What single item improved the quality of your life over you got it? (Buyed it/got as present/made it)
What single item improved the quality of your life over you got it? (Buyed it/got as present/made it)
Building and running my own server for self hosting multiple tools for my home.
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Bitwarden Password manager, now sharing logins/passwords for stuff my fiance and I both use is easy, and every single website we use has its own unique randomly generated password so when one site gets breached, our logins aren't compromised anywhere else
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Plex, it's like your own self hosted Netflix. My file copies of any movies/TV shows go on here and it parses em all, keeps it all grouped together, streams in 4k.
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Shinobi, for my security cameras. Self hosted free CRTV application, works with any open spec cameras. Has movement detection and tonnes of other open source options for plug-ins.
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Deluge, handy UI for downloading torrents onto my server. Conviently added presets to it that let me download to the very folders Plex scans... cough cough.
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Kavita, self hosted server for books/pdfs. Some e-readers can even connect to it. A couple popular manga reading apps also work with it. Can also just use its own browser web interface as an e-reader, it has multiple options for styles (infinite scroll, page swiping, left/right click, and even supports right to left mode for manga!)
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Nextcloud, pictures/document storage. Sort of like a selfhosted filesshare/file backup. Has a mobile app that can automatically backup every picture/video you take on your phone!
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Gogs, open source super lightweight git repo. Has only the bare minimum of features, basic web hook, authorization, permissions, simple web ui to edit. It does the job I need it to and that's good enough.
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OpenVPN, self hosted VPN so I can securely access all the above stuff without exposing it to the internet.
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Also I host my own websites on it, publicly exposed. Blog, a writing project, nothing terribly fancy.
Eventually I plan to add some more stuff to it. Migrate my smart home dependencies over to Z wave and install Home Assistant, so I don't have to rely on sending my info to google/amazon/etc to do basic smart home stuff.
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In the early 2000's, I bought a 1986 Honda XL250R. Just an old dirt bike.
The motorcyckle shop was across the road from the pawn shop I was originally going to buy a gun from, for the express purpose of taking my own life, for reasons that made sense at the time.
Since I bought that bike, I've made friends, learned a lot of new skills, and I met the best person in existence, who I am now married to. I passed on a final exit, and ended up with a pretty great life.
A house. My mortgage is cheaper than rent, and now I get to actually address annoyances with my living conditions.
It's almost 100 years old, and a bit of an fixer upper, but the important stuff is solid. Last summer I invested in proper drainage around the foundation so that I can start making the basement livable. This year I invested in a proper bathroom. Next year it's a new kitchen. And if time allows I'll start rebuilding the basement mainly for one extra bed room and an office.
Synology NAS (basically a hard drive always connected to the home network and internet) - has been amazing for auto-backing-up photos from the family phones and for running Plex run my own personal streaming service for the whole family around the world. Has been great for file transfer too. I can easily move files between my phone, PC, Steam Deck, etc and all the USB memory sticks I had have been sitting in a drawer ever since.
Exercise compression thermals - wear these is super comfortable and really warm. I wear them constantly at home and can have the heating off almost all winter (UK). Saves tons of energy and money.
Electric blanket - another great low energy purchase for relaxing under when watching TV or warming up the bed before sleeping. Gets super hot while hardly using any energy at all.
Split unit air con installation - this was expensive and I thought it would be unnecessary in the UK, but it seems to be used more and more every summer as we get more heatwaves and summers are becoming unbearable.
Safety razors - I have really thick facial hair and the multi-blade razors from big name brands would dull really quickly and cause tons of shaving rash. These razors are sharper, last longer, are recyclable and much better for my skin.
Liquid ink refillable rollerball pens - I tried fountain pens after seeing the online communities that are crazy about them, and really didn't like them. I found rollerball pens I like that take fountain pen ink and have been super happy with them. I write a lot at work and this has gotten rid of the plastic waste of throwing away used disposable ballpoint refills every couple of weeks.
Hitbox controller - I've been playing Street Fighter 6 since release and I made a leverless controller box myself and I've loved using it to play SF6. Managed to make it for one third the price of what these things sell for and completely customised it.
