'm sure it will.
It almost seems like an industry-wide problem that combines less-expensive switch components and debouncing tolerances that are set too tightly - it's like none of the newer products are set up to handle aging switches. Just a guess though.
Sorry about that.
The other tools I use in my FX chains are all reaper built-ins and plugins.
Works great and doesn't require electricity. Previously had an expensive one that had extra features like water/seat heating, but honestly the cheap one is fine.
Serious question. I just think good toilet etiquette/hygiene is not being taught. For example, wipe any sweat and hairs off the seat before putting the lid down (or seat up if no lid) before flushing.
According to cops that did a talk in a neighborhood I lived in though, usually criminals just kick in the door anyway. To be skilled in lockpicking probably means you are skilled enough in life that robbing houses isn't going to be your major vocation.
- A 15000 lux day lamp, because my apartment is pretty dark, why causes some sort of depressing feelings over time
- A Brita Water Filter Pitcher, which replaces all the bottles of water I needed to buy and carry.
- Magnet app (mac OS) to organize windows quickly with keyboard shortcuts.
It's the whole package.
I have always struggled with bursts of hyper-productivity and then bursts of burnout and developed a problem with getting motivated. A friend gave me the advice to get a notebook and write down what I did every day in broad strokes and if I had some particular mood swings or other mental health-related struggles.
It helped me develop good habits as I am awful at repetitive stuff and sometimes I even write down my short term plans ahead of time to just have a framework to keep to day to day. I abhor planning every moment of my life to a strict schedule so this is isn't an hour-to-hour plan but a list of activities and keywords, basically. It also assures that I don't get so deep into something that I just shut the outside world out.
I've been doing this for four years now and I have never missed a day of writing things down. I don't know why but "manifesting" plans into the physical realm just makes them more... real? The added benefit is that I can tell anyone what I did each day and what I struggled with / was happy to experience at any given day of those 4 years.
* A very long USB-C cable from an Apple store. I get jealous looks when I break it out to charge my phone.
* Scented candles from Aldi. It's such a quality of life boost to have the place smelling nice. They last ages and cost nothing.
* A creme brulee hand blowtorch. Surprisingly useful! Excellent for lighting aforementioned candles instantly, without burning your knuckles.
* A real P3 respirator with replaceable filters. I've seen the rate that people go through disposable masks. Replacing the filters every few months is vastly cheaper than that! And bonus, it's at least an order of magnitude more effective.
Generally candles emit fine particulates which is unhealthy.
Also, I tend to take the view that the best tool available to me to not spread Covid is to not catch Covid. It's apparent to me that relying on the people around me to wear masks and be sensible is not a viable strategy for avoiding transmission events. When the prevailing attitude is that the pandemic is over, I do not feel it is selfish to protect myself to the best of my ability.
Seconded. It's absurdly nice to have a focused torch when you need one. And most are refillable, making them better than most lighters.
tried several models and the Ohropax Schlafmaske 3D is the best. has concave eye patches - so, maybe you already use it. also washable and quite sturdy.
https://www.shop-apotheke.com/arzneimittel/9667846/ohropax-s...
The only nitpick is that if you're a side sleeper (I am) it can be a little uncomfortable depending on what kind of pillow you use. I use shredded memory foam pillows and they're pretty firm.
I for one have been really really happy with the Ecovacs Deebot T9 Plus. It even mops the floors in the same operation and doesn't get easily stuck due ti AI and LIDAR scanning.
So far it has worked for about 50 hours. That is time I have gotten free up to do other things, which is the essence of why I recommend it. Also, my place has never neen this clean consistently over time :)
I've had them for about a year and a half now.
We got a Dohm Classic, but you can just get an app for your phone if you like.
Works great and you can customize the white noise. At first I was concerned that running it continuously for 8-9 hours every night would wear out the speakers on the iPad, but that was an unfounded worry.
It opens cardboard boxes, pries open covers, cuts strings, and drives the occasional screw. All without worrying about losing a Swiss army or leatherman, and it’s airport and government building friendly which is big for me.
How does that work? I looked it up and it doesn't seem like it has a knife. (Not that you'd want something that sharp in your pocket unprotected anyway.)
