There’s the adage, “spend your money where you spend your time.”
If you’re going to spend a lot of time in front of a TV, get a nice one. Cook a lot? Get the good knives and pans. Don’t read much? Don’t buy an e-reader or book subscription service. Not big into DIY? Get cheap drill/driver for the rare times you need it.
There’s plenty of exceptions but it’s a nice general rule.
Even if you are into DIY: Buy cheaper once, if something breaks buy something more expensive.
I see this a lot and take some issue with it the wording of it. I think a lot of people say this thinkkng of something like Ryobi or Harbor Freight as the “cheap” guys, when in reality the price scaling of tools puts those makes pretty squarely in the mid to high-end bracket.
In reality, there are some cheap tools that are downright unsafe for use that some people might see after reading that comment and decide to get.
ETA: If it’s sharp, spins, or runs on electricity, get it from a physical store or highly reputable online vendor and make sure it has a warranty
I dunno, I’ve had good luck with Aldi and Lidl “Center Isle” power tool purchases. Thats Workzone and Parkside tools, a far cry from mid to high-end. If I use something enough that it merits a replacement, I buy the Makita version
Those are still from a reputable store. I think the really cheap ones are the Chinese ones that don’t even have a brand name. Slightly above that are the Chinese made ones with a nonsense word for the brand name.
right yeah
Project Farm on YouTube often rates Ryobi, Husky, and Harbor Freight brands as being pretty good.
Or better yet, buy second-hand.
Anything that goes between you and the ground. Shoes, bed, tires.
And chair
I spend 8 hours a day working from home on my computer. A good chair isn’t a luxury, it’s an investment.
Yup, what you rocking? I have settled on a leap V2 love the thing
I got a mid-tier inexpensive mesh chair and the mesh is worn out. 100% getting an Aeron next.
I worked somewhere with legitimate Aerons once. Was the only office chair I’ve shared workspaced on that didn’t have either an odorous reek or armrests picked to bare foam.
Do it! I got one of Madisonseating.com on a sale they had going and have zero regrets, other than I wish I did this much sooner.
I regret not doing it sooner. <3
I have the Nightingale CXO 6200D Since about 2015.
A chair is just a bed for your butt.
Invest in a standing desk. Sitting all day, even in a good chair is no good for you. Mix it up.
My god how many times is this question and this response going to be posted on the Internet. This single question/response must make up at least a third of all LLM datasets.
Shoes?
Laughs in Australian while wearing $2 thongs hiking in the bush.
Parachute
parachute doesn’t go between you and the ground, you go between the parachute and the ground. unless you cheaped out on the parachute
Comrade’s parachute
is reusable, because it never works
Especially when it’s between you and the ground
Bought some nice shoes about a week ago after wearing the same pair of Crocs every day for over a year. It’s incredible
Side note, the bottoms of my Crocs where my big toe was is noticably thinner than the rest of the shoe lol
I just posted the same thing. Good on you, I’m deleting mine
Anything involving safety.
As an example: Phone or laptop batteries.
Honestly, batteries of any kind. Only buy from the manufacturers of the product the batteries work with. If it’s underpriced on Amazon, it’s probably a fucked up battery that has a higher risk of starting an electrical fire. Portable tool batteries, ebike batteries, handheld system batteries.
I’m not fucking around with unsafe batteries.
Never buy branded batteries on Amazon either.
I always stick with Annsmann, they make incredible rechargeable AAs and AAAs
Ordered a set off Amashit and they were fake, and I’ve had the same problem with Anker
Fuck Amazon until they sort their MASSIVE counterfeiting problems out
A good power supply. It can save your whole system.
A good mattress: you spend 1/3 of your life sleeping, it needs to be comfortable.
Footwear: the rest of the time your footwear is what separates you from the ground. Invest in practical, good quality, and repairable/hard-wearing footwear.
Mattress, shoes, chair, tires. The things that are between you and the ground
Damn, I wish I had that much sleep lol
Condoms
I wanna say get good gear for your hobbies, but most of us probably don’t need convincing to spend on what we love. I resisted buying a good set of gear for my main hobby for nearly two years, and I wish I’d done it sooner.
There was a post earlier asking for slurs for beginners in a hobby that buy the top of the line stuff for the hobby. Don’t cheap out on starter gear, but don’t go for top of the line right out of the gate either
That’s a valid point too. I feel less bad now lol
The rule is, if it goes between you and the ground buy quality shit.
Submarine construction
Dental care.
Yourself. Time and resources you invest in yourself usually grant the highest returns in the long run.
Examples:
- When job hunting, prefer opportunities that give you more valuable experience when possible.
- While planning your schedule, give highest priority to activities that contribute to your physical and mental health.
- At the grocery store, choose fresh ingredients over the cheaper and easier premade options.
- When budgeting finances, pay yourself first by setting aside what you can for your future. If not yet possible, see 5.
- Invest in your continued education, which can include traditional credentialing such as degrees or certifications, but also online and night classes, or even self-guided study.
- Choose relationships and experiences over things. While things can temporarily improve lifestyle, relationships and experiences permanently expand the life you have lived.
LASIK
Other people have said better things, but I’ve found flour to be important in baking. Generic store brands can work mostly, but for more precise and nicer baking I’ve got to go with King Arthur flour
Hey King Arthur flour, sponsor me please, I need it to keep buying all this flour!
King Arthur flour
How does this specific thing keep popping up in every corner of the internet I ever go to?? Is it that good?
It really is better than most. This a company I actually think sort of cares. Their recipes for bread products are also spot on, at least the ones I’ve tried.
Not really exeptional except it is commercial grade. It’s not the random stuff you get from the local brand. The local brand is whatever. Sometimes it’s really good, other times it’s pretty poor.
The most common difference is in a test called “falling number”. Falling number is a fast easy way to figure out if an enzyme that degrades starch has been activated (alpha-amylase). Intact starch in flour creates a matrix in solution and thickens it. When alpha-amylase is activated it degrades the starch and makes it thinner.
For baking you want a thicker dough that holds together. It’s how you get light and fluffy breads. The thicker dough traps CO2 produced by yeast or an acid/base reaction better.
The falling number method is uncomplicated, but requires an apparatus which follows the international standards.
Any high quality brand will probably do you well. King Arthur is what I can get easily and have used it for decades. Also it’s employee owned, last I knew, which makes me feel a smidge better.
Also their online recipes are pretty nice, and they answer questions!
Great flour, consistent every time, no filler or weird blends like others might have, great recipes, employee owned, etc.
They also have gluten-free flours (both measure for measure and straight up) and good recipes for them. I’m not gluten free but I have a friend that is and the chocolate cake I made them with their flour and recipe was one of the best gluten free cakes there ever had (it’s better than some gluten cakes I’ve had tbh)
Their bakers hotline is extremely awesome
Running shoes because when you wear ill-fitting shoes, you will hurt yourself eventually.
Shoes in general. Youll have so much more stamina at festivals and other places if you have sturdy shoes that fit well.
I switcthed to barefoot shoes for hiking and everyday. They are the opposite of sturdy, but well worth the investment. As a guy in his late forties, I have fewer little nagging pains.
Bed mattress. Sleep is important.