An E-reader. There's no more space in my house for book shelves. I've a ton of books stored inappropriately in a bunch of cabinets and on top of furniture, that I hope to find new homes for before irreparable damage is done to their spine.
Having an e-reader also helped me in the gym. Instead of doomscrolling on lemmy or tiktok, I read between sets. Helped me regain my reading habit and kick my social media habit. Also, helped my social anxiety of having to rest longer than half a minute when other people might want to use the iron I'm using.
I have always hated bath mats. Especially being in a fairly large family, by early afternoon it seems like the bath mat is always saturated and useless; slipping around the floor if you're trying to use it to dry your feet, or soaking your socks if you happen to step on it in the course of other bathroom business.
I recently got a bath stone made of diatomaceous earth and it has erased all of the annoyance. It pulls the water right off you so I always feel safe stepping onto my tile floor after just a few steps on the bath stone, and it dries freakishly fast, like basically in front of your eyes.
I've only had it a month so I don't know how durable it is over the long term, but so far it has been $40 well spent.
TOP OF THE LIST: bidet (duh),
electric water kettle (fuck gas stoves and also faster),
$3 metal tongue scrapper (clean ass mouth),
noise cancelling headphones (it's amazing not going back),
slow cooker (it's impressive how lazy i am. spend an hour cruising slow cooking recipes on reddit/chaptgpt, pick out 10+, set for life),
piratebay
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
50+ pack of small white rags and using those instead of paper towels. simple washer after all used to reuse
cheap air purifier in room @ night, clean air and dual white noise maker.
small $10 desk usb fan. fuck running the A/C just turn this guy on.
electric space heater. depending on your climate, you don't need central gas heat just get space heater and shut the door to the room you're in.
A dildo. Get to know yourself and what you like a little and it's legitimately brain melting. You don't have to be gay to enjoy em, I'm glad I gave butt stuffing a try.
Just make sure whatever you get is actually body safe. Silicone is generally the only good soft body safe material, look for medical grade or platinum cure.
Anything that takes away shitty chores. People take washing machines for granted these days, but a decent dishwasher is a godsend. Modern ones don't need anything more than a basic scrape of the dishes as "prep" and loading it before bed to then wake up to a load of sparkling clean dishes is amazing.
In a similar vein we've just got a robot vacuum cleaner that we've set to run every night. The amount of dog fur in its bin every morning is eye opening, and other than for the stairs there's almost no need to do vacuuming ourselves now.
My fileserver. I have more media than I could ever need and plenty of room for more.
ZoloftLexapro aka escitalopram. I thought everyone had the anxiety voices like I did. I told myself I was just a worrier. Then it got REALLY bad in my 30's and even I thought it was getting absurd. My doc asked me "how are you feeling" and I just broke down, spilled my guts. He said "let's try a small dose." and after a couple months adjustment, the crazy voices went from 4/5 to a 1/5. They're still there, but they're WAY more quiet. I had no idea that this is what normal people think like.Wireless JBL earbuds. I mainly use them while doing housework or listening to something in a way that won't bother other folks in the house.
I guess these first three are kind of limited scope improvents.
Fountain pens. Got me writing notes for work which has helped me stay more organized and on the ball and able to remember more. And with the right pen it makes note taking enjoyable.
Cast iron skillets have improved my enjoyment of cooking.
Portable jump starter has saved the day multiple times since I got it (me, friends, etc)
ADHD diagnosis late in life prompted by career-limiting struggles with a type-A boss. The diagnosis explained so many things about me, my behavior, my struggles in work and relationships, my self image, etc. Therapy helped develop better coping mechanisms and the meds help a lot with focus and motivation. All told, things are better with relationships and other areas of life, I turned around the boss's opinion and got my career back on track.
we were picking up some free boots for my partner off of facebook marketplace when i asked about the weight bench that was also in the yard. the owner said "someone said they were coming for it, but they were supposed to be here 2 hours ago. you want it?" I disassembled it in the yard and ruined my folding knife trying to use it as a screwdriver, but it was the best decision I've ever made. Grabbed some adjustable dumbbells from amazon, have been hitting up marketplace for plates people aren't using ever since, and I've now got a full-body 5x/week workout routine that is 100% the key to my mental and physical health. Best thing I've ever done for myself, and getting every piece of equipment that I use today cost about $100 total.
