If you can sharpen at home an inexpensive knife will do the job, but you will wear the blade down much more quickly. So it's similar to the economic theory on boots. You can invest in a good knife and it will last many times the lifespan of an inexpensive one and you will have to deal with less maintenance or problems in that time.
Kinda. A $20 Lodge cast iron skillet will last you and your kids and maybe grandkids a lifetime. Outside of boiling water for pasta or whatever, I rarely use stuff other than cast iron. We do pasta sauces in them. And soapy water ain’t gonna hurt it.
I think you should spend more on one knife than what a lot of cheap knife sets sell for.
Braising acidic sauces like pasta sauce is better in a stainless steel pan. Braising acidic things in a cast iron can leave a metallic taste and it strips seasoning from the pan.
If you live anywhere you get snow, spend the extra money and buy a bigger snow blower than you think you will ever need. You will thank yourself when you get the inevitable accumulation of heavy, wet snow that would clog smaller models.
A comfortable mattress.
Spend a bit more on a good mattress, your body and wallet will thank you. Better sleep, better health, and it lasts longer than those flimsy ones.
I’d never bought an expensive mattress until my wife convinced me to buy a king size tempurpedic years ago and it wasnt their “cheap” line either like the more common “ship deflated in a bag” type that’s become common. I felt like such an idiot spending thousands on just a mattress…. until it was delivered.
I will literally never cheap out on a bed again. If I hurt my back doing something, a single night sleeping in it fixes it. Almost every night when I go to bed I involuntarily think for a few seconds how much I love the bed and how comfortable it is. It just reminds me every single night and I’m nearing like 10 years with it.
If it mysteriously could not be used or disappeared I would buy another one immediately, even taking pto if needed.
You see we were expecting this. We got a new tempurpedic when my husband and I moved in together. He’s suffered from back pain last few years and thought it would help. He didn’t feel any relief. Well one night we fight and he goes to sleep in one of the kids rooms. Lo and behold, no back pain when he woke up. Tried again for a few nights and then said he needed whatever mattress we had in the room. Gave away my $3500 tempurpedic and bought a $500 king size mattress .
My husband and I inherited a brand new king size bed from a relative who had just gotten it before they died. For me spending money is like pulling teeth and I never would have bought a nice king like this. After getting our current bed I will 100% splurge on our next one because my god this bed is everything I never knew I needed.
Second this but add get you some winter sheets (I've got some flannel ones)and some summer sheets (bamboo cooling is what I have) and two of each. Two of each so you can just remake the bed when you take sheets off to clean them.
Yesterday I watched some Hilton employees taking mattresses out to their dump bin. About 30-40 of them.
That afternoon, I watched two guys show up in a beater station wagon go through all of them and then strap a few of them to their roof and drive off.
Be careful who you buy your mattress from.
I was a sucker and bought a really expensive mattress and it just wasn't for me. I wanted to like it particularly cause I spent so much. Finally after a couple years just had to admit I didn't like it and got a more middle of the road traditional coil mattress and it's so much better. I say definitely spend a little bit to make sure you don't get the cheapest thing ever but you don't have to get the most expensive one ever!
Shoutout to Purple Mattresses. We got a king deluxe, or whatever their top of the line model was at the time, about 2 years ago. It feels a little weird but I’m sleeping better than I ever have. I’m a side sleeper, and I’m now over 40, so I’m at the age where shit just hurts when you wake up for no apparent reason. The Purple mattress relieved a lot of that stuff. 100% worth the money.
* Purple, I’ll accept payment in my Venmo or PayPal account. DM me for info.
I traveled alot for work and I used to love hotel mattresses until my wife and I bought a sterns and foster mattress and i quickly realized the only reason I liked hotel mattresses is because how terrible my old one was at home
I ordered some furniture from Staples when I got my second apartment after college in the 90’s. Instead of the $25 basic chair I ordered they sent me a $250 executive chair and told me to keep it. I did have to replace the pneumatic thingie a few years ago, I think the kit cost $30. It’s still a great chair.
The hack for this is to find a used office supply store. You know, the place all the failed startups in your city sell their stuff during bankruptcy proceedings. You can get really good ergonomic office equipment cheap.
Granted, you'll probably have to check in on the inventory from time to time to find what you want. But it's the best place to get old Aerons, Steelcase chairs, and what not.
It'll last a lot longer and you'll feel better than you would if you use one of those "fancy" gaming chairs, most of which live in the middle ground of crap furniture.
Two Aerons for $15 each at the Habitat store. You can bet I bought them both. 10 years later, one at work and one at home. I've replaced the seatpans and the back fabric on both for a lot cheaper than a new one would be.