It’s not a tool I’d use to break down 1000 boxes a day, but it’s fine for an Amazon box or two.
It's the equivalent of having 4, 23" 1080p monitors, all smooshed together with no bezel. You can see sooo much. It's not as high of a dpi, but I switched to it from a 39" ultra curved widescreen that was over $1000 and I can see even more.
Another tiny set of purchases that makes life easier - buy different colored and patterned cables instead of just black. I can actually find what I need so much quicker instead of trying to trace a single black cable through the rat's nest.
Another way I've solved this with standard black wires is to get multi-color tape and then put tape around both ends of the wire. You can get a 10 pack of assorted colors for like $10. It's handy if you have a rats nest of black computer wires.
Also works magnificently for trying to figure out what's plugged into the multi-outlet next to the entertainment center. "This is the TV plug. This is the amplifier. This is the NAS. This is the switch." It's so much easier when the switch's power adapter has a big "SWITCH" label on it.
It feels like adult Lego. Just wish more things had loops.
This may be prohibitively expensive for people who live in large places.
I've been trying to get the perfect setup and the Lutron LZL-4B was pretty close, but they've been discontinued and are hard to find for under $100 / switch.
The RunLessWire switches don't use batteries, which is a negative for me. To use them you have to push the switch oddly hard, so when visitors don't press it hard enough they assume the lights are broken.
The Philips Hue Dimmer would be *perfect* if it fit a standard light switch opening. But it doesn't, and I'm not going to stick an extra fake-looking outlet to my walls.
I went through a period where I'd use home assistant, the phone app, and Google Assistant (voice), but ultimately, this setup with the physical switches is easier / fewer hassles.
I figured out that I pretty much always drink 2 or three bottles of water per day, no matter what size of bottle I use. So a big old water bottle doubles the amount of water I drink in a day
A watering can.
Now I collect seeds and nurse baby trees to plant out. It takes hardly any time from day to day, and I always have something to look forward to. It's the only activity I've found that perfectly embodies the "think global, act local" ethos.
I cook fried rice a few times a week so recently I decided to upgrade my non-stick wok with one made from carbon steel as I’ve heard good things about them and the non-stick coating of my wok had started to wear away.
I’ve been really impressed with how much better it is to cook with and honestly given how often I cook rice I couldn’t live without it anymore. I’ve found it has far superior non-stick properties compared to my old wok, it can be used at extremely high heats, and it’s basically indestructible. It also gives my rice a much stronger fried taste which I personally love. I wish I’d brought one years ago now. Would definitely recommend if you enjoy fried rice as much as I do.
https://www.campchef.com/cooking-systems/14-cooking-systems/...
This stove is only about half as powerful as one in a Chinese restaurant. Those things are rocket engines.
They are very comfortable and supporting shoes with metal studs so that you don’t slip on that black ice patch ever again.
Not exactly cheap but totally worth the price.
Lets me listen to audiobooks and pod casts while still being aware of my surroundings and not having to jam things into my ear canals....
Every self-proclaimed environmentalist (I consider myself a steward and ecologist not an environmentalist) trying to change entire global economics should just try drying their damn clothes with the sun, and push for laws that allow it akin to right to repair.
I also don't use a dishwasher. Utter waste of energy and water. And guess what? That pot you're going to boil water in next time doesn't need to be sanitized. Wipe it out with a dish rag and put it away. The boiling water the next time you cook your specialty frufru pasta flown in from Italy will kill any germs.
If you run it for a plate or two, sure. If it's even remotely full, it uses way less energy and water than you do washing in the sink.
They cannot by law (AIUI) forbid you from putting up a ham antenna!
BTW, dishwashers use way less water than most people do washing dishes by hand.
31 to 33 decibel NRR, not the 20 NRR ones. Human speech is ~55 decibels.
NOW BOARDING FLIGHT 1345 SREEEEEECH TO LONDON HEATHROW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT! BEEP. BOOP!
NOW REPEATING WHAT I JUST SAID IN 6 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES!
AHHHHHH!
Do make sure you're at your gate before inserting. Trust me.
*Air travel really was a thing before the spring of 2020. I swear it was.