Glerups. Greatest slippers I have ever worn.
A knee pillow. I have always struggled with the occasional back pain because I would sometimes twist my legs/back at night and be in pain the next day(s). A knee pillow has massively changed that for me. I pretty much never have issues with my back caused by sleeping weird now.
In a similar vein, nasal strips. My nose often gets obstructed at night and it caused a ton of sleepless nights because I had a hard time breathing. Finding the strong nasal strips I'm now using pretty much eliminated that problem.
Recently? A cordless stick vacuum. My wife has wanted one because ours was too heavy and she figured she would vacuum more often if she had a lighter one. Of course that turned out to not be the case and I am still doing the vacuuming but it is a heck of a lot easier to maneuver around and bring it to other areas of the house.
Previously? Wireless ear buds. Loved those. Unfortunately my dog ate my first pair and I left the second pair on a plane. My next pair will be cheap ones.
Blundstones. I live in a coastal city that's wet (but rarely snowy) the vast majority of the year. Having rain-resistant shoes that are comfortable AND durable has been a game changer.
And if I can mention a second: A proper, long raincoat. Combined with good shoes, I'm able to tolerate the weather here much better than when I'd first moved to this city and relied on sneakers + regular jackets.
If we're talking about obvious things, getting a washing machine and kitchen with all that comes with it is a tremendous improvement in a new apartment.
If I had to pick something less obvious, I'd say for me it was an e-book. It's hard to measure the effect, but I mostly read non-fiction and knowledge creates a lot opportunities over time in private and work life.
64 ounce Stanley water jug. I throw ice in it and I have something cold to drink all day. It's beautiful.
Bidet has been good though now it feels gross to shit at work and my politics demand I shit at work.
Contact grill, ie a GE brand George Foreman. I can't fuck up flippimg shit if I'm frying both sides simultaneously. And a food thermometer so my colorblind ass isn't relying on mom's shit advice to just cook it until it's brown.
This battery car starter / tire infator / phone charger. I have used it with some frequency, but more often I can just roll up and fix someone's car problem super quick. I even get out of work with it a lot when a customer needs someone to jump their car or fix a flat (also keep a tire patch kit obv).
All of this is bought from thrift stores. I can only assume most of my shit was originally shoplifted, it's fantastic. There is just so much good shit being sold for almost nothing, I am the KING of expired Chips Ahoy.
A replacement screen for my 2012 Samsung laptop. I fell on it, slipping on the ice and the screen was totally fucked. So woe is me, time to go to a technician and someone on the bus overheard me and suggested I buy the screen and fix it myself. Tech quoted me 300 bucks and 2 months wait.
So I bought it for under 100 bucks, took just a week and followed a how-to guide on Youtube. It was an improvement because it meant I was finally developing a job skill in computer maintenance and could do something to at least survive in capitalism.
A Comma 3 to run Openpilot on my Honda Civic. It's lane keep / adaptive cruise control on steroids. I drive about 40 thousand miles each year for work, 46 miles round trip on "local" days. Having that level of driver assist on the highway makes a life changing difference. I arrive less fatigued and feel more capable of reacting to hazards. Their tagline is making driving chill, and it really has delivered. I don't know how I did this mileage before Openpilot.
Lots of comments already but I’ll contribute too. So I have a few:
- A water flosser. Normal floss is okay but wasteful imo, water flossers work wonderfully
- A flip belt for running. It’s much better then keeping stuff in your pockets
- An instapot, I use it every time I cook. Either for rice or for actual meat
A Linux USB (Linux was not included but it's the key thing)
I used to be a Maintenance Technician for an apartment complex and the things people have left behind were always interesting to say the least.