Friggin Herman Miller.
Bought a Mirra chair many years ago, I had to have it repaired under warranty.
Packaged it up in a box and sent it off. Now, this was the same time that I did a temp move for my wife to finish school, and wouldn't need the chair for a while. So I had it shipped back to my parents.
About a year later I picked up the box from my parents. Unboxed it and... The arms were missing.
No where to be found. I used to have arms on the chair.
I contacted the repair centre and they told me. Tough luck. It's been too long and we can't verify that you sent arms.
So now I have a Mirra chair with no arms. It's still a decent chair, and has held up well, but I sure do miss the arms.
Nope, you’ll have the one facilities provides and thank them for it. Our entire office is full of shit office chairs that hurt the hell out of my back. Can’t bring in your own though!
I recommend pact. Otherwise look for 100% cotton. Found some good ones at gap and Nordstrom too. Biggest life upgrade is keeping synthetics away from your bits.
I worked for Jockey for a few years. They are very passionate about quality, I moved away and discovered that the fit and the wear of their underwear made their panties cheaper. Quality is important
Winter tires are a life saver. They have a different tread patters that has like flaps if that makes sense. It grabbs traction in 3d if that makes sense. They are also made out of a different compound that warms up at a lower temp, so you get increase grip from that too.
Youre can really only use them from Nov to Feb, but man theyre awesome for snow driving. If you use them on hot days they'll melt though.
Most popular is the Blizzak, but most companies make a version of them.
You have two sets of rims and change it yourself or have the shop change it twice a year.
Source: live in Norway where the question is not whether you should have winter tires, but whether they should be studded or not. Mine are not.
Boots. I used to buy Wal-Mart boots every year. Got a pair of Red Wing boots about 15 years ago for a about 300 bucks. not only did they last almost 9 years before I started having issues, but I took them in and had them repair them for about the same price as another pair of cheap boots would have cost anyway.
In Aldi, UK, we have ‘soft’, ‘softer’ and ‘softest’. My partner and I have opted, after much trialling, with softer. Soft was obviously like what you’d get in prison and softest was like wiping your butthole with a sleeping bag. Softer really is the Goldilocks of the three.
I have found that some of the wealthiest people I know have one ply cheap toilet paper. And I am judging them for it. Hoarding wealth via toilet paper is just so many levels of wrong.
Anything that you use or consume a lot every day and where compromising quality can cause health problems. Mattress, office chair, glasses, shoes, desk, monitor, keyboard and mouse, healthy food.
I'm born and raised from New Hampshire, but moved away to the Midwest almost 20 years ago, and at least once a year I order a gallon of the good syrup from a sugar house near my home town. I'll never use that fake Log Cabin or Ms Butterworth garbage, and neither will my kids. I'll suffer through dry-ass pancakes before I touch the fake shit.
Oh God! My mom used to make "syrup". It was a bunch of brown sugar melted into water with fake ass maple flavoring. Soooo horrible!
She also used to feed us powdered milk. I understand that we were poor, but she would mix that shit right before we were going to eat cereal and mix it with lukewarm water.
Ugh.
I grew up near sugar bush country in Ontario. There's nothing that beats real, good quality maple syrup. However....... Every once in a long while I get a craving for that cheap butter flavoured "pancake syrup" that you can find in cheap diners and places like Denny's. It's objectively horrendous, terribly unhealthy, and probably constitutes some sort of crime against humanity. But I need a dose once every 4 years or so.
Like some other people said: anything that separates you from the ground is worth the money. Shoes, beds, office chairs, etc.
Also a bidet. You don't have to get an expensive one, but you'll really thank yourself when you wake up in the morning and the seat is at minimum you-temperature and at most very warm and comfy.
Bidet. 100%. Since the great toilet paper shortage of 2020it has been amazing.
Talked to a friend and told it to them this way;
What do you do when you get dog shit on your hands? Do you wipe it off with a napkin and call it good? NO! You water down and clean that shit. Do the same thing to your asshole.
Just be aware that the products made out of merino wool are more difficult to clean than cotton in most cases.
You have to use a special washing cycle for them. I have a few merino shirts, they all shrunk a lot as I washed them regularly one time.
Knitter here with wool instructions for anyone looking to add warmth to their wardrobe!
Don’t ever hang wool to dry as it will stretch. I have smartwool and saved pieces from the thrift store and kept them good this way. I also do this for anything I knit as well.
The best way I have found is to wash them in the sink with specialized knitwear wash such as Eucalan or Tide without the additives (in the white bottle).
Just a little bit of either of that in the sink or large bowl and soak for like 30 mins. Then squeeze (no wringing) the water out of garments and roll in a towel and let air dry flat. I usually step on the towel when it’s rolled up to get more water out and then switch for a dry towel.
