I bought a subscription to the Waking Up app.
Kitchen stuff: a carbon steel wok, a Dutch oven and a bread form. Also an electric toothbrush.
But most of all: a fully automatic bean to cup coffee machine
Looked up Dutch Oven, didn’t expect a cast iron pan :-D.
I’d chip in with a chefs knife (spurgled on a 60€ wasabi, feels like it’ll outlast me) and a cheap knife sharpener.
If we are being really pedantic, a Dutch oven is a type of pot used for cooking on open fire. They used to have little legs built on so you could place it over some coals. The lid would be flat so you could put coals on top of it. That way you could use it as an actual oven to bake bread or whatever on a wood fire.
Modern people don’t cook much on wood fires, but in the US, we still generally call any big cast iron pot a “Dutch oven”.
Removed by mod
I adopted a cat. Best and worst purchase all wrapped in one.
A semi-professional portafilter espresso machine paired with a great grinder.
I can make coffee at home that’s better than what’s being served in most cafés and I can just have that for breakfast every morning. Felt like quite the quality of life improvement.
I don’t do the espresso machine, but the Baratzza Encore for my pour over or Aeropress has been one of my best food/beverage investments. Between that and a bag of different single origins beans a month almost makes getting up for work bearable! 😄
My style, exactly! But even my $20 grinder works wonders compared to pre-ground coffee. I’ve thought about updating that component but I make pretty good coffee as is.
For me Bazzera Magica and Baratza Vario grinder some time back. Better coffee than most cafes.
got the breville bambino and its awesome. drip coffee maker has gone into the garage now, and every morning is coffee christmas.
You and me brother.
Which machine did you choose? I went for the Lelit Bianca, never regretted it.
Recently loaf of bread.
A good loaf is a good loaf
Aer Daypack 2 work backpack. I replaced my older should bag with that and it’s so much easier to carry around my work laptop, etc.
Things I love:
- Protective fleece sleeve that protects the laptop
- Pocket for a tablet and/or pad of paper in front of that
- Plenty of smaller pockets in a separate compartment for pens, mouse, keys, etc.
- Small fleece lined pocket up top to hold sunglasses, wallet, etc.
- Bottle holder on the side that fits a 24oz Thermoflask with rubber bottom.
- Zippers can hide in bottle pocket for security
- Made out of Cordura ballistic fabric (had it on my last bag that still looks brand new after 20 years)
- Shoulder strap holders
- Removable sternum strap.
- Top handle is made out of multi-layered silky seatbelt fabric. It’s the most comfortable handle I’ve used.
- Strap on the back that can be slipped over carry on luggage handles.
- Built to stand up on its own even when loaded
I freaking love the thing. Unfortunately, they no longer sell it as there is a newer model, the Day Pack 3; it adds a few things like an AirTag pocket and side handle but removes the removable sternum strap (according to one reviewer, the picture looks like the buckle can slide up and off the new strap rails), and changes the inner pocket fabric.
I prefer working from home, but if anything changes in looking into it!
I have their duffel pack 2, I’ve had it since 2018 or 2019? Great for a gym-going office worker who packs lunch, doubles as a good personal item for flights. Love that bag.
I will sound like a shrill, but I love everything they make. Even though the City Pack Pro X-Pac became, accidentally and relative to initial cost, the single most expensive bag I own due to my stupid brother.
I live in Europe, and you have to pay big taxes on any imports by mail. So I asked my brother if I could mail to him and he’d mail it to me, like in the old days (20 years ago or so). Sure, he says no problem, when do you need it? I say not in a hurry but leaving for a trip in like three weeks, so if it made it here by then that would be nice.
Two weeks later he texts me saying I owe him USD 120 for shipping. I said WTF? He sent it express, like an idiot. The bag costs about USD 239. So, ok fine it least I’ll have it for my trip.
Nope. Three weeks later I call the UPS center. They got my bag, all right, but I owe EUR 135 in taxes and duties. My brother - who used to know how to do these things, insured it for USD 400 and wrote on the item description “brand new back pack.” That fuckwad (whom I love, but damn bro, you grew up stupid sometimes).
