What are 3 things that you have purchased that improved your quality of life?

[unoporfavor]

A lot of 5 gallon buckets. I just made a hill billy washing machine with 2 Homer buckets and a toilet plunger. Attach the inner bucket to a tree branch with some rope to spin dry some of the water out. The Missus torn a new one when I use to wash dirty rags and mop heads in the washing machine. Building the hill billy washer added several years to my lifespan. ie Wife won't kill me.

Think I'd rather just get a 2nd washer

 

[unoporfavor]

• An impact driver. Never use a regular drill for putting lots of screws into lots of wood. Best single tool purchase ever. I had a lot of non-load-bearing walls to frame in my basement when I built my studio and used deck screws instead and it went really quickly. As a bonus, if something was tacked in at the top out of square, I could back it out quickly and adjust it as I went.
• AirPods Pro. Now I can work in peace, inside and out, and they never fall out like regular AirPods do for me. Moving to them from AirPods was almost as big a difference as moving from wired headphones to AirPods.
• Subaru Outback. I never have to worry about my car being unreliable or unable to drive in ice or snow. Ice storm? No problem if I take it slow using the paddle shifters in X-mode, even on glazed roads. 18" of snow and I need to get meds for my daughter who is coughing so hard her lips are starting to turn blue? It rides on top like a boat but with more traction. One time I took it up a 13% grade (a short road that is probably the steepest where I live) covered with a few inches of snow no problem. It has a great safety rating. The seats fold down and I was able to haul all the studs for framing in my studio in my basement over a few trips. It's really versatile and I'm thinking about getting the new larger version called the Ascent to haul the family around. We do a lot of road trips. Or we used to before the pandemic. It sucks not having any trips to look forward to this summer.

Love all those!
Impact drivers are fantastic. I have the beats pro ear phones - with the ear band thingy so you can run/cycle with them. So awesome.
Where do you live with so much inclement weather and snow?!

 

[TSE]

1. Apple Watch, as it has improved my exercise monitoring and confidence in doing more exercise.
2. My camera(currently a Nikon Z6), which along with my Apple Watch has vastly improved my fitness and activity
3. 3 isn't jumping out at me; maybe my pet snake that gave me a giggle when I was eating an apple with him on my shoulders and the witnesses turned up. He also forces me to weight train, because no way am I letting myself be weaker than a 50Kg and growing pet that can kill me.

How are you liking the Z6? I'm an A7iii owner and love it, but always had a thing for the Nikon imaging qualities.

I'll say three things:

1. iPad Pro 10.5 - it completely changed my design workflow, and the apple pencil improved my sketching abilities tenfold.

2. Nice, fashionable clothes - I feel way more confident than I ever did, and people notice. Doesn't need to be expensive.

3. Blow dryer - Love the way I can style my hair in the morning with a nice one.

 

[Infinite Vortex]

1) Dyson V11 Absolute Pro - Bigger and heavier than my previous DC45 but definitely the job right vs close, but no cigar… especially on the battery runtime.

2) Samsung Q90R 55" QLED TV - I can *finally* use my TV without issue in the afternoon!

3) Zwilling Sorrento beverage glasses - While replaceable by any decent double walled glass these keep a cold beer cold for waaaaay longer without needing to chug it down. Who doesn't like a cold beer?! They shatter like a mother-f&%$er when you drop them though.

 

[macduke]

Love all those!
Impact drivers are fantastic. I have the beats pro ear phones - with the ear band thingy so you can run/cycle with them. So awesome.
Where do you live with so much inclement weather and snow?!

Hah, Missouri. One in January it will be 80 degrees, the next and ice or snow storm. I've seen tornadoes come through our state and then right after it dumps snow on top of the poor people who are picking through the pile that was once their house. Lots of flooding. About 9 or 10 years ago the temperature got down close to -30 in places and the next summer we had a drought and it was 110 degrees with actual tumbleweeds blowing across the road which I had never seen before in my life, and then I think it might have been the next year that we had historic floods. Sometimes there are also small earthquakes, and historically some of the largest earthquakes in the country in the New Madrid fault line. This place is nuts sometimes, but it's home and I'm a bit of a weather nut and former storm chaser so I love it.

I grew up in KC and lived in Springfield down south for a while, and now I'm in Columbia in the center. Columbia has less crazy severe storms (well, a couple years ago I thought we were going to die in a tornado that was just a funnel cloud that sounded like a tornado that went over our house and touched down a couple miles northwest) but it seems to have more snow in the winter. But I've been through a couple ice storms where we didn't have power for weeks in KC in 2002 and Springfield in 2007. We've had a few blizzard warnings as well that I can remember in the past 10 years. Some areas near me have been hit with softball sized hail that can knock holes in roofs, especially older ones. Speaking of roofs, there have been snows where we've had roof collapses in town. Sometimes there are also microbursts that take out whole subdivisions like in Lee's Summit when I was a kid. Also when I was a kid I remember we got 6" of rain in about an hour and it overwhelmed the sump pump in our basement and flooded it and ruined a lot of childhood things my parents had saved like baby books. My dad had to upgrade to a higher horsepower motor. It's all across the board weird in Missouri.