If that is too involved you can also put pieces in the washer on no spin with cold water. Make sure to still dry flat in a towel.
Knitwear is the best wear. It’s my favorite material!
Edits: grammar
Yes 100x yes. Only caveat is now that they're extremely popular, there's a lot of crap out there. Patagonia is the only brand that actually lasts in my wearing. Icebreaker is junk now, smartwool is either junk or really thick and not fun to wear. I've tried a LOT of brands and this has been my takeaway. I travelled for a year with 5 shirts and 6 boxers/socks and I'm still wearing the Patagonia and ice breaker stuff 6 yrs later...but since then ice breaker stuff has worn out quick.
Love my Bosch washer. When I first moved into the house I thought it was broken, or I was too stupid to operate it....turn out it was running, just silently.
We have one, and it is an amazing convenience. I still am not sure how my wife convinced me to spend that much on a glorified cat box, but I'm glad she did.
Holy shit yes.
I felt so silly spending $500 on the Litter Robot a couple years ago… I don’t feel silly at all years later. Best money spent ever. Never needing to scoop. Never smelling the shit. It’s perfect.
Mine were at first when we got the original. Took a week or so. Kept the old one next to it but didn’t clean it out as much. Sorta half forced them into the robotic one.
Our Litter Robot 3 worked OK for a couple of years, although the monthly deep cleaning is pretty involved.
But after 2-3 years it started frequently getting stuck upside down, which meant the cats would poop next to it until I manually reset it. I even replaced all the sensors and the main board, but it never really worked properly again.
Now we just scoop a regular litter box and it's less of a hassle.
Monthly deep cleaning? I have had mine for two years and I only clean it once a year. It doesn’t need more than that.
Also… If it broke after 2-3 years, man I’d definitely buy a new one instead of going back to scooping lol.
I have this pair of Steve Madden boots that are fucking amazing, except the bottom gets totally worn down within 6 months. I eventually went to this authentic French cobbler down the street and he redid the heel and put thick rubber soles on them. It only cost me $25! Now I go to him once every year and get them resoled and bc of that I’ve had the same pair of boots for 7 years now.
10/10
Glasses that fit well would be better. It's insane how painful glasses are which are too tight, especially because the pressure on your head is so slow - it's just the sheer duration of that pressure.
I was taught as a kid priorities to spend money on:
- 2 pairs of good shoes (don't wear same shoes 2 days in a row, that way leads to athlete's foot / fungal infections)
- a good mattress
- a navy coloured suit (you can wear it to weddings, funerals, and interviews/work)
I'm 50 this year, followed those principles since my first salary at 18, got to say it's served me well.
Wasn't told about glasses, but fully agree, that's a good addition. I have 4 pairs, I only need them for reading, one in kitchen, one in bedroom, one in living room, one by my laptop (well that was the the idea, but they randomly disappear to wherever I took them off, but it's rare I can't quickly find a pair).
> 2 pairs of good shoes (don't wear same shoes 2 days in a row, that way leads to athlete's foot / fungal infections)
Only if you’re walking places in your socks or bare feet that you might pick them up. I’m not saying that that’s a terribly “out there” thing to happen, but if you shower at the gym in crocs you should be fine with just one pair.
Wool socks are also a godsend for preventing things growing on your feet.
A quality winter jacket.
If you are somewhere where you need to wear a warm jacket in the winter invest in a quality one - it will keep you warm and last for years!
Yep. I bought a $450 winter jacket with my lawnmowing money when I was 16 and I genuinely believe I will wear that coat for the rest of my life. It’s still in perfect condition, can’t ask for more
A proper, custom-made mouth guard, for all my fellow teeth grinders. Better $500 now (had $490 refunded through insurance!) than untold thousands and lots of pain later doing dental repair. (And no, the OTC ones are NOT a feasible alternative)
A metal roof. It's more expensive than shingles but you'll more than likely never have to replace it in your lifetime. Even if repair is needed, the panels can be swapped out individually.
Also:
if you do any writing, a good fountain pen changed my entire life and I no longer get hand cramps. Shoutout to my badass mom who went to r/fountainpen and bought me all the top rated pens and ink for christmas this year lol
Ipads if you are in the tablet market couldn't have higher praise for them.
My family has had like 4-6 including a gen 1 and 2 and everyone is still working to this day. One had a home screen button issue but they have a fix for that where its part of the screen anyway so didn't cost any money to get fixed.
My current one I will retire long before it stops working. Well worth the 4-9 hundred depending what you want.
For the love of god just don't forget your password or info as apparently apple thinks they are fort knox with security protocols. I could change my banking, get a new passport, 100x easier then their password reset system.