The one thing that was left behind, well not so much improved quality of my life, so much as wow this thing is neat and I use it for an interesting purpose as opposed to what it was designed for.
It is a speaker selector for installed/mounted speaker systems. (You know, like those in wall/ceiling mounted speakers.)
I use it now for different speaker types for different media that I use my PC to view. One set for gaming, movies, short form video content. I just push a button on the selector after choosing a different audio profile with PulseEffects on my PC and can have more bass for music, slightly boosted mids for gaming, and just simple bookshelf speakers for movies/TV/Youtube. Each selection has a different combination of or a completely different set of speakers all together. A pair of Sony SS-B1000 speakers, a pair of Bose 201 V model speakers, and a pair of MTX Audio AAL12B's.
So with the push of a button and change of a sound profile I can go from using the two AAL12Bs to the Sony/Bose pairs and have a totally different and more appropriate sound for whatever media I am viewing. I can also select any combination of the speakers I want. So like if I'm watching an action flick I'll switch it to the AAL12Bs and the Bose 201s. For the booms and the conversations. I'll use the Sony/Bose together for youtube content sometimes as well. Hell, I can turn them all on if I'm feeling spicy. The AAL12Bs tend to suck up more power than the other two though so I usually just run those by themselves.
This is all ran by a FOSI audio amp I grabbed off jungle website. Great little thing for the money. It's the BL20C if you're curious.
Proper quality in ear headphones/monitors. So nice. Proper over ear headphones hurt my neck, and you can't always turn the speakers up to a decent volume.
A car. Insane freedom, I can take a day off work and drive to a secluded beach on a whim.
gifted a dry-soon https://www.lakeland.co.uk/21736/dry-soon-3-tier-heated-airer - fancy thing that I wouldn't consider buying myself in an hundred years, but actually a drying rack with a built in heating element is an amazing thing to own. way cheaper than a dryer (not that any of the rented places I've stayed in have had one) but can still reliably dry laundry way better than even sticking it on radiators or whatever
A private jet, it's amazing being able to just show up at the airport whenever you feel like it, not have to go through any security, step on the plane and just take off and be wherever you want a few hours later.
A bidet spray...
Think of it like a kitchen faucet spray for your ass, after taking a dump...
But otherwise, take an empty disc top shampoo container and use it .
An iPad. Allows me to do most of my computing like on a computer, but in a more lightweight form factor
Interesting thread from !frugal@lemmy.world on this topic: https://lemmy.world/post/6778039
Enough money to pay my bills and also invest in me.
My ipad. It solves the project management triangle completely when it comes to checking the latest in the world. Which is good because of another change I made that helps in life coinciding with all the telecalls.
Sertraline. It's helped hugely with depression and anxiety, though I think Covid helped with the latter as well. I struggle to feel anything much these days but it's much better than feeling low and anxious.
Nintendo switch OLED. I used to game at my PC which always caused me a lot of stress because I prefer the ease and relaxation of a console I can pick up whenever, take anywhere and game instantly as opposed to something I have to sit down with and work at. Sold my PC for it and a bunch of extra money
I'm a heavy shitter, I shit alot and I shit so much my ass crack looks like caramelized fondu. When I go outside flys swarm around my ass and get stuck on my sticky ass crack. Everyone would avoid me in the local Walmart when I shop for gaming supplies (Doritos and Dr Pepper mostly). I have difficultly wiping because I can't physically reach under there and I can't stand up in the shower. One day my mom told me to lose weight (yeah thanks for bullying me again mom 😒) and I know I'm a little heavy at the moment because I have to use cooking oil to greese up the doorframes so I can squeeze through but that's only because of capitalism shrinking all the rental apartments and cramming as many people in as possible. Anyway I was playing Amongus and one of my femboy friends told me about bidgets. At first I was like "huh?" and he explained that because he plays Genshin he cannot physically leave the house or bathe and he has a special toilet that cleans his butthole for him. So I ordered one off Amazon and my god it is the best thing ever, now this device shoots water up my asshole and poof! No more shit streaked stretch pants woohoo!