All of this has led to me being a little bit of a "prepper" (I'm not anywhere near as crazy as the ones on TV) so I was pretty well prepared for this pandemic crap. I still need to do some work on my tornado shelter to reinforce some things a bit more, and I need to build and ground a faraday cage to store some items such as replacement electronics for my car in the event of another Carrington Event or nuclear EMP (which IMO is much more likely than nuclear strikes), but otherwise I'm pretty good. I've never owned a gun until recently (although I shot them when I was younger with my grandpa who helped design the .556 NATO cartridge) so I've been practicing my marksmanship lately and am confident I could take one of the deer in our backyard now (we're on the edge of town up against forested land for miles and there also seems to be a spring behind our property down in the valley) or stop home invaders if it came down to it. And no, I'm not a republican.

The thing about Missouri is that it's rarely the most extreme state with regard to a certain type of weather, but it's up there in many different categories and that variety is what makes for one intense roller coaster ride. At least the severe weather has been a bit calmer here in the center of the state with the colder than usual weather this spring but I have a feeling that the season is just going to get a later start.

 

[Matz]

Three more things that I believe have improved my quality of life are:

1. A cordless drill. I've owned and worn out a few, but the tool, whatever the make, is definitely a qol improving item. Driving screws in lieu of hammering nails, sometimes after having drilled pilot holes with a bit in a quick-change chuck, makes a myriad of tasks much easier to do quickly and effectively.
2. Custom orthotics. The kind that are prescribed and fitted by a sports podiatrist (DPM). Expensive, but for someone with foot alignment or pronation issues, they literally provide a proper foundation for any activity when you're on your feet. In another life, I had knee pain when I was averaging 130 days on the hill during ski season; after being prescribed a set of orthotics, the pain went away. My skiing improved as well. Likewise with running, walking, and bicycling. I've used them for decades, switching them between pairs of shoes and boots. I cannot imagine not using them.
3. Art - The majority of our modest collection is in the form of signed and numbered framed prints, and one original oil on canvas. Most of the subjects are people, and the majority of those are eastern Native Americans. We've nearly run out of wall space to properly hang paintings, so the alternatives are to stop buying paintings or build an addition. That said, I pause and look at a number of them every day, and marvel at and bask in the pleasure they give me.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

LL Bean Original Field Coat - a three season longish canvas coat, in green. My SO gave it to me as a birthday or christmas present, can’t remember, and it’s easily my favorite piece of clothing. I wear it around the farm, in town, and to work in the office. It resists abrasion and does not readily show dirt. I think it’s stylish, in a rural, basic, and functional sort of way. Kind of like Carhartt clothes. Odd as it may sound, it gives me great pleasure to wear it.
View attachment 915668

That’s a lovely looking jacket. If you are not familiar with them check out Barbour wax cotton jackets too. It’s a pretty essential jacket here in Britain due to our rainfall but they are stylish and about as durable as an outdoor jacket gets. The Bedale is perhaps the most iconic along with the motorcycle jackets of the 1960’s.

 

[Gregg2]

An engagement ring,

Love that answer! A change for the better, I surmise.

 

[1rottenapple]

Electric car. I’ve road trip so much since then usually every 2 months in the last year. I used to road trip once a year.
It’s refreshing to get out of town and go to different places. That’s even my favorite.
I love running the ac on when I jump in the store for 15 min. Come back to a nice cool car over the summer. No guilt about leaving the ac on. or when I am in the car waiting just let the ac run no big deal. love this technology.

reverse osmosis water filter. Big difference using this compared to buying water bottles of sink water filters where you don’t feel totally clean. My current osmosis filter is broken and I hate it. Can’t wait to get it running.

northface jacket. Ok I live in SoCal and I never really got into jackets but i got a nice one and it’s super comfortable.

 

[S.B.G]

Hmmmm....

In no particular order..

• A quality mattress. I believe it's a Serta something or other. Don't recall the the model line right now. But it's the best mattress I've ever had and it contributes to my health and good sleep which is essential for functioning well every day.
• My current vehicle. A 2018 Lincoln MKZ. I work hard for the money I earn and at times have a very stressful job so I treated myself to a luxury item. I absolutely love the ride and comfort of the Lincoln, especially on long drives and bumpy roads. Coming from a Ford Focus before it (which was a fun car to drive) I was amazed on how less fatigued I was after long drives in the Lincoln.
• I'll have to go with books. Not any one book in general, but just books. Increasing my knowledge and always learning something new from books helps me improve my quality life by allowing me to make more educated life or work decisions.

 

[Ellajackson67]

What are some things that you have purchased that improved and made your life a little easier? Can't state the obvious (ex. new house, car, phone, computer, etc...) I'll start...

1. Toto Bidet - I splurged on a bidet earlier this year. It has a proximity sensor that automatically opens the lid. I was hesitant about the idea of water washing down there but boy I was wrong... I miss it whenever I travel...
2. Bissell Steam mop - This thing is awesome, I just simply add some water and steam mops my hard floor in high heat. I used to mop my floors with single used Swiffer pads and this steam mop has changed my life. Great for OCD people like me knowing that it's killing germs amid this virus outbreak...
3. Philips Hue bulbs with Google Assistant/Alexa Integration - Makes it so much more convenient to turn on/off lights. I recently configured my lights with the app so that it automatically slowly fade/turns on the lights on sunset which I thought was really cool.