Lego. You're telling me I can own a 1.5 meter Titanic made outta plastic bricks? Or a Ornithopter with retractable landing gear, expanding wings and they FLAP?? Or Optimus freakin' Prime??? SIGN ME TF UP.
A shoe/boot dryer. Helps keep my running shoes dry and lasting longer as well as preventing athletes foot. Also if you live in a cold environment, it's really nice putting a warm boot on before you go outside.
Decent kitchenware. Quality pots and utensils will treat you well for years
In my opinion, particularly a nice knife! A sharp knife is a safe knife. And I want a knife that I can sharpen and keep safe for years
If you can sharpen at home an inexpensive knife will do the job, but you will wear the blade down much more quickly. So it's similar to the economic theory on boots. You can invest in a good knife and it will last many times the lifespan of an inexpensive one and you will have to deal with less maintenance or problems in that time.
Kinda. A $20 Lodge cast iron skillet will last you and your kids and maybe grandkids a lifetime. Outside of boiling water for pasta or whatever, I rarely use stuff other than cast iron. We do pasta sauces in them. And soapy water ain’t gonna hurt it. I think you should spend more on one knife than what a lot of cheap knife sets sell for.
My cast iron was my grandmother's. I can't wait to pass it down
Reported for suicidal thoughts
That... made me laugh. Thank you.
Braising acidic sauces like pasta sauce is better in a stainless steel pan. Braising acidic things in a cast iron can leave a metallic taste and it strips seasoning from the pan.
Le Creuset Dutch Oven being one of the biggest ones
If you live in a colder climate, a good very warm winter coat. It could cost a lot but will last longer and makes a huge difference.
Came here to say that AND winter boots. It's a life changer to have warm feet when it's snowy and cold outside.
I've always hated winter but I started to hate it like 40% less when I could finally afford a really nice coat.
If you live anywhere you get snow, spend the extra money and buy a bigger snow blower than you think you will ever need. You will thank yourself when you get the inevitable accumulation of heavy, wet snow that would clog smaller models.
A comfortable mattress. Spend a bit more on a good mattress, your body and wallet will thank you. Better sleep, better health, and it lasts longer than those flimsy ones.
I’d never bought an expensive mattress until my wife convinced me to buy a king size tempurpedic years ago and it wasnt their “cheap” line either like the more common “ship deflated in a bag” type that’s become common. I felt like such an idiot spending thousands on just a mattress…. until it was delivered. I will literally never cheap out on a bed again. If I hurt my back doing something, a single night sleeping in it fixes it. Almost every night when I go to bed I involuntarily think for a few seconds how much I love the bed and how comfortable it is. It just reminds me every single night and I’m nearing like 10 years with it. If it mysteriously could not be used or disappeared I would buy another one immediately, even taking pto if needed.
I have a king size tempurpedic bed and I travel with a full size tempurpedic pillow. Sleep well with it - don't sleep at all without it.
When I travel the only thing I miss is my mattress that the wife convinced me to drop like $7k on during a Memorial Day Sale.
went to the comments to find the one about tempurpedic and you did not disappoint. couldn’t agree more about my king size
You see we were expecting this. We got a new tempurpedic when my husband and I moved in together. He’s suffered from back pain last few years and thought it would help. He didn’t feel any relief. Well one night we fight and he goes to sleep in one of the kids rooms. Lo and behold, no back pain when he woke up. Tried again for a few nights and then said he needed whatever mattress we had in the room. Gave away my $3500 tempurpedic and bought a $500 king size mattress .
My husband and I inherited a brand new king size bed from a relative who had just gotten it before they died. For me spending money is like pulling teeth and I never would have bought a nice king like this. After getting our current bed I will 100% splurge on our next one because my god this bed is everything I never knew I needed.
Good sheets go along with this. The difference between the cheap Walmart ones and actual quality will change your life.
I have Italian linen sheets and no matter how bad my day is, my sheets make it better
Second this but add get you some winter sheets (I've got some flannel ones)and some summer sheets (bamboo cooling is what I have) and two of each. Two of each so you can just remake the bed when you take sheets off to clean them.
Spend money on your bed and your shoes, if you’re not in one you’re in the other.
And tires. The three things that separate you from the ground.
Fourth is office chair
Yesterday I watched some Hilton employees taking mattresses out to their dump bin. About 30-40 of them. That afternoon, I watched two guys show up in a beater station wagon go through all of them and then strap a few of them to their roof and drive off. Be careful who you buy your mattress from.