I'll admit that the cost upfront was not exactly cheap, but if you divide the price by the useful lifespan (my previous headphones lasted for 8 years) it becomes a no-brainer.
Studio mainstay of the last 30+ years. Comfy as hell. Accurate enough, if flattering. <$100. I have a 20 year old pair that got a few new sets of earpads but sound as good as day one.
The only pair I've loved more were Sony MDR-XB500. I would kill for them to come back and especially in wireless.
I am not an audio snob but these sound great and most importantly, are extremely comfortable for long periods.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SanDisk_Sansa
Edit: Updated wiki link
The whole Sansa line was pretty awesome.
Thanks for that.
They drove me mad until maybe the last 6 months, the firmware was atrocious but recently it has much improved, I also bought the USB link for times that there is a lot of interference.
What most people dont realise is that yes they have noise cancelling for you (e.g, they reduce the noise you can hear), but they also use their external microphones to cancel the noise in the room for the people on the call, you can be in a noisy room / office and it sounds silent on the call - crucial when working at home with other people during lockdowns or in noisy open plan offices.
The best purchase I have made in the last 2 years by far
I listen to streaming radio, music, podcasts. It reads my kindle books. I can ask it for the time, news, timers and to turn lights on. The list goes on and on. Yup, Amazon is the current boogey-company but they sure know how to keep a customer happy.
laptop stand is to adjust eyes-display level (no more neck pains) and bed tray allows me to switch between regular and standing desk
Guitar. Not a tiny purchase but I realised that my last one costing about 100 pounds had lasted for nearly 30 years of heavy playing, so I bought myself a new Mexican Strat as a treat.
Kayak. Can be had cheap and if you live near the river it's a great activity, especially as we couldn't go far from home in lockdown.
1. Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 Bluetooth speaker.
Compact and very loud, also has good battery life. Handy on hikes and similar. The waterproofing is excellent and I use it in the shower to listen to podcasts, etc.
2. Sony WH1000MX4 Bluetooth headphones.
I was skeptical in getting a full set of headphones as I always preferred earphones. These things have amazing sound quality and noise cancelation which means you don't have to listen to music as loud when outdoors. Battery life is extremely good also. Pricey, but well worth it and highly recommended.
Are you aware that other hikers hate you for this? I suppose you don’t care.
I started dancing and having fun with the hikers...
You may not understand this, but most other people go out to nature to enjoy nature. Blasting music kills the experience.
I'm guessing both of you are just kids whose parents missed this particular lesson.
You may not understand this, but there's such a thing as disagreement and preference.
The difference is that someone blasting music is IMPOSING their preference on everyone else.
Noooooooo. PLEASE enjoy nature and let others enjoy nature. You are missing out (and cheesing off everyone else)
* B2 storage: instead of throwing away anything on my computer because the HDD is filling up and being anxious because I might need it in the future, I just dump it on B2, which stores it forever for cents per month.
* Wireless charging stand: now I can see my phone and notifications while working, and it’s charging, and I never forget where I left it.
* Victorinox Outrider pocket knife: always have a knive, scissors, Phillips screwdriver and bottle opener handy.
$4 Car Lighter USB Charger from Walmart auto elec section with two ports. One for my phone, cable always attached, one for occasional passenger. Same in Electrical section is $11.
$20/year Google One storage 100GB. $120/year Dropbox 1TB. Finally having a offsite backup.
$2.04 Pen & Gear paper journals from Walmart with Magnetic closure flap.
Magnetic chargers for all my devices: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002239613192.html For context, I never transfer data through cords for my devices. I have semi-permanently affixed these chargers to my devices and now I have chargers that work for all of them. Life-changing purchase.
Cheap Earbuds: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000507169624.html I bought 10x of these for ~1 USD each, and it put a pair in every bag, box and jacket I traveled with so I'd always have a set with me no matter what. Very convenient.
Metal card wallet: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32808543399.html Going on 3 years, fairly durable for the price. Reduced wallet size by forcing me to discard (pun intended).
Sleep mask: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KC5DWCC Also life-changing. I have 16 windows in my room and this allowed me to finally sleep past daybreak.