Anyway even at that price it’s worth it, and it too has all the features you mention above + in X-Pac + with a contrasting interior color. I may have gone to their flag ship “store” (a tiny, tiny little store front) in SF and fanboy’ed for an hour or so before buying a small inside bag. And I may or may not have ordered two of their computer peripheral storage bags, one for me and one as a bribe/tribute to our head of IT…
Anyway, ahem. It’s the ultimate combo between a carry on bag and an (largish) urban commuter bag. /Shrill, and if anyone from Aer is reading this, a discount code maybe?
A bidet, an ebike, a tongue scraper.
The first means no more clogged toilets, no toilet paper needed, and a fantastically clean ass always.
Also comes with side benefits like being able to eat the hottest foods imaginable, not getting hemorroids or healing those ones you may already have, being able to wipe your ass with two broken wrists (if you mountain bike or are old), not getting forever chemicals on your asshole, and having an ass that your SO won’t think is disgusting.
A commuter ebike, because it allows you to travel 1-45 miles stupidly easy, which saves a staggering amount of money on gas (uses pennies of electricity), parking fees, and wear and tear on your car. Side benefits include not being absolutely enraged in traffic, occasionally beating your own drive times in a car, and not having parking anxiety at popular destinations such as beaches, parks, downtown shopping, or ferries. Provides a decent amount of exercise as it basically becomes an exercise bike when the assist is turned off.
It also will allow you to get up hills without getting sweaty.
Tongue scraper- removes plaque from your tongue in cakes. Way better than mouthwash. Leaves your breath much fresher after meals. Works best at night, but also can remove bad morning breath. Get a small metal one. Dramatically changes your breath quality and makes your mouth feel cleaner. Great if you plan on doing some kissing.
I got the chance to ride an ebike at a city event here and it was absolutely delightful, I hate riding a bike but this was like a dream of a bike ride, so comfortable and it actually moved forward so fast with less effort, I loved it. But I think it would be stolen so fast if I chained it anywhere. Like I could ride it to work (they let you park them inside) but not to grab groceries. And they cost as much as a small motorcycle or scooter.
They are really convenient for getting around the city! :)
I got a 12mm thick chain from Oxford and a kryptonite ulock and so far, I’ve been fine (I live in a high bike crime city).
It’s really about making your bike unappealing to steal because of how long it would take to cut through a beefy chain in two places and a Ulock in two places. It can be done, though. I also have a bike horn that sounds if someone moves the bike.
Aventon sells ebikes starting at $1,000, and Juiced Bikes go on sale for $1,150 (they are consumer direct unless you live in San Diego). Radpower and Lectric bikes aren’t too spendy, either. Ebikes are getting surprisingly affordable!
(My little electric commuter next to my traditional weekend mountain bike!)
You may or may not have a good answer to this, but why are so many ebikes fat tire bikes, and why did you pick one? A fat tire is going to have more inertia, so it will take more energy, but the ubiquity of them, even for commuting confuses me.
Is a tongue scraper really that much better than brushing your tongue?
I have one and I’d say that depends.
I bought the tongue scraper because when I switched to an electric toothbrush (oral-b), I felt it was not cleaning my tongue as well. Before that, using a regular toothbrush, I had no issue keeping my tongue clean and never needed the scraper. I do still like the electric toothbrush better.
I used to use an electric toothbrush many years ago but heard it could cause receding gums so its storage. I like manual toothbrushes because you can buy the inexpensive ones and replace them frequently, electric heads are a little pricey to replace. Generally my tongue seems pretty clean but I’m going to get a cheapo tongue scraper and see if I notice any difference. Do you use one of the fancy copper ones or just the standard steel/plastic ones I’ve seen?
Funny, I got an electric toothbrush at the recommendation of my dentist specifically because of my receding gums, and I’ve been told they look better but I can’t say myself. I just like how much better my teeth feel after using it.
I just have a plastic tongue scraper. It’s already enough to scrape my tongue raw if I overdo it, I can’t imagine needing a metal one.
Reusable, vacuum sealable ziplock bags. Cuts back on waste & lengthens the shelf life of most foods.
It’s also really nice to be able to buy bulk meats & be able to separate them into vacuum sealed single servings.
And last but not least, it really helps with using the sous vide. I like being able to separate a bulk package of chicken into individual meals with different marinades. Just pull a bag out & defrost it, then it’s 90 seconds a side to gourmet meals midweek.