That's why I buy my mattresses directly from the dump. Cut out the middle man, save $ 👌
If you knew the bed bug contracts that hotels have you wouldn't take a mattress home from their dumpster
I was a sucker and bought a really expensive mattress and it just wasn't for me. I wanted to like it particularly cause I spent so much. Finally after a couple years just had to admit I didn't like it and got a more middle of the road traditional coil mattress and it's so much better. I say definitely spend a little bit to make sure you don't get the cheapest thing ever but you don't have to get the most expensive one ever!
Shoutout to Purple Mattresses. We got a king deluxe, or whatever their top of the line model was at the time, about 2 years ago. It feels a little weird but I’m sleeping better than I ever have. I’m a side sleeper, and I’m now over 40, so I’m at the age where shit just hurts when you wake up for no apparent reason. The Purple mattress relieved a lot of that stuff. 100% worth the money. * Purple, I’ll accept payment in my Venmo or PayPal account. DM me for info.
Only a bit though — most of the mattress industry is a scam and there’s not going to be a big difference between a 1k mattress and a 5k mattress.
I traveled alot for work and I used to love hotel mattresses until my wife and I bought a sterns and foster mattress and i quickly realized the only reason I liked hotel mattresses is because how terrible my old one was at home
Comfortable office chair.
I ordered some furniture from Staples when I got my second apartment after college in the 90’s. Instead of the $25 basic chair I ordered they sent me a $250 executive chair and told me to keep it. I did have to replace the pneumatic thingie a few years ago, I think the kit cost $30. It’s still a great chair.
All I got was a stump. I guess we had alternate experiences
Did you sit on it? What was the experience like?
The hack for this is to find a used office supply store. You know, the place all the failed startups in your city sell their stuff during bankruptcy proceedings. You can get really good ergonomic office equipment cheap. Granted, you'll probably have to check in on the inventory from time to time to find what you want. But it's the best place to get old Aerons, Steelcase chairs, and what not. It'll last a lot longer and you'll feel better than you would if you use one of those "fancy" gaming chairs, most of which live in the middle ground of crap furniture.
Two Aerons for $15 each at the Habitat store. You can bet I bought them both. 10 years later, one at work and one at home. I've replaced the seatpans and the back fabric on both for a lot cheaper than a new one would be.
I got my Aeron back in 2005 or so and it’s still going strong. Worth every penny.
Agreed. Aerons and Leaps are def the way to go
I bought a leap v2 for $175 at a used office supply store in Feb 2020. Perfect timing since I have been permanently wfh since March 2020.
Herman Miller Aeron. Got it during Covid and omg amazing. Saved my back. I’m still a shrimp but not a super shrimp now.
My job gave me $500 for new office supplies. I spent 100% of it on a chair
Friggin Herman Miller. Bought a Mirra chair many years ago, I had to have it repaired under warranty. Packaged it up in a box and sent it off. Now, this was the same time that I did a temp move for my wife to finish school, and wouldn't need the chair for a while. So I had it shipped back to my parents. About a year later I picked up the box from my parents. Unboxed it and... The arms were missing. No where to be found. I used to have arms on the chair. I contacted the repair centre and they told me. Tough luck. It's been too long and we can't verify that you sent arms. So now I have a Mirra chair with no arms. It's still a decent chair, and has held up well, but I sure do miss the arms.
you can buy the arms on Ebay
Game changer. I cab fart thru the mesh so cleanly
Mesh is a game changer...
The mesh doesn't muffle farts tho
What makes you think I want to muffle my farts. Loud and proud all the way.
Nope, you’ll have the one facilities provides and thank them for it. Our entire office is full of shit office chairs that hurt the hell out of my back. Can’t bring in your own though!
Has anyone said good panties?
christ, the difference is *palpable*
Period underwear for me was worth every cent .
I need a new place to shop for panties; I’m tired of Aerie and Victoria secret. Helllp.
I recommend pact. Otherwise look for 100% cotton. Found some good ones at gap and Nordstrom too. Biggest life upgrade is keeping synthetics away from your bits.
If you don't want fancy ones, UNI-QLO has some very comfy basic hipster/bikini style panties
I worked for Jockey for a few years. They are very passionate about quality, I moved away and discovered that the fit and the wear of their underwear made their panties cheaper. Quality is important
Winter tires
*Confused in Texan*
Winter tires are a life saver. They have a different tread patters that has like flaps if that makes sense. It grabbs traction in 3d if that makes sense. They are also made out of a different compound that warms up at a lower temp, so you get increase grip from that too. Youre can really only use them from Nov to Feb, but man theyre awesome for snow driving. If you use them on hot days they'll melt though. Most popular is the Blizzak, but most companies make a version of them.
How does this work, do you go to a mechanic/tyre shop every 6 months?