Oh damn! your life resembles with me a lot. I have also purchased one Bissell steam mop recently to make my life easier. Don't know its a coincidence or you are the person living the same life in the other corner of the world

 

[1rottenapple]

Ok I posted in March but an update I got a peloton middle of the year. Omg I went from an average 2000 active calories burnt per month exercising to 11000 active cal per month. I am meeting at least 150 mins of vigorous exercise (70% or more heart rate) and at least 60 mins of moderate exercise (50-69% heart rate) per week now. Before I wasn’t exercising vigorously on the regular. I feel so good I can work in the backyard constantly, hike without stopping, it’s really changed my life.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Ok I posted in March but an update I got a peloton middle of the year. Omg I went from an average 2000 active calories burnt per month exercising to 11000 active cal per month. I am meeting at least 150 mins of vigorous exercise (70% or more heart rate) and at least 60 mins of moderate exercise (50-69% heart rate) per week now. Before I wasn’t exercising vigorously on the regular. I feel so good I can work in the backyard constantly, hike without stopping, it’s really changed my life.

I’d add to my ‘short’ list earlier in this thread the Apple Watch (I didn’t have it then). It’s similarly helping me exercise a lot more.

 

[ucfgrad93]

1. Smartphone, specifically iPhone
2. Amazon Kindle
3. Netflix/Amazon Prime for movies

 

[1rottenapple]

I’d add to my ‘short’ list earlier in this thread the Apple Watch (I didn’t have it then). It’s similarly helping me exercise a lot more.

One of the most motivating things for me to see is using an app to track my progress. This is a graph of how much I excercise per month. Huge difference.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

An engagement ring, condoms (after kids were born), and my first camera.

Just wait until you get a vasectomy!

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Just wait until you get a vasectomy!

Yep, I had one and fully recommend it lol.

 

[1rottenapple]

How long is that procedure anyway

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

How long is that procedure anyway

Mine took roughly 15 mins. The longest part is waiting to be signed out but they give you a cup of tea and a sandwich while you wait lol.

 

[sdz]

a wife

she does everything

 

[Apple fanboy]

Yep, I had one and fully recommend it.

Mine took roughly 15 mins. The longest part is waiting to be signed out but they give you a cup of tea and a sandwich while you wait lol.

Mine was a big job. It took hours!

In all seriousness I was the first to get it done in the room of about 5 waiting their turn. I remember thinking if I’d walked back into the room doubled over in pain screaming, how many would have left?

 

[Apple fanboy]

a wife

she does everything

You purchased a wife? Not sure that’s how things are done these days.

 

[Moakesy]

1) VW Campervan. The modern version of the classic camper. Got one about 5 years ago and it’s transformed our lives and enjoyment of the UK. Have really missed spontaneous weekends away during Covid.

2) Wattbike Atom indoor bike trainer. This introduced me to training with power (watts) and has resulted in a massive increase in fitness. Literally went from finishing at the back of the group to 4th or 5th place in the Zwift bike races I do.

3) plunge saw. After our wooden gates fell apart, I decided to have a go at building new ones myself. I’ve never been great at diy, but took my time and got myself this saw for the project. Turned out very well and I’m so proud that they actually are straight and true, and very solid. Also saved me about £400 if I’d have them made.

 

[1rottenapple]

1) VW Campervan. The modern version of the classic camper. Got one about 5 years ago and it’s transformed our lives and enjoyment of the UK. Have really missed spontaneous weekends away during Covid.

2) Wattbike Atom indoor bike trainer. This introduced me to training with power (watts) and has resulted in a massive increase in fitness. Literally went from finishing at the back of the group to 4th or 5th place in the Zwift bike races I do.

3) plunge saw. After our wooden gates fell apart, I decided to have a go at building new ones myself. I’ve never been great at diy, but took my time and got myself this saw for the project. Turned out very well and I’m so proud that they actually are straight and true, and very solid. Also saved me about £400 if I’d have them made.

1). So jealous! I wish they had that here.

 

[jeyf]

replaced emission sensers on the daily driver:
I replaced the O2 sensor, expen$ive. If your car has upper & lower sensors the lower is a pain. Replaced the MAP mass air flow thingy. Both O2 & MAP easy to do. Lots of youtube videos. Consider resetting the ECU and controling electrinics afterwards. I should replace the engine position sensor(s) also.

New hair trimmer:
for every day touch up had a Wahl Peanut (lots of scraps and nicks) upgraded to a Andus T OutLiner modelG. 🎀nice.

iPhone updates:
found an open genus bar to replace my iPhone battery. While i waited took 1 hour $50, good quality. Also redefined the iphone defaut browser to Brave. Also extended my existing VPN account onto my iphone, uses a free app openVPN and a OVPN definition file from the vpn providor. MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR ME.