Ear protection: (not exact pair, but similar) https://www.amazon.com/12010-34dB-Highest-Safety-Muffs/dp/B0... Combined with the aforementioned cheap earbuds, these replace 200+ USD noise cancelling headphones for ~15 USD total and allow me to concentrate at work.
Rechargeable batteries (AAA and AA), and recharger: I use these for everything that requires batteries.
The Phoenix Project (Book): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1942788290/ This book helped me change my career trajectory in a positive way.
Most waterpiks are super huge, but with the portable waterfloser, I can bring it in a restaurant with me and clean my teeth after I eat.
Upd: I see you specified the model below, didn't notice that, sorry. Will check that one out, maybe it's better?
Me and one of these come moving time is a sight to behold.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/IPG-20-In-X-1000-Ft-Stretch-Wrap-...
I've always had a good outdoor coat but my legs and feet would still get wet. With the umbrella, only my toes get wet in a downpour. It's large enough for my two kids and I to get under!
Nail brush (for when you really get our hands dirty)
Good spray bottles for household cleaners
Lanyard and Otter case for my iPhone—never drop your phone out of the house.
Eye protection/face shield for when working on machinery
Calfamo desk fan
Second monitor
Bamboo (free from a neighbor’s yard)
I could go on…
I don't have to cut meats open to see if they are ready.
Also useful if you are making certain chocolate recipes or other candy recipes where temperature matters.
They reduce volume but you can still hear pretty well. I use them to reduce wind and road noise, but still hear music through my Sena.
I'm very pleased with them.
Changed my life in so many ways. I thought I slept well before, but boy I was so wrong!
back in the day it used to be
1) phone
2) small digital camera
3) keys
4) wallet
Now it's just phone & keys. Lovely!
In addition to the phone wallet case, I installed electronic locks on my home, so I could stop carrying keys around.
Yoga mat
Bike
A Bella 5.3 qt air fryer. The basket is one piece, ridiculously easy to clean:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HRTWZJN
This has completely simplified my eating, but it's not for everyone. I'm not interested in cooking, and I'm able to eat the same things every day without issue. Right now I have a few burger patties, a chicken thigh or two, and a pork chop every day, and once in a while, salmon. Plus I cook my dogs food too, mostly ground beef and burger patties, and pork loin.
When I say this simplified my life, I no longer use a stove top, induction cooktop, frying pans, or oven, ever, and got rid of most of the cookware. If I want a different meal, I can always order out, or when it's safe, go eat out somewhere, but that's rare for me anyway. I just drop in what I want, spices as desired, turn it on and come back and eat. It will also cook vegetables, and when I used to eat them, I liked them better this way as it gave them an oven-like caramelized flavor.
Here are two different vendor/models that have the exact same basket:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MR3KWSL
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WBSVH33
My original Bella still worked, but after using it between 3 and 6 times a day for over a year and a half it was time to retire it as the front had warped. I think it was $85 at the time. Couldn't buy it again as it said and still says not in stock at the link. So I searched for ones that had the same basket, and bought one each of the other two. Before the Bella, I had a much more $$$ Philips XXL, but that was a pain to clean because you had to take the basket apart etc. so I gave it away.
One tip: I don't go above 340 in temp, though they can go to 400 -- it'll warp the front a bit over time at the high temps, and fat can get into the element and make it smoke. Usually it's 280 deg for an hour with still frozen chicken thigh, and 280 deg for 20 mins for a thin burger, 30 mins for thicker. You'll have to experiment with temps and times until you find what you like with each food.
The second thing that has simplified my (cooking) life is a hard boiled egg maker:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XTJQN2X
Makes it a snap to get the cooking done right for soft, medium or hard boiled eggs, every time, very quickly. Just over $20 and I use it to hard boil 6 eggs every other day.
These days, hackers stays in a computer system for 5 or 6 months before making their move. So they can destroy your backups and put their virus on USB flash drives, and you won't know until that day comes. So if you re-use your USB flash drives, they can be bricked.
However, if you get a brand new USB drive for every backup, then that would probably work. Are do you purchase 365 USB flash drives per year (or however many backups you do per year)? But then, you will have to buy a new computer because if you try to use that backup on the old computer that is hijacked, that backup is compromised as well.