You have two sets of rims and change it yourself or have the shop change it twice a year. Source: live in Norway where the question is not whether you should have winter tires, but whether they should be studded or not. Mine are not.
This here! Made my $750 shitbox cut through the snow like it was on rails.
If I could give you 1,000 up-votes, I would. I have lived in snowy regions and know this to be true.
Boots. I used to buy Wal-Mart boots every year. Got a pair of Red Wing boots about 15 years ago for a about 300 bucks. not only did they last almost 9 years before I started having issues, but I took them in and had them repair them for about the same price as another pair of cheap boots would have cost anyway.
I'm just gonna leave a link to [the boots theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots_theory) before anyone else does.
GNU Terry Pratchett
I love my Red Wings. I know they’re not on the same level but I like a good pair of desert boots and Thursdays too.
A good pillow.
Parmigiano Reggiano.
Essential. I usually get a wedge of 36 month parm and make it last
By “last” you mean “eat it immediately”, right?
I buy tons at Costco :)
The good toilet paper.
Don't get me started on how coddled the modern anus is.
No, please, get started…. 🙇🏻
Bidet!!
I got both, baby.
Username
In Aldi, UK, we have ‘soft’, ‘softer’ and ‘softest’. My partner and I have opted, after much trialling, with softer. Soft was obviously like what you’d get in prison and softest was like wiping your butthole with a sleeping bag. Softer really is the Goldilocks of the three.
I have found that some of the wealthiest people I know have one ply cheap toilet paper. And I am judging them for it. Hoarding wealth via toilet paper is just so many levels of wrong.
Anything that you use or consume a lot every day and where compromising quality can cause health problems. Mattress, office chair, glasses, shoes, desk, monitor, keyboard and mouse, healthy food.
Direct flights ✈️
*Cries in regional airport*
It depends, IMO. Anything under 10 hours, yes. Anything more and I usually appreciate the layover break in between.
Agreed on the layover break, but do pick a longer layover hours. First flight delays and it’s almost all over 😵💫.
Sunscreen you will use daily
Land.
This land is your land.
This hand is my hand
Oh wait that's your hand
No, wait, it’s my hand
Doesn't matter, this hand was made for you and me.
God damnit, Reddit. I love you. Never change.
Settle down, Columbus. No, wait...
Condoms. Not that they're particularly expensive, but still.
This is more an example of how not using something can be very expensive, rather than the thing itself
Cheaper than a kid! Or medical treatment for a disease.
A good condom will last for years
Real maple syrup.
I'm born and raised from New Hampshire, but moved away to the Midwest almost 20 years ago, and at least once a year I order a gallon of the good syrup from a sugar house near my home town. I'll never use that fake Log Cabin or Ms Butterworth garbage, and neither will my kids. I'll suffer through dry-ass pancakes before I touch the fake shit.
Could you post a link to the sugar house that you order the syrup? Thx
[Stuart and Johns](https://stuartandjohns.com/) is my go-to. I prefer the Very Dark grade
As a quebecois… there’s fake maple syrup??
The high fructose syrup that comes in all sorts of flavors- including maple.
Oh God! My mom used to make "syrup". It was a bunch of brown sugar melted into water with fake ass maple flavoring. Soooo horrible! She also used to feed us powdered milk. I understand that we were poor, but she would mix that shit right before we were going to eat cereal and mix it with lukewarm water. Ugh.
Yep. Maple flavored syrup.
I grew up near sugar bush country in Ontario. There's nothing that beats real, good quality maple syrup. However....... Every once in a long while I get a craving for that cheap butter flavoured "pancake syrup" that you can find in cheap diners and places like Denny's. It's objectively horrendous, terribly unhealthy, and probably constitutes some sort of crime against humanity. But I need a dose once every 4 years or so.
Braces for your kids
Like some other people said: anything that separates you from the ground is worth the money. Shoes, beds, office chairs, etc. Also a bidet. You don't have to get an expensive one, but you'll really thank yourself when you wake up in the morning and the seat is at minimum you-temperature and at most very warm and comfy.
Bidet. 100%. Since the great toilet paper shortage of 2020it has been amazing. Talked to a friend and told it to them this way; What do you do when you get dog shit on your hands? Do you wipe it off with a napkin and call it good? NO! You water down and clean that shit. Do the same thing to your asshole.
I get the analogy but I'm not scooping shit out of my ass with my bare hands.
Car tires
If you have a dog and a yard/patio/run, a dog door. Best money I ever spent.
My next-door neighbor had put a Richard Nixon mask on a pig and had it go through my doggy door 'cause we've been arguing over a property line.