What brand did you get?
Just went with a generic option. I have some that have blue zip tops & some with gray.
The one big recommendation I can make is to get one with a battery powered suction pump. They’re little bit more expensive, but the handheld pumps have broken on me in the past.
Thanks!
How reusable have you found the bags to be? I recently (as in, just today) started looking into getting one, but I don’t want to be constantly throwing out bags.
I’ve found that with proper care & paying attention to what I use each bag for helps.
If I use a bag say for tandoori chicken sous vide…
When the chicken’s done, I rinse the bag thoroughly, fill it to ¼, add a lil soap, seal it up, & put it back in the sous vide bath, while it’s still warm.
Let it cool off & then give it a rinse & scrub, before drying.
It’s gentler on the bag than the dishwasher, but still gets it sanitary & clean.
I’ll try to continue using that bag for chicken, if not specifically tandoori chicken.
This is where having two different colors can be helpful. I use gray for meat & blue for everything else.
Blue bags obviously last a bit longer, but this current batch of gray is a year old & still in decent shape.
Gymnastic rings, straps (includes anchor kit), and I paid people to set it up. Probably the best money I’ve ever spent.
Food, everyday.
Again? I just ate yesterday
Same.
Now kith 💋
Same
Robot vacuum. Used to drown in collie fur and the constant angst of vacuuming.
Requires a fair amount of maintenance but still a massive time saver.
Still gotta empty the thing quite often
The dock has a decent size bag. The long hair is the maintenance killer, have to pull the rotating brushes and cut off the hair regularly.
Did you go with a name brand? A refurb? I hope this is my next luxury purchase.
We’ve had both a Roomba and now a Bissell thinking that the longtime vacuum company would be a better choice.
I’d give the roomba a 4.5/5 and the Bissell a 3/5 at best.
Stick with the robot companies.
Samsung S6 lite, the notes app and pen are amazing for work. And its price got slashed aswell. Also buying lots of vegetables during shopping, lets me eat more while staying the dame weight.👍
$10K of Nvidia stock
What’s it worth now?
$12K, but I had only bought the 10K a few days ago
Replaced all my mismatched socks with 24 pair of identical.
Interesting. I went the opposite direction, and prefer it. Grasses greener type deal maybe
Depends on if you think socks are a fashion accessory or a utility.
Not sure it’s so binary. I don’t know the first thing about fashion, but I do like having different kinds of socks, even if no one else sees them.
I do this kinda like magical thinking thing where I think about how I want my day to go and pick socks/etc that go with that.
I know it’s not the most mentally healthy thing
I don’t see anything mentally unhealthy about what you do, sounds cool.
That’s fashion. You don’t have to be into the latest trend. Fashion is just how you express yourself in whatever way you like.
Eh, it doesn’t sound destructive or interruptive to your day.
Manifesting isn’t just a new-age hippy thing. Ritual can put your brain in a certain space, and that can be a massive motivator for someone. Picking your socks to fit the theme isn’t all that different than telling yourself affirmations in the mirror.
It’s kinda like the “lucky shirt” concept. Sure, the shirt doesn’t really have some metaphysical power, but you’re putting yourself in the mindset of “Good things happen when I wear this”, and when you’re already in that frame of mind, the good things stand out even more.
That’s a great way to rephrase it. That’s exactly what that is: I know my choices don’t actually have any magical effects. Pretending like they do gives me the feeling of control, even though I know intellectually that I can only control myself.
I did that and my wife got annoyed… then started wearing my socks. Now we buy more and just use athletic socks
She’s still got her colorful, playful ones that are a pain in the ass to match up.
Yep. We have grey and black.
Get ‘hiking’ socks, as opposed to ‘athletic’ - they last far longer.
Work socks as well.
They’re socks that go with construction boots. Basically the same as hiking socks but cheaper.
Yes, and at the same time I went with thin wool socks too. And I’m in Texas where it’s hot and humid too. Wool socks were a game changer, they don’t hold onto moisture like cotton and synthetics do.
Didn’t want to be a shill, but I got a bunch of medium thick wool socks from Darn Tough and sweaty wool socks are a lot nicer than sweaty cotton/poly socks.
I did this same thing and my life has been changed forever
So great on laundry day