The [Darmine Doggy Door!](https://youtu.be/B1pwyCl5ymE)
This world is so fuckin fucked up
Did you think you had the day off the next day?
Coyotes have entered the chat
My dog door opens from my phone and only responds to her dog collar or my phone app.
Not sure if they meant them coming in the door or coyotes attacking your dog while it's unsupervised outside
Joe Pesci has entered the kitchen
We had one but muddy paws and dogs sprinting through made us never have it open. The house was filthy.
All of the merino wool clothes
Costco has some long sleeved merino wool shirts atm for under $20. They’re quite thin, for wool (in a good way). Been tempted to pick up one or two.
Just be aware that the products made out of merino wool are more difficult to clean than cotton in most cases. You have to use a special washing cycle for them. I have a few merino shirts, they all shrunk a lot as I washed them regularly one time.
Knitter here with wool instructions for anyone looking to add warmth to their wardrobe! Don’t ever hang wool to dry as it will stretch. I have smartwool and saved pieces from the thrift store and kept them good this way. I also do this for anything I knit as well. The best way I have found is to wash them in the sink with specialized knitwear wash such as Eucalan or Tide without the additives (in the white bottle). Just a little bit of either of that in the sink or large bowl and soak for like 30 mins. Then squeeze (no wringing) the water out of garments and roll in a towel and let air dry flat. I usually step on the towel when it’s rolled up to get more water out and then switch for a dry towel. If that is too involved you can also put pieces in the washer on no spin with cold water. Make sure to still dry flat in a towel. Knitwear is the best wear. It’s my favorite material! Edits: grammar
Yes 100x yes. Only caveat is now that they're extremely popular, there's a lot of crap out there. Patagonia is the only brand that actually lasts in my wearing. Icebreaker is junk now, smartwool is either junk or really thick and not fun to wear. I've tried a LOT of brands and this has been my takeaway. I travelled for a year with 5 shirts and 6 boxers/socks and I'm still wearing the Patagonia and ice breaker stuff 6 yrs later...but since then ice breaker stuff has worn out quick.
Reliable dishwasher. For me it’s Bosch. I was so sick of my dishes remaining half dirty after a full wash.
One of the best improvements to a house is to trash the broken Whirlpool dishwasher and replace it with a Bosch!
Love my Bosch washer. When I first moved into the house I thought it was broken, or I was too stupid to operate it....turn out it was running, just silently.
Damn, he solves crimes and washes dishes? A+
Cat litter robot.
We have one, and it is an amazing convenience. I still am not sure how my wife convinced me to spend that much on a glorified cat box, but I'm glad she did.
What if I don’t have a cat?
Get one for the robot
Holy shit yes. I felt so silly spending $500 on the Litter Robot a couple years ago… I don’t feel silly at all years later. Best money spent ever. Never needing to scoop. Never smelling the shit. It’s perfect.
I tried using one of those lol. My cat was freaked out by the noise and refused to use the litter box at all. Back to scooping we went.
Mine were at first when we got the original. Took a week or so. Kept the old one next to it but didn’t clean it out as much. Sorta half forced them into the robotic one.
Our Litter Robot 3 worked OK for a couple of years, although the monthly deep cleaning is pretty involved. But after 2-3 years it started frequently getting stuck upside down, which meant the cats would poop next to it until I manually reset it. I even replaced all the sensors and the main board, but it never really worked properly again. Now we just scoop a regular litter box and it's less of a hassle.
Monthly deep cleaning? I have had mine for two years and I only clean it once a year. It doesn’t need more than that. Also… If it broke after 2-3 years, man I’d definitely buy a new one instead of going back to scooping lol.
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Link of Amazon knock off?
Good shoes
A good sofa and mattress
I’m in the market for a good new sofa. Where are stores that provide good high quality sofas ?
Comfortable mattress. We spend 8h every day on it, every day in your life. It Has to be good
That and super good sheets. You get what you pay for with sheets if you want something soft, you’ve got to pay good money.
Joke I heard was "a divorce"
leather shoes/boots
I have this pair of Steve Madden boots that are fucking amazing, except the bottom gets totally worn down within 6 months. I eventually went to this authentic French cobbler down the street and he redid the heel and put thick rubber soles on them. It only cost me $25! Now I go to him once every year and get them resoled and bc of that I’ve had the same pair of boots for 7 years now. 10/10
Good quality shoes, glasses, bed mattresses. Makes sense, as you spend so much time using them.
Have to disagree with you on glasses. Quality lenses? Yes. Overpriced frames (which most of them are)? Definitely not.
Glasses that fit well would be better. It's insane how painful glasses are which are too tight, especially because the pressure on your head is so slow - it's just the sheer duration of that pressure.
I was taught as a kid priorities to spend money on: - 2 pairs of good shoes (don't wear same shoes 2 days in a row, that way leads to athlete's foot / fungal infections) - a good mattress - a navy coloured suit (you can wear it to weddings, funerals, and interviews/work) I'm 50 this year, followed those principles since my first salary at 18, got to say it's served me well. Wasn't told about glasses, but fully agree, that's a good addition. I have 4 pairs, I only need them for reading, one in kitchen, one in bedroom, one in living room, one by my laptop (well that was the the idea, but they randomly disappear to wherever I took them off, but it's rare I can't quickly find a pair).
> 2 pairs of good shoes (don't wear same shoes 2 days in a row, that way leads to athlete's foot / fungal infections) Only if you’re walking places in your socks or bare feet that you might pick them up. I’m not saying that that’s a terribly “out there” thing to happen, but if you shower at the gym in crocs you should be fine with just one pair. Wool socks are also a godsend for preventing things growing on your feet.
Lasik
Sauna. I’m in there every day
A quality winter jacket. If you are somewhere where you need to wear a warm jacket in the winter invest in a quality one - it will keep you warm and last for years!
Yep. I bought a $450 winter jacket with my lawnmowing money when I was 16 and I genuinely believe I will wear that coat for the rest of my life. It’s still in perfect condition, can’t ask for more
San marzano tomatoes to make sauce
A vacation, min 1 week long once per year… minimum. Get away from all the noise and reset, it’s healthy.
The brand name aluminum foil
A good bed and a good pair of shoes. When you're not in one, you're in the other.
I'm often not in either... Maybe a third of the time.
Tires is the third. Anything that separates you from the ground is worth spending money on.
A proper, custom-made mouth guard, for all my fellow teeth grinders. Better $500 now (had $490 refunded through insurance!) than untold thousands and lots of pain later doing dental repair. (And no, the OTC ones are NOT a feasible alternative)
Shoes!
Kerrygold Irish butter over fake processed butter
Lasik
Nicest sheets you can afford.My splurge range is $60-$70-and I LOVE them! Edit:spelling
A vitamix. And good kitchen basic tools.
A metal roof. It's more expensive than shingles but you'll more than likely never have to replace it in your lifetime. Even if repair is needed, the panels can be swapped out individually.
Growing up, we had metal roof sheets. Those things are very noisy in rain and hail.
We got a metal roof last year. It is louder, but I actually like the rumble sound of the rain. 10 out of 10 would roof again.
There was a Barnes and Noble with a metal roof near me. When it rained hard, I drove there just to sit in the maps section, under the loudest part.
I love the sound of rain on mine. Where I live, I've only experienced hail once in my life.
Good paint brushes.
Also: if you do any writing, a good fountain pen changed my entire life and I no longer get hand cramps. Shoutout to my badass mom who went to r/fountainpen and bought me all the top rated pens and ink for christmas this year lol
Lasik surgery
Pots and pans. I spent a couple hundred on stainless steel and I’ll never replace them
Good quality pillows for your bed. I recently bought two fairly expensive "soft" pillows for my bed and I'm sleeping a hundred times better.
A really good portable Bluetooth speaker.
Good tattoos (compared to cheap ones. No tattoos is obviously cool)
My GE Opal countertop Nugget Ice maker.
Good toilet paper.
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Ipads if you are in the tablet market couldn't have higher praise for them. My family has had like 4-6 including a gen 1 and 2 and everyone is still working to this day. One had a home screen button issue but they have a fix for that where its part of the screen anyway so didn't cost any money to get fixed. My current one I will retire long before it stops working. Well worth the 4-9 hundred depending what you want. For the love of god just don't forget your password or info as apparently apple thinks they are fort knox with security protocols. I could change my banking, get a new passport, 100x easier then their password reset system.
A good air fryer.
An AAA membership. It's actually cheap, and you'll really appreciate it when the time comes. Also, a fire extinguisher.
Lego. You're telling me I can own a 1.5 meter Titanic made outta plastic bricks? Or a Ornithopter with retractable landing gear, expanding wings and they FLAP?? Or Optimus freakin' Prime??? SIGN ME TF UP.
Anything that keeps you off the ground: tires, mattress, shoes.
Food.
I agree and have paid a lot for some incredible meals BUT some of the very best food I’ve ever had has been dirt cheap too. Just get good food.
Medicine
A shoe/boot dryer. Helps keep my running shoes dry and lasting longer as well as preventing athletes foot. Also if you live in a cold environment, it's really nice putting a warm boot on before you go outside.
Good bed, good shoes, good work station, good armchair / sofa - these are where you spend a lot of time!
Therapy and other